YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED, through benevolent, merit-producing religious events [such as] dhamma talks and bodhi obeisance conducted by highly esteemed venerable monks of recent or contemporary times, a surge of young individuals coming forth along the path of Dhamma. Seeing this assembly of youth, along with the young monks ordained at present and living virtuous ascetic lives, one can’t help but marvel at what great things the noble Dhamma can do in society for the revered-youth. Such revival of the Dhamma cropping up from time to time, however, ebbs away with the passage of time.

Even the monk writing this is someone who, in his lay life, strengthened the path of Dhamma through such benevolent activities orchestrated by the venerable clergy. What Bhikkhu wishes to convey here is we need to be skilful to foster in our lives this dhamma stirring brought about by the clergy, integrating it into our lives. Yet, when a wave rises, one gets swept along with it with great enthusiasm, only to get back to square one when the wave ceases.

Among the four roads to success known as iddhipāda―namely, intention (chanda), resolve (citta), energy (viriya), and investigation (vimaŋsa)―it’s the phenomenon known as citta that will be of paramount significance to you here. Here, citta connotes resolve, or firm determination. The bodhisatta sat at the root of the Bodhi tree and resolved, "Let the skin, flesh, bones, and sinews of my body wither if they may, but not until I discern the supreme wisdom of enlightenment and transcendence from all suffering will I rise from this seat.” Lo, “either accomplishing the objective... or let it be death” is the meaning of that resolve. You, too, must incorporate this factor called citta into your life so it be a strength for your dhamma practice. Having initially gone along with the wave in your dhamma practice, why you return to the original state when the wave subsides is only because you have never yet made a citta―a resolve.

Take this series of articles, for instance. At least a tinge of enthusiasm for these essays may have sprouted in those who have an affinity for the Dhamma. But this brief ardour, you must understand, is a thing of impermanence. By the time this series of essays comes to an end, the enthusiasm arisen, too, will have petered out. But revered-you needn’t stop. Rather than a mere ‘hope,’ have a determination, a resolve. You have hitherto had only ‘hopes.’ Hope is something that changes, a thing of impermanence.

Youth alone is the most suitable period for the Dhamma to develop well; the stage in which life becomes vigorous in longevity, good looks, comforts, and strength. It is during this time of life that the ability to wisely contemplate known as ‘ready wit’ (paṭibhāna) burgeons in life. These salad days are a time when one views the world objectively and free from speculative views and opinions. So, revered-you need to be skilful to, tactically, harvest the crop as the crop yields. Once there is no longer any crop, it matters not how much you shake the tree, for only boughs, twigs, and leaves will fall. Boughs, twigs and leaves mean greed, hatred, and delusion.

In this day and age, youth is dedicated mostly to such things as education, employment, or love. The result being: life becomes replete with the unwholesomeness greed, hatred, and delusion. Do receive education. Follow an occupation. Fall in love. Even as you do these, continually make headway on the path of Dhamma. Make an unwavering resolve, a citta, that surpasses the ever-changing hopes. Don’t place value on hopes. Hopes can never bring you a victory on the path of the Dhamma. Hopes deceive you all the time. Simply due to the intensity of the craving (tanhā) for the enjoyment in sense pleasures, hopes recede. The instant it recedes, you entertain more fresh hopes. That, too, is a mere hope. Empty out all hopes from your life. Then life halts at a particular point. From that point of respite, make a determination, a resolve, thus: “either freedom from the fourfold hell or let it be death.” That is a very powerful place. When you have as strong a resolve as that, you won’t turn back where the wave ceases, or where you fall terribly ill, or lose your job, or your business collapses, for you are heading for the escape from suffering, knowing all too well what suffering is. At this juncture, faith and confidence―saddhā―will need to have formed in you. You need to have the gumption to accept the true dhamma (saddhamma) without reservation and to incorporate it in your life.

A most pious young gentleman once told Bhikkhu, “I had a hope from a very young age, venerable Sir, that I wouldn’t get married. But for some reason or another, I met a girlfriend. Then we both entertained the hope not to get married but instead to tread the path of Dhamma. But for some reason, venerable Sir, we ended up getting married. Afterwards, we hoped we wouldn’t have children. But for some reason, we had a child. The child is still small. Now we hope to ordain the child once he is old enough and to get ordained ourselves. Oh venerable Sir, is there any chance we could realize this hope of ours?” asked that gentleman. No, it will certainly not be realized, for it is a mere hope. What you ought to do is rid yourself of the ever-changing hopes and make an unwavering, unchanging resolve.

It isn’t an absolute must that revered-you go forth from lay life, for you are fettered by its ties and attachments. While continuing to remain in lay life, resolve that it will be “either freedom from the fourfold hell… or else death.” Set in motion the qualities relevant for it in your life.

If you form faith and confidence in the Triple Gem in this manner, you’re among the wealthiest in the world. The wealthy, the well-heeled, that Buddha commended was the one who engendered faith and confidence in the Triple Gem. If you wish to become a descendant of Buddha, this is the wealth you must come into possession of.

Cast aside the spurious yardstick known as ‘the rich,’ ‘the wealthy,’ of present society. If you recognize this true affluence, you won’t partake in the cut-throat human scrimmage for chasing comforts prevailing in society. You will understand that your wealth isn’t something measured in numerals but a thing measured in terms of the essence of the Dhamma; you will see that the value of the numeral is, in fact, valueless. The direction in which the world is headed is of no consequence to you. The direction where the essence of the Dhamma develops is what matters. That direction leads to the Noble Eightfold Path, which won’t beset oneself nor anyone else. Now you can make a firm resolve, a citta, but not a mere hope. In hope lurks doubt, a sense of misgiving. Now you’re on the path, having cultivated Right View (sammā-diṭṭhi). There’s no regressing. The resolve you made at this moment as “either escaping the fourfold hell or else death” would be the strongest ever resolve made hitherto in the round of rebirths you’ve passed. If you had not the strength to do this at least on this occasion, this time, too, you’d be defeated. Therefore, to attain the truest happiness, incorporate the truest wealth of Dhamma into your life.

A bhikkhu was proceeding to his seat to conduct a dhamma discussion when all the revered-devotees present, clad in white, paid respects to the Mahā Saṅgha, uttering “sādhu… sādhu… sādhu” or “excellent… excellent… excellent” in a single melodious tone. A most mellifluous sound it was, imbued with much devotion. A considerably serene utterance. Hearing it being uttered in unison from both male and female voices, one couldn’t help but wonder if it was the sound of devas in the heavenly realm. In short, at that moment, each such devotee was in a state of mind free of human perceptions. Only heavenly perceptions would arise in them.

One night, when a particular bhikkhu was in a samādhi―a deeply concentrated state of mind―he has heard, with his faculty of divine hearing known as dibba-sota,[1] the utterance “sādhu… sādhu… sādhu” from a celestial realm. This heavenly sound was not unlike that human sound. The bhikkhu, however, heard still another remarkable celestial sound one particular night. This time, it was the voice of a single deity in a heavenly realm, uttering “anicca, anicca, anicca” or “impermanent… impermanent… impermanent.” Unlike the deity mentioned first, look how advanced a view this latter deity has. Perhaps this second deity could be one who had attained fruits of the path (magga phala). That may well be the reason for reciting “impermanent… impermanent… impermanent” with a most deep, serenely dispassionate psyche, transcending the meaning of the utterance “sādhu… sādhu… sādhu.”

What Bhikkhu exhorts you to see is that you, too, must take a step forward in the path of the Dhamma. Going beyond the purport of the utterance “sādhu… sādhu… sādhu” that many a youth or lay devotee recites nowadays at benevolent religious events, get into the habit of meaningfully reciting “impermanent… impermanent… impermanent.” Paying homage to Lord Buddha by reciting “sādhu… sādhu” alone is not enough. Through the Buddha, discern the essence of the Dhamma: ‘impermanence.’ Only then will you have truly paid homage to Buddha.

Society is very afraid to say aloud or recite the word ‘impermanence.’ If you be afraid to contemplate or recite the term ‘impermanence,’ it means you are afraid of the Dhamma. Do away with these frailties and bring your life to a meaningful place. If even the venerable monk you see is impermanent, if the benevolent religious activity you perform, too, is impermanent, if such phenomena as the feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness brought about by that benevolent activity are also impermanent, then it is this very meaning that must leap to mind. If you give rise to such a thought as this, that too will greatly help you escape from being liable to fall into the fourfold hell.

Many fear to speak of impermanence. Some folks have got the impression that thinking of impermanence would cause them to ‘lose’ things. To be sure, something will indeed be lost if one contemplates impermanence. And what will be lost is the suffering, the cause of suffering, and the ignorance that spawns all of this. It’s in this that you will uncover the Noble Eightfold Path―for hidden within the meaning of ‘impermanence’ lie the Four Noble Truths (ariya-sacca). Unless you uncover the phenomenon of ‘impermanence’ from your life, the Four Noble Truths remain concealed from you. It is through impermanence itself that you must see the essence of impermanence. All you’ve got to do is, while remaining within a thing that is changing, observe that it is changing. The quicker an act of thinking gets, the faster the impermanence will be. And that rapidity is what has made you complicated. This is where samādhi avails you. Only through samādhi will you discern the true velocity of impermanence. It is for this reason alone that I write to you so much about faith and confidence (saddhā) and moral conduct (sīla) whose presence is the condition upon which samādhi arises.

If you have drawn some sketch in your mind of the bhikkhu who writes this, it is but sīla that helped Bhikkhu reach that place. It was a sīla observed superlatively. Not so much as a paracetamol pill was kept in possession for an illness. A dose of own urine was the only thing taken instead; though at present the required medicines are kept in possession and used as needed. During the time of developing the path to enlightenment, there were days when even a piece of soap was not there to wash the face with. Had run out of soap. But until a benefactor offered a bar of soap of his own accord, didn’t ask for any; went on without using soap instead. Still, for whatever reason, in every kuṭi in which Bhikkhu presently resides, five or six pieces of soap are left in a container. In hindsight, Bhikkhu thinks he received in the past such kuṭis wanting in requisites so Bhikkhu could perfect the relevant qualities; so even the non-receipt could be turned into a triumph. During the time of carrying out the operation of extinguishment, Bhikkhu clearly felt the body was extremely weak, had withered, and death was very near. Still, food or medicines was of no value to Bhikkhu. When life has been let go of, food and medicines are but a mere hindrance.

[1]    The faculty of divine hearing or dibba-sota refers to one of the supernormal abilities attainable through the utmost perfection in samādhi.