Destroy the Graveyard of Fear : Uproot All Fear, Then Believe with Reason
There is something that blocks our hearts every day, causing anxiety and worry: the deep feeling that we are afraid we will not see, afraid we cannot do it, afraid we do not know how, that we will not see the sphere, will not see the body, will not see the Buddha image, and that in this life we probably will not get to see it. The more duties we have, the more affairs pile up, and our age draws near like wood at the river’s edge, ready to go into the water. These fears are buried in our hearts as a graveyard of fear, rising into the mind. Luang Por Dhammajayo teaches us to come and dig out the roots of fear completely, to destroy this kind of feeling entirely, to topple the wall of fear that we will not get it, will not see it, will not be it, and let it collapse away.
Destroy the Graveyard of Fear : Fear Is a Himalaya Mountain Blocking the Path to Dhamma
- Fear is like a Himalaya mountain blocking the way: The fear that we will not see, will not get, will not be, is like a Himalaya mountain blocking the path of our attainment of Dhamma. Go and destroy it; dig out the roots of fear buried in the graveyard of the heart and throw them all away. Then believe in yourself, believe with reason and principle (เชื่อมั่นอย่างมีหลักวิชชา) that we must get, must see, must be.
- Believe with reason, that the sphere of Dhamma is within us: We must believe with reason, because the fact that our coarse human body can exist and stand in this form is because there is a sphere of Dhamma that makes the human body, clear and pure, as big as the yolk of a chicken’s egg, located at the Sixth Base (ฐานที่ ๖) in the middle of our belly, at the same level as the navel.
- The center of the body, the Sixth Base: Suppose we take two threads and stretch them taut, one stretched from the navel through to the back, another stretched from the right side through to the left, letting the two threads cross in an X. The point of intersection is as small as the point of a needle. This place is called the center of the body, the Sixth Base. The sphere of Dhamma that makes the human body, clear and pure, as big as a chicken’s egg yolk, is right here. Everyone has it, even we ourselves have it, our children have it, our grandchildren have it, all people in the world have it. If there were no such sphere of Dhamma, the coarse body could not exist. If this sphere of Dhamma were extinguished, the coarse body would collapse and pass away likewise, that is, we would die. That we are still alive is because this sphere of Dhamma nourishes and upholds us.
- The center of the body, the Seventh Base: This sphere will be seen when we bring the mind to stop still at the center of the body, the Seventh Base (ฐานที่ ๗), which is two finger-widths above the Sixth Base. Suppose we place the index finger and middle finger one on top of the other, then lay them over the point of intersection of the two threads, two finger-widths higher. This place is called the center of the body, the Seventh Base. When we bring the mind to stop still right here, once it aligns properly, the sphere of Dhamma that makes the coarse human body, clear and pure, as big as a chicken’s egg yolk, will rise up and become the sphere of the beginning of the path (ปฐมมรรค), held ready for us to enter the middle, meet the Triple Gem within, and go to the sense-base Nibbāna.
- Everything is ready, so do not fear we will not see Dhamma: Our mind exists, the center of the body the Seventh Base is in our body, the sphere of Dhamma that makes the coarse human body, clear and pure, as big as a chicken’s egg yolk, exists, the knowledge or method to reach it exists, and on top of that we have teachers and masters serving as spiritual friends (กัลยาณมิตร), sitting with us, advising us, supporting us so that we can attain it. With all this already present, why should we have to fear that we will never get the chance to see the Dhamma in this life? Such fear is unreasonable.
- Fear makes us lazy, or wanting beyond measure: This kind of fear will make us lazy to sit, weary, sitting half-heartedly, or wanting to see and get far beyond measure, overreaching, changing from aspiration (ฉันทะ) into craving. When craving comes to stand there, it is excessive and it becomes stress. Therefore, stop fearing, my dear children, that we will not see the Dhamma.
- The principle of success: If we do it, we can do it. If we do it every day, we see more quickly. If we do it with the right method, we see faster still. Therefore destroy the wall of fear completely, demolish it, let it collapse away; dig out the roots of fear buried in the graveyard of the heart, the fear of not getting, not seeing, not being; dig them out and destroy them all. Then make the mind cheerful and radiant, and recite the mantra of success: “Even though it is dark and murky, we still have the right to attain the Dhamma.” Be radiant indeed.
Examples of Those Who Truly Did It : From Fear to Inner Experience
- Example one, the mind becomes one, finding the light and oneself: Many people came to tell Luang Por: “In this life I probably will never get the chance to see it. I’ve sat for a long time, work is plentiful, duties are many, my lifespan grows, and my body decays every day.” They were advised: “Go ahead and sit as Luang Por advises, do it simply and comfortably, forget the temporary rules for now, sit comfortably and at ease. If we cannot recall the center of the body without becoming stressed, then place oneself within the center of the body and just do it.” It turned out that one day it bore fruit: the mind became very much at ease, the mind united with a whoosh, the light blazed within, and he saw himself radiant, very happy. This incidentally caused the whole household to awaken with desire to practice, because the one whom people looked at and thought could not do it, or that if he could it would be the most difficult, still did it. They awakened and revolutionized their thinking anew, calming the mind, then found the light, found themselves, found the Buddha image within. Do you see, my dear, that he could do it too?
- Example two, sleeping as a knower: Someone else said: “The method Luang Por describes of forgetting the rules temporarily, namely that we forget them yet still stay in the track, the saying that if sleepy, sleep; if tired, move; if restless, open the eyes. Luang Por said sleeping is allowed, but we must sleep as a knower, sleep yet still gain merit, the mind must be pure, that is, sleep in the middle. I felt at ease, so I let myself sleep. It was strange: when I wanted to sleep, I did not sleep; it was at the level similar to when I was about to fall asleep, and then it became spacious and clear. I did not see anything, but it was clear and open. The nervous system seemed to awaken within, fresh, like sleeping a full sleep and then waking, but not as fresh as the feeling of being clear, open, light, airy, and very much at ease. I saw nothing, but I loved it. And it did not sleep; the drowsiness and fatigue were gone, the mind was radiant, and I began to feel love for sitting, wanting to sit. Before, I had to force myself to sit, striving to sit because I wanted to gain merit, thinking that no matter what I would never see the Dhamma, so I would sit to gain merit and patience perfection (khanti pāramī) instead, and I sat that way. But when I reached this state, I felt a deep hope, though I did not expect on which day it would come. I was content with the feeling of being clear, empty, drifting as if in outer space; it was comfortable, radiant, the mind free, a feeling I had never had before. Before, whether sitting or not, it felt cramped, oppressive, constricted, not at all spacious. And I remembered that Luang Por once said, we sit for the Dhamma, not for the posture, but we sit for the Dhamma. That is the meditation posture; meditation must be comfortable. If we sit in the meditation posture it looks nice, but the nice posture only brings needless aching. When Luang Por allowed movement, I moved; sometimes I got up and walked. Now I am comfortable, meaning that when the aching went away I would sit, and sitting I thought of nothing.” The one who told and conveyed this now is radiant; from being empty he has come to be radiant, sitting and smiling, fresh and cheerful indeed.
- Example three, the mind unites and drops, going toward the light: Another said: “Luang Por allowed moving, allowed getting up to walk, and that was a relief. I did it, moving without making noise that would disturb those beside me. Before, I sat and ached, sitting still because I did not know what to think; I could not think, so I left thinking, made the mind calm, still, and neutral, and thought of nothing, not thinking whether I would see or not, just sitting still. Oh, at a certain point the mind united and dropped down like falling from a height, plunged down. I was startled, but I liked it. When it dropped, it was comfortable, though thrilling; I held it back a little, but still felt comfortable. Then deep and far away, it was as if there were some light, I did not know, but it gave me hope.” Another had the same experience.
- Example four, opening the eyes to dissolve restlessness: Another said: “Restlessness is such an obstacle for me. I tried to brush away the restlessness so it would not arise in the mind, because I have little time to sit. The more I brushed it, the more constricted, restless, and agitated I became, with no happiness at all. When Luang Por said I could open my eyes, I followed. Ah, the restlessness really is in the closed eyes. When I opened my eyes and looked at the eyes of Grandmother Teacher (คุณยายอาจารย์) — this is her way of speaking — I found the Master’s eyes so clear. I was happy and warm at heart seeing Grandmother’s eyes. So I closed my eyes again, and that pair of eyes stayed fixed in my heart. I see them clearly. Now I am very happy.”
- Shake off the fear, make the mind radiant: These are examples told for all my children to know: if we do it with the right method, we must see. Therefore shake off the fear of not seeing from the heart completely today. Having understood this well, from now on bring the mind to stop still at the point where we feel satisfied, soft, tender, and gentle, make the mind radiant and at ease. Each person sits quietly.
Now the dedication of merit. When recalling every merit made through countless lives and ages up to today, gather it all at the center of the body, the Seventh Base, then make the vow that this merit may eradicate all defilements of the mind completely, becoming the treasury of attainment accompanying us into the future life, complete with physical beauty, wealth, and virtue, with gain, honor, praise, happiness, the path, the fruit, and Nibbāna, the knowledge of the Dhammakāya, with mindfulness and wisdom to protect ourselves. Then let this merit reach our relatives, ancestors, benefactors, close friends, and companions who have passed away, and also limitless sentient beings throughout the ten-thousand-crore universes and infinite universes, that they may share in the merit we have so diligently made.
Other articles in the series ง่ายแต่ลึก (Easy Yet Deep):
This article is compiled from the teaching of Luang Por Dhammajayo in the program “ง่ายแต่ลึก” (Easy Yet Deep), Episode 5 “ทำลายสุสานแห่งความกลัว” (Destroy the Graveyard of Fear), Friday, 21 June 2002 (B.E. 2545).
