About This Teaching
However much wealth people have, Ajahn Dtun observes, it cannot end greed, aversion and delusion, and it cannot follow us when the body breaks up; only the Buddha's teaching can bring the mind to purity. Having been born human and met the Dhamma, we should not let our time pass in vain.
He sets out the path from the beginning. Keeping the five precepts makes one a good person and restrains body and speech, but sīla alone cannot remove defilements. Samādhi, keeping mindfulness continuously on a suitable meditation object, strengthens the mind so it can endure strong emotions; when anger arises one develops mettā. With sīla and samādhi steady, mindfulness and wisdom can gradually weaken greed and aversion.
Contemplating the body as impermanent and not-self, whether through the 32 parts, the unattractive nature of the body or the four elements, lets the mind give up attachment to the body in three successive portions, with precepts raised to eight or more for the final stage. The mind then sees all things as mere elements and is cool and peaceful. Subtle delusion remains, as the mind still takes feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness to be itself. Seeing their impermanence and not-self, it lets go and becomes pure. He closes with the heart of the teaching: avoid all evil, do good and purify one's own mind.