Concentrated mind, path to bliss

Earlier we discussed the Pathama Papanika Sutta. In that Sutta the Buddha states further

“Oh monks, a businessman with three characteristics qualifies to receive wealth hitherto not received and to enhance the wealth already received. What are those three characteristics?

“The businessman systematically engages in his business in the morning. He engages in the business activities in the midday also. He carries out his business activities systematically in the evening as well. Oh monks. The businessman with these three characteristics becomes qualified to receive wealth hitherto not received and to enhance the wealth already with him.”

The Buddha further states:

“In the same manner, O Bhikkhus, the Bhikkhu with three characteristics qualifies to achieve merit (kusala dhamma) not already received and to improve further the merit already possessed by him.

What are those three characteristics? The Bhikkhu engages systematically in his Samadhi objective in the morning. He systematically engages in his Samadhi objective in the midday also. He does so in the evening also. The Bhikkhu with these characteristics qualifies to receive merit already not received and to enhance merit already acquired by him”.

To acquire good results from this Dhamma to get a big benefit we must use our life to engage systematically in the Dhamma. Otherwise we use our life for useless activities. Even if we do something we do not get the solace we expected.

Why do we engage in this Dhamma? To get solace. If we do not get the expected solace even after engaging in the Dhamma for a long time it means what we have not developed it systematically. That is why we do not get the expected benefits. Therefore you also practice to engage in the Dhamma systematically in the morning, midday and evening. Then you will have a control on your life. After sometime you will come to a state of self – control.

So there is something which needs to be done. Therefore you will have to wake up early in the morning. Why? Because you have something which has to be done. If there is nothing to be done one does not feel like getting up early. One is lazy. If there is nothing to be done in the daytime one will remain in idle talk. If there is nothing to be done in the evening he will spend the evening also in idle talk. Ultimately there will be nothing. Therefore if we have something to be done we may commit our entire life for it. Therefore the mind does not get directed to unnecessary things that cause the deterioration of the mind.

Therefore we must get used to make use of the time throughout the day morning, daytime and evening.

If we do not get used to these things now itself we cannot do it later. Why not later? If we get into an inappropriate pattern of procrastination it is difficult to change it.
Therefore we must adapt our life systematically to an appropriate life style now itself. Therefore if we are practicing a meditation do it in the morning. Try to do it in the daytime. Do it in the evening also.

Get used to doing in that manner from the beginning itself. Then there is the possibility of getting successful results from it.

Sometimes we may feel that it is impossible for us to do so. Then what should we do? Most people may feel “Can’t do it now. I shall do it later”.

Our mind gets inclined that way. But that is not how we should set about it. At that time we must make some effort. Then our mind moves forward to a certain extent.

It is something like this. Suppose one is going on a difficult journey.
It is a very difficult journey. On some occasions he has to go downhill. Then he goes fast.

Sometimes he travels on level road. In that manner he may come across downhill stretches and level stretches. Sometimes he may come across hilly stretches. On level stretches he travels quite comfortably.

He can travel while observing the scenery on either side. When he finds a descending stretch can he travel leisurely as earlier? Can he travel while looking at either side of the road? He can’t. Why? Because there is a danger.

At such a place he has to travel carefully. Simply because it is downhill he cannot travel carelessly. After that he may come across the uphill stretch. Can he travel in the way he travelled on the level stretch? If he sits down saying now the climb is too much. It is impossible. What will happen? The journey ends there.

That is why we say that the mind is different in the morning, noon and evening.

Therefore if we are training our mind for a Samadhi it should be practiced in the morning, noon and evening. If not it will become impossible to make it strong. By meditating we are trying to develop the mind. If one meditates in the daytime and not in the morning it becomes impossible to acquire merit and wholesome qualities which have not been acquired so far.

Whatever skills and qualities have been acquired they deteriorate. It becomes impossible to develop them further.

Therefore even for a short while we must meditate in the morning, day time and evening.

Very often some people are lazy in the morning. They think it is difficult at that time. But we must try.

When going on a journey if we have to climb a hilly stretch we proceed slowly using walking sticks and sweating.

That way he is able to cover the hilly stretch. But it is tiresome. Extremely difficult.

For some people the meditation does not develop in the night. Do not abandon it saying that it does not develop. Make an attempt. Do even a little at such times.

When one says it does not develop it is because the concentration does not take place. For some people concentration develops in the daytime.

It does not develop in the morning. For some people it does not develop at night. Do not give up saying it does not develop. At such times practice systematically even for a short time and then it will be possible to come to a stage when the Samadhi objective can be maintained at any time.

What happens if a driver drives his vehicle always on the straight road? It becomes impossible to drive on a road with bends.

He can never become a good driver. If one learns to drive only in the daytime it becomes impossible for him to drive in the night. If he practices to drive at all times he becomes a clever and skilful driver.

Meditation is also like that. Do it in the morning. Do it in the daytime. Do it at night also.

Do even for a short while the meditation you are practicing.

You can gather successful results only if you do it that way. If not it becomes impossible to develop that meditation. If there is a meditation that has developed it becomes difficult to improve it.

If there is a person in whom a Samadhi has developed and if he wishes to make use of that Samadhi and in order to strengthen that Samadhi, he should meditate in the morning, day and night.

If he remains without meditating it becomes impossible to strengthen that Samadhi. He fails to get the comfort associated with Samadhi. Although he feels at some time that it does not develop it develops at least to a small extent.

It is like climbing a hill. Doesn’t he ascend the hill slowly even using a walking stick? Although he thinks it does not develop it develops internally at least little by little.