Mind Stream Key To Saiyasat

Table of Contents

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1. How to plant faith, drawing in followers of Buddhism who are still attached to supernormal powers and miracles, so that they reach the essence of Buddhism by themselves. 1

2. Teaching Dharma in the manner of tricking a child into eating medicine by first giving him sweets and bananas. 2-3

3. Which images qualify as "sacred images" (rup phra), and the virtue (khun phra) that one ought to attain. 3

4. Teaching the Dharma in the way everyone likes gives better results. 4-5

5. Holding that breathing in and out is deathless: breathing in while thinking "Phut," breathing out while thinking "Tho" -- a method of samatha meditation. 6-7

6. The virtue of one's father and the virtue of one's mother, when truly attained, are real truth-dharma that can truly dispel danger. 8-9

7. Dharma and virtue are the true possessions of the practitioner of saiyasat. 10-11

8. The image of the father and the image of the mother are the arahant-images of the children; the image of the Buddha is the arahant [-image] of devas and all humankind. 12-13

9. The currents that are classed as the currents of saiyasat. 14-16

(b)

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10. Manomayiddhi: the supernormal power of one who has developed samatha meditation and vipassana meditation. 17

11. The Key-to-Saiyasat textbook begins by teaching the path of metta, mahaniyom (great popularity), and maha-sane (great charm) according to plain natural principle. 18-26

12. The people who learn saiyasat best are the most foolish person and the most clever person. 27-31

13. The most foolish man studies under a single teacher for a long time, [until he can] recite a katha that makes a fired gun misfire. 32-33

14. Seeing two teachers demonstrate their powers, and then asking to continue studying [with them]. 34-36

15. A person who lacks respect for father, mother, and teachers will not prosper in Buddhism or in the way of saiyasat. 37-39

16. The story of "Tiger Saeng-Kang" of Phatthalung town, who roared out sparks of fire, because he had precepts, truthfulness, and gratitude as his capital. 40-42

17. Loving the knowledge of saiyasat makes one come to love morality of one's own accord, as a matter of truth-dharma. 43-45

18. Tested by an eighteen-year-old village girl from the forest, but able to resolve it. 46-51

19. Entering the temple to learn how to pay homage to the Buddha and chant, preparing to receive ordination. 52-53

(c)

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20. Having ordained and studied the Dharma, but understanding the Dharma only in a vague, superficial way ("like snakes, like fish"), the knowledge of saiyasat is entirely lost. 54

21. Studying the knowledge of Mulakaccayana [Pali grammar], knowing the origin of the letters, saiyasat is regained. 55

22. The Yoga sect is the original saiyasat, according to the Vedic scriptures of the Brahmins, dividing the body into 7 parts. 56-60

23. The Buddha founded Buddhism because he displayed powers greater than the sect leaders of that era. 61-63

24. The Buddha discovered the principle of vipassana-insight by himself. 64-65

25. Duties that should be performed regularly, as the way of saiyasat. 66-68

26. Morality and mind-power are saiyasat on the side of the Buddha's power, which is the power of merit. 69-70

27. Metta and mahaniyom arise from a mind that has been purified through the practice of meditating on "Phutto." 71-73

28. On the saying that everyone can display power, and that this is not boasting. 74

29. Knowing and attaining "Phutto" can bring peace to the world. 75-76

(d)

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30. The flesh-body, the divine (subtle) body, and the light of the body, all 7 levels. 77-78

31. Training the mind, beginning with the study of metta, mahaniyom, and maha-sane, as the highest form of saiyasat, to the point of being able to speak with objects, speak with human beings, and speak with devas. 79-88

32. Invited to demonstrate power in metta-mahaniyom and invulnerability (khong kraphan), for the people of Malaysia to test the truth of it. 89-92

33. A child who knows but has not yet attained -- mistaken about himself. 93

34. Contemplating so as to know the good breath and the bad breath, as a high form of Dharma, the very highest form of saiyasat. 94-95

35. "Animal knowledge" (diarachan-vicha) is not a vulgar term. 96-97

36. The rite of offering to the devas: making the mind attain the devas, [so as to be able to] speak with the devas. 98-111

37 [printed as 27]. Unlocking the secret truth about "Buddha the Father, Dho the Mother." 112-118

38. A discourse on the devas and the Buddha, and the Buddha's disciples, as they appear in the Mahasamaya Sutta. 120-136

39. Medicines and katha that cure harm done through the power of saiyasat from black-magic sorcery meant to destroy and annihilate. 137-150

Key to Saiyasat

I wish to express my appreciation for the good intentions of the Ruam Thai publishing staff. Having read [what they publish], I see that their editorial policy is genuinely committed to serving Buddhism directly, with no politics concealed within it. It is true that valuing objects, or believing that Buddhism is about supernormal power and miracles, is not the true essence of Buddhism. But such things can draw in those who are just beginning to study and seek knowledge about sacred images, amulets, and charms, leading them into the temple to seek out a virtuous teacher-monk. When they meet such a teacher, the teacher and other knowledgeable people then guide them, little by little, into the Dharma -- which is the true essence of Buddhism -- until the seeker becomes filled with Dharma without even realizing it, just as virtuous teacher-monks do to this very day. It is like tricking a child into eating a sweet and a banana, but he must first take his medicine before being given the sweet, with the banana given afterward. Ordinarily, a tree has roots, bark, sapwood, and heartwood; the heartwood is the substance of the tree, but the tree cannot do without its roots, its bark, and its sapwood either. Buddhism is exactly the same. The teaching of the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha, called "Dharma," points to the truth that arises from plain nature, layer upon layer, from the mundane (lokiya) up to the transcendent (lokuttara). The world and the Dharma are

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a pair. I hope that your weekly newspaper Ruam Thai will continue to flourish and progress in the future, and never decline.

As one who has taken an interest in teaching the Dharma by tricking a child into eating a sweet, giving him a banana, and then having the child take his medicine, for about 40 years now -- to the many hundreds of thousands of people I have "tricked" in this way, I wish to express my appreciation, and to teach Dharma in the form of saiyasat as a gift of knowledge, so that those interested may study and seek knowledge through your newspaper in every issue, under the title "Key to Saiyasat." Anyone with faith who wishes to attain the virtue of the Buddha (khun phra) must first come to know the "sacred image" (rup phra). What is meant by a sacred image? Which image is that of a being more excellent than an ordinary image? It is the image of one endowed with virtue -- such as truthfulness, or the virtue of gratitude and the repayment of kindness -- or the image of one possessing precepts, concentration, wisdom, virtue, and so on. To call something a "sacred image" is to take the image of one who is excellent through virtue. The image of a person of virtue can serve as a refuge for others, both in this world and the next -- this is called a "sacred image." There are many kinds and levels of it, which may be summarized as follows: the image of one's father and the image of one's mother are the most excellent images for one's children -- that is, they are the arahant[-images] of their children. Children ought to attain them to the utmost degree, for there is no image that can equal or compare, specifically for children. Beyond that, the image of the Buddha is an image more excellent than devas and all humankind. Beyond

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Beyond that come the images of the arahants, of the Noble Sangha and the noble disciples, images of "the Lord," images of "the One who is Lord" -- even the images of revered elder monks (luang pu, luang pho), images of teachers who possess virtue: those with virtue are called sacred images. Any image lacking precepts, concentration, and wisdom, lacking virtue, lacking truthfulness, is not classed as a sacred image. An image is an object seen with the physical eye. For anyone who has passed away, once [their memory] is treated as a sacred image, a substitute likeness is made to stand in for them, to be venerated and worshipped as a supreme object of veneration, as an anchor for the mind, as a great royal memorial, as a monument, in the way we commonly see. Sacred images are further divided into many levels and many categories, depending on whose sacred image a given image is held to be. Different people each revere and pay homage to their own [chosen] image; some pay respect merely following others, paying homage to another's image without as much reason as they ought to have. Therefore, one should first study and understand the matter of sacred images, and only afterward study the matter of "virtue" (khun). The virtue of the Buddha is an abstract quality (namadhamma), a virtue, a subtle matter. Those who are interested must use wisdom to consider it thoroughly and carefully before they can see it -- see it with the eye that is wisdom-insight (pañña-ñana) -- and then know it individually, for oneself (paccattam). Whoever sees it or attains it must make their own mind clean, bright, and calm, through the practice of meditation, using effort, perseverance, and patience. But if one wishes to learn by a shortcut, one may compel the mind to attain according to one's own liking first, letting the mind gradually change on its own afterward -- starting from virtue at the level of "bark and sapwood." In the way of saiyasat: this means that once one has attained it, one takes it up at once as a refuge in the present.

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[the attainment] becomes easier and quicker, because it is the nature of the mind that whatever it loves, whatever it likes, that thing is hard to obtain; but a thing that is hard to obtain, once attained, is attained quickly -- even if the result gained is small. Take the way a young woman's mind and a young man's mind rush toward one another: when mind delights in mind, it cannot be priced or valued at all. For example: there were once two revered monks. One was skilled at teaching a method of bringing the mind to attain the virtue of the Buddha in the transcendent (lokuttara) way, so that those who went to see him gained the "eye that sees the Dharma" and saw the path to Nibbana. The other was skilled at giving out lottery numbers, so that those who went to see him were able to win the first prize in the lottery. Everyone went to the monk who gave out the numbers, because everyone wants money -- we know money well, but we do not know Nibbana. Some people do know of it, but feel they must first seek wealth, and only study the path to Nibbana afterward.

Therefore, teaching Dharma in the way people like is faster and yields more results, and is also suited to time and circumstance. The principle of Dharma in the form of saiyasat teaches gratitude, the recognition of the virtue of one's benefactors, and teaches one to intend to repay it -- which is called being "grateful" (katavedi) toward those to whom one owes a debt of gratitude -- teaching the very highest, utmost respect, following the method once used to teach those who attained it to encounter the supernormal power and miracle of that virtue, until they were truly able to dispel danger for those who attained it. That is: may the faithful know that "Phut" is the royal name of the Father, who is the arahant of his children, the one who caused us to be conceived in the Mother's womb [printed: ครรค์] -- [this recognition] is itself the virtue of the Buddha within oneself.

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"Tho" is the royal name of the Mother, who is accomplished as the arahant of her children, the first [arahant] we encounter when we are born. The father, having accomplished this, becomes the Father; the mother, having accomplished this, becomes the Mother of her children -- accomplishing the four virtues, namely: loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha), called the Four Brahmaviharas, the qualities that are the dwelling of Brahma. The father and mother are therefore the Brahma of their children, with no other equal to them. The father and mother accomplish this extraordinary virtue, arising naturally, existing only for their own children -- present to such a degree that it cannot be measured. No sage or royal scholar can calculate how great the virtue of a father and mother is; it fills the air all around the child, with no gap, so that the moment the child reaches it, virtue and benefit arise at once as a refuge.

The method of teaching is divided into stages, from the easiest up to the most difficult -- that is, one advances on one's own, because the mind naturally favors what is plain and ordinary. Let everyone revere the sacred image and the virtue of their own [parents] as the first step. The faithful set their mind and resolve to reach the sacred image and the virtue of their own [parents] with every breath in and out, so as to pay respect and attain it as much as possible, without setting aside any time -- whether asleep or awake, standing, sitting, or lying down -- making themselves heedful, never negligent, regarding the sacred image and its virtue. They ask for blessings from the sacred image, from its virtue, to protect and guard against danger for themselves, to promote happiness and prosperity for

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gaining wealth, honor, and praise for themselves with every breath in and out. Hold to the principle that breathing in and out is the deathless, that is, not-dying, in accordance with the Dharma principle that is the resolve of ultimate perfection (paramattha-parami): it is a resolve of truth, a perfection of truth. Intend to cultivate perfection rightly as a perfection of truth, a striving-perfection of truth; walk the path toward the ultimate perfection of truth. Act with sincerity [printed "ทำด้วอ," apparently a misprint for "ทำด้วย," i.e. "act with"], act with determination; intend to study and to practice accordingly, making the meaning exact. Study so as to know what "Phutto" means, so that it becomes a matter of wonder inspiring the deepest devotion. Begin, either just before sleeping or upon waking, by lighting incense and a candle, sitting before the Buddha image, and paying homage to the Buddha with the intention, saying: "Arahang sammasambuddho bhagava, buddhang bhagavantang abhivademi" (prostrate once); then say: "Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo, dhammang namassami" (prostrate); "Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho, sanghang namami" (prostrate); then recite "Namo" three times. Sit in meditation, breathing in until the abdomen is full while reciting "Phut," breathing out at length while reciting "Tho," many times over. While practicing this meditation, one must also know that "Phut" is the virtue of the father and "Tho" is the virtue of the mother. Once the image of the father and mother has just been seen clearly -- as soon as the image is seen clearly -- fix the attention so that it rests on the in-and-out breath until the mind grows calm, that is, calm together with the in-breath and out-breath. Pay respect to the virtue of the father, the virtue of the mother. After that, set the in-breath to fill the abdomen while thinking "Phut," and let the out-breath be long while thinking

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"Tho," many times, and then bring the mind to fix itself upon the image of the Buddha, whose name is Buddho, meditating until the mind is calm, calm within the image of the Buddha. Sit and meditate, holding in mind that the Buddha is the Teacher of devas and all humankind. Resolve as follows: "I, your servant, ask to gather the virtue of my father and mother, of my teachers, and of all those to whom I am indebted, into Buddho, from this moment onward. I, your servant, ask to reach Buddho with every breath in and out, for as long as I still have breath going in and out. May the virtue of Buddho be my refuge and my remembrance, and dispel danger for me; may it bring wealth, honor, praise, and happiness to me in every life and every existence, until I enter Nibbana." Once you have begun and made this resolve, then continue to keep track of the in-breath as "Phut" and the out-breath as "Tho," without limit of time, without limit of place. Hold this as the highest practice -- that is, to attain it with every breath in and out, to be heedful regarding the virtue of the Buddha, so that the virtue of the Buddha will likewise not be heedless of us. This is the principle of saiyasat on the Buddhist side: it holds that one creates the cause of deathlessness, because as long as we still have breath going in and out, we are called "one who does not die." One creates this cause by attaining the virtue of Buddho with every breath in and out. By the power of the merit that we accumulate through meditating and attaining it in this way, we obtain a result in this world -- namely, that the virtue of the Buddha dispels danger for us. To make merit and then to wish [for a worldly result] is [still] mundane (lokiya); it is [still] saiyasat, because it is still bound up with defilements (kilesa), craving (tanha), and clinging (upadana). To cut off defilements, craving, and clinging is the transcendent (lokuttara).

Next, [I] bring the faithful who have attained recollection of the Buddha's virtues to meet with the supernormal power and wondrous manifestations of the virtue of the Father-Buddha and Mother-Buddha, and the virtue of the Buddha, according to each person's own preference and satisfaction, so long as it does not violate morality. If one practices the preliminary tasks, it will bring everyone to attain the Buddha's virtues within 30 minutes at the slowest. This refers to those who go and practice so as to reach [realization] directly with a teacher.

Saiyasat existed before the human world — it is the science of the devas, because it concerns supernatural power and miracles, concerning bowing, prostrating, and beseeching reliance on the merit and power of others. Devas and humans of every era, every age, every nation, every religion — from the religion of the devas, the religion of spirits, up to the religion of the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Buddha, who is the Teacher of devas and humans alike. God, the Lord, the Buddha, as well as his monk and nun disciples who attained higher stages of insight to the point of manifesting supernatural powers — of every religion — are a refuge for those who fear danger. Beings of the world, including ordinary worldly humans, are all inevitably filled with fear; they are thickly covered with defilements: fearing hunger, fearing want, fearing hardship, fearing poverty, fearing they will have no fortune, fearing they will have no status, fearing friends will slander and gossip about them, fearing they will meet with suffering, fearing they will not be beautiful, fearing they will not be handsome, fearing they will have no one to love them, fearing without end — and so they struggle to find a refuge. If they were to rely on themselves, they fear they will not succeed, fear it will be too slow; so they ask to rely on the merit and power of God, the Lord, the Buddha,

...as well as his monk and nun disciples who attained higher insight and could manifest wonders of supernormal power. Those who fear are of two kinds. The first kind fears birth, old age, sickness, and death; fears having to endlessly circle through birth and death in samsara without limit. When born as a human and encountering the Buddha's teaching, having reached the Dhamma, they quickly practice rightly and well according to the Buddha's instructions with heedfulness, hoping for liberation (vimutti) — release in this manner is the Buddhist way. As for the majority of the people of the world, they revere religion and revere Buddhism, revere the Lord, the Buddha along with his monk and nun disciples, revered elder monks (luang pu), revered teachers (luang pho), devas of merit and supernormal power, of miraculous power, who can manifest power — they take these as their refuge through doing good deeds and virtuous acts, through bowing, worshipping, making offerings and sacrifices, beseeching the power of the virtuous ones as a refuge, asking them to help eliminate the dangers they loathe and fear, with genuine sincerity as a true vow (sacca-adhitthana) until it is achieved as a refuge in this world. This is called the act of one who is still attached to the world; it is called worldly dharma (lokiya-dhamma) or saiyasat — doing good, practicing dharma, but still with craving and clinging. It is merit and wholesomeness that helps one escape suffering; in this world, when one dies from this world one goes to a good destination, the heavenly world, and is reborn as a human — which is a condition for encountering the Buddha's teaching, which is the highest [attainment].

Saiyasat has faith, firm conviction, and adherence in the image of the Buddha and in the Buddha's virtue as its foundation — having morality, concentration, wisdom, having gratitude and a sense of repaying kindness toward those

...leave for them fortune, and so on. They begin working diligently and energetically, not shirking from weariness. When a child is conceived in the womb, the wife tells her husband; both husband and wife feel joy and delight, and the virtue of loving-kindness (metta) arises, wishing the child in the womb to be happy. They have compassion (karuna) and seek ways to help the child in the womb be free from suffering. The wife abstains from eating spicy or hot food, and any food she judges might be harmful to the child. The husband takes care not to let his wife do heavy work, caring for her for the full 10 months, before the child is born from the womb. The wife suffers greatly, experiencing extremely severe painful sensations. The husband comforts and encourages her, sharing in the suffering out of love for his wife and their child together. As soon as the child passes through the birth canal and emerges, the husband exclaims "Phut," the wife exclaims "Tho," and together they exclaim "Phutto" — is our child a boy or a girl? At that very instant, the virtues of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha) arise in the husband and wife. The husband becomes [like] the father-Buddha to the child, the wife becomes [like] the mother-Buddha to the child; [they become, in effect,] an arahant to the child, a Buddha to the child, without realizing it — because both of them called to mind "Phutto," and that name of the Buddha is the cause. The name of the father and mother thus also comes to be called "the Brahma [deities]" of the child, arising together [with the exclamation].

...having the Buddha's virtue as one's constant personal quality, as a distinguishing mark. Saiyasat connected with Buddhism yields real results as a refuge, as an object of recollection, truly able to dispel danger for one who attains it — more so than saiyasat in any other religion, because the Buddha is the teacher of devas and humans of all kinds, possessing supremely great virtue, replete with great compassion, possessing merit-power, supernatural power, and miraculous power; no deva, Indra, Brahma, yaksha, or human being is his equal. When speaking of the image of the Buddha and the Buddha's virtue that we should take as our refuge, as an anchor for the mind, according to the principle of saiyasat, one must take the image of one's father and mother as the very first among images; take the virtue of one's father, the virtue of one's mother, as the very first in rank among virtues. Indeed, nature created animals and humans to live paired together; animals have male and female, humans have male sex and female sex, reproducing generation after generation, feeling mutual love and affection for one another. But humans, whose minds are elevated, differ from animals; humans have virtue established in the hearts of both partners. Once paired as spouses, they naturally wish to have children to carry on their lineage. As soon as they become husband and wife, they begin to build mental images, beautifully and elaborately, building a shrine-hall in their dreams — the husband wishing for a son, the wife wishing for a daughter. Once they have them, they think they will give them education, schooling to a high level, like their peers, and will seek wealth

Thus, the image of one's father and mother is the very first image of the Buddha for a child; no amount of money could ever buy it. The goodness and virtue of the father and mother toward their child, called the Buddha's virtue [in parental form], is so great toward the child that its amount cannot be measured — filling the air, surrounding the child, leaving no empty space. A child who deeply appreciates the virtue of father and mother, having gratitude and the wish to repay kindness, reveres the image of father and mother, going to pay respects, bowing, worshipping, asking for blessings, taking that virtue as a refuge and object of recollection with every breath in and out. Saiyasat holds that the air is filled with the Buddha's virtue; one entrusts that virtue to the breath — the in-breath and the out-breath. On the in-breath, recall the father's virtue as "Phut"; on the out-breath, recall the mother's virtue as "Tho." Make the aspiration for "Phuttho" to be present with every in-breath and out-breath; only then can one truly be called one who has attained it. The virtue of one's father, the virtue of one's mother, will dispel danger for the child with every in-breath and out-breath likewise. Hold to the principle of the deathless (amata), meaning not dying, in accordance with the intention of the father and mother toward the child — that they not be hurt, not die. Holding that as long as there is breath going in and out, one does not die — holding this is called saiyasat of the mind.

Even more so, the image of the Buddha is an image more special than any [other] image; devas and all humans, too, are images of the Buddha to us. He possesses immensely great compassion toward all beings, beyond measure, which is called the Buddha's virtue, which

...includes the Dhamma, his teachings, and the virtue of the Noble disciples, which is likewise the Buddha's virtue. Reach out to both the sacred image and the sacred virtue with every in-breath and out-breath, establishing a true vow, combining the virtue of one's father, the virtue of one's mother, the virtue of the devas, and the virtue of all who have shown us kindness, into "Phuttho." Take "Phuttho" and entrust it to the in-breath and out-breath, making the aspiration that this virtue be a refuge and object of recollection, dispelling danger for us with every in-breath and out-breath. This is the highest form of reverence — maintained whether asleep or awake, standing, sitting, or lying down. Hold that as long as one has breath going in and out, one does not die. Combine it all into "Phuttho, Phuttho" — the name of the Buddha. Cultivating meditation with this as the object is Buddhānussati (recollection of the Buddha's virtue), calling to mind the Buddha's virtue, which is naturally merit and wholesomeness both in this world and the next. This is saiyasat within Buddhism — it is merit and wholesomeness on the worldly (lokiya) side, holding to "Phuttho" as the foundation. By the power of that merit and wholesomeness in bringing the mind to "Phuttho," one then makes the aspiration come to pass. When weariness [with worldly things] arises, one releases attachment, free of craving and clinging, and one then immediately attains the supramundane Dhamma (lokuttara-dhamma). As for all that has been said, I ask everyone to use wisdom to consider clearly both cause and effect — one should not believe out of blind superstition. I myself have researched and taught those with faith, producing wondrous results, for over 40 years now. The principles of saiyasat connected with Buddhism are purely so, with no admixture of any other religion

...of any other religion. Saiyasat has a cause: whoever creates the right cause through the mind, doing so correctly and in great quantity — cultivating meditation on "Phuttho" a great deal — [develops] the perfection of truthfulness, the higher perfection of truthfulness, the ultimate perfection of truthfulness; then enters the principle of the Dhamma of resolve (adhitthana), becoming the perfection of resolve, the higher perfection of resolve, the ultimate perfection of resolve. Establishing the vow of resolve in a single direction, increasing it more and more until the aspiration is achieved without ever giving up.

Saiyasat has many branches: loving-kindness [charms], great popularity, great charm/attraction, invulnerability, protection from weapons, protection from explosives — this is great power; there is also evasion of danger, means of dispelling and driving away [misfortune], and so on — too many to fully describe. All of these are matters of the mind. The mind is supreme, the mind is the leader, the mind is the condition that arrives first; success is achieved only through the power of the mind. The mind loves, the mind wishes, the mind wants, the mind desires to obtain, the mind attains. One trains the mind to have a very high degree of conviction until it becomes one-pointed (ekaggata) — the mind, that is, becomes unified, fixed as one within each particular discipline, one at a time — meaning that one develops concentration. But the concentration of saiyasat and the concentration of Buddhism are not the same: the concentration of saiyasat makes the mind free and empty of all other objects, then causes the mind to fix motionlessly upon the object one desires; thus arises mental supernormal power (mano-itthiritthi) of the heart, with the current of the Buddha's virtue helping to sustain the mind.

If one speaks of this current in terms of the content of saiyasat directly within Buddhism, the currents that help sustain and give rise to concentration number only three, namely:

1. The current from the father-Buddha, the mother-Buddha's virtue, who are [like] arahants to their child, the ones who gave birth to them.

2. The current from the Triple Gem — the current of the great compassion of the Buddha as foremost.

3. The current from the virtue of one's teachers, who give guidance, instruction, and point the way.

All three currents are matters extremely difficult to bring the interested person to see with the physical eye — they are matters of the eye of wisdom. The eye of wisdom arises through careful and thorough consideration, following the instruction of a teacher in great detail. Wisdom is the lamp of the heart, but the heart is by nature restless, like a monkey in the forest. Those interested are asked to follow and study to gain knowledge of the method of mind-training from teachers who have researched and succeeded in the way of mind-training — or one might say, from those who have already succeeded, and that would not be wrong. They will then attain the correct image of the Buddha and the correct virtue of the Buddha. In approaching a teacher, we must know what discipline that teacher has mastered, what virtues he has — do not blindly believe just because others do. If one studies a discipline

...from a teacher who has no real knowledge, or who only knows from textbooks, we will only obtain knowledge equal to the textbook; one must meditate constantly. The Buddha's virtue in the way of saiyasat is a matter of the mind.

The heart of saiyasat lies in the instruction of the teacher. If we get a good teacher, we will receive good instruction, proper and correct. There is a proverb warning of this: "Seeing yellow, do not yet believe it is a good rishi — 'yellow' concerns the matter of a tiger. An old tiger who has attained jhāna becomes a yogi, and once it gets the chance, it seizes its disciples and eats them as food." Another example: a blind teacher led a group of blind disciples to feel an elephant. The teacher grasped it at the tail, the disciples likewise grasped it at the tail together, and they cried out that the elephant is flat like a broom — and so they sat meditating, holding that the elephant is like a broom, remaining fixed in that belief. Another group went and grasped the ear and felt all over it, and concluded the elephant is like a winnowing tray; or they grasped the leg and said the elephant is like a house post. But if the teacher has good eyes and the disciples have good eyes, they will see every detail, every part throughout the whole body of the elephant, and thus come to know the elephant well.

Yogis and ascetics outside of Buddhism who attained the eight [meditative] attainments (samapatti) could also display supernormal powers, and thus many of them set themselves up as teachers/founders in great numbers before the time of the Buddha. But jhanic attainment remains only at the worldly (lokiya) level; once attained, it can decline — one must continue the practice constantly, must be careful to guard one's concentration

...guarding against strongly intruding sense-impressions, refraining from cultivating meditation, or letting the mind fall into low states — then one reverts to being an ordinary worldling as before. Compare this with the mind-made power (manomayiddhi) and supernormal powers of one who cultivates tranquility meditation (samatha) and insight meditation (vipassana), before advancing to the first [supramundane] insight-knowledge of the Buddha; the assembly within Buddhism who are still at the worldly (lokiya) level still have defilements, craving, and clinging. Saiyasat, too, is a virtue [belonging to the level] of one who still has defilements, craving, and clinging — [still holding notions of] "being," "person," "him," "mine." For example, saiyasat concerned with loving-kindness charms, great popularity, and great charm/attraction magic is easy to accomplish, because it corresponds with the emotions of ordinary worldly people — especially so before the age of 30–40, when it can be done with ease. Practicing the method correctly, one studies great charm/attraction magic first; this is called saiyasat as one pleases. But teachers who truly know it mostly do not teach it, holding it to be a discipline close to moral decline — which makes those interested struggle all the more to seek out charm/attraction magic. Most of them end up going to so-called "love-charm doctors" who do not truly know the discipline, have no morality, are greedy for gain, unafraid of sin, and cheat money from those who are suffering — thus becoming a danger to human society. Those who want to have charm struggle to seek charm magic until they lose everything they own; some, driven by the power of desire, are willing to sacrifice everything — having no money, they must borrow from others, or even give themselves over to the love-charm doctor — which is a matter of the greatest shame. Genuine husbands and wives who would live together in harmony and mutual fidelity, when one side goes to use charm magic, end up torn apart, because

...of the deceitful tricks of the love-charm doctors. Knowledgeable people are thus disgusted and weary of it, to the point that the world condemns saiyasat concerning charm as "a filthy discipline" — when in truth it is the practitioners themselves who are filthy. Knowledgeable teachers therefore do not teach the discipline of charm magic to their students, fearing it will be used in ways that violate morality — yet this only makes those who want charm magic struggle all the more, going to seek out an old tiger disguised as an ascetic, mistaking it for a holy rishi; the tiger has thus been devouring [people] for many centuries already.

The Key to Saiyasat: I wish to open the cabinet of saiyasat texts, [revealing] as much as I know, for those interested to study and seek the truth, so that their ears and eyes may be opened, so that the younger generation may help eliminate the fraudulent love-charm doctors who remain a danger to society today, until it is eradicated entirely.

The word "sane" (charm/allure) comes from "sanha," meaning mutual love and affection between the opposite sex, distinct from ordinary love, such as that for one's father and mother, relatives, siblings, and friends of the same sex. To create charm — for example, a man makes himself into a gentleman, with good manners and proper conduct, striving to gain knowledge, respecting his father and mother, teachers, and those to whom he owes gratitude, earning his living in ways lawful and moral, refraining from vices — making himself such that the opposite sex sees him as one with whom, were she to live together with him, she would surely find happiness. This is called a man creating charm that makes a woman love him properly. A woman creating charm that makes a man fall deeply in love is called great

...charm/allure. It is the nature of women to be born so as to be loved by men, like a flower with fragrance that is naturally beloved by insects and bees. The word "charm" [for a woman] means fulfilling her duties as a daughter completely, avoiding faults and blame, fearing gossip and censure, having proper manners, being disciplined and orderly, preserving herself as a peacock preserves its feathers — thus charm arises constantly, making all who see her admire and love her: beautiful in body, beautiful in speech, beautiful in heart, beautiful in virtue, worthy of being an excellent housewife (mae si ruean), the highest aspiration of men. This is called making charm — charm according to nature; whoever does good thoroughly and completely, evenly and consistently, without any deficiency, has great charm — meaning charm in great abundance.

If those interested ask: does the discipline of saiyasat concerning charm truly exist? The answer is: yes, it truly exists, in both senses. Is studying charm magic a fault, a sin? The answer is: it is not a sin, not a fault; it is merit and wholesomeness, a discipline worth studying, a discipline of benefit both in this world and the next, a skillful means (kusalobai) that makes people loving and united, ending fighting and mutual harm toward one another. But one must learn it from a teacher of virtue who truly has knowledge of saiyasat. I wish to point out here the way to train and cultivate the mind so as to attain the virtue that is great charm, done by oneself. Upon waking in the morning, do not let your mind be clouded; as soon as you wake, set your breath — on the in-breath think "Phut," on the out-breath think "Tho."

Walk to wash your face and apply powder while silently reciting "Buddho" until finished — this is the basic daily routine. Practice smiling and laughing a great deal. When you see a person of the opposite sex who has charm and pleases you, fix your gaze on their form, then breathe in slowly thinking "Bud," hold that breath in once, then breathe out directly toward them thinking "dho." Fix in your mind that you feel affection for them and ask the Lord Buddha (Buddho) to help make them feel affection for you in return. For married couples especially, both husband and wife should chant this meditation constantly. Hold to honesty and sincerity with one another, speak truthfully, act truthfully, forgive each other when mistakes occur. Before speaking, before acting, one must have mindfulness and clear comprehension; body and speech must be kept charming at all times, until it becomes maha-sane (great charm) — a charm that never fades. Or one may rely on the merit and prestige of a virtuous teacher: having a takrut (rolled amulet) made to place under the pillow, inscribed with the sacred syllable on gold leaf and given to you — this too is an excellent form of good fortune. But one must use wisdom to judge the teacher carefully; if one judges wrongly it becomes inauspicious, one's name and family lineage suffer disgrace, and one is condemned for life. Try to rely on yourself as much as you possibly can. Saiyasat mahaniyom (occult popularity-magic) means being esteemed and admired to a high degree; its aim differs from maha-sane (great charm), but the two arts are used together. Its virtue is to foster and cultivate popularity, wishing that people of every class should be well-regarded — by doing good, behaving well, having morality, honesty and integrity, being punctual, faithful to duty and work, to friends, and to society — [drawing on] the prestige of the Buddha's power, of the Lord Buddha, of the father...

One's mother, and even the teachers to whom we have taken refuge, serve as a support. Chant "Buddho" with every in-breath and out-breath; make a resolution for this practice to flourish. Chant the maha-niyom katha before washing your face and applying powder — consecrate face-powder and fragrant oil for anointing brides and grooms, for anointing houses and shops, for anointing foundation stones, for anointing Buddha images and sacred amulets. Apply it at five points, rubbing with the hand over [the object] the while; while anointing, recite the katha silently in the mind: "Na-niyom, Mo-niyom, Phut-niyom, Tha-niyom, Ya-niyom, Om-niyom-mahaniyom, itthi puriso gacchami manima ma namo buddhaya." By the power of the merit gained from recollecting the five Buddhas, may it grant success according to one's wishes. Once memorized, before beginning the practice, one should make merit by giving alms to five monks — this is especially excellent. May the right to this practice belong to everyone; one may also have a teacher implant maha-niyom directly into one's body.

I would like to tell a true story about a woman who came to learn a love-charm out of a broken heart. In the year 2545 [2002 CE], there was a lady, aged 30, who was the common-law wife of a police sergeant — they lived together but had never registered the marriage. Her husband, the sergeant, was a very sociable man; after finishing his shift he would go out enjoying himself in the ordinary way of a man who likes fun, coming home late, or on some days not coming home at all — telling his wife he was on duty, or away in another province with his boss. From the time they began living together he had never once taken his wife anywhere. Worse still, whenever the wife asked him to register the marriage, he kept putting it off. The wife was an industrious woman...

...selling homemade sweets, because her husband rarely gave her the full amount of his salary. Their home was near the house of the [police] section commander. That commander loved his wife exceedingly; they had no children, and though the wife did no work, she never went anywhere except to buy provisions at the market near the police station. When her husband came home, after they finished eating, they would go out together every single day. Everyone said this couple was a rare find; but some said the wife had cast a love-charm on him, which was why he loved her. When the sergeant's wife saw how loving they were with each other, she became convinced the commander must certainly be under a charm, and so she wanted to find a charm-doctor to make her own husband love her the way the commander loved his wife — but she did not know where such doctors were to be found. One day it happened that word spread that I had blessed a small-batch maha-niyom oil, applied to mice and cats kept together, eating from the same dish, with the mice drinking the cats' milk — and the story spread in all sorts of exaggerated ways; some of it true, some no doubt beyond the truth. The sergeant's wife stopped selling her sweets and came to find me at a ceremony at Wat Prayurawongsawat in Thonburi. She made an offering and then asked for the oil, asked how to use it, and told me the story of the commander and his wife's loving relationship. She asked plainly: could the teacher really cast a love-charm to make two people love each other like that? I told her it could be done, but she would have to follow the teacher's instructions. She asked how much money the teacher would want. I told her payment could wait until it produced results. First, I asked her to promise she would agree to follow the teacher's instructions. She said whatever the teacher instructed, she would agree to follow everything.

She agreed to follow everything, because she had endured suffering for ten years already. I gave her a bottle of maha-niyom oil, and made her a set of eight takrut charms inscribed with the "heart of the great man" formula. Then I taught her how to use them: every day she was to wake before her husband, bathe, apply powder, and finish dressing; then, breathing in, think "Bud," breathing out, think "dho," many times over; then anoint her face and lips with the oil. She was to prepare the sergeant's breakfast and polish his shoes, lay out his uniform ready, and once he had eaten, before he left for work, hand him his uniform and sit calmly. I asked her whether she had ever done things this way before. She said she rarely did, being busy in the early morning with the children and preparing to make sweets to sell. I asked further whether she could manage it. She said she could, but her mother would need to look after the children, and her younger sister would sell the sweets in her place. I taught her further: when the husband was about to leave the house for work, she should ask, "Dear, what would you like for dinner tonight? I'll have it ready — please come home to eat, won't you?" She laughed and said she didn't dare say such things. I told her that if she didn't dare speak that way, I could not help her. She said she would try. I taught her further that when her husband came home, she must hurry to greet him, speak with a bright smiling face, take off his shirt and shoes for him, put them away in their proper places, then set out soap, a water-basin, and a towel in the bathroom. She exclaimed, "Oh — this is just what the teacher taught, exactly what the commander's wife does for the commander every day!" And she was to eat without bringing up any other matters...

The children too should not be allowed to disturb mealtimes. At bedtime, she must bathe, apply powder, and be properly dressed, then dab a little maha-niyom oil onto her lips each time. She was forbidden to talk about work matters or raise any complaints. At night, she was to sleep on her husband's left side. I taught her further: if the oil ran out, she should come and get more. She agreed and took her leave. She disappeared for about four months or more, not coming for more oil and sending no word at all. One day she came to my house, bringing her husband along as it happened — he had just passed his examination to become a second lieutenant, and came in uniform. I greeted them and exchanged pleasantries as was proper, and did not mention that she had once come asking for a love-charm. After sitting a while, the lieutenant spoke up: "I have come to pay my respects to you, teacher." I asked what the matter was. He said, "It was you who taught my elder sister-wife to become the kind of housewife I love. We've been together ten years and have three children, but I've never seen her behave the way she does these days. I was so surprised that I kept asking her many times, and she only told me yesterday. A friend of mine is your disciple, and he told me the teacher is skilled in saiyasat. I was going to have my friend bring me to see you, but my wife said, 'No need — I'll take you myself, since she's been my teacher for three or four months now. I went to see her, she taught me a practice, and told me this practice is called making a love-charm.'" So that is how he brought me here — he asks that the teacher accept him as a disciple too, and teach him a love-charm just the same. That is how the matter came to light. The lieutenant then paid homage as to a teacher...

...he enrolled as a disciple from that day. And I learned that this married couple had duly registered their marriage — wherever they went, they went together. If the wife did not go along, the husband was displeased — this is what is called maha-sane (great charm): it makes one so infatuated that one cannot bear not to have the other in sight. Anyone interested, I will teach them. There have been some students, though not very many, because they could not keep to the practice as instructed. Some, indeed, already had better knowledge of this kind of charm-making than I did myself. In some cases, when I taught them, they simply laughed. One day I was teaching a group of disciples to consecrate a small-batch maha-niyom oil, bringing several kinds of mice to be tested living together with fierce cats — the mice and cats ate together from the same dish, and two more mice even climbed up onto the cat's neck. The assembled disciples laughed with delight. Among those present were several women, each of whom asked to take some of the oil for their own use. Some days after that, a woman of about 50 years came to my house. Once she had settled and was sitting normally, I asked what business had brought her. She said that some ten-odd days earlier she had come and taken a bottle of the teacher's small-batch maha-niyom oil to use, but she had seen no sign of her husband loving her or being afraid of displeasing her — she came home to quarrels every day. I asked what he did when he left the house — for work, or what? She said he had no work to do, he went off to gamble at cards for his own peace of mind, coming home late at night. Instead of gaining happiness, she had only gained suffering. She had gone to dozens of teachers, spent a great deal of money, and not one had produced any result — she was asking for my help. She said she could see that I...

"...alone had the ability. Please help me too — I'll pay whatever is asked. I only want to be able to ask my husband for money easily, and to stop the fighting once and for all." I said I could help — could she get him to stop playing cards? She said, "My husband — I've been asking him to quit until now, and he's 68 years old, and I still can't get him to. Asking for money or gold is easier than asking him to give up cards — I truly cannot get him to stop." I told her I could not help her with that, and she took her leave. I tell this story to show that it was not that she herself had had a charm cast upon her — rather she wished for others to love her, to be favored by others; this is a belief with no reasoning behind it. No god of any kind can help with that. Everything in the world requires that the cause be created first, before the result can be received.

Saiyasat and loving-kindness (metta) means radiating a mind of loving-kindness, thinking with compassion, wishing to help fellow human beings and all sentient beings escape suffering. This is a virtue of the highest order within Buddhism; it is merit, it is wholesome. The method of radiating loving-kindness: when one gives alms, keeps the precepts, pays homage to the Buddha and recites prayers, or cultivates any wholesome meditation — once finished, one sets the mind to radiate that merit, sharing a portion of the merit with all sentient beings without limit, saying: "Sabbe sattā sadā hontu averā sukha-jīvino — may all beings be free of enmity toward one another, may they dwell always in happiness. [May this] drive away evil states of mind. Katam puñña-phalaṃ mayhaṃ sabbe bhāgī bhavantu te — may all beings share in the fruit of the merit that I have accumulated."

When finished, calm the mind and let it radiate in all directions — this is the Dhamma aspect [of the practice]. The saiyasat aspect has methods such as the maha-sane and maha-niyom described above; but if the teacher has infused loving-kindness into fragrant powder or fragrant oil before giving it to a disciple to use, this is exceedingly excellent. Next, we shall unlock the keys of saiyasat concerning invulnerability, bullet-warding, escaping danger, and other matters. Please continue reading and use your own wisdom to consider it well.

There are two types of people who can learn saiyasat well:

1. The most foolish type. 2. The most clever type. Those with knowledge of worldly and religious matters, of mental science, of scientific learning that is half-way, middling, half-baked, dabbling — such people never succeed in learning saiyasat. People of the most foolish type are hard to find; where they exist, it is in rural areas far from development, without education, following in the ways of their own ancestors, or under a teacher who has attained deep, secret knowledge — that is, saiyasat close at hand, or handed down from one's own father and mother, because saiyasat requires upādāna, a high degree of clinging conviction. To put it simply: saiyasat is nothing but the teacher's command. Whatever the teacher commands, the foolish person believes truly and does truly, with no doubt (vicikicchā) coming in to undermine it. Upādāna, that clinging conviction, builds manomayiddhi — mind-made power — strengthening the power of the mind, which quickly gives rise to physical power (iddhi). As for the most clever type, this means being clever at generating manomayiddhi and iddhi power, both for the mind and for the body...

...understanding samadhi, knowing samadhi itself, attaining samadhi, knowing how to remove the stains and faults that arise in the mind, knowing how to make the mind become one, knowing how to keep the mind still, letting it be equanimous toward emotions from the past — that is, things that have already passed; the unwholesome portion of these gives rise to suffering, while the pleasing portion — that which is agreeable and satisfying — gives rise to happiness. Driving out the unwholesome emotions that belong to the past, removing them from one's present state of mind, makes the mind become concentrated, lets the mind rest, and lets wisdom arise in the mind. Study to become acquainted with wisdom itself, called paññā-ñāṇa — wisdom that truly knows and truly sees, wisdom that gives rise to a radiant light, with the mind clinging to that light, knowing how to make use of the light that has arisen, preserving that orb of wisdom — that is, the light — so that it lasts a long time, until one is able to accomplish one's present affairs successfully. Once one sees that stillness is the samadhi that cuts off and drives away emotions belonging to the past that have already passed, and cuts off emotions of the future that have not yet arrived — not letting them become involved — the result that arises is a state of cleanness, brightness, and ease. Maintaining this cleanness, brightness, and ease for a long time, the mind gets to rest; with emotion emptied, the mind meets with the light, and the mind gains strength — just as our body, which works continuously for 24 hours, when given a long rest, becomes comfortable and strong, able to carry out its work successfully, according to one's wishes. It is natural that darkness fears the light — when brightness comes, darkness vanishes swiftly. Having light lets us see things as they truly are. The thing called "darkness" is...

...moha — delusion, the state of blind ignorance without true knowledge; wisdom is that which truly knows. Such a person is called the most clever. It is precisely this most clever person who is able to truly know and truly see into the secret depths of saiyasat. As it is said, saiyasat has a quality called "secret," meaning the most subtle and refined; one must rely on the greatest possible light as an instrument, shining for a long time, before one finds it. Once found, joy (pīti) arises — pīti is itself a great source of strength. As for the type of person with half-knowledge, middling, half-baked, dabbling knowledge — they cannot succeed in learning; they cannot penetrate the secret science, the subtle science that is saiyasat. For this reason, teachers of saiyasat are likewise of two types. I ask everyone to examine themselves carefully: which type of person are you right now?

I would like to give an example from my own life, to illustrate what is meant by "the most foolish," what is meant by "half-way, middling, half-baked, dabbling," and what falls into the category of "the most clever." If I make any mistake, I ask forgiveness from all knowledgeable readers, because it is necessary to speak the truth so that interested readers may understand more easily. Please do not take this as me boasting or praising myself.

One day, when I was five or six years old, some friends of the same age — six or seven of us — came to play hide-and-seek in front of the house. In front of the house there was overgrown grass and a clump of banana trees, and there was a fire-cobra there — in the South people fear that if this kind of snake bites someone, there is no time to save them; it is highly venomous, grown to about the size of an adult's foot. When it was touched...

...disturbed by the children it flared its red hood and raised its neck high. The friends ran off to fetch sticks to strike it. I stopped them, saying, "Don't hit it, it's a sin, I'll catch it." Having said that, I held my breath and silently recited the katha "M.G." and grabbed the snake at once — but instead of grabbing it by the neck, I grabbed the middle of its body. The snake struck at my arm countless times, but it could not open its mouth to bite. The other children all cried out together, "The snake's biting little Chum!" My mother, who was cooking in the kitchen, ran out and told me, "Grab it by the neck, child!" I came to my senses, took hold of its neck with my other hand, and squeezed until the snake died. Several adults came running to look, and finding no wound, together wiped and cleaned [the area]. They asked, "Why did you grab it? This fire-cobra bites someone and they die before help can arrive." I recall answering that I was testing the katha my father had taught me, because everyone in the household — my father had taught that before stepping down from the house stairs, or before leaving the house, one should recite the two-syllable katha "M.G." — then, walking along the path, snakes and dogs and every kind of animal could not open their mouths to bite. Even having held one's breath and recited it, one could grab a snake and it would not bite. But upon returning home, one should open one's hand and breathe out comfortably, reciting "Ma-ga," so that the snakes and creatures along the path we passed could go and find their food; if one did not do this, it would be a sin. (May the right to this belong to everyone — consider that I have now given this katha to you.) I give this example to show that: the most foolish person cannot even read and does not yet know what is what, yet can still learn a mantra that is potent. What is needed is to have the heart and love for that knowledge, and to practice with determination...

...following the teacher's instructions — this is the quality of the most foolish person. As for those who have some knowledge of the Dhamma, half-way, middling, when they learn a mantra it has no potency, because they harbor vicikicchā — that is, suspicion and a wavering, scattered disposition. Only once one becomes the most clever does one then learn a mantra that is [truly] potent. To help students understand this even better, let me tell one more story.

When I was 8 years old, one day three of my father's disciples came to learn the maha-ut katha, each carrying an air rifle, from the district of Ban On Nuea, Pak Phanang district. In that area tigers were fierce and bandits plentiful, so every house had to keep a gun, and wherever one went one had to carry a gun along. These three men loved to hunt and went everywhere together; when they came to study they also came together. I learned they had already gained results studying the invulnerability branch of saiyasat from my father. This time they came together to ask to learn maha-ut, the charm to ward off guns, and stayed the night at our house. My father taught them the maha-ut katha, and instructed: once this maha-ut katha has been learned and mastered, one must never cover one's own gun barrel, or a friend's, with one's hand — for if one holds one's breath and recites the katha while covering a gun barrel with one's hand, that gun will be unable to fire out through its muzzle — that is, it will burst instead. The next morning, as they prepared to take their leave of my father and return home — I had slept over at my father's house that night, sleeping in the same room. As dawn was approaching, all three went out of the room to wash their faces. I had been asleep, and when I woke up...

He saw the other man's gun set beside where he was sleeping. I then recited the maha-ud ("great blocking") mantra, chanting on a held breath: "na ud mo ud na mo phutthaya dtantani" — the formula Father had taught to all three of them — holding the breath and pressing a hand against the muzzle of the gun barrel, for several held breaths. Once all three had finished paying respects to Father, they came in, took their guns, and left. About three-odd months later, Mr. Saeng, one of the three, came to see Father, bringing his son, about 20 years old, to formally become a disciple, and also bringing a new gun. He told Father that the gun he had brought that day — five days after he went home — he had gone out to shoot a deer. His companion shot the deer and hit it, but the deer still ran off. He chased after it and fired again, and the gun burst apart in the middle of the barrel. He said he had used that gun for a long time and was very sorry to lose it. He went on to say he suspected that Mr. Nuan, who had come to study together with him, must have tried out the held-breath mantra, pressing his hand on the muzzle of the barrel as Father had instructed. Because of this he and Mr. Nuan were now angry with each other, but since they were fellow disciples of the same teacher, they did nothing more to one another. Had it been someone else, he said, he would have had to shoot him dead. Father said, "Go tell Mr. Nuan to come see me — I will ask him why he did such a thing." After Mr. Saeng went home, he told Mr. Nuan. About ten-odd days later, Mr. Nuan came to see Father. Father asked, "Did you press your hand on the muzzle of Saeng's gun barrel — was it you?" Mr. Nuan said, "I did not do it at all, because Saeng and I love each other very much." Father...

He recalled that it must have been I who had tried out the mantra, so he called me over and asked, "Son, have you memorized the maha-ud mantra yet or not?" I answered, "I remember it, sir." Father then said, "Go on, recite it for me." I was able to recite it. He asked, "How is it done?" I said, "You hold your breath and chant, pressing the palm of the hand against the navel, every day before sleeping." Father then asked further, "What is forbidden?" I answered, "It is forbidden to press the hand against the muzzle of our own gun barrel or anyone else's." Father asked, "Did you once hold your breath and press your hand against the muzzle of brother Saeng's gun barrel?" I said I had done it once. Father then told me that brother Saeng's gun had burst apart entirely, and that brother Saeng and brother Nuan had become angry with each other over it. "What do you think of that? Do you know that doing such a thing is called breaking an instruction? From now on, never break an instruction again, under any circumstances." I promised that from then on I would not do it. As much as I have recounted here, I myself cannot remember it all in full; Father told this story to others often, so I remember it well. What is retold here is so that interested readers may see that even the most foolish person — one who could not yet write a single letter, still only learning the "namo" formula, remembering only a single incantation — yet through the power of love for the knowledge, and belief in supernatural power and miracles, held no doubt whatsoever.

Later, when Father sent me to stay with Luang Phor Juan, abbot of Wat Don Pradu, at the age of 8, I lived at the temple and attended school there until I finished grade 4. I then left to live at home and help with the farm work, but I could not do it the way others did, because there were servants, both male and female...

...even more, and went to study incantations and mantras from uncles and aunts on the mother's side, wherever it was known that someone had mastered a branch of knowledge. At home, Father's friends who had mastered various fields of knowledge came often. In those days, when the elders met, they would talk about their knowledge, and sometimes show off to one another — among close friends, or among fellow disciples who had studied under the same teacher. For example, one evening Uncle Hin and Uncle Yi, elder relatives of Father's, sat drinking together at Father's house, four or five of them. Once drunk, each began boasting of his own knowledge. Uncle Yi said the matter of strength could be proven — that if one recited the mantra for the strength of seven woven-bamboo fighting elephants every day upon waking, one could handle even a rice-pounding mortar. He pointed with his hand at a mortar standing nearby and said, "I can toss that around with ease." That mortar was made of wood and reckoned to weigh over 40 kilograms. Uncle Hin said, "No need to toss it anywhere — if it's really that good, lift it and set it down right on the winnowing tray." When Uncle Hin said this, Uncle Yi recited the mantra, stroking his own body hair for about five minutes, and his muscles swelled. Everyone saw that Uncle Yi's body had grown abnormally large. He turned, nodded at Uncle Hin, and said, "Sit down — I'm going to lift this mortar and set it right on your head." Uncle Hin then sat in meditation reciting the mantra, drawing a yantra with his finger in a circle around his neck, then stroked his body hair just as Uncle Yi had done. In a moment his muscles too swelled. Uncle Yi lifted the mortar and set it down right on Uncle Hin's head at once. As soon as the mortar struck his head, Uncle Hin leapt up...

...and grabbed the rice mortar, tossed it high, caught it with his hand, lifting it up and down several times, then hurled it more than ten wa away, as if throwing a lump of earth the size of an arm. Looking at the two of them, one would think neither had any real strength at all — one would guess that even a 20-kilogram weight would be too heavy for them to lift. I was then about 14-15 years old. Seeing this, I went and paid respect to both uncles, asking to become their disciple. Uncle Hin told me that the two of them had learned the "strength of seven woven elephants" from their teacher, Achan Sompharn Intra, and had had to serve the teacher for ten years before receiving it. He promised me, "Nephew, I will certainly give it to you." Uncle Yi, drunk, spoke up: "I can give it to you right now, even." I then asked how it was done. Uncle Yi said one had to make a teacher-offering of five quids of betel and five baht in money. Father objected, "Today is Wednesday — better to study on Thursday." Uncle Hin then said, "You must stay close and serve me before I will give it." When Thursday came, I went and made the teacher-offering, asking to study with Uncle Yi. He gave me over ten incantations along with their methods of use, until I had them thoroughly memorized. As for Uncle Hin, I served him for four years, because every afternoon he would be drunk on liquor. By night — his children were two daughters and three sons; his wife had died some years before. The house was a small shack, the bedroom shared with the kitchen, filthy in the extreme. I kept serving him diligently until I got him to agree, saying, "Uncle, please give it to me. When you die, I will see to your funeral." He then set a day to give the teaching. When he taught the incantations and performed...

...watch. I remembered it right away because I saw it before he slept and when he woke; he did the same thing every day. He said his teaching had no prohibitions, yet it was hardly believable, because every day he would go out from the house. Some days he would wrap his wife's black sarong around his head and go off; toward evening, thoroughly drunk, he would walk home stark naked. Every day he had to stand and let the children throw clumps of earth at his genitals; however many children threw, however many times, they never once hit him. If he saw anyone passing by carrying a knife or a stick, he would order them to hack or stab at him; however much they hacked or stabbed, they never once struck him. If anyone refused to do as he dared them, he would curse and taunt them until it stung, until they did hack, stab, and beat at him — yet his body was never once touched. But he never gave his knowledge to anyone, not even to his own children. When he died, I was the one who arranged his funeral for him, as I had promised. I did everything for him, asking only in return to receive knowledge — and from every teacher, only what that teacher himself had truly mastered did I then learn to perform just as well as the teacher. In the old days he belonged to the category of the most foolish sort of teacher, and the disciples who studied with him were likewise of the most foolish sort — yet they possessed morality and were supremely grateful and loyal, honoring their parents and teachers most highly, never disrespecting a debt of gratitude, never ashamed before anyone to praise and honor their parents and teachers in public gatherings, respecting them both to their face and behind their back. For I have seen disciples who disrespected such debts of gratitude and did not honor their teachers never succeed at anything. Some, having finished their studies, could accomplish whatever they wished...

...whether from an impoverished teacher, from a teacher who was not fully able-bodied, or from a teacher of renowned and extraordinary knowledge who later fell into error and declined — such disciples then refuse to honor and respect him just as outsiders do. If asked, they simply say they are a disciple of whichever teacher happens to be famous at the time. This type of person never truly prospers, neither in worldly nor in spiritual matters. A good practitioner of the occult arts, or a good practitioner of the Dhamma, honors and respects his parents and teachers consistently, both to their face and behind their back. Yet instead of praising this, the world instead scorns it, calling him a fool, a person out of step with the times, an old-fashioned mind, and all manner of such things. If he is a young man, women will not love him; they will not desire him. In the present age we are deluded into thinking we are prospering materially and physically, while spiritually — in morality and virtue — we have declined the most. Thus the world can find neither happiness nor peace. Only when the people of the world suffer until there is no way left to remedy it will they see that it is the Dhamma alone that sustains the world. May all of us use our wisdom to see that we have walked the wrong path, and hasten to reform ourselves, and begin the journey anew, following in the footsteps of the Fully Enlightened Buddha, following the example of our ancestors, starting from this very moment.

Uproot conceit and wrong views; remove pride and arrogance from your very nature. May everyone be ashamed of sin, ashamed of doing evil deeds. Consider and raise up...

...ourselves and others as examples — those who feel no shame before sin, no fear of the punishment sin brings, who suffer misfortune and ruin, who must endure the most severe suffering — let these become a lesson to instruct our hearts. Meditate and recall the debt owed to our father, the debt owed to our mother, the debt owed to the Buddha, and the debt owed to all who have shown us kindness, such as our teachers, who are compassionate of mind — with every single breath, in and out, as a means of restraining ourselves so that sin does not arise in our hearts, with every breath in and out. Let us all join together in venerating the Buddha, and refrain from venerating Mara. Only the Buddha's virtue creates all things; Mara is the killer, the destroyer, the one who brings swift ruin, utter destruction and defeat — and this happens because people mistake Mara for the Buddha. The Perfectly Enlightened Buddha is our Teacher, the Conqueror of Mara, who taught us in thorough and minute detail how to defeat Mara. Come then, friends — let us go into the temples and seek out the teachers of the Dhamma, and learn the way to conquer Mara from this very moment. Mara is pursuing us to kill us with every breath, in and out.

A foolish person can learn the occult arts well because he holds firmly and steadfastly to his teacher's instructions, and respects his teacher. The more he loves the knowledge, the more he respects and honors the teacher — because the teacher has taught that a person who does not respect his parents and teachers is a person without prosperity. Moreover, when the teacher himself shows love and respect and honor...

...fearing and respecting his own parents and teachers, so as to show the disciples an example — respecting them both to their face and behind their back — the disciples in turn respect and honor their teacher's instructions strictly, both to his face and behind his back likewise. Even a foolish disciple, no matter how ignorant his teacher may in fact be, will not look down upon or despise him, but sees this very teacher of theirs as more extraordinary than anyone else. At the very least he thinks the teacher possesses sacred power and can do whatever he claims, because the teacher speaks truthfully and acts truthfully, is of good moral conduct, and has a "true word" — able even to curse a betrayer of his so that it comes to pass. Some teachers, when they roar out in anger, produce what looks like a flame of fire; those struck by such a roar remain dazed for a long time afterward, or some even go mad outright. Let me tell of a teacher with a "true word," as an example to hold firmly to the belief that the occult arts are truly extraordinary, strange, and marvelous — which is what made me, upon seeing it, fall in love with the art of the occult from a very young age. There was a close friend of Father's named Saeng. He walked with a hunched back; in the southern dialect such a person is called "khon lang kang" [hunchback]. Everyone called him Nai Saeng Kang, or Tiger Saeng Kang. He was an outlaw-tiger who kept a bandit's own code of morality. I heard that the reason he became an outlaw was that he was accused of killing a man; the authorities arrested him and held him in custody during the investigation. He escaped from the police station's holding cell, and then killed the village headman who had falsely accused him. In truth, it was the headman's own son who had killed the man, and the headman had fabricated false evidence to pin it on Tiger Saeng...

...Kang in his place, so Tiger Saeng Kang killed that village headman and then fled ever after. Tiger Saeng Kang was a disciple of the old teacher of Wat Khao O, from whom he had mastered many branches of the occult arts. When necessity arose he put the knowledge he had learned to use, becoming an outlaw-tiger who robbed to make his living. If he intended to rob a certain house, he would write a letter and post it in front of that house at least three days beforehand. When he first began doing this, in the earliest instances, the villagers would prepare their strength to fight back. But when the time actually came, Tiger Saeng Kang would go — usually going to rob any place with no more than three men in all, counting Tiger Saeng Kang himself; the other two only came along to help carry the loot. Tiger Saeng Kang observed auspicious hours; it is said he had learned the eight-period astrological timing taught at Wat Khao O. When entering to rob, he had to enter at the hour when the household's head was "cut off," that is, when they had already surrendered — the owner would not resist, this being the hour when "the thief's watch prevails," according to the doctrine. Tiger Saeng Kang's method required him to light a torch in front, chanting as he walked straight in toward the house's owner and all the companions who had prepared to meet him. As soon as they saw the torchlight, everyone would shiver with cold, and no one would fight. Once Tiger Saeng Kang arrived, he would have the owner bring out all his wealth and belongings and lay them out before him; then Tiger Saeng Kang would take only half, just enough to live on. Once that ran out, he would go rob another house, doing the same thing again. It is said that sometimes police went to prepare to meet him together with the villagers, but upon seeing Tiger Saeng Kang's torchlight they too would shiver with cold, and likewise no one would fight. Tiger Saeng Kang carried no gun, only a single sword, and he never killed anyone with it. But if anyone did fight Tiger Saeng Kang, he would roar...

...loudly, shouting "Pap!" — and a spark of fire would burst out; anyone who saw it would freeze, stunned, out of their wits, and remain terrified for a long while afterward. Word of this spread throughout the whole southern region. One day, when I was about 16-17 years old, Tiger Saeng Kang came to our house with one follower. That day I was home alone with two female servants, pounding rice beside the house; my father and mother had gone to a funeral. I saw him approaching and went out to meet Tiger Saeng Kang, and told him, "Father Saeng, today you won't be able to meet Father and Mother." I went on to say, "Father, you'll have to eat rice with just salt — there's nothing else to go with it at all." He laughed, evidently understanding my intention — that I hoped he would show off some feat of power for me to see — since he loved me like his own child, and often brought me small gifts, and also had me study the knowledge of the occult arts, teaching me that one must keep to precepts and be truthful in order to possess sacred power. As he stood talking beside the house, near the two women pounding rice, I spoke up: "Father Saeng, if you're going to eat rice with chicken curry — [made from] that rooster there" (I pointed at a certain rooster), "I'll catch it and have it curried for you to eat." He then stroked the heads of the two women and of his follower, and stroked my head too (showing that he feared his own power might enter into us). Then he fixed his gaze on that rooster for about the space of one held breath, and roared "Pap!" — a spark of fire shot straight out toward that rooster. The rooster thrashed and convulsed wildly. I picked it up and held it in my arms; it took a good while before the rooster revived, and then I handed it to his follower to deal with, to prepare and cook the rice and curry...

...the chicken for him to eat, then he lay down and talked with me. Father and Mother returned home late that night. He got up and talked with Father Saeng, telling him how I had had him roar to summon the chicken for us to curry and eat. After that, he taught me the art of great power and the tiger's austerity practice.

What is truly worthy of respect is that this shows how deeply he honored his parents and his teachers — whenever he spoke the name of his parents or his teacher, he pressed his palms together every single time. His mantras and incantations were easy to learn, but his practices were the hardest of all to follow. He kept strictly to the times set by his teacher's instructions in everything. If a person of today saw him practicing, they would surely take him for a madman. Before eating rice, he had to raise his hands in a wai; then he would shape the rice into little balls with his hand, chant over it for a long while, and only then eat. As soon as he finished eating, he would raise his hands in a wai once more. Before urinating, he would dig into the earth with his toes and urinate into the hole; when finished, he would hold his breath and seal it shut with his heel. In the morning he would stand waiting for the sunlight; as soon as the sun's rays appeared, he would recite the mantra and then "eat" the sunlight three times, then stamp the ground three times. Before sleeping he would draw a yantra on his own body with his finger, then hold his breath, seal the crown of his head, and then sleep; upon waking he would trace the yantra on his body once more. In short, he had an incantation for every posture and action. He preserved his sacred power through unfailing vigilance, and remained safe throughout his entire life. The image of his practices stayed fixed before my eyes, and I practiced as he taught until I could do many things just as he did. People of the old days had no sacred amulets...

...sacred amulets — only mantras and incantations. Everyone diligently recited and practiced in real earnest. However the teacher taught, however he demonstrated, the disciple had to do exactly the same. As for myself, if the youth of this generation saw me, they would surely be frightened, taking me for a madman — yet in those old days, it was the opposite: one was admired and well regarded by all who witnessed it. I remained foolish right up until I was 20 years old. A life spent immersed in the occult arts, delighting in the knowledge I could genuinely perform, led me, out of sheer foolishness, to believe I could defeat anyone else, because no youth in that whole district could do what I could do. I thought, out of foolishness, "From now on I alone will be the great man of this region" — like a firefly living under a coconut shell, its light filling the shell completely, imagining that even moonlight cannot rival its own light — because it had never once ventured out to see the world beyond. My mind held no doubt whatsoever about anything. I was preparing myself to become a local strongman; wherever I went, my friends raised me up as their leader. It even reached the point that, at big events in the village, the hosts, fearing that guests who came to drink and got drunk might start trouble, would have me — only 13-14 years old — go and oversee the event. I did not know how to drink liquor; whatever I said, I spoke truthfully, so my friends deferred to me out of respect — but I was beginning to grow arrogant. Sometimes I would forbid even friends and elders from doing things; once, when Father himself did not obey me, I even went so far as to slap his face, and other things of this sort. But the reason I dared to slap other people's faces was that I believed in the power of my mantras and incantations for great sacred authority — whomever I slapped would not fight back...

I wanted to test whether it was really as the teacher taught — everything had to be tested, and sometimes one had to risk danger, even to the point of acting against the conduct of a teacher who could display these powers. For example, he said this formula is suitable for going out to war: knowing it helps to protect the nation when the nation has need of it. Chanting to blind the enemy's eyes, to defeat the enemy, to "stupefy an army" (sakot thap) — meaning to make the entire enemy army fall asleep. This is done by charming three limes, then throwing them over the heads of the enemy, then lighting a torch or candle and walking along reciting the spell; anyone who sees the light of the victory candle will fall asleep without feeling their body, so that one can capture the commanding general — but one is forbidden to kill him. If one wished to put an entire town to sleep, that too could be done.

I was 15 years old and wanted to test this to see if it were really true. One day during the rainy season, when the water was flooding, I went and invited a friend, telling him I would try the sleep-inducing spell and asked him to come along as company. This friend believed I could really do it, having seen me do many other things before, so he agreed to go and try the sleep spell on a house in the same sub-district. When we reached the gate, I charmed three limes and threw them over the roof of the house, then, reciting the spell, lit the candle and walked in — I had to wade through water up to mid-thigh. As I climbed the steps of the uncle's house, the owner sat holding a spear, looking at my face, but could not get any words out. I took the spear from his hand and planted it in the water, then walked into the house. The uncle's son, about 20 years old, was sitting at the doorway of the house; I stepped over him...

...into the house. When he had fallen asleep on the bed, I saw a necklace lying at the head of the bed together with a coin purse, so I took them in hand and gathered them together — my mind wanted them. But recalling the teacher's order forbidding this, that I must not act dishonestly or break the precepts, I put them back where they had been, then left the bedroom, stepping back over the husband, who now sat dazed at the doorway — I learned afterward he had been suffering a stomach-ache. As soon as I got down from the house I put out the candle. The instant the candle went out, the people in the house, who had been unable to speak while held by the power of the victory candle's light, were released from the spell and began shouting "Thief! Thief!" My friend and I ran quickly out of the house. The next morning, word spread that there had been a thief with extraordinary sleep-magic; the owners of the house had been unable to speak, sitting as if in a dream. People remarked in admiration that nothing at all had been taken — not even the coin purse or the gold necklace — showing that had I not strictly followed the teacher's instructions, I would surely have taken the household's belongings. This also showed that the sacred formula and the sleep-inducing candle were of the greatest potency and always effective, and that this formula, recited 108 times, though it seemed an unbelievable teaching, proved true once tested, and so was a marvel, dispelling all doubt about the virtue of the Buddha's power. Even one at the level of the greatest fool can learn saiyasat well. But if one infatuated with saiyasat lacks morality, or learns saiyasat from a lineage of teachers that lacks morality, it becomes dangerous to oneself and a menace to society. The important formulas are therefore recorded in the standard textbooks.

A fool learns a mantra: "Namo Buddhaya," and can display power. Once, my three friends and I traveled to learn the knowledge of saiyasat, going to see a teacher at Ban Charat in the same district, which required six hours' travel through deep forest. It was April, and in the southern region it was fiercely hot; at about 1300 hours we came upon a house by the roadside and turned in to ask for water to drink. At that house a young woman lived alone, about 18 years old, sitting splitting firewood beside the house — her parents had gone to the fields. When we reached her I spoke up: "Little sister, could we have a little water to drink? We're terribly hot from the journey." She said yes, and invited us up into the house first. Once the three of us were seated properly, she climbed a coconut palm about 3 meters tall, brought down three coconuts along with a knife, and said: "Drink the coconut water and rest a while — I'll cook rice for you to eat, and once you've eaten you can continue on your way." Having said this, she went into the kitchen to prepare the rice. One of my other friends wanted to smoke, so he said: "Little sister, could we have a bit of fire to light a cigarette?" She went into the kitchen, took in her bare hand a glowing red-hot lump of burning charcoal, a whole handful, and brought it out to give to my friend. My friend said, "Set it down, little sister," and she set it on the ground, using nearby stones to rest it on. We were frightened and found it strange that a young woman could hold fire so easily without being burned — truly extraordinary.

At the same moment, another friend took the knife and tried to chop open a coconut. However much he chopped, it would not open, and the knife blade grew dull. When it would not open, all three of us sat still. It occurred to me: she must be testing us — and I remembered a formula my father had taught me, the formula of the Five Buddhas: chanted forward, "Na Mo Phut Tha Ya," it is the way of invulnerability, producing many kinds of potency; but chanted backward, "Ya Tha Phut Mo Na," it undoes everything. So I passed my hand over all three coconuts, reciting the formula "Ya Tha Phut Mo Na." After a moment I told my friend to chop again — this time it opened easily. The young woman had been secretly watching through a gap in the wall; when she saw the coconut released so it could be chopped open, I then recited a formula, spat into my palm, and went and grasped the fire, handing it to my friend, who lit his cigarette with ease. The young woman was cooking rice; my friend whispered to me: "We'll get back late — in a moment she'll bring us food, and if we can't chew it we'll be so ashamed we could die." I said, she is testing us — we ought to test her back and see who is more skilled. I whispered to my friend: "Watch — in a moment I'll make this woman cry out after us." When she had finished preparing the food for us to eat, I used a love-charm formula in the Namo Buddhaya style, transformed into another form, and touched her fingers as she came to take back the plates. Then we sat and talked together for about two hours, after which I told her my name, where I lived, and my father's name so she would know. Having finished, I took my leave of her and set off.

We continued on our way; she walked out to see us off at the gate, telling us to be sure to stop by on the way back, and to come eat and stay the night at her house. As my companions and I walked on and glanced back, all three of us saw that she was crying. When my companions and I reached Ban Charat, we stayed at the house of Uncle Rot, the senior teacher of that village; I asked to learn his knowledge, but what he taught was the way of sorcerous medicine — the dark arts, causing pain, causing death. Fearing sin, I chose instead the things that were not sinful, and learned several of these, which I used later on (that is, while I was already a monk). Reflecting on the formulas Uncle Rot taught, I found it strange: they were simply "Namo Buddhaya," "Na Ma Pha Tha," or "Buddham, Dhammam, Sangham" — yet when meant to ruin or kill someone, he would say: "Na chip hai, mo tai hong, phut la lai, tha ban lai, ya hai pai duai Namo Buddhaya" ("may [he] be ruined, die a violent death, be destroyed, perish, vanish, by the power of Namo Buddhaya"), and so on. Yet it truly worked. This is the saiyasat of fools; those who are half-knowledgeable, or the truly wise, cannot make it work, because their minds cannot accept invoking the Five Buddhas in meditation for such a purpose. But at that time I was still foolish — I belonged to the category of the fool who learns mantras and can display power. After I returned home, about a month or more later, the woman who had tested spells with us came to the house together with her father. It turned out his name was Nai Nueang, who had once studied saiyasat with my father; he came to visit him.

But in truth it was probably because his daughter had pressed him to bring her along. When Nai Nueang went to see my father, he told him: "Today I've brought my daughter to visit uncle as well," and mentioned that his daughter's name was Naep — but Naep just sat there quietly. When Nai Nueang asked my father, "A while back I heard that uncle's son went to Charat and stopped to eat at our house, but my wife and I were out working the fields and didn't get to meet him" — my father said, "Oh yes, young Chum told me already, but he didn't say it was your house, Nueang. He said he'd gone to meet someone's daughter, and she tested him by making him hold fire and peel a coconut." He said it was great fun. That day she had gone to the orchard in the evening and would come back later, they would stay up talking a while that night, and go back the next day. Around 18:00 that evening, I came back from the orchard; two friends carried loads of sator beans on shoulder poles, but I carried only a small load myself. In the countryside, if a person travels somewhere with friends carrying loads behind him, it is meant to show he is important — very important, in a foolish way. When we reached home and saw Naep sitting there, I was glad and startled at the same time, and puzzled as to why she had come. I asked whom she had come with; she said with her father. Had they arrived long ago? She said since the afternoon. I asked where her father had gone; she said her grandfather had taken him out somewhere, she didn't know where. I went to bathe at the well, and when I came back we talked. Teasingly I asked, "Are you going to show us anything today?" "I'll show you tonight," she said. She said she didn't want to sell coconuts to the orchard people. When I asked what her father had said that day when he came back, she said something like...

...she said her father wanted to make a wager. Her father had said, "Older brother is the son of my teacher," meaning her father was a disciple of my father. She said, "Yes." "When did the two of you become teacher and student? I don't want to know — it's a good thing you didn't run off with my daughter." She said, "You don't need to take me and run away — I've come today and I won't go back. I think of you and cry myself to sleep every night." Then she asked to be allowed to stay close by, saying she would tell her father she had come to learn from my grandfather. I began to feel troubled, and so told her: "I am going to enter the temple and be ordained." She said, "That's fine then — I'll stay with grandmother and cook rice to offer the monks." She asked how long I would be ordained. I told her I intended to be ordained three months. She said she would stay there three months. I said, "All right then — go back home for now. If people find out, they'll say we're in love, and a monk would be ashamed. Three months isn't long." When we had talked it through and understood each other, late that night my father and Nai Nueang came back. My mother lay unwell in her room; we spoke quietly so she would not hear. Once we had all eaten, that night Nai Nueang sat talking with my father. My regular duty was to massage my mother, for she was paralyzed; that night I brought Naep in to help massage her too. My mother asked her all sorts of questions, and also taught her how to keep herself pure as a young woman, saying that a woman's worth lies chiefly in her purity. As Naep massaged, she chattered on with question after question, like a talkative country child. Once my mother had fallen asleep, Naep went to sleep with the female relatives — three or four women — in another room. I slept close by...

...my mother every night. The next morning Nai Nueang and his daughter went back home; it was plain he was not eager to leave, but he had only the one daughter and loved her deeply. Naep lived in the countryside and had had no schooling; her father had taught her only enough to read and write a little. She intended to wait for me, hoping to make me love her — until she grew old, or perhaps there simply would be no time for her to grow old before that happened. Many women fell in love with me this way; I told her we could be in touch once I had disrobed. Even though the Buddha has already passed into parinibbana, the power of the Buddha still saves beings in wondrous ways — perhaps because I was foolish yet sincere, loving knowledge, bowing in reverence to the Buddha and reciting "Buddho" with every breath in and out. When I turned a full 20 years old, one night I dreamed that I entered an ordination hall. Wat Don Pradu was a temple near my home where I had once studied. Entering the hall and paying respects to the principal Buddha images — three great images cast in plaster, standing in a row — I saw all three reach out their right hands and stroke my head, and command me: "Go and be ordained; you will escape danger." I awoke and went to prostrate before my mother, saying, "I will be ordained now." When my mother asked what had made me decide this so suddenly, since I had once said I would be ordained next year, I told her of my dream. She was so glad she wept, and said: "Mother rejoices in your merit, my child; the Buddha has already blessed you." That very month I entered the temple to study, preparing to be ordained.

According to the custom of southern people at that time, one had to stay at the temple for three months, learning to pay respects to the Buddha and recite the basic prayers, before one could be ordained. While I was at the temple preparing for ordination, we were called "nak" — those preparing for ordination were called nak. In that batch there were more than 20 nak; everyone was very fond of me and went everywhere together. They liked to have me try casting spells, transforming things for them to watch, almost every night. Young men by nature are drawn to charms, so I enchanted oil and gave it out to everyone. On moonlit nights I would enchant grated-coconut "rabbits" for everyone to admire, making them butt each other like bulls. The method was to pick a rabbit shaped to represent a male — resembling a bull in form and manner — inscribe a yantra on both animals, then have my friends sit astride the rabbits' backs and butt them against each other for a long time, until one won and one lost. What was strangest of all was that any coconut-rabbit which someone struck with a bare hand would bleed; but the person riding a consecrated rabbit, riding it as smoothly as one possessed, though struck all over the body — clothes torn — the flesh underneath remained entirely unharmed. Whoever had an event would have me come and perform for them, several times a month. Besides that, I could pick locks and hold fire for people to watch, and many other things — I counted myself among the category of the fool who learns mantras and can display power. When the Buddha commanded in my dream that I be ordained as related above, I was ordained, but I still intended to disrobe after three months; my sweethearts were all waiting as we had agreed. But once ordained, in my first rains-retreat I studied for the elementary Dhamma examination (Nak Tham Tri), yet I still could not resist testing things further, wanting to know whether my powers were still real. So one night...

...I had to go and sleep in the charnel ground, which people in that area said was haunted, its great trees covering it in frightening gloom. I had relatives build me a small hut there to live in; I studied and sat in meditation there at times, and went up to the school in the daytime. Whoever came to visit me at the charnel ground, I would have them cut trees in the area to build a pavilion for making merit at cremations. I designed it myself, in my foolish way. While the pavilion was still unfinished, I passed the elementary Dhamma examination, and then continued building the pavilion until it was complete. But once I studied the Dhamma and practiced meditation, my original intention to disrobe faded, and I no longer wished to. I went on to study for the intermediate Dhamma examination (Nak Tham Tho) the following year, and passed that as well. During the two years I studied the Dhamma and practiced meditation, my mind grew calm and at ease, but strangely, my knowledge of saiyasat had entirely vanished — I could no longer do anything as I once had.

This shows that during that period my mind was that of a person of half-belief, full of doubt, argument, and debate over the letters and the sacred formula "Namo Buddhaya," which I had learned but could not even remember when. I had never thought or wished to ask anyone what it meant or what its meaning was — I only knew to keep reciting it forward to produce miraculous power and invulnerability; recited in a held breath it became a "maha-ut" charm; recited backward it became a releasing spell, as for a fishbone stuck in the throat, or a woman unable to give birth — I would chant over holy water, have it drunk and poured on the head, and it worked without fail every time. Once I studied the Dhamma...

...I learned that it is the name of the Five Buddhas. "Na" is the abbreviated name of the Buddha named Phra Kakusandho. "Mo" is the abbreviated name of the Buddha named Konagamana. "Phut" is the abbreviated name of the Buddha whose name is Phra Buddha Kassapa. "Tha" is the abbreviated name of the Buddha whose name is Phra Buddha Gotama, our present Buddha. "Ya" is the abbreviated name of the Buddha named Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya, the fifth Buddha, who will attain Buddhahood following the dispensation of the Sage Gotama. Knowing this is the well-reasoned knowledge of the wisest person. But when I had studied only as far as the intermediate Dhamma examination, my mind still remained in the state of one who does not truly know — who knows, but has not yet penetrated. Thus doubt, which is the malevolent Mara that seizes the mind during concentration, is a defilement, a Mara that destroys the firmness of the original mind — the mind of the greatest fool is entirely swept away by it. This shows that a person of half-knowledge is not fit to study saiyasat.

I felt regret at the loss of the saiyasat knowledge that had once served me well since childhood, now faded away, and so I went and asked several learned teacher-monks; they told me it was because I harbored doubt — I knew only the surface meaning and origin of the sacred formulas, a mere smattering, without truly knowing their real origin. And they said that one who wishes to truly know their origin must study Mulakaccayana, the grammar of the...

...Pali language, from the very first level — that is, progressing in sequence from the Mula level upward — only then could one truly know it. So I went to see Than Maha Prat, a monk-scholar who had passed the fourth grade of Pali studies, a teacher of the Pali language residing at Wat Kuha Sawan in Phatthalung province; it happened that at that time he was also serving as abbot of Wat Huai Luek in Pak Phayun district, in the same province of Phatthalung, which made my studies convenient. Than Maha Prat had been a disciple at Wat Phra Chetuphon in Bangkok, where he studied the Pali language by the Mulakaccayana method under Than Maha Loi. Than Maha Loi was a disciple of Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To) of Wat Rakhang. I studied the Pali language by the Mulakaccayana method with Than Maha Prat for three years, beginning with the Dhammapada while also studying for the advanced Dhamma examination (Nak Tham Ek). During that time I came to understand thoroughly the origin of each letter and consonant, reaching the level of the wisest — if I may be excused for saying so, wise enough only to be a fitting qualification for one who studies saiyasat. My love for saiyasat returned in full, without my even realizing it, and I found I could do everything again. What has been related here is meant as a guide for those interested in saiyasat, so that they may prepare themselves and refine their minds to fit the principles of saiyasat. Everyone may thus consider for themselves which of the three types of person described above they most resemble at present. But for people of the present age, it is difficult to make oneself into the greatest fool, because the world has advanced into the age of science; every child learns science from a young age. Science concerns material things, making it easy for students to see and understand; teachers possessed of scientific knowledge alone...

Each of these masters is one who truly knows. Educational institutions the world over certify knowledge with graded diplomas — but a teacher of saiyasat, which is a science founded on mind, uses katha-akhom (spells and incantations); images of the Buddha's virtue serve only as an anchor for the mind, a component that becomes a special quality of the mind. As long as doubt remains, success will not be found. Let those who are interested set aside their restless preoccupation with form, and come study.

The doctrine of yogic science is the doctrine of saiyasat. It divides the body into 7 parts. Every part has its own current, its own light, and its own distinct scent, summarized as follows.

Part 1: The body — the part of flesh. It is a kind of matter composed of qualities and the 32 [bodily] aspects. If the owner of the body has a good mind and moral virtue, its light is blue, or sea-colored, streaming out in strands from the pores, with a fragrant scent. A person of poor mind and no morality has a light that is black, coming out from the pores, with a foul, rank scent.

Part 2: The jetaphut, or subtle body (kaya thip) — its current has the character of mist, smoke, or vapor. It can be seen with the physical eye only when it meets with intense cold, or it can be seen with the divine eye.

Part 3: Prana (the breath) — its current is like electricity, emerging through the eyes as a sparkle, or emerging from the fingertips. It can shoot out from one person to another, according to the high or low power of the prana that one has trained and cultivated.

Part 4: Saññā — memory and recognition. Its light varies according to the high or low power of each person's mind.

Part 5: Paññā — wisdom, all-round knowing. It has a current of power that helps purify the murky current of saññā, making it clear and bright, with a current like that of nature itself, sparkling blue, with a fragrance that travels against the wind, and a halo of light around the body. It is a part of the subtle body.

Part 6: The mind-orb (duang chit) — it has a pale yellow current, but a current only arises when the mind fixes itself upon some particular direction; the mind's current then streams in that direction.

Part 7: The soul-orb (duang winyan) — it has a pure white current, utterly clean, abiding at the center. The soul is the part of the subtle body that does not shatter or perish together with the body and the other parts. It is, by its nature, that which takes up merit and demerit to construct new states of existence and birth, leading to happy or woeful destinations. It is extinguished entirely only upon reaching Nibbāna.

This has been written in summary, for interested persons to study as a foundation, so as to know the parts of the body that are material and those that are subtle/divine. Detailed knowledge will be received once the Key to Saiyasat is compiled into the standard textbook, Part 2, giving interested persons the opportunity to study it for themselves.

Let everyone who is interested know clearly: the science of saiyasat, or the science of yoga, is not a worthless discipline. Those who understand it to be a worthless discipline [do so out of not truly knowing it]...

...worthless — because they truly do not know it, or have never taken any interest in the science of saiyasat, or once took some interest but did not meet a genuine textbook or a teacher who truly knows, and so let their interest lapse. Not knowing, they condemn it as a worthless discipline — not knowing, yet pretending to know; foolish, yet pretending to be clever. This is simply because saiyasat is an esoteric, hidden science. This science is a science of the mind: if the mind still harbors doubt, success cannot come. Even with the path and fruit of Nibbāna in the Buddha's Dispensation — which truly exists — a person who harbors doubt cannot encounter the truth, and does not believe that the path and fruit of Nibbāna truly exist. In order to study and gather knowledge in support of genuine inquiry — so that, if one truly knows and truly sees, one may raise the level of one's mind higher, into the class of the wisest — further inquiry is therefore necessary. The general principle in the Buddha's teaching holds that there is no self of ours whatsoever — this is anattā, referring to the supramundane (lokuttara) Dhamma. But the entire yogic doctrine, which is the original foundation of mankind, holds that the self of a person is the soul (duang winyan), which exists until the end of the aeon — and in this they too are correct, because the yogic doctrine has no Nibbāna. Even though the body and other things may be destroyed, transformed, or reborn anew, the soul, which is the true self, still remains — it remains ever the same, original soul. The Buddhist teaching likewise affirms that the soul (viññāṇa) is that which creates states of existence and birth, causing one to wander on through the round of rebirth (vaṭṭasaṃsāra). But the ordinary worldling still attached to the world, whose defilements are thick, cannot see the happiness of Nibbāna. According to the Buddha's saying...

...it is stated: "Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ sukhaṃ" — Nibbāna is the supreme happiness; "Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ suññaṃ" — Nibbāna is the supreme voidness. This means: happiness from not being born, not aging, not falling ill, not dying — happiness from cessation, from voidness, because there are no defilements, no craving, no clinging. Since we lack the merit to reach Nibbāna first, we must study the mundane (lokiya) portion of the Dhamma of the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha, to know it thoroughly and see it truly, seeking happiness and safety in the world as human beings first. In this respect it accords with the doctrine of the yogis, the doctrine of saiyasat. One who attains neither the supramundane portion of the Dhamma nor the mundane portion is a halfway person, a clutterer of the world, a destroyer of the world. If everyone in the human world were normal and at peace, the human world would be at peace at once. Therefore, let none of us go about trying to force others into peace — the world will shatter; let each of us make ourselves peaceful — the world will flourish: peaceful in body, peaceful in speech, peaceful in mind, not selfish — then we are happy, and the world we dwell in is at peace. As for the mundane portion of the Dhamma that is saiyasat, one should therefore know the seven parts of the body as stated above; everyone will then attain the wonder of saiyasat. But before setting out to study saiyasat so as to know it thoroughly and see it truly, we must first study to know the doctrine of the yogis, because we ourselves are a kind of yogi within the Buddha's Dispensation. As for the word "yoga" (read yo-kha) — see the dictionary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Krasuang Thammakan), which explains it correctly, and it accords with the doctrine of saiyasat, showing that it is not a worthless doctrine. In sum, the meaning of yoga refers to...

...binding, engagement, diligence, effort, determination, concentration, and steadfastness. It is a doctrine for the training of the human spirit. The worldly spirit-knowledge is reckoned a lofty Dhamma, but not the highest, because it has no Nibbāna as in the Buddha's Dispensation. Before the time of the Buddha, no one taught of Nibbāna. Yoga and saiyasat are doctrines that are ancient, predating the Buddhist era by a long time. But the Buddha's own lofty Dhamma is also called "yoga" — for instance, yogakkhema (read yo-khak-khe-ma), meaning the Dhamma that is free from all bonds and entanglements — that is, Nibbāna itself. The reason this has been brought up here is with an important purpose in mind: to let us see that saiyasat is not a worthless science — that we fail to understand it only because it is an esoteric science — and that there is nothing in it whatsoever hostile to the Buddha's teaching.

The Key to Saiyasat Unlocks Supernormal Power

The miracle of supernormal power (iddhi-pāṭihāriya) arising from the Buddha's power is itself the very essence and virtue of saiyasat, because every branch of saiyasat must depend upon miraculous power — which is, in part, the Buddha's own personal power, and in part the Buddha's power that he spread out and extended in order to remove danger for the Buddhist community, his spiritual sons and offspring. He displayed his supernormal power to subdue those who wrongly believed themselves to have attained arahantship — "arahants" belonging to the Brahmanical religion, that is, the yogic doctrine, and other religions — before the Buddha himself had attained arahantship, and become an Arahant...

...as a genuine Buddha arose in the world, and displayed power surpassing and more extraordinary than that of the sectarian leaders active in that era. The display of supernormal power (iddhi-pāṭihāriya) was such a marvel that whoever saw it thought it strange, and was unable to fathom it, unable to display power equal to the Buddha's own. Not to mention mere humans — even devas, Indra, Brahmā, and yakkhas of every rank could not display miraculous power equal to the Buddha's. They therefore set aside their pride and conceit and raised him up as their own teacher, with the title Satthā Devamanussānaṃ — Teacher of devas and of all humankind. But before he could receive the title "Satthā Devamanussānaṃ," he first had to display miraculous power, because miracles (pāṭihāriya) are of three kinds: (1) Iddhi-pāṭihāriya — displaying power as a marvel; (2) Ādesanā-pāṭihāriya — reading others' minds as a marvel; (3) Anusāsanī-pāṭihāriya — teaching as a marvel. In truth, all three of these kinds of miracle already existed before this. The yogis who were sectarian masters, having attained the mundane (lokiya) level of abhiññā and jhāna-samāpatti, could also display power. If one could not display power, one could not set oneself up as a teacher and founder of a sect. For example, the three Jaṭila brothers: Uruvela Kassapa, the eldest, had a following of 500; Nadī Kassapa, the middle brother, had a following of 300; Gayā Kassapa, the youngest brother, had a following of 200. All three brothers could display power that was marvelous, to the point that even the king of Rājagaha came to accept and revere them as teachers and masters. But the power that people of that era regarded as marvelous...

...when they saw the Buddha display power, they came to accept and revere that the Buddha's power was even more marvelous. When it was so, each of them was at a loss, astonished, to the point that all three Jaṭila brothers together with their 1,000 followers, totaling 1,003 people, became filled with faith in the Buddha's display of power, and set aside their pride and conceit. The Buddha then afterward preached the Dhamma to liberate them. The three Jaṭilas together with their followers attained arahantship, becoming Arahants — becoming Khīṇāsavas (those whose taints are exhausted) arising in the world for the first time — 1,003 of them — through the sequential display of his miracles. In the first stage, he displayed iddhi-pāṭihāriya to such an extent that Uruvela Kassapa came to see the marvel so overwhelmingly that he felt he had no way to match it, and abandoned his mistaken conviction that he himself was [truly] an arahant. Then the Buddha displayed ādesanā-pāṭihāriya, reading Uruvela Kassapa's mind at every turn, until Uruvela Kassapa was utterly at a loss. Then the Buddha displayed anusāsanī-pāṭihāriya, teaching that was marvelous, such as no one had ever heard before. And this occasion of displaying miracles was the founding of the Buddha's Dispensation — the very birth of Buddhism. Had the Buddha's display of miracles on this occasion failed to liberate the three Jaṭila brothers, the Buddha might possibly have abandoned his resolve to teach the Dhamma to liberate beings. So that we, the Buddhist community, may deeply appreciate the Buddha's power, I ask everyone to look into the Paṭhama-sambodhi [the account of the Buddha's early enlightenment]. People before the Buddhist era revered sacred and holy things; the Brahmanical religion was a religion entirely concerned with sanctity — such as the worship...

...deities. Those who created the world worshipped the deities presiding over the elements of earth, water, wind, and fire, believing that the sanctity of the deities presiding over the elements and over the world was a refuge that could grant refuge to themselves. Beyond that, there were, at that time, many yogis who had attained abhiññā-samāpatti (supernormal attainments), regarded as high virtue in that era — that is, the yogis strove to seek a way to free themselves from all defilements. Such ascetics or yogis differed from the heretical sectarians (dīrathī); the heretics held doctrines directly opposed to the Buddha's teaching, whereas the ascetics and yogis followed a path in the same direction as Buddhism. The yogis therefore attained enlightenment following the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha in great numbers, whereas the heretics remained enemies of Buddhism throughout. Within Buddhism it is accepted that those yogis, upon death, went on to be reborn as Brahmā gods, but that they could not reach Nibbāna, simply because they were still seeking the way by a method that was not correct, unlike the Buddha's. The abhiññā (supernormal knowledges) are classified into six kinds: (1) Iddhividha — the ability to display supernormal power; (2) Dibbasota — the divine ear; (3) Cetopariyañāṇa — knowing the minds of others; (4) Pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇa — recollecting past lives; (5) Dibbacakkhu — the divine eye; (6) Āsavakkhayañāṇa — the knowledge of how to extinguish the defiling taints (āsava) entirely. Of these six abhiññā, [the first] five were principles that already existed before the time of the Buddha, but no one could perform them better than the Buddha. Even though [others] could perform the other items fairly well, they remained stuck at item 6 — āsavakkhayañāṇa, extinguishing the āsava-defilements entirely. Not knowing what method to use, the thought then arose that one must torment the body, roasting oneself over fire...

...fasting until the mind is extinguished, following the doctrine of self-mortification (attakilamathānuyoga). It was not until the time of the Buddha that he discovered vipassanā-ñāṇa, which is the crucial key, and also obtained manomayiddhi (mind-made power) as a further attainment, thus making eight accomplishments in all, which gave the other items of abhiññā still greater weight. Once one has established the recollection of the Buddha (Phra Phutto) tied to the breath, one will then have one's own personal Buddha-recollection as a constant reminder — and that very recollection will be the teacher and master of one's sons and daughters in the near future.

The Key to Saiyasat Unlocks the Secret of Its Origin

—and the importance of sacred spells (wet mon khatha), laying the groundwork as a gift to those interested who are searching for the root of the truth, compiled into verses of sacred katha, to be taken up for study, for memorization, for recitation, for chanting aloud, for meditative absorption in the katha as if breathing it in. According to the textbooks, the masters have said: one should practice meditation every evening and every morning at bedtime — let the meaning be understood clearly. As for what "every evening, at bedtime" means and how it is to be done: "evening" refers to the time from sunset onward, that is, nighttime; the dangers that come with darkness are many, and one should not be careless — one must pay respect to the Buddha, chant, meditate, recollect the virtues of the Triple Gem with reverence, together with expressing joy that: today we have been free from danger the whole day, because we were not careless regarding the virtue of the Triple Gem, the virtue of our father and mother, the virtue of our teachers and masters. This evening, may the virtue of the Buddha be our refuge and recollection; may we live in happiness, free from danger throughout the night; let us do what ought to be done, pay respect to the Buddha and chant, and cultivate...

...meditation and katha verses that radiate loving-kindness, dedicating the merit to one's father, mother, and to all beings; then check the house and belongings, right down to closing the house door, the bedroom door, and putting out the light before sleeping. Doing this and the like is called being unremiss regarding the virtue of the Buddha — that is, not forgetting the Buddha's instructions, not forgetting the Buddha's teachings, not forgetting the teachings of one's father, mother, teachers, and masters — this is called, in every word, following the saiyasat textbooks. The word "morning" refers to the time of sunrise. Upon waking, before doing anything else, before going to work, one should express joy and gladness in one's heart that the virtue of the Buddha has helped us survive through another night. Then one begins to review the instructions, paying respect to the Buddha and chanting, settling the mind in restraint, asking to rely upon the virtue of the Buddha for prosperity and freedom from danger throughout the day, remaining unremiss until the time comes again to go to sleep. This shows that the saiyasat textbooks teach us to live our lives never apart from the virtue of the Buddha — that is, the Buddha's teaching, with every breath in and out. One who does not practice accordingly is called a heedless person; a heedless person, it is said, is like one already dead; one who is not heedless is called one who does not die. Let us all begin to do good, for the sake of true deathlessness, starting from now. We shall then meet with peace and happiness, and receive safety from the perils of the present age — this is merit, this is wholesome kamma, both in this life and the next. As for the great mantra-verses that should be chanted, recited, and meditated upon as a regular practice — let us study the origin of these verses so as to know them truly and see them truly, as follows:

Before sleep, upon waking: make your bed, or sit at an altar table, whichever is most comfortable and easiest for you to do — at bedtime and upon waking, or at the very least once a day.

Sit with palms pressed together, fix the breath: think "Phut" on the in-breath, "Tho" on the out-breath. Once the mind has settled, pay homage to the Lord Buddha, reciting Namo three times. Then say: "Buddhassa bucha, Dhammassa bucha, Sanghassa bucha, patibat buchaya" (worship of the Buddha, worship of the Dhamma, worship of the Sangha, worship through practice). Then say: "Arahaṃ sammā-Buddho bhagavā, Buddhaṃ jaṃ vantaṃ abhivādemi" (The Blessed One is an Arahant, a Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha — I pay homage to the Buddha) (bow once). Then say: "Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, dhammassa āmi" (The Dhamma is well-proclaimed by the Blessed One — I revere the Dhamma) (bow). Then say: "Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho, saṅghaṃ namāmi" (The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has practiced well — I pay homage to the Sangha) (bow). Then say: "Siddhi-kijjaṃ, siddhi-kammaṃ, siddhi-kāriyaṃ tathāgato, siddhi-tejo jayo-niccaṃ, siddhi-lābho nirantaraṃ, sampiddhi bhavantu me" (May success in duty, success in deeds, and success in undertakings be as the Tathāgata's; may there be splendor and victory always; may there be gain unceasingly; may all success come to be mine). Then say: "Namo Buddhāya, na-ma-pa-tha, ja-pha-ka-sa, na-cha-li-ti," "na-ma-na-a, mo-ka-na-ka, ka-o-na-o-a, na-a-ka-ang" — 5 times. When one round is finished, breathe in deeply while thinking "Phut," then swallow the saliva once — repeat until 5 rounds are complete. Do this every day; the saiyasat textbook states that it may be done up to 108 times according to one's wish. As for what "may be done up to 108 times according to one's wish" means, and the teacher's instructions according to the principles of saiyasat, and whatever else the teacher goes on to instruct — one should choose to practice accordingly, according to what one is satisfied with, but without deviating from the teacher's instructions. As for the root-formula katha, only this much...

This much should be committed to memory. As for what should be continually meditated upon going forward, one must study according to the teacher's instruction. The teacher teaches the origin and meaning of each katha verse, as well as the method of consecration and invocation to bring about supernormal power and mastery of the namo-formula, according to the principles of saiyasat. Whoever would succeed in learning it must stand firmly upon the Four Iddhipāda — the four supports that sustain the achievement of one's aim:

1. Chanda — satisfaction and fondness for the thing; 2. Viriya — diligence applied to the thing; 3. Citta — devoting the mind to the thing without setting aside the task; 4. Vīmaṃsā — constantly reflecting and examining the reasons within the thing. When these four virtues are complete, they can lead our group to attain what one desires. If one lacks all four of these virtues, there is no need to bother and waste time — one will certainly never succeed in the esoteric science of saiyasat. Where does "Namo Buddhāya" come from? Why do the ancient masters hold it to be a potent spell? A student of saiyasat of the wisest sort must know this. But a student of saiyasat of the most foolish sort — like a child, or like people of ancient times at their most unlearned — need not know anything at all; it is enough for them simply to know that it is a potent spell. Satisfaction arises, they apply diligent effort, devote their minds to it, constantly reflect and strive, [wondering] whether potency has arisen yet or not — and that is usable enough for them. But one who is only half-informed must study to gain knowledge, so as to become the wisest sort first, and only then will one succeed in learning the mantras and katha — for example, knowing that...

"Namo Buddhaya" is the name of the five Buddhas of this fortunate aeon (Bhaddakappa). Chant it to memorize it, in homage to the five Buddhas, as follows: "Na-karo Kakusandho, Mo-karo Konagamano, Budh-karo Kassapo Buddho, Tha-karo Gotamo Buddho, Ya-karo Ariya Metteyyo, Pañca Buddha namamihaṃ" [the syllables Na-Mo-Bud-Dha-Ya correspond respectively to the Buddhas Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, Gotama, and the future Buddha Metteyya: "I pay homage to the five Buddhas."] One must understand this even more deeply still. How did the perfections (barami) that the five Buddhas taught come about? Their perfections became the Buddha's power (Buddhanuphap), able to dispel danger for the beings of the world. Apart from this, in the Brahmanical religion, the elements are held to be gods presiding over each element, granting success to those who practice austerities (tapas), because the Brahmanical religion is a religion of supernatural power and miracles. For example: the water element that nourishes the body and mind is the Apo element — the goddess of the (Ganges) river; "Mo" is the earth element, the Pathavi element — the goddess of the earth (Dharani); "Phut" is the fire element, which warms and preserves the body, the Tejo element — Lord Fire; "Tha" is the wind element, the wind that sustains life, the Vayo element — Lord Wind (Phra Phai); "Ya" is space (akasa), present in every open expanse — this corresponds to Lord Narayana. In this way it is the origin of the Brahmanical faith and religion, holding this to be the God who created the world and who protects the world through the occult sciences (saiyasat). Those who revere and hold firmly to the Brahmanical religion use meditation (bhavana) and gaze upon it as a kasina object, giving rise to supernatural power, used as spells, incantations and yantra numbers in various ways — for invulnerability, for concealing the body, for making oneself unseen by enemies so they cannot reach the body — becoming austerity (tapas), becoming great power, becoming great power, becoming loving-kindness and popularity (metta mahaniyom), becoming charm, becoming able...

Many kinds, truly extraordinary — these are the core mantras of the occult sciences, the "mother element," the original element. Do not forget to recite the sacred verses until they are memorized by heart.

Moral virtue and mental power on the side of the Buddha's power radiate the power of merit. A teacher or master who has accumulated within himself the power of loving-kindness and popularity (metta mahaniyom), of loving-kindness and great charm (metta maha-sane), must carry a great deal of it within his person. He must be one who possesses virtue, concentration, and the excellent quality of wisdom, with loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — the four Brahma-viharas — as his dwelling place. These are virtues that must face temptation from Mara — both the Mara of defilements and the Mara who are deva sons and deva daughters — like a fragrant flower, brightly and beautifully colored, that dazzles every kind of bee. Every human being, of every gender and every age, naturally desires to possess it. A person who has accumulated merit and virtue from a former life is born with a beautiful form and countenance, a radiant complexion, every limb beautifully formed — an object desired by all who see them. Such a person will always have Mara lying in wait to tempt them — for example, a beautiful woman with a pure, radiant body, pleasing to the eyes and hearts of all who see her; her parents and relatives must watch over and protect her with special care, because she was born to be the flower of the nation. She will have men who desire her; a fortunate man of handsome and dignified form will likewise have his match. Jealousy becomes Mara, lying in wait to destroy. One who possesses good moral virtue will naturally be loved and cherished by those who see them, and become an object of affection to the opposite sex — therefore one must be careful, namely:

Examine the tarnish that may arise from the inner Mara, which is the Mara of defilements, and the outer Mara, who is one who lies in wait to destroy goodness. Loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm naturally arise from the merit and destiny accumulated in former lives combined with the merit, destiny, and perfections accumulated in the present life. Textbooks of the occult sciences enshrine the power of the Buddha. As for the Buddha himself, he possessed the six-colored aura (chabbannarangsi), radiating from his glorious body — a radiance not found in the bodies of devas or humans, a radiance that surpassed both devas and humans. This is invoked and enshrined within a person who has faith and desires to possess it — that is, one who intends to draw upon this perfection. As for the beautiful power of the Buddha, it is brought into use within the teacher's own person; the teacher therefore instructs everyone to create the right cause, to meditate and contemplate so as to purify their own mind, to make it clean and free of tarnish and stain, to purify the defilement of the mind, restoring one's spirit — which by nature has a pure white radiance — to its original state; but the mind goes out and takes in external sense-objects, which makes it turbid. By meditating and drawing on the virtue and perfection of "Phutdho" (Buddho), one purifies the defilement of the mind until it is pure white, until the radiance of the spirit — which is part of the subtle body (kai thip) — has the opportunity to radiate outward from the pores, becoming something that improves the complexion and makes the physical body radiant and beautiful. This means: meditate on "Phutdho," restrain and guard against the mind becoming turbid, together with firmly resolving and vowing for one's own spirit that...

"Phutdho" enters and takes hold, its radiance spreading outward from beyond the physical body, making the body pure, radiant, and beautiful — so that whoever sees it loves it, whoever sees it admires it, whoever sees it feels affection and compassion. If everyone desires this, then one must create the cause in order to receive the result. The cause is purifying the mind with "Phutdho." The cause is that we strive to attain "Phutdho." The teacher must hold "Phutdho" to a higher degree than those who come to be his students — enough in measure to display supernatural power — that is, to plant faith so that students come to love "Phutdho." This is therefore more difficult than any other branch of the occult sciences. In truth, the occult art of loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm is something everyone desires, everyone wants — but everyone still creates the wrong causes, and still does not know what is what, because they have not met a teacher capable of pointing the way, or a teacher who demonstrates it as an example. It is like how everyone wants money — everyone works to earn money, but cannot find a way to earn as much as they desire, so they think of shortcuts: buying lottery numbers, buying the lottery, buying tickets, or other forms of gambling, until they meet with ruin — this is called mistaking wrong for right, pursuing occupations and livelihoods that are not grounded in truth or reason. In order to find the way to attain the Buddha's virtue of loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm, I have researched this for more than 20 years, sitting in mental research for three months at a time, more than ten times, staying in caves, in ordination halls, in quiet places, until I found the truth that one must create the causes described above. I tried many different paths together without success; success came only through drawing on the perfection (barami) of "Phutdho"...

The spirit is by nature pure white, but it is covered by clouds and mist, which are the defilements. When the defilements thin, the spirit becomes bright, like the moon and stars in the sky, which by nature shine with beautiful light together with coolness, their radiance a refuge for the people of the world; but when covered by clouds and mist as stain and fault, their bright radiance is obscured. Whenever there are no clouds and no mist, the moon's radiance shines beautifully, bright and cool, with no natural phenomenon comparable to it. Before explaining the method of instilling the virtue of loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm into a student, let me recount the method of researching the path to success, until success was achieved, to serve as a course of study for those who are interested; and later, when the keys of the occult sciences are gathered together into a curriculum of the occult sciences, the sacred verses, spells, and yantra numbers will be set down in full detail.

I myself have done, and have taught students to display supernatural power in, many branches — for example, the occult art of attaining the virtue of the Buddha's power, invoking invulnerability — I have demonstrated this many dozens or even hundreds of times, and students who could do it likewise numbered in the hundreds. In the area of the Buddha's power against explosives and against guns, I could also do it and demonstrate it for others to see; students who learned it could also do it. I myself learned this knowledge from a teacher who could display supernatural power, and so I could display it following my teacher; my own students can likewise display supernatural power. Before writing the method for displaying supernatural power, I ask the reader to consider these words: one who has succeeded in displaying supernatural power...

Starting from the lowest, then considering upward all the way to the highest — do not yet take it to mean boasting, or that it merits the offense of "falsely claiming superhuman states" (uttarimanussadhamma). Speaking to teach children, speaking to teach beginners, speaking to persuade, speaking to inspire — it is necessary to speak in this way; a teacher instructing knowledge must speak in this way. For example, let us put it simply: our child or grandchild, whom we send to attend kindergarten — the parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles ask and watch every day: what results has the learning of our beloved child or grandchild produced, what have they brought back from the teacher's instruction? Everyone waits eagerly. As soon as the child comes home, they raise their hands in a respectful wai and say "sawatdee khrap" or "sawatdee kha" to father, mother, grandfather, or "sawatdee khrap, grandmother" — this is equivalent to them having gone to school. Even though they have not yet begun to study books, they have learned knowledge from the teacher; the first task is manners and etiquette, demonstrated for us to see. We are delighted, and call other relatives who have not yet seen it to come and watch, then have the little child raise their hands in a wai together with saying "sawatdee khrap, sawatdee kha." The little one can do it just as before. We praise our child or grandchild as clever — whatever the teacher taught, they remembered and did well. The child received the teaching from the teacher and the child remembered it, because the teacher demonstrated it for the child to see — that is, the teacher could do it. We would say the teacher is good, having successfully completed kindergarten teacher training from the Ministry of Education, and our child, by following the teacher's instruction successfully, can demonstrate it for anyone to see. To say the child can "display supernatural power" (ฤทธิ์) would not be wrong, but that power is only the child's first, elementary level of power.

We never call a child a braggart, because they do what they can achieve; what they achieve or accomplish is because their teacher genuinely completed training from the Ministry of Education. The teacher can display power, the student can also display power — anyone can be called to come and see, because it is real. As for other matters, please compare them level by level for every field of knowledge — one can see that it is because the teacher has succeeded that they can teach the student to succeed. The occult sciences are a mysterious field of knowledge, a subject concerning the mind, the spirit, the subtle body, the Buddha's power, the power of the devas, and the matter of supernatural powers and miracles. Those interested must use wisdom to consider it thoroughly and in detail; one must give up time to read, give up time to study, give up time to research. Those interested in the "Key to the Occult Sciences" are asked to read it over and review it many times. Should any doubt arise, please ask the owner of the "Key to the Occult Sciences," since as the author I am obliged to resolve problems that arise. Other knowledgeable persons or teachers in general are far more truly knowledgeable than I am, by many thousands of times, but few of them would be the ones to resolve the problems that this "Key to the Occult Sciences" gives rise to; therefore I open the opportunity for contact and inquiry at every occasion. I possess only one kind of wealth — knowledge of the occult sciences — but it is a noble wealth (ariya-sap). Even if I share it with those of faith who intend to receive it, no matter how much, it will never run out. This noble and excellent wealth is wealth that is a wonder. (Please see the teaching that speaks of the Seven Noble Treasures.)

The principles for learning the Buddha's power via loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm, including the rites, the methods of setting the mind, the methods of gazing/focusing, the methods of sending forth the current of the mind, and the methods of calling another's mind to oneself — these will be read about in detail below.

The mouse and the cat have stopped fighting, and now love each other

Because of the "maha niyom" oil imbued with the Buddha's virtue, of Ajarn Chum Chaikiri — this maha-niyom oil imbued with Buddha's virtue has been tested and used for over 40 years. It is effective for ending conflict, ending harm to one another, for mutual forgiveness — enemies become friends, business flourishes and prospers, one achieves success, and it fosters unity and harmony. Those who attain the Buddha's virtue need not use weapons to protect themselves, need not fear being harmed by others. It trains everyone to remember the virtue of the Buddha and the virtue of their parents.

How to use the maha-niyom oil

Breathe in thinking "Phut" — vow: "May father stay with (his) child." Breathe out thinking "Tho" — vow: "May mother help (her) child." Make our mind full of love and compassionate sympathy for animals and fellow human beings in general. Show respect to those to whom we owe gratitude; hold the virtue of our father and the virtue of our mother as if they were our own Arahant. If we want someone to come to us, or wish to go to someone, breathe out thinking "Tho," think of that person, and form the wish: "Mother, please help (your) child" — according to our wish — asking that it be used only in ways that are honest and proper, in accordance with virtue—

Virtue. Use the oil to anoint the forehead, apply it to the lips, apply it to the eyebrows; before setting out on a journey, chant "Phutho" regularly.

For the peace of everyone in the world — everyone in human society, everyone in the family — this is the Dhamma that protects and sustains the world. When everyone in the family, when everyone extends loving-kindness of mind toward one another, trains the mind, restrains and guards the mind, builds power for the mind, gives the mind power in the direction of loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm — accumulating loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm to a high level of energy — trains the mind to recognize the value of the peace within oneself, of one's own normal state, which one then gives to others; trains the method of sending, the method of drawing in the thoughts of others in a good direction, in a direction we favor, toward ourselves; makes our subtle body go to meet the subtle body of others before our physical bodies meet; trains and cultivates the mind to become clear and bright; makes the spirit, which is our true self, become radiant, until its light and current shoot outward beyond the physical body, so that those who encounter it see our spirit, which is the subtle body, like the moon on the full-moon night, free of clouds, spreading its light to brighten the world with a soft glow, surrounded by stars, beautiful and cool — an object of desire for all humankind, an object of affection for humans of every gender, every age, every nation, every language. Everyone shares the very same wish: may the moon, which is beloved and cherished, remain free of clouds for all time. No one hates the moon; everyone hates the clouds and mist that obscure the moon, but the clouds—

—mist has always been the eternal enemy of the moon and stars, for millions of years. If we compare the part of our body that is our subtle body to the moon, what shall we do about the clouds, mist, and stains that come to obscure the moon and the stars in the sky of our subtle body? Everyone hates the clouds and mist; everyone loves the moon, loves the many stars great and small in the sky; everyone is willing to sacrifice money and even their life if anyone would volunteer to help remove the clouds and mist so that the moon may be free of them. The stars are the world of our subtle body — as much as has been described from the beginning, and those interested in the "Key to the Occult Sciences" who have read this far should already have some direction to open their eyes and ears a little. But once the "Key to the Occult Sciences" compares our subtle body to the moon and stars, it becomes necessary to lay down a foundation of study for those interested in learning about the subtle body, so that they understand the parts of the subtle body in yet more detail, as a matter of truth that must be discussed regarding the occult sciences together with loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm.

The subtle body has 7 levels. Only one level is physical matter — the body; the rest are all levels of the subtle body. For example: Level 1, the flesh body; Level 2, the "jetabhut" (mental double), a subtle body; Level 3, the vital-breath (prana) subtle body; Level 4, the perception (sanya) subtle body, radiant and all-knowing; Level 6, the mind (chit-jai) subtle body, the great master, equivalent to a minister of state, equivalent to the supreme military commander, who must work hard and bear responsibility in every area; Level 7, the spirit, which is the [divine/subtle] body—

—divine (body), equivalent to His Majesty the King, who possesses perfections (barami) and virtue, possessing the Ten Royal Virtues (Dasavidha-rajadhamma), whose perfections spread broadly across all 8 directions, 16 directions, equivalent to the moon on the full-moon night, surrounded by stars as his retinue of rank — perfections without limit. The spirit is the true self of the human being, which does not perish along with the physical body; the other parts of the subtle body cease afterward, and only when birth and existence come to an end does it enter Nirvana. The spirit is the moon presiding over one's life; the nature of the spirit is like the moon on the full-moon night, free of clouds and mist — but the spirit becomes tarnished and darkened by the clouds and mist of defilement, which cover and obscure it, making it dark and tarnished, without enough power to break out to the outside on every occasion. Now that we know that we possess a spirit that is the very core of the subtle body, we should love the cleanliness and purity of the spirit; we must remove the clouds and mist — that is, the defilements — to make them thin and to eliminate them entirely. Whenever the spirit's light shines forth beyond the physical body, beyond the subtle body, at that moment the brightness of the spirit will appear to those who encounter it as worthy of compassion, lovable, and charming — a good friend to everyone who meets it, like the moon.

The method for generating loving-kindness, popularity, and great charm

The mouse and the cat can stop fighting and come to love one another; the tiger drinks the cow's milk; the tiger and the cow can coexist. Every kind of animal, every human—

—of every gender, every age, every nation, every language, stop harming one another; enemies become friends; the business of human beings flourishes.

Take raw beeswax and slice it into round discs, enough to inscribe a yantra on. Then take white lime made from stone and set it out in front. Then light incense and candles, five of each, pay homage to the Buddha, recite "Namo" once through, then say "Sakke..." to assemble the deities, then say:

"Buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [I go for refuge in the Buddha, as my life, until Nibbana] "Dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [I go for refuge in the Dhamma, as my life, until Nibbana] "Saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [I go for refuge in the Sangha, as my life, until Nibbana]

"Dutiyampi Buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the second time, I go for refuge in the Buddha...] "Dutiyampi Dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the second time, in the Dhamma...] "Dutiyampi Saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the second time, in the Sangha...]

"Tatiyampi Buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the third time, in the Buddha...] "Tatiyampi Dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the third time, in the Dhamma...] "Tatiyampi Saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi" [For the third time, in the Sangha...]

Undertaking the Five Precepts

"Imāni pañca sikkhāpadāni samādiyāmi" [I undertake these five precepts] — recite once through, then say:

"Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi" [I undertake the precept of abstaining from killing living beings], "Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi" [I undertake the precept of abstaining from taking what is not given], "Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samā—" [I undertake the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct...] [text continues onto the next page]

...[I undertake the training]. I undertake the training precept of abstaining from false speech. I undertake the training precept of abstaining from liquor, spirits, and intoxicants that are grounds for heedlessness.

Then sit in meditation with the right foot resting over the left foot, right hand over left hand, keep the body upright, close the eyes and meditate, tracking the breath — on the long in-breath think 'Phud,' on the out-breath think 'Tho,' many times over. Then let the breath return to normal while still thinking 'Phud' on the in-breath and 'Tho' on the out-breath. Once the mind has settled, take white lime paste and smear it onto the right palm, then fix the gaze on the lime and the turmeric and recite the spell: 'Phutthasang-ithasupatha-amusa-inamautha timanithatsa sikkhapathami,' three times. Then recite the supreme-precept spell 'Pasu-ucha' many times over, then speak up softly, saying: 'Lime, oh! Turmeric, oh! I ask that you two cease being enemies from this moment forward.' Ask this repeatedly while reciting the spell 'Pasu-ucha,' lowering the voice toward the turmeric and lime, gazing at them and radiating loving-kindness with full intention. Then hold the breath and recite 'Pasu-ucha,' bring the two hands together gently while reciting the spell, then press them together firmly and open them to look — if the turmeric is still yellow and not turned red, and the lime is still purely white, it means the working has succeeded. After that, go and pick one lemon from a branch of a tree that faces east; while picking it, do not let your own shadow fall across the branch. Then say: 'Sweet mother lemon, oh, I ask for one of your sweet fruits.' Before speaking, recite 'Pasu-ucha' silently in the heart with full intention, then say for yourself: 'My fruit is sweet — you may take it to perform the rite. Fruit'

'My fruit is truly sweet.' Then hold the breath and take only that one fruit. Once you arrive home, perform the rite as described above from the start: begin with 'Namo' three times, 'Sakke, sakke, Buddhang jivitang' repeatedly, all the way through undertaking the five precepts. Then sit in meditation, tracking the breath — on the in-breath think 'Phud,' on the out-breath think 'Tho.' Once the mind is calm, grasp the lemon in the hand and say 'Phutthasang' three times, then say 'Pasu-ucha,' fix the mind, and say: 'Lemon, oh, I ask that you give up your sourness from this moment; become sweet, sweet, sweet,' together with reciting 'Pasu-ucha' at length, many times over. Then cut it open with a knife and taste it — if it is sweet or bland, it may be used. Once it has succeeded on this second trial, it is fit for use.

Next, buy fragrant oil from a virgin girl, without haggling over the price — pay whatever she asks. Once obtained, combine all three oils together. Prepare an offering to the teacher: flowers, incense and candles, worth 5 [units], money 5 baht, using fragrant-smelling flowers. Place them on a tray, raise the offering bowl level with the face, say 'Namo' three times, then recite the teacher-veneration spell, doing it with sincere respect, calling the teacher to mind, making the mind reach the teacher as if the teacher were sitting right in front of you. Then say: 'I, having gone for refuge to my teacher-preceptor, with this offering do reverently worship that teacher-preceptor. A second time: I, having gone for refuge to my teacher-preceptor, with this offering do reverently worship that teacher-preceptor. A third time: I, having gone for refuge to my teacher-preceptor, with this offering do reverently worship that teacher-preceptor.' Then say:

'May my undertaking succeed, may my work succeed, may my task succeed like the Tathagata's; may my power succeed, ever victorious; may gain come continually; may it be so for me.'

Then set a pair of trays down in front and carry out all the preliminary duties. Then place the oil in a vessel and set it down in front — a bronze bowl is even better if one is available. Begin by reciting 'Phutthasang-ithasupatha-amusa-inamautha timanithatsa sikkhapathami' once, then recite 'Pasu-ucha,' straining to radiate loving-kindness, together with asking that all beings cease fighting, cease harming one another, and asking that they live together in peace — or however else you wish to extend loving-kindness — alternating this with the 'Pasu-ucha' spell, until you are certain that your mind has thoroughly radiated loving-kindness to all beings. Before finishing, radiate loving-kindness saying:

'Sabbe sattā sadā hontu averā sukha-jīvino' — may all beings, may all fellow human beings, be without enmity toward one another; may they live out their lives happily always. 'Katang puññaphalaṃ mayhaṃ sabbe bhāgī bhavantu te' — may all those beings partake of the fruit of the merit that I have made.

Then set the mind to radiate loving-kindness to all beings, including fellow humans and devas, mother and father, and teachers. (This radiating of loving-kindness should be done every time, at the close of any occasion of giving alms and practicing meditation.) When finished, prostrate three times and the rite is complete. Next, take one rat.

Take one cat as well. Then touch both hands to the oil and say 'Phutthasang' three times. After that, recite 'Pasu-ucha' until the mind becomes concentrated, then rub the oil onto the rat's body and the cat's body at the same time, saying: 'Rat, oh! Cat, oh! I ask that you two cease being foes, cease being enemies to one another; live together; love one another as parents love their children, as a young woman loves a young man.' Then recite 'Pasu-ucha' many times over, and gradually let the cat and rat approach each other while continuing to radiate loving-kindness with 'Pasu-ucha,' until you are certain the rat and cat have become friends — only then is it fit for use. Alternatively, anoint your own face with the oil and recite 'Phutthasang' and 'Pasu-ucha,' then go and buy sweets from a street vendor, reciting 'Pasu-ucha' as you eat, until the vendor lifts her tray and leaves without taking money from you.

Testing its use, then reciting to ask to buy, or reciting to sell — it works for anything, according to whatever one wishes; it serves as loving-kindness charm, as great charm and allure, for everything, according to the mental power of the user, according to the sex and age of the user, and according to the strength of belief with which the current of mind is directed — provided that the wish itself is not contrary to morality. Anyone interested is invited to memorize it and may begin practicing. The teacher grants the right [to use this] to everyone who has faith; or, having learned it by heart, one may come to train further or to receive further explanation, and the teacher is glad to teach it. Or one may come and take some of the oil the teacher has consecrated for more than 40 years now, and use it — the teacher is glad to give it.

The important point of this branch of magical knowledge is that it serves as confirmation of the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha, which he taught: to extend loving-kindness toward one another, to give alms, and to cultivate meditation. Once this is done, one should set the mind to dedicate the merit made to all beings, as well as to one's mother and father, close relatives and friends, and the departed spirits [preta] who have left this world for the next — which we Buddhists do as a daily practice. But if children and grandchildren, or people of other religions, come and ask: when merit is made and dedicated to others, how are we to know whether the one to whom we dedicate the merit receives it or not? — most of us feel awkward and fall silent. Reciting to them what appears in the various scriptures cannot be pointed to or made evident before their very eyes, and this only raises doubt in others, an eternal unanswerable puzzle. I therefore researched and experimented until I obtained results worth showing, over more than 40 years, by the methods described above — such as radiating loving-kindness onto objects:

turmeric and lime, causing them to stop being enemies; radiating loving-kindness so that a sour lemon turns sweet; radiating loving-kindness onto a rat and a cat, which have been enemies since past lives, so that they cease being enemies to each other — all of which must be brought about through the cultivation of merit and meditation, until it becomes a noble treasure, that is, an excellent or divine treasure, which reaches into the hearts of beings, of fellow humans, in its subtle-body aspect, until it produces results

...to be seen in the here and now — it serves as confirmation that the Dhamma of the Buddha is a true natural law, which can be called upon for anyone to come and see, that is, it is 'ehipassiko' [inviting one to come and see]. Anyone who comes to learn knowledge according to the principles of this branch of magical science must first begin by studying the meditation subject [kammatthana], which is calming meditation, so that one may obtain results according to the principle of insight meditation [vipassana kammatthana], which is the doctrinal foundation for realizing Nibbana, following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Even from the moment one begins to still the mind and cultivate meditation — 'Phut' on the in-breath, 'Tho' on the out-breath — which is one part of the preliminary practice of those who practice the Dhamma within Buddhism, the practitioner can accomplish mano-vijjā [mind-made power] and display supernormal powers as a wonder. If every one of us set our minds to cultivate meditation properly and even more correctly than this, the results ought to be able to genuinely dispel danger even more than this. This serves as an example to plant faith, starting from mundane [lokiya] Dhamma; when mundane results are real, transcendent [lokuttara] results are real too.

Magical science within Buddhism is Dhamma on the mundane side, meaning: the results we desire in the present accord with the wishes of each person, each class of person — for instance, magical science in the area of loving-kindness charm and allure proceeds according to the class and age of each person. The loving-kindness charm possessed by young men and young women, who are still attached to love and desire, whose minds still hold desire for sensual pleasures — for form, sound, smell, taste, mental objects — their minds run after their desires, and their minds go and pull at the minds

of people of the same age, drawing them to seek each other out as a settled match. Such people come to know this for themselves; no one else can act on their behalf or make it happen for them. The teacher is only one who instructs and points the way — that much is true. If the teacher has taught something contrary to the true principle stated above, do not believe it yet, and one should not blindly believe it.

Loving-kindness charm for people of middle age, or those who already have a spouse: their loving-kindness charm binds firmly to their own spouse rather than running off toward others, and their loving-kindness charm becomes an allure that produces ever more steadfast affection within their own marriage. This, then, is not contrary to the Dhamma, nor contrary to the teacher's instruction; it is merit and wholesomeness for both the one who teaches and the one who practices accordingly. As far as you have read of this Key to Magical Science, please read it over again several times — you will see that it is imbued with morality throughout.

The human soul possesses light of exceedingly beautiful and radiant color, but the reason this light does not shine out to become visible is that it is obscured by mist and cloud through as many as six layers, from the layer of the fleshly body, through the layers of the subtle body, such as the mental sphere [jetabhumi], the vital-perception, and the concept of the mind-orb — the natural constitution of the body through all six layers. Each layer, in its original nature, is a pure and clean nature, possessing light, possessing various colors, all beautiful and radiant according to their nature at every layer. But it is governed by its master, namely the mind [duang jit], the one holding supreme authority, which commands tasks — sometimes wrongly, sometimes rightly — assigning good work at times and bad work at other times for it to do

until it becomes covered by defilements [kilesa], causing the original light and color to grow dim and clouded. But if we train our own minds, make our minds know good from bad, fear sin and love merit, hate suffering and love happiness, know how to do good, keep the body clean and beautiful, keep the mind and even the soul clean and beautiful — having clothing and adornment for the body, having morality [sila], that is, the abstaining from all wrongdoing, as an adornment for the body, having the Dhamma as an adornment for the mind — striving to do everything, cultivating prosperity through gain, status, praise, and happiness — and believing that this cultivates and develops loving-kindness charm and great allure. But how much each thing flourishes for any given person depends on what one abstains from and what one does — that is, abandoning evil and practicing good. Everyone desires the same results, but they obtain different results because they create different causes. Some desire only the result but do not create the cause, or create the cause in a way leading to decline; even if they desire a flourishing result, they will get a declining result instead. Use the Key to Magical Science toward flourishing, toward what is good and proper, according to the teacher's instruction. One who flourishes is a teacher possessed of morality, who begins the training by making the mind loving, in keeping with the virtue of the Buddha in the magical arts. One must train the mind to have loving-kindness [mettā], compassion [karunā], sympathetic joy [muditā], and equanimity [upekkhā]; to abandon selfishness; to love and wish for the happiness of fellow human beings; to seek ways to help fellow humans well, without gossiping or envy; to remain equanimous when seeing a friend fall into misfortune that is beyond one's own ability [to remedy]

or to remain equanimous when a friend errs, or when a friend loses mindfulness and clear comprehension because of intoxication, because of lust, or because anger has taken hold — keep our own mind in its normal state always. Normalcy, calm, patience, and restraint of emotion are themselves loving-kindness charm and great allure, according to natural principle. The Dhamma-water improves the mind, dyes the mind, with the spell, with the virtues described above — this is the pattern for binding the mind; one must recite 'Phuttho' and 'Pasu-ucha,' and then it truly comes to be. Perform the rite of inviting the devas to receive the offerings, then speak to the devas asking them to help and support; for any pure/consecrated items, one must recite 'Phuttho' first, then recite 'Pasu-ucha' until the mind is calm, then speak to the devas, inviting the devas to come and help, and to come and reside permanently in the place, or reside permanently in the Buddha image, sacred amulets, and charms — this can be accomplished according to one's wish, to the point of being able to call anyone to come and see it as a wonder. For instance, after making an amulet and performing the rite of consecration [pluk sek], once the Buddhābhiseka [Buddha-empowerment] is complete, take it to perform the offering rite in a river or in the sea, inviting the devas — tree spirits, the devas who reside in the water, such as the Naga king in the Naga realm, together with his Naga retinue — to come and receive the offerings; then sit and cultivate the recitation of 'Phuttho,' then recite 'Pasu-ucha,' then speak to the devas, asking the devas to help enhance the Buddha's power, to help bring the sacred image back to the ceremonial grounds set up near the riverbank, where the image is released into deep water, about 10 wa [fathoms] deep, far from the bank, to a distance of

about 10 kilometers, and the devas would bring it back and deliver it every time, right before the eyes of the people, while the monks were chanting the victory blessing, beating the gongs and drums, with the crowd numbering in the hundreds looking on. All this is because of the power of the Buddha's might and the power of the devas that we have reached — because we carried out the process correctly and properly, it produced a wondrous result that could be shown for others to come and see. Let me relate an example as follows:

In the year 2445 [BE, = 1902 CE], the Phra Khru Sangharaksa, abbot of Wat Buppharam in Penang, Malaysia, invited [me] to join in the merit-making to build a stupa. He arranged for a ceremony to be held. I went to perform the rite of consecrating loving-kindness-charm oil, according to the supreme-precept formula described above, to distribute to those who came to make merit. The temple had also advertised its special qualities, saying: 'Ajahn Chum Chaikhiri, a renowned and invulnerable master, possesses potent spells for loving-kindness charm and great allure, which those interested may verify for themselves' — having come from Thailand bringing Buddha images, sacred amulets and charms, bringing loving-kindness-charm and great-allure oil to distribute. I brought the loving-kindness-charm oil that had been consecrated and tested with results, but only one bottle's worth, because I had only arranged to buy that much oil and that many bottles in advance. Besides that, I also brought sacred powder images from the Thep Nimit ceremony held throughout the 1903 Rains Retreat, and sacred powder images empowered by the barami of the Lord Buddha's relics, performed in the

in the main royal hall of Wat Phra Boromathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat, during the 1904 Rains Retreat, as well. When the day of the ceremony arrived, Buddhist people from every state in Malaysia gathered together; altogether the crowd at the event was no smaller than a temple fair in Thailand. I performed the rite of consecrating the supreme-precept loving-kindness-charm oil for them to watch, because the temple had already announced that on the day of the event, anyone interested in the matter of the loving-kindness-charm oil, who had a fierce cat or any kind of rat, could bring them to test it. The temple built a large cage to receive the rats and cats. When the time came, one could hear the sound of cats crying all around the ceremony where I sat consecrating the oil. Once the consecration was finished, it was announced that whoever had a rat or a cat should bring it and set it right in front of me. No sooner had the words ended than interested people brought dozens of cats. I had them brought in one at a time. The first was a Muslim man, who carried a mother cat with newborn kittens to stand right in front of me. There were 3-4 English foreigners who brought four small red-eyed rats, about the size of a thumb, still nursing from their mother — intending that as soon as the cat saw them, it would eat them at once; the cat's owner likewise brought the mother cat with her kittens, expecting that as soon as she saw the rats, she would eat them at once. When I saw this, I thought that the people of this town were surely determined to see the real thing. I took the cat and the rats, and slowly rubbed the oil onto the heads of both creatures, then recited 'Pasu-ucha' for a while, then spoke up, saying: 'Cat, oh! Rat, oh! Cease fighting, cease harming one another; be friends who love one another from this moment onward.'

Then I set my mind to radiate loving-kindness with careful restraint, fearing that I might not be equal to the challenge. When the rite was complete, I handed the animals back to their owners, who put them into the cage. Thousands of people were watching intently. I sat radiating loving-kindness. As soon as they were released into the cage, the cat went straight toward the rats, and the four baby rats went straight toward the cat. The cat sniffed the rats for a moment, then lay down. The rats went straight in to nurse from the cat, all four together, and once full, they moved apart. Many other rats and cats belonging to other people were waiting to be tested; they were brought to me to apply the oil. I believed that a single rat and cat could manage well enough, but if many cats were gathered together at once, it would be a worry that the cats might fight among themselves. So I asked them to bring a large plate of rice mixed with fish and place it in the cage. Once the oil was applied, I gave the order to release the rats and cats into the cage. Three cats and ten rats ate from the same plate of rice; once full, they lay down together comfortably. The small bottles of oil sold for 10 dollars each, equivalent to 30 baht per bottle in Thailand, and it brought in tens of thousands of dollars, because the oil could be used by people of every nation and language — Islam too held that it was not against their religion. As for the sacred amulets, they too were tested and demonstrated until people were satisfied. People throughout every state of Malaysia, as far as Singapore, still favor using my loving-kindness-charm oil to this very day. Once used, it makes enemies cease fighting and harming one another, and turns enemies into friends; every person in the family lives together happily; it is bought easily and sold readily.

It is true according to the treatise. This is called Dhamma because it is something real — the kind that can be shown to others. If every person in the world truly loved peace, as they say when teaching others, and extended loving-kindness toward one another — or, being people of only light defilement, accepted the loving-kindness of those who have loving-kindness — then the whole world would meet with true and genuine peace, because every nation reveres God, the Lord, alike. The teachings of God, of the Lord, of the Buddha, are all in complete agreement: to give up warfare, to stop encroaching on and harming one another, to have everyone within a religion abandon evil and practice good. But the followers of every religion, for the most part, do not speak truthfully; they have no hiri — shame before sin — and no ottappa — dread of sinful conduct — which is the very teaching of the Buddha, of God. Hence they cannot protect the world; even where they can, it does not match the intention of the One who upholds religion, the fertile field of merit for the world. The whole world has turned into an enemy of the rice seedlings, so the seedlings do not flourish as the farmers wish. The farmers of the world therefore suffer as we see happening today, because our own selfishness leaves us lacking honesty, lacking truthfulness — the mouths and hearts of human beings do not match. We teach others to give things up, yet we who teach are the ones who grab and hoard — who then will believe us? The principle of teaching runs along a single line throughout: one must find true principles to teach. Parents teach their children, teachers teach their students, elders...

...teach juniors in every field, teaching Dhamma — but the teacher does not stand firm in the Dhamma-discipline himself, so children, students, and juniors come not to obey. Nowadays children receive a good education; education has advanced, so children come back to teach their elders, children reform the character of their elders — children do it better, they say, because children have only knowledge but have never actually worked. Children make no mistakes; their mistakes are only minor. Elders who do great work — having done it, or in the course of doing it — naturally have mistakes, since right and wrong are a paired thing. People who have never once erred number, in this world, no less than 60 percent — yet the world does not follow their example, because such people have never done any work at all; the reason they have never erred is that they have never worked. All they do is criticize others, curse others, curse those who do the work. This type of person is a danger to human society, being the kind that clutters the world. Therefore let us stop the turmoil, stop condemning others. I invite everyone to criticize themselves instead, curse themselves, teach themselves with every in-breath and out-breath, and abide in peace. If the people of the world who boast of being clever — clever enough to teach others — would take that same knowledge and teach it to themselves, and discipline themselves with it...

This world would find peace in a single instant, without needing to invest anything at all. Why does the whole world not do it? The main reason is selfishness, favoring one's own faction, so that deeds do not match words — and so the world remains in turmoil and distress. Let our group now come to practice meditation...

Learn to recognize the good breath and the bad breath, keeping the breath constant throughout, with every in-breath and out-breath. On the in-breath think 'Phut,' on the out-breath think 'Tho' — this is recollection of the Buddha (Buddhānussati). Keep mindfulness fastened to the breath, to the Lord Buddho; take the Lord Buddho as a refuge for everyone. We shall be people who speak truly and act truly with every breath in and out. We wish to be free of suffering, because we fear suffering, we detest suffering; we love happiness, we love beauty. We need to rely on the power of the Buddha so that power arises within our mind, our spirit. Then we will possess loving-kindness, great popularity, great charm — such that we no longer wish to depend on other people, because we fear they will not speak truly, will not act truly, will be selfish, will favor their own faction. We come to study this knowledge to find refuge in ourselves, because we already know that everyone favors themselves and their own faction. We must favor ourselves and our own faction only in a way that does not bring others distress, that brings happiness to others — because of our own peace, because of our own truthfulness, because we hold fast to truth, that is, Dhamma, as an ornament for the body and an ornament for the mind. Knowledge of saiyasat (occult science) is itself Dhamma — a portion of the world, one kind of truth, but a worldly kind of truth. All of us now reading The Key to Saiyasat must understand this as a foundation, and then we will meet with success, because the treatise of supreme virtue truly gives rise to loving-kindness, great popularity, great charm for those who believe and are truly sincere. Whoever reaches truth through their own effort will meet with wonders through their own effort. Trust the teacher only so far as this: he is one who points the way...

...only that: the teacher points the way for each student, who must use their own wisdom to consider first, and only then believe the teacher who guarantees that he speaks truly, teaches truly, with the intention that each interested person meet with the truth by their own effort, individually. Every generation of students, both those who still hold him in respect and those who have since ceased to, or those who once heard the lectures on the method of training the mind to reach the Buddha's virtue, as well as those who have seen with their own eyes that this virtue truly dispels danger for those who attain it — they will have heard this so many times that they are weary and sick of it, because no matter which time they listened, all they ever heard taught was: be mindful of the in-breath and out-breath, on the in-breath think 'Phut,' on the out-breath think 'Tho,' every time — for loving-kindness, great popularity, great charm, invulnerability, protection from harm, bullets missing their mark, fortune drawing gold into the body, drawing 'flowing iron' (lek lai) into the body — all through Phutho and Pasu-ucha. But when students and listeners take this and chant Phutho, chant Pasu-ucha, some succeed while others cannot. Those who cannot condemn it as untrue, as nonsense; some go further and condemn it as outright deception. And what is more, those who believe it can truly happen — having seen it themselves many times — some have even taken a knife or a gun of their own and cut or shot themselves with their own hand, yet turn around and condemn it as 'beast-knowledge' (dēarat-chān wichā), without ever clearly explaining why saiyasat knowledge must be condemned as such. Those interested in saiyasat, upon hearing the term 'dēarat-chān wichā,' come to feel hurt and aggrieved...

...because the listener, not understanding this term, takes it for a vulgar word, an insult, or excessive contempt. In truth, some people do know its meaning well, but having spoken it, fail to explain it broadly; some merely repeat what others say, not themselves knowing what is what.

Therefore, The Key to Saiyasat wishes to explain the term 'dēarat-chān wichā' (beast-knowledge) so that those who hear it may understand it, in brief, as follows:

1. The word 'dēarat-chān' (เดียรัจฉาน) is a term used generally for animals, and translates as 'a creature that goes crosswise.' Humans, too, are creatures — called 'human creatures,' meaning 'creatures of high mind,' who go straight, walk straight, hold the body upright. But every kind of animal must slither, must crawl, must fly — yet all of them, without exception, must go crosswise.

2. The term 'dēarat-chān wichā' thus translates as 'the knowledge of one who goes crosswise,' or a category of knowledge that obstructs. 'Wichā' (knowledge) is understanding gained through study and learning — knowing good, knowing bad, knowing what is middling — taken together this forms worldly knowledge, ranging from the very lowest level up to the highest level attainable in the world.

3. The term 'dēarat-chān wichā,' in the sense given by the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha, refers to knowledge which, once studied and known, keeps one bound to the world. The word 'world' here means the human world, the deva world, the brahma world — the world in which beings must endlessly cycle through death and rebirth, the world called the round of samsara, or 'worldly dhamma'...

...eight, that is: being attached to gain, status, praise, and happiness; being attached to the loss of gain, the loss of status, slander, and suffering; being attached to the ordinary principle of nature — this is knowledge that keeps the student bound to the world. Even knowledge of Dhamma that is worldly (lokiya) is classed as dēarat-chān wichā, from which ordinary beings cannot escape, since by definition it is knowledge that obstructs the path, the fruit, and nibbana within the Dhamma-vinaya of the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha. The Buddha himself taught worldly Dhamma in thorough detail, yet he did not wish anyone to remain attached to the world, since that would prevent the realization of nibbana. Those who criticize others for studying knowledge that is dēarat-chān wichā — well, that saiyasat is a dēarat-chān wichā is, in that sense, correct. The word 'creature' (sat) is not at all a coarse word, since everyone is already a human creature. The Buddha is a Mahāsatta (Great Being) — however one criticizes the meaning, the truth remains as it is regardless. Only the knowledge of vipassana meditators, the path and practice of the noble ones (ariya), is knowledge not bound to the world. In this age, people who are not bound to the world are nonexistent, or exceedingly rare — like an ox's hair compared to an ox's horns. Let us understand this much for now.

The Lord Buddho and the highest precepts make it possible to truly succeed in one's wish to make contact with the deities. Before performing any saiyasat rite, one must first perform the ceremony of offering to the deities. Arranging the offering ceremony requires a complete set of offerings: a small spirit-shrine on a post, a bai sri (ceremonial floral offering), serving bowls to left and right, pork, mushrooms, duck, chicken, sticky rice...

...ordinary rice, red and white boiled sweets, bananas, sugarcane, coconut, sesame seeds, five kinds of fruit, flowers of five colors, a teacher's tray with flowers, incense, and candles five of each, five betel quids, five baht in money or 108 baht, cool water, tea, offering cards for the resident deities of the eight directions, and a card for the planet Ketu, an offering card for the guardian spirit of the land, a three-cornered card for Phra Krung Phali, smeared with tilaka powder-paste. To worship the deities and worship the auspicious moment, the learned brahmin must bathe to cleanse the body, dress in white, undertake the precepts, and chant around the ceremonial ground, which is set with ceremonial fencing, a white-tiered parasol of five tiers or one tier, banners and flags, and a sacred thread (sai sin) encircling it all. When the auspicious moment arrives, the host lights candles and incense and plants them by the deity-offering cards and by the savory and sweet foods. This done, the brahmin recites the incantation inviting the deities and inviting the teacher-spirits to come and receive the ceremonial offerings, explaining the rite so as to inform the deities, with respectful humility — this is the order handed down by tradition. It is believed that the deities, the teacher-spirits, and all sacred things throughout the universe, thus invited and addressed with a request for protection, a request for loving-kindness, will indeed grant loving-kindness in return, and grant support from the gods, from the teacher-spirits, from sacred things, according to one's wish.

Most people believe this simply by tradition; there is no evidence one could point to that would clearly show the deities, teacher-spirits, and sacred things truly come to receive the offerings, truly know of it, and truly assist in the rite in any way visible to the eye. But a teacher, a master, or a brahmin genuinely skilled in the sacred lore, one whose mind is free of defilement and fault...

...such a person truly sees the spirit of the deity, the spirit of the teacher, and sees that the deity has truly come. We then believe in the same way handed down. I myself believe that the spirits of the various deities exist; my students act as I do, but not one of them has ever dared ask me even once whether the deity truly comes or not. Yet I have observed that all my students still harbor doubt on this matter, because the question of mind, the question of spirit, belongs to the realm of the subtle body (kāyathip) — an insoluble worldly problem, argued endlessly without resolution. I have tried to find a way to show my students how to hold belief in things that have reason behind them, and so I searched out various methods that might serve to educate my students. Once, during the rains retreat of the year 2545 [2002 CE], I was in residence for the rains retreat in the small vihara of Wat Weluracin in Thonburi. The abbot was having a Buddha image made in the boon-bestowing posture, five inches across the lap, filled with soil from the four holy sites [of the Buddha's life], and was also having protective amulets made in the same boon-bestowing posture, of the kind worn on the body. I sat performing the consecration incantation for him for a full three months. During that three-month period of ritual I also had occasion to practice meditation (kammatthana) and to teach a number of interested students to sit and meditate together. Male and female students asked me to make the 'Birth-Three' amulet-cylinder (takrut kamnoet sam) in gold; the formula for this takrut according to the treatise is rather elaborate, and looking at it one would hardly think to believe it — yet the students who had used it before and gotten results trusted it greatly, and it truly worked. Those who did not yet have one [illegible — obscured by a black ink blot] asked to have one made, and it was made. This amulet is called the 'Birth-Three Takrut' because it bears a yantra...

...the birth-chart of the deity, the birth-chart of the Buddha, and the birth-chart of the owner combined together. Whoever wants one must state the month, year, day, and time of birth accurately, and only then can the teacher make it properly. If the person's date and time are not accurate, the teacher will detect it: having finished writing the yantra, he makes a resolve (adhitthana) and places it in water — if the date and time are wrong, all three yantra discs sink; if correct, all three takrut yantras float above the water. It is potent for loving-kindness, great popularity, great charm, for binding the minds of friends and companions, and for making a departed loved one think of us and come to us, loving us in a love that never fades. The special virtues listed in the treatise are many, and all hard to believe, but for the user who is truly sincere and truly believes, it works. For this Birth-Three takrut, the consecration and chanting formula is: on the in-breath think 'Phut,' on the out-breath think 'Tho,' chanting 'Pasu-ucha'; before speaking, whatever one then says will be believed — even speaking to an object, speaking to a fierce animal, speaking to animals that are enemies of one another so as to make them love each other — the same as using popularity oil. Once one has the takrut and is using it, one can extend loving-kindness by taking the takrut in hand, then sitting and chanting while breathing — on the in-breath thinking 'Phut,' on the out-breath thinking 'Tho.' Once the mind grows calm, sit and chant, sending the stream of mind along the breath to the person one loves or the person one respects, focusing to build a mental image of that person as a being with form and body, with an endearing, respectable manner. Then take the takrut in hand, chant 'Pasu-ucha,' keeping 'Pasu-ucha' with the in-breath and out-breath, sitting and chanting at our own bed, at night, imagining that the person...

...whom we wish to think of us, to love us, to feel compassion for us, is sleeping soundly. Build a firm mental image that we are loving, are showing respect toward that person, and focus until we see them showing love in return, compassion in return toward us — and while that feeling of them loving us in return, showing compassion in return, is present, one must keep chanting 'Pasu-ucha' with every breath in and out. If it is an elder, we perform the gesture of paying respect [wai], asking for their compassion and kindness, as though we were sitting and pleading before them, and they have accepted and agreed to help us as we wish — that is enough for it to work. If it is a junior or a friend of ours, we focus in the manner suited to them, so that they love us in return and think of us. If it is a child or a loved one who has fled from us, we focus and chant for them to come back; once they return, they must come to sit, lie down, and live and eat with us again just as they used to. If it is a husband or wife, we focus on the manner and gestures they used to show when they loved us, were pleased with us, used to live, eat, and sleep with us, and then think, 'they are sitting here with us, right here; they are sleeping here with us, right here,' and then plead that henceforth they not leave us, that they stay with us alone — we build up the love and affection we once had for one another. We are faithful to them, and resolve with firm intent that they be faithful to us in return. If it is a lover, or an elder who is close to us, we likewise build the mental image, chanting on the in-breath thinking 'Phut,' on the out-breath thinking 'Tho,' then chanting 'Pasu-ucha' silently in the mind, using a takrut worn on the body without needing to hold it in the hand, then speaking the request with true sincerity, asking for compassion and kindness...

...from an elder, or ask for love and affection from a lover, ask for faithfulness from a spouse — one may ask for all of these, but gradually, asking a little at a time, asking until they give their word, and only then will it work. At the same time, examine oneself: what is lacking, what causes them displeasure, to the point that our loved one comes to think of being unfaithful, their love fades, and they grow to hate us.

Once we know this, confess our faults completely, and then declare that we will not act that way again — and truly do not, whether openly or in secret. This is a plain and ordinary principle of nature: everyone wants love, wants faithfulness, wants sincerity; when love and understanding do not align, there is no happiness. One must first correct oneself, teach oneself well before anything else, improve oneself at every opportunity, examine oneself as thoroughly as possible, and only then ask the other party to give up their faults, give up lying, give up insincerity — in keeping with the old saying: 'pūjako labhate pūjaṃ' — one who honors others receives honor in return; 'vandako paṭivandanaṃ' — one who bows to others receives a bow in return. If we do harm to others, others will do harm to us in return. Incantations, sacred power, Buddha-virtue, amulets and charms help genuine people, are a refuge for genuine people, a refuge that removes danger for those who attain it — miraculous power and wonders arise out of truth. Please...

...consider and study the great mantras that have been taught from the very beginning, and that will continue to be taught, and to take up for consideration examples of those who have attained them to the point of manifesting supernatural power.

Those who, having received the training, attain it and can manifest supernatural power, are without exception people of honesty and truthfulness, who genuinely follow their teacher's practice, both openly and in secret. Those who believe in incantations, spells, supernatural power, and the miracles of the Buddha's power, who believe in the true knowledge of their revered elder monks, but who lack truthfulness, lack true sincerity, are inconsistent, and harbor hesitation and doubt, cannot manifest power — they end up deceiving and misleading others, even to the point of imprisonment, becoming a danger to society and bringing the very science they believe in into disrepute. I ask that we all use our wisdom to consider this in detail, to truly know both cause and effect, to study and research, so as to attain the great mantras — starting from Phutho, Pasu-ucha, Namo Buddhaya — where they come from, and why they enable one who practices meditation, once having attained them, to manifest supernatural power of wondrous virtue.

I ask that those interested come to know the truth step by step; do not be greedy, for greed and craving for gain give rise to delusion, which takes hold and darkens the mind, to the point that one never truly knows anything throughout one's whole life. Please read The Key to Saiyasat, reviewing it from the beginning many times over, until you see the path as a foundation for further research, and keep watch for the final volume of The Key to Saiyasat, which contains knowledge in the greatest detail. At this point [the author] will seek a way to cultivate belief so that everyone comes to love the great mantras; those who attain them hold firm belief in the great mantras...

Buddho, pa-su-u-cha, namo-buddhaya — [these] reach into objects, reach into people, and can reach into devas as well.

Meditate: breathing in, think 'Bud'; breathing out, think 'Dho.' Then meditate 'pa-su-u-cha' — asking turmeric and lime-powder, substances that are naturally opposed to each other [to be reconciled]. Meditate asking a lime, a naturally sour thing, to become sweet — and it can become sweet. Meditate asking roots, trunks, and leaves of trees to become medicine that cures disease. Meditate to make animals that are natural enemies become friends, such as mouse and cat, tiger and cow, elephant and horse, cattle and buffalo, and to make snakes stop harming people — this is called 'reaching' animals, or meditating so that animals can 'reach' humans. Our ancestors have done this for many thousands of years already. The Buddha is our supreme teacher; his attainment of this was a wonder. Study it in the Phra Pathom Sombot [account of the Buddha's life] and in the Tripitaka, which are easy to find and study — you will come to understand well.

If you doubt this is real, go to a teacher — a senior monk, a revered monk who has mastered saiyasat — and ask him to demonstrate it for you; even nowadays such things can still be seen. If the display of power by an ordinary person, even a small, minor one, is enough to make us believe in the displays of power of the Buddha, then the displays of power of the noble ones (ariya) should convince us even more — because people of every nation and every religion in the human world still believe in the power and virtue of devas. They believe that a human who has done good deeds and made merit in this world will, after death, go to the heavenly state, or be reborn as a deva.

...who are devas by convention/designation. A person who does evil, commits sin, has no moral virtue, and is black-hearted and cruel, when they die will be reborn in a woeful state — falling into hell, becoming a hungry ghost (pret), becoming an asura-being, becoming an animal. This is a belief held [in common], and the Buddha taught it this way.

Therefore, whenever a human is about to do anything, they must inform the devas, must invite the devas, must hold a ceremony of offerings to the devas. Even Buddhist rites require an act of reverence or invitation to the devas every time. But nowadays it is simply done by custom — inviting them by custom — without truly knowing whether the devas actually come in answer to the invitation, or whether it is done merely out of belief. When children of a later generation, wishing to learn, ask their elders or monks about this, they are often scolded, or given only the answer 'it is done by custom.' When a teacher who has attained [contact with] devas tells others that a deva has come, only he himself can see it, because he sees it through concentration of mind (samadhi) — he sees with the divine eye. The deva, too, has a divine body, and this is something known individually (paccattaṃ), seen only by oneself. Those thick with defilement cannot see it, and accuse such a teacher of talking nonsense and boasting, until even those who truly see it, having seen it, tell no one — because they are unable to point out the deva so that others may see it too.

I am a person who wants to know and wants to see. I tried until I came to know and see a little, in small amounts, but I too am unable to point out the deva's presence to my disciples, just as with other knowledgeable teachers. But I did not give up trying, until...

...as well as sitting in caves, in caves on mountains, for three months at a time. Those who accompanied me to study also experienced this individually (paccattaṃ), each seeing only for themselves in the same way. Those who were interested but had not yet studied it seriously would condemn me, saying I was lying, boasting, playing tricks, and other such things. In the year 2545 [2002], I went to spend the rains retreat in the cave of Khao Chaison, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province. This cave was said by rumor to have fierce spirits, with a deva who was the fierce lord of the mountain. I wanted to bring my mind to attain [contact with] the deva; I wanted to investigate the matter of devas, so I went to stay in that cave for the rains retreat for 3 months, until I attained [contact with] the deva. This caused many of the disciples who came to study with me to also encounter it themselves.

So I will set down this recollection for those interested in study, as a guideline for building such belief. The cave-temple of Khao Chaison is a beautiful cave, containing several ancient Buddha images made of stucco and bronze.

I went up to stay for the rains retreat in the upper part, where I received good light and air. My daily routine was to pay homage to the Buddha, chant, sit in meditation, then sleep, [waking] around 4 or 5 a.m. to sit in meditation until dawn. In the first month, when my mind was not yet calm, I saw nothing unusual. Entering the second month, once the mind became calm, I encountered the devas — I heard the sound of walking, or while sitting heard the sound of breathing all around me, which I estimated to be no fewer than 10-20 people, though looking with the physical eye I could not see clearly. When I closed my eyes, my mind was free of fear as those sounds of people came close. There was a fragrance like sandalwood heartwood. When I sat as though half-asleep and half-awake, my mind...

...entered a trance-like state of mind (bhavaṅga), and I saw people just like ordinary humans, sitting in meditation around me.

When I came out of meditation, my mind still being calm, I could still see them sitting there as shadow-like figures, just as they had appeared in the vision. I chanted the Metta Sutta, extending loving-kindness to them, and they gradually grew clearer every night. One night I had a fever and felt very achy. I said aloud that I wished for a masseur — if I could be massaged I would feel comfortable and the fever would go away. I said this softly, alone. As I was about to fall asleep, a person with a sturdy, strong body came and sat massaging me until I fell asleep. When I woke, the fever and aches were entirely gone. I got up and sat meditating, extending loving-kindness to the compassionate devas I had seen; on the following nights I came to firmly believe in my own mind that the devas were sitting there together with my body, and I felt great warmth and peace of mind. I was able to sit in meditation for long periods. I experienced rapture (piti) and was able to calm my mind to the point that devas would come and sit waiting to receive a share of merit every night. All fear disappeared.

One night, at around 5 a.m., I got up and sat meditating inside my mosquito net. I had lit a candle in front of me, and I saw the path of a king cobra lying directly in front of me, about 1 foot away — its body thick, about two hand-spans around, and about 12 or more cubits long — waiting to receive a share of merit. As soon as I extended loving-kindness to it, it slithered off into a hole ahead. I...

I kept experiencing this for about a month or more. When the rains retreat ended, the disciples went to arrange an event in front of the cave. On the first day, the disciples preparing the event came to the cave early, at around past 7 o'clock. The king cobra reared up, spreading its hood, and would not let the disciples enter the cave. The group shouted for me to come down and receive it. I felt puzzled and went down to look — this meant walking out past the cave for about 100 meters. As soon as I came out into the light, I found the king cobra spreading its hood at a narrow point along the path. I went close to it and asked it to make way for the disciples. It came toward its teacher [me]; I spoke this and that as one person speaks to another, and it slithered into a crevice in the rocks and disappeared. By instinct it knew that I would have to leave it, and it knew that the disciples had come to take their teacher back. Even I myself loved it very much and wanted to see it every night. I attained [contact with] the devas to the point of being able to converse with them, and the devas came to serve me, even coming to massage me.

Reflecting on the power of mind that arises with complete, thorough calm, concentrated during that period of sitting in meditation, and how calm arose repeatedly until I became skilled at it — this generated a life-force (prana) that produced a magnetic current, giving rise to a genuine loving-kindness charm of great popularity (metta mahaniyom) toward devas and all creatures. Sitting in meditation until the mind becomes clean and calm, the divine body clean, and then using the great mantra formulas — namely Buddho and Pa-su-u-cha — together with spoken words, one is able to attain [contact with] devas and dangerous animals, drawing in the current of prana, the current...

...gathering the spiritual essence of devas and dangerous animals, making them into beloved friends just as we can truly love them in return. I therefore hold firm reverence for the virtue of Buddho, and for the virtue of the supreme precept-formula — Pa-su-u-cha, or Namo-Buddhaya. I therefore honor these three formulas as the Great Mantra — that is, mantras of the greatest power. I have a strong wish to instruct and teach others to practice accordingly, to see accordingly. So I held ceremonies of attaining [contact with] devas, with disciples joining the ceremony, many people at a time. The ceremony is performed in order to teach others, to teach disciples, lasting a full 3 months each time — as in the rains retreat of 2546 [2003].

Performing the Ceremony to Create

"Phra Phong Thep Nimit" [The Sacred Powder Image of the Divine Vision]

Entering the ceremony and performing consecration continuously for 3 months at Wat Banphot Ninit, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province.

The reason it was named Thep Nimit [Divine Vision] is that its formula came from a dream, in which an elderly teacher-figure appeared and said that in the future, happiness and comfort would no longer be found among humans without moral virtue; they would face dangers arising from weapons of terrible power, of kinds never before encountered, dangers from black-hearted, cruel bandits behaving like wild beasts, and dangers from spirits and demons. In order to escape from the aforesaid dangers...

He told me to gather flowers used when senior and junior monks perform the rite of mutual forgiveness before entering the Rains Retreat, and flowers placed before the principal Buddha image on the day of entering the Rains Retreat — enough in a single day from 108 temples — together with lichen/moss taken from a stupa enshrining sacred relics, and moss from a Sacred Bodhi Tree, to be formed into Buddha images, consecrated, and then distributed widely to everyone. Along with this, those who came to receive an image were to be asked to abandon sin, cultivate merit, and remain steadfast in the moral teachings of the Lord Buddha; the virtue of the image would then protect them from all the dangers described above.

When I awoke I felt joyful, and so announced to all my disciples across every province to help gather these materials, specifying flowers of worship taken from royal temples and sacred public temples throughout Thailand. Through the readiness and cooperation of all the disciples, I was able to gather everything as wished. In addition, I obtained sacred powders from various masters of several traditions — such as the special powder of Ajarn Khong, teacher of Khun Phaen — which disciples brought and presented along with its history. It was said that this sacred powder had been dug up from an old ordination-hall mound beneath the base of a stupa at Ban Si Prachan, Si Prachan Subdistrict, Si Prachan District, Suphanburi Province.

Through the cooperative effort and unity of several hundred disciples, together with sacrifices of both wealth and physical labor, everything needed was gathered in full according to the wish. I then entered the ceremony of making and consecrating, continuing...

...for 3 months, together with testing their quality, and found them trustworthy. I then began distributing them to all the disciples who took part in the annual teacher-veneration ceremony of 2546 [2003], and I kept the rest to give to those who newly enrolled as disciples, as a keepsake, together with the request that they abandon sin, cultivate merit, and conduct themselves as good citizens of the nation.

Method of Use and Invocation

Recite Namo three times, then form the resolution with intent: 'I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as my refuge and remembrance.' Then look at the image, then breathe in thinking 'Bud,' breathe out thinking 'Dho,' until the mind is calm. Then consecrate with the formula 'Isavasu susava-i asangvisu lopusapupha,' three times. If there is trouble, or a necessary matter about which one must ask the sacred image, in order to learn about that matter, light incense and candles to invite the deva who guards the image to come, together with remembering Ajarn Khong and Ajarn Khun Phaen. Focus the mind into concentration, hold the image in the hand, then sit reciting the formula 'Na ma pha tha na map tha,' continuing to recite until the deva comes to possess [the medium], and only then may one ask according to one's wish.

The reason this has been included in the Key to Saiyasat is that it is a fundamental technique for inviting a deva to come and take possession of a medium. Once one can channel the Thep Nimit deity, other devas can likewise be invited — this serves as a practice exercise.

Summary on Phra Buddho

Interested readers who have read the Key to Saiyasat from its very first issue through the issue for August 2518 [1975], and who have genuinely studied it seriously, have picked out points that seemed doubtful and put them to me as questions. I had thought such matters ought to be kept reserved, to be explained only verbally, one person at a time, or only to those with such sincere faith that they had come in person to the school and formally enrolled as a disciple according to the rules — only then would I explain. But since I have already been asked, and I see that those asking are people of very strong faith, it is necessary to give a summary explanation here as an opportunity for study.

The word 'Buddho,' which the Key to Saiyasat teaches one to note and be aware of — once known, one should meditate until concentration (samadhi) arises. When samadhi arises, the mind becomes calm; when the mind is calm, wisdom (panna) arises in it. One contemplates until one truly knows and sees reality. The one who meditates thereby stands within the Threefold Training: morality (sila), concentration (samadhi), wisdom (panna). Continuing to meditate and cultivate the perfections (parami) further, until sila, samadhi, and panna become as strong and mature as the first jhana; continuing to meditate further until reaching a level equal to or resembling the fourth jhana of the noble ones (ariya) — only then does one encounter the special virtue that arises from the mind, a quality that is individually conditioned (paccattaṃ), known only to oneself, which one must see for oneself. Please set your intention to practice, to meditate earnestly, to intentionally bring about the cause — that is, to perfect the Path (magga). When the Path is made fully complete, the result will naturally arise according to the cause — that is, according to the Path.

One must reflect on the words 'note,' 'know,' 'breath.' Read through the Key to Saiyasat repeatedly, many times over; read it, then read it again so as to come to feel that one understands it easily. Consider it point by point: note and know the in-breath, think 'Bud,' together with paying respect for the virtue of one's father. Build up a mental image in the mind, so as to see the father as a living presence, thinking further: 'we are prostrating at his feet' with the utmost respect, together with the resolution: 'Your child begs to pay homage to the virtue and kindness of my father with every in-breath, for my whole life.'

Note, know, breath — note (1), know (2), breath (3) — breathe out thinking 'Dho,' together with paying respect for the virtue of the father. Build up a mental image in the mind, focusing so as to see the form of the mother arise as a living presence, in bodily form, then pay respect, bowing down at the mother's breast, together with the resolution: 'Your child begs to pay homage to the virtue and kindness of my mother with every out-breath, for my whole life.' Continue meditating, thinking, noting and knowing, doing this many times. At this first stage, one must do this, must meditate in this way repeatedly until skilled, until one knows for oneself, knows every in-breath and out-breath, knows until one truly attains it. The result to be gained is that one's gratitude for this virtue grows and multiplies on its own, following oneself like a shadow — something everyone will come to know for themselves; it is individually experienced (paccattaṃ). As for 'Buddho,' which is the name of the Buddha, the virtue of the Buddha, which has been brought...

...combined together, calling to mind the [Buddha's] name and form, until attaining the great compassionate virtue [of the Buddha] — this is Buddhanussati [recollection of the Buddha]. It produces a wondrous result that gradually arises and gradually increases according to how much, or how little, one does — in the same way. The refuges of devas and of humans in the past were of course not all equal, but both devas and humans alike attest that the result is wondrous. Wise devas and humans, those with wisdom, therefore pay reverence and attain the virtue of the Buddha, taking it as their refuge and remembrance continuously up to the present day. It is only those thick with defilement and heavy with sin who cannot see the virtue of their own father and mother, cannot see the virtue of the Buddha, the virtue of the Dharma, the virtue of the noble Sangha.

Here I will reveal the mystery concerning this particular question — the words 'Bud-father, Dho-mother' — to give a brief account, enough as a foundation. Those who know have reflected on this wondrous matter according to each person's own wisdom; whether one should believe it or not depends on one's own reasoning. As for myself, I came to know it through meditation, knew it through visions; it might be a mistaken delusion, or it might be genuine — either is possible. This is because, from meditating on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) combined with recollection of the Buddha for a long time, following the method of calming meditation (samatha kammatthana), I practiced until I became thoroughly steeped in Buddho, yet I had never before come to know that it meant 'Bud-father, Dho-mother.' Then, once, in the year 2545 [2002], I went to spend the rains retreat, sitting in meditation in the cave of Khao Chaison, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province, for 3 months, being...

...a place of especially deep calm, unlike any place I had ever encountered before. During that rains retreat I gained knowledge concerning devas, until I believed 100% that devas truly exist, as described above. But as for the matter revealed in the vision — that I came to know 'Bud-father, Dho-mother' — I had resolved that, if no one showed interest in asking, I would not speak of it, would not reveal this secret knowledge and attainment, for fear that both the learned and the unlearned would accuse me of falsely boasting of superhuman states. But in truth it was merely an account of the strange things that arose from sitting in meditation and entering a trance-like state of mind (bhavaṅga) — I saw and came to know things; I am not speaking of higher knowledge (ñāṇa) or of virtue, of special dharma or special qualities that I do not actually possess. I am recounting it just as it happened, so that together we may help judge what level of phenomenon this is, or whether it is merely clinging/attachment (upādāna) — that my resolve to hold fast and firm to Buddho has carried me too far in the direction of saiyasat. That is: one night, at around 3 or 4 a.m., while sitting in meditation receiving happiness from the calm, until all suffering and feeling had ceased, a vision came in which an elderly person appeared and told me that, long ago, before this fortunate aeon (bhadrakappa), this world was destroyed by the fire that ends an aeon, annihilating the world entirely, and the human world became an ocean. During that empty aeon, in the vision I saw a vast, wide ocean. According to what he told me, he said that one day Brahma Sahampati looked down upon the surface of the world and saw five lotus flowers (in the vision I saw lotus flowers appear), and thus knew that the fortunate aeon was approaching, and that in this aeon five Buddhas would attain enlightenment in sequence, namely: Phra Kakusandho, Phra Konagamana, Phra Buddha Kassapa, Phra Sunuddha Gotama [Gotama Buddha], and Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya (this likely corresponds to the account of...

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The Great Brahma whom we invoke and toward whom we cultivate meditation is the one that appears, generally, in saiyasat texts as follows:

[Pali-style romanized invocation, as printed:] "Yong kan phinthu na thang upa khuen nang, phrommasa hapa dinma, athikappe su-akhato, bunja pathumang thisawa, namo phutthaya, wanthanang..."

Brahma Sahampati recited verses of homage to the five Buddhas, then took five handfuls of kusa grass and cast them down (this is the very sign that saiyasat practice has carried forward ever since — at the time of the Buddha-consecration rite [phutthaphisek] and the empowerment rite [pluksek], kusa grass is still laid down as a seat-mat, right up to the present day). Afterward this became like grains of soil; a group of Brahmas came down and ate the grains of soil, and lust arose in them, so that they could no longer return up to the Brahma world. The male Brahma sat with palms joined, chanting "Phut"; the female Brahma sat with palms joined, chanting "Tho." After a long time, they came together as a pair in the manner of human beings. Every first human male was named "Phut"; every human female who became a mother was named "Tho." As the world later developed, they came to have different names — so the father of humankind came to be called "Phot," and the mother of humankind came to be called "Tho." When the Buddha arose in the world, he therefore bore the name Phra Phuttho, or Buddha, foremost above every prior Buddha. (As for the kusa grass — it arose when Brahma Sahampati resolved and cast it down to become the very ground on which every Buddha of this fortunate aeon [bhaddakappa]...

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...resolved that it become a jeweled throne, sitting upon it to cultivate the perfections until becoming fully accomplished as an Arahant, in every such case). The elderly figure who appeared to me in the vision told me: "You must show reverence in this way. You will become one more excellent than ordinary humans. You will come to meet the Buddha in the future. The father and mother of humankind have, life after life, existence after existence, in succession, been father and mother to one another and been each other's children, continuing on until entering Nibbana — only then will birth and existence come to an end."

It is this account, told here in brief, that is the reason I have held firm, deep reverence for Phra Phuttho ever since. I sought to make the truth of it manifest as a wonder in the present, so as to teach others and make it easier for them to follow the practice; thus I brought it into use in the way of saiyasat, intending that everyone should first encounter the wonder itself, as a means of planting faith, so that everyone would take interest in Phra Phuttho. Phra Phuttho, as employed in the way of saiyasat, is itself the wonder, the refuge, the token of remembrance, the means of planting faith — planted into the fertile soil that is the human mind, full though it is of the fertilizer that is defilement (kilesa) — according to human disposition, as loving-kindness and great popularity (metta mahaniyom), as invulnerability (khong krapan) — able to give everyone who has faith plain, visible proof before their own eyes. Just as the disciples of the Key to Saiyasat already know, having seen it with their own eyes, and having practiced it have truly succeeded according to their mindfulness, strength, and ability — this indeed is the meaning of "Phut the father, Tho the mother," following the line of teaching—

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...that I teach. When I myself encountered the wonder, my disciples too, upon encountering the wonder, held to it firmly ever after. Searching further, I found that the swiftest, most effective method for planting faith was this: to install the virtue of the father and mother back within the child, until it becomes a divine body (kaya thip), producing invulnerability, immunity to weapons and to explosive devices, and arising as loving-kindness and great popularity from within, within thirty minutes. When everyone saw that practicing on their own according to the guidance of the Key to Saiyasat was slow, they went to seek a teacher to help plant the wonder for them, to the point that the teacher had to sit planting it every single day, many people at a time. Yet everyone who took it and practiced it themselves could achieve it just the same, because teaching done for merit's sake conceals and disguises nothing.

Most of the questions asked at present are: in the Key to Saiyasat texts, how does the knowledge attained in the first part differ from that in the later part? What knowledge is fundamental, and how must one practice, in order to obtain the later part of the Key to Saiyasat text? Let it be made known: the first part is printed on fine pond paper, with a cover trimmed in gold, about 200-odd pages thick. It holds knowledge concerning Phuttho, concerning the method of bringing the mind to attainment; it tells of the "craft of the foolish" and the "craft of the wise," the method of becoming a wise person, giving guidance to know true saiyasat from false saiyasat, the true practitioner from the false practitioner; it has one study and seek knowledge concerning mantra-formulas, Buddhist mantras, Buddhist medicine (phutthaosot), the method of gathering the many virtues of the Buddha into one, and the method of using mantras—

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...various mantras, formulas that can truly ward off danger, showing that devas truly exist, and teaching abstention from black-magic sorcery (athap wet fai dam) — that which, once done, becomes sin, vengeance, and wicked karma. It gives mantras and remedies for undoing what others have done, and for curing what has been inflicted, by various methods, laid out in detail in the first part. As for the later part, it is the Key to Saiyasat text in fuller, more elaborate form, folding the first part into the beginning of the later part, expanding upon it and unlocking further secrets — teaching the origin of the letters, of the numerals, of the yantra diagrams, of mantra-formulas; teaching the method of installing the virtue of invulnerability, immunity, and evasion of harm; the craft of bullets falling short; the craft of gold-leaf markings for loving-kindness and great popularity, for powerful charm (maha sane); markings that seal a tube — it contains all-round knowledge in every principal branch of saiyasat the teacher has ever practiced, teaching every disciple to become a teacher possessed of full virtue, with the pride of knowing there is nothing they do not know. But the knowledge in the later part is knowledge for which the teacher must perform the teacher-veneration rite (yok khru) drawn entirely from the teacher's own lineage-school; nearly all of it requires the yok khru rite to be performed. Disciples of faith will receive the transmission and empowerment of the standard textbook; everyone must pass through the yok khru rite, with flowers, incense and candles, betel and areca nut, five of each, and 105 baht already given — or the disciple must perform the yok khru rite according to the regulation set out below: the teacher must accept them as a disciple, transmit and empower them with knowledge, and install within them the virtue of invulnerability, immunity, loving-kindness, and great popularity — once this is complete, faith is then planted so that they hold love, hold belief, firm and unwavering, in the virtue of the Buddha—

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...Phuttho, as stated above first — only after that is transmission and empowerment of the later-part saiyasat text given.

The account of the devas with the Buddha, and with the disciples, in the Mahasamaya Sutta, translated by Phra Sasanasophon of Wat Makutkasattriyaram, Mahamakut Buddhist University. The Key to Saiyasat has copied this from his translation, made following the Pali text, with further explanation added in parentheses. This is done in order to clarify the truth of the matter of the devas with the Buddha and with the disciples, so that it may be studied how the devas' own selves appeared to the Buddha, how they appeared to the disciples, and how an ordinary human being like ourselves would see a deva — and where a deva resides. Please read this over several times, and one should also memorize the names of the important devas, as this is of benefit for saiyasat rites, as follows: "Evam me sutam ekam samayam bhagava..." — "I (that is, referring to the Venerable Ananda) have heard it thus: at one time the Blessed One was dwelling in the Great Forest [Maha Vana] near the city of Kapilavastu, in the Sakya country, together with a great company of monks, that is, about 500 monks, all of them Arahants. And the devas from the ten world-realms, for the most part, had come together in order to see the Blessed One and the Sangha. At that time this reflection arose in four devas of the Suddhavasa [Pure Abodes]: 'See here, the Blessed One—'

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...was dwelling in the Great Forest near the city of Kapilavastu, in the Sakya country, together with a great company of monks — that is, about 500 monks, all of them Arahants. The devas from the ten world-realms, too, for the most part, had come together in order to see the Blessed One and the Sangha. Let us, then, also go to wherever the Blessed One is dwelling; and having gone there, let each recite one verse apiece in the presence of the Blessed One. Then those devas vanished from the Pure Abode heavens and appeared before the Blessed One (swiftly) — just as a strong man might stretch out a bent arm, or bend an outstretched arm. Thereupon those devas paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. One deva, standing to one side, spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: "Mahasamayo pavuna-smim devakaya samagata, agatamha imam dhammasamayam" — Today is the day of the Great Assembly (mahasamaya) in the forest; the multitude of devas have gathered; we four have also come to this Dhamma-gathering in order to see the Sangha that is unconquered (that is, the conquerors of defilement — showing that devas indeed know whether a monk has defilements or not; therefore one who has attained the Dhamma is one who fears wrongdoing). Then another deva spoke—

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...this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: "Tatra bhikkhave samahita" — "The monks in that assembly were composed, having made their own minds upright; they were wise, guarding their faculties as a charioteer holds and controls the reins." (We too cultivate meditation, calming the mind, reflecting on the abandonment of wrongdoing; we are performing merit — recollecting the virtues of the Buddha with every in-breath and out-breath, which is reckoned as great merit — may the devas rejoice in this beforehand and come to protect and guard us.)

Then another deva spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: those monks have cut off defilement like a nail, defilement like a bolt-pin; having uprooted defilement like a dam-post, they are unshakeable wherever they go; they are clean, free of stain, young nagas tamed by the One with the divine eye. (Defilement [kilesa] means lust and craving, anger and hatred, delusion and false knowing, which exist in the disposition of us ordinary worldlings; the devas are compared to a nail, a bolt-pin, a dam-post; it is fitting that we hasten to uproot them from our minds.) Then another deva spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One: "Ye keci buddham saranam gata, se na te gamissanti apayabhumim" — meaning: whatever people have gone to the Buddha as their refuge, those people—

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...will not go to the woeful states; having left the human body, they will possess a complete divine body (kaya thip). (That is, one who reveres the Buddha means one who follows his command — that is, one established in precepts; one who follows the teaching is established in Dhamma; such a one is said to have gone to the Buddha as refuge. May we all go to Phra Phuttho with every in-breath and out-breath, as already stated.) Thereupon the Blessed One spoke to the monks: "Yebhuyyena bhikkhave dasasu lokadhatusu devata sannipatita" and so on, meaning: "Monks, the devas of the ten world-realms have, for the most part, assembled in order to see the Tathagata and the community of monks. Monks, whatever Blessed Arahant Fully Enlightened Buddhas there have been in the past, devas of this same number have assembled to see that Blessed Arahant Fully Enlightened One, just as the devas have now assembled to see me at this time. Monks, whichever Blessed Arahant Fully Enlightened Buddha there shall be in time to come, devas of this same number will assemble to see that Blessed Arahant Fully Enlightened One, just as on this day. Monks, we shall now tell the names of the devas; may you all hold in mind the names of those devas, and bear them in mind so that it brings benefit. We shall now speak these verses. Monks—

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...those [monks] replied to the Blessed One: "Even so, Lord." Thereupon the Blessed One spoke this saying: "We shall compose a verse" (the word silok means words composed and bound into metrical verse). Monks who dwell on level ground, and those who dwell on mountains and in mountain clefts — those monks have set their minds firmly and resolutely, dwelling in solitude like lions, having overcome hair-raising terror; they have minds that are bright and pure, clear and clean, unclouded, and they are very many in number. But the Teacher specifically knew of the monks dwelling in the Great Forest near Kapilavastu, some five hundred and more. Thus he addressed those disciples who delighted in the Teaching, saying: "Monks, the devas have gathered in great numbers; you should come to know those devas." Those monks, having heard the Buddha's teaching, then made effort to develop the divine-eye knowledge (dibbacakkhu-nana). The divine-eye knowledge, the instrument for seeing non-human beings, arose differently among the various monks: some monks saw non-human beings numbering in the hundreds; some saw thousands; some saw tens of thousands; some saw hundreds of thousands; some saw an uncountably great number. (In regard to this, let us consider and seek the truth, and know what is genuinely true, before believing an ordinary person who claims to have seen a deva, to have spoken with a deva, to have sent their mind-stream up to make contact with a deva — the listener who is deceived into believing should ask how far such a claim ought to be believed. For even the Buddha's own disciples, who were Arahants—

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...had been freed of the taints and defilements, sitting right before the Buddha, still did not see the divine body of any non-human being. The word "non-human" [amanussa] means those who are not human — referring to devas of every kind, as well as the departed (peta) — that is, beings who have left the human world, or the human form, entirely; that which is called a divine body must be seen with the divine eye. Ordinary worldlings, or those who still have defilements, find it hard to see; even the Buddha's own Arahant disciples had to make effort to develop the divine-eye knowledge, causing it to arise first, before they could see a divine body. Yet even so, the monks in the Great Forest on that occasion did not all see the devas with their divine bodies equally — some saw few, some saw many, unequally. How, then, could we ordinary people see them at all? And a person who tells others they have seen cannot make others see it too, because the thicker a person's defilements, the more blind and unable they are to see a divine body. One who trains the mind into concentration, making it calm and clean, resolving to rely on the merit and power of the Buddha's grace, focusing so as to gain "the eye" — that is, a consciousness temporarily free of defilement — may indeed have this arise on occasion, only while the mind is made calm and focused, and even then it can only arise fleetingly, like a flash of lightning; and it is seen more because of constructing a mental image than anything else — but it is more likely that such claims are made to deceive others. Our group asks that one speak truthfully and act truthfully, and not follow the example of those who speak as though others know less than themselves.) The Teacher, who—

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...possesses the divine eye, having reflected and having come to know the whole matter, then addressed the disciples who delighted in the Teaching, saying: "Monks, the multitude of devas have assembled; you should come to know those devas; I shall tell you of them in words, in order." (Part 1 tells of the earth-bound devas [phumma-thewada]; let us study and remember which class of devas count as phumma devas.)

By the line of the verse: "Satuta-sahassa va yakkha bhumma kapilavatthava, iddhimanto jutimanto vannavanto yasassino, modamana abhikkamu bhikkhunam samitim vanam" — the yakshas, that is, one thousand devas, are phumma devas dwelling in the region of the city of Kapilavastu, of great power, of great glory, of beautiful complexion, of great renown, and, delighted, they proceeded to the Great Forest, which is the assembly-place of the monks. Six thousand yakshas dwell on Mount Himavat, of varied bodily hues, possessed of power, of might, of complexion, of renown. Three thousand yakshas dwell on Mount Sataagiri; six thousand yakshas, and five hundred yakshas, dwell on Mount Vessamitta. The yaksha named Kumbhira dwells in the province of Rajagaha; the mountain named Vepulla is the dwelling place of that yaksha named Kumbhira; more than a hundred thousand yakshas surround and guard that yaksha named Kumbhira. Kumbhira, that great yaksha, likewise came to the Great Forest, which is the assembly-place of the monks. (At this point, let our study—

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...serve us in knowing that the "Lord of the Land" spirits are indeed those very yakshas whom the Buddha called phumma devas, and that the term "heaven at ground level" simply means [devas] dwelling upon the mountains and upon the earth, all of them; it is only that we cannot see them, because these yakshas are of the divine-body kind, possessing celestial mansions, and their retinues of glory are entirely of a divine, non-material nature.)

Part 2: The Buddha speaks of the devas of the Catummaharaja [Four Great Kings] class, by the verse: "Purimañca disam raja dhataraṭṭho pasasati, gandhabbanam adhipati maharaja yasassiso, puttapissa bahuvo" — meaning: moreover, King Dhatarattha, who rules the eastern direction, is the sovereign, greater than the gandhabbas; he is a Great King, of renown; and his many sons, too, all bear the name Inda alike, of great strength, of great power, of great might, of beautiful complexion; they too, delighted, proceeded to the Great Forest, the assembly-place of the monks. Moreover, King Virulhaka, who rules the southern direction, is the sovereign, greater than the kumbhandas; he is a Great King, of renown; and the sons of King Virulhaka, too, all bear the name Inda alike, of power, of might, of beautiful complexion; they too, delighted, proceeded to the Great Forest, the assembly-place of the community of monks. Moreover, King Virupakkha, who dwells in the western direction, is the sovereign of the nagas; he is a Great King, of renown; and the sons of King Virupakkha, too, are all named Inda, of power, of renown, of beautiful complexion; they too came to the Great Forest, the assembly-place of the monks.

Thao Dhatarattha resides in the East. Thao Virulhaka resides in the South. Thao Virupakkha resides in the West. Thao Kuvera resides in the North. All these Great Kings (Catumaharaja) cause the four directions to flourish and shine all around. As for the deceitful retainer-servants of the four Great Kings, who are all tricksters, boastful and cunning ones, they came as well. (This means: even though the Great Kings, who are greater than the deities stationed in each of the four directions, still have cunning deities among them -- that is, cunning servants -- just like among humans there are cunning, deceitful types mixed in among the great and noble humans, among the lords -- that is, servants of lords. For the most part it can be said that, at the very least, among humans, and even among deities, this remains the ordinary way of things: that where there is good, there must also be bad as its counterpart.) Such cunning servants are named: Kutthanthu, Vetthanthu, Vittata, Chandana, Kamasettha, Kinnumantu, Nimantu, and so on.

(Part 3: Concerning the Gandharvas)

The Gandharva kings are named: Panada, Opamanya, and Matali who is the divine charioteer; also named Citta, Sena, Naphoracha, Janosabha, Panjasikha, Timpharu, and Suriyavajanisa. These and other Gandharvas, together with the great Gandharva chiefs, gladly came to the Mahavana forest, which was the assembly place of the monks.

(Part 4: Concerning Nagas and Elephants)

First, the nagas who dwell in the pool named Nabhasa, within the territory of the city of Vesali, came together with the naga retinue of the naga king Tacchaka. Kambala Naga and Assatara Naga also came. The nagas dwelling at the ford of Payaga came together with their kinsfolk. The nagas dwelling in the Yamuna River, and those born into the Dhatarattha clan with their retinues, also came. Eravana [Sattapabutta], the great elephant, also came to the Mahavana forest, which was the assembly place.

(Part 5: Concerning the Garudas)

As the verse of the sacred text says: "Ye nagaraje sahasa haranti dibba vijja pakkhi visuddhacakkhu" -- Those divine birds (that is, the Garudas) who have clear eyes (are able) to swoop and seize naga kings suddenly -- those divine birds came to the Mahavana forest. Those divine birds were named Cittasubanna. At that time, fearlessness arose for all the nagas, because the Buddha had extended his spiritual power, making them safe from the Garuda king. (This shows that ordinarily these deities are enemies of one another -- the deities who are nagas, and those who are garudas, are all beings with divine bodies, but the celestial mansions (vimana) of these deities exist within this world. The naga deities dwell in water; the garuda-kind deities have their vimanas in trees and on mountains. But when they came together at this assembly of monks in the Mahavana forest, they all became friends with one another. Therefore, before a human being would perform...

Whatever rite or ceremony one performs, one must invariably recite or contemplate the virtues of the Buddha, the virtues of the Dhamma, and the virtues of the Sangha, and first undertake the precepts, and only then invite the deities -- relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, or the merit by which we have taken refuge in the Triple Gem, as a means and a reminder that makes us friends, that becomes an object of the deities' loving-kindness, and that is the cause by which deities who are not fond of one another become friends with each other. This is a principle to be considered carefully as to its reasoning. As for our contacting deities in connection with performing various rites, and also with the daily recitation of prayers and meditation as a regular practice, we should think that the deities all come to receive their share of merit from us. We should set our minds to do this with firm confidence that: apart from coming to receive their share of merit and goodness from us, the deities also come to bear witness to our actions. In this regard, the Key to Saiyasat has taken the Mahasamaya Sutta, correctly translated by learned scholars, and placed it here as a foundation for studying the affairs of deities insofar as they concern human beings. Reading it over many times, one will see that whatever a person does, whether wholesome or unwholesome, the deities are aware of it -- just as the deities uttered verses in praise of the Buddha and his disciples as related above. And [the reader] is asked to continue studying the matter of the deities.) They conversed with one another in pleasant speech; each side took the Buddha as their refuge. Even the asuras, who had been defeated by Thao Vajirahattha (that is, Indra) and driven down into the sea, later became brothers with Indra, [Indra] being one endowed with power and glory. (The commentary states that this was because Indra was able to...

...together with Nang Sujata, daughter of the asura, and this became the cause for them to become friends and kin.) The Kalakanja asuras, of huge and grotesque bodies, also came. The Danavemasa asuras also came. Namuci, the wicked Mara, came as well. The hundred sons of Thao Mulisura, all named Phairot [Vairocana], donned the war-gear of Thao Bali and went to Rahu, saying: "Please come, uncle. Now is the time to go to the Mahavana forest, which is the assembly place of the monks." (The commentary-teachers explain that the word Verocha/Phairot is a name of Rahu, who was the uncle of the daughters of Thao Balisura -- as if the uncle's name were taken as a family surname, as we humans do.) The deities named Vapa, and Pathavi, and Tejo, and Vayo, also came at that time. (This passage serves as evidence showing that water, earth, fire, and wind are also deities, and this is affirmed within Buddhism as well, in many places where the Buddha spoke of deities.) The deities named Varatha, and Varuna, and Soma, and Yasa, also came together. The deities who had arisen through loving-kindness and compassion, being possessed of glory, also came. These ten groups of deities stood as ten divisions, all having different bodies, all possessing supernormal power, might, beautiful complexion, glory, and retinues, and they made their way to the Mahavana forest, the assembly-place of the monks. The deities named Vendu, Sahali, Asama, and Yama also came. [Pali:] "candassūpanisā devā, candaṃ purakkhitvā [āgatā]; sūriyassūpanisā devā, sūriyaṃ purakkhitvā [āgatā]" -- "The deities who depend upon the moon caused the...

...the moon go before them. The deities who depend upon the sun caused the sun to go before them. The deities who depend upon the constellations caused the constellations to go before them. The Manda-Palahaka deities also came (the commentary states that among the Palahaka [cloud-deities] who bring about gentle natural phenomena are: the Vata-Palahaka, who cause wind; the Ambha-Palahaka, who cause mist; the Unha-Palahaka, who cause warmth -- together called the Mandapalahaka). Even Thao Vasava, lord of all the deities, who is also called Thao Sakka, or Thao Burinda, came as well (Indra has many names, as such). All of them made their way to the Mahavana forest, the assembly-place of the monks. Furthermore, the deities named Sahabhu, blazing like flame, also came. The deities named Aritthaka and Roja, whose radiance was like the water-hyacinth flower, also came. The deities named Varuna, Sahadhamma, Suseyya, and Rucira also came, as did the one named Vasavanesa. These ten kinds of deities stood as ten divisions, all having different bodily complexions, and came to the Mahavana forest, the assembly-place of the monks. (Counting from the Apo [water] deities -- that is, the sixty classes of deva assemblies, sixty groups of deities in total.) It was the united wish of all these deities: "We shall behold the community of monks who are free from [further] birth, free of defilement like a nail [drawn out], who have crossed the flood, who are free of taints, having crossed the flood, who commit no evil, who have transcended dark deeds -- that is, unwholesome action -- just as the moon is freed from clouds." (We who are the Buddha's followers should practice virtue and concentration...

...cause wisdom to arise fully and completely, that we may perform our tasks well, [and] the deities will come to rejoice in our merit, just as the deities of the ten thousand world-systems came together to rejoice in the merit of the noble disciples, as described above.

(What follows now concerns the Brahmas)

[Pali:] "Subrahma paripatto putta iddhimato saha Sanankumaro, Tisso ca sopagasamiddhanu" -- the great Brahma named Subrahma, and one named Paramatta, who is a "son" of the Buddha who possesses spiritual power (the word "son" here refers to a noble/ariya Brahma), also came. Even the great Brahmas named Sanankumara and Tissa came to the Mahavana forest, the assembly-place of the monks. The great Brahma kings, who arose through their own power, having vast bodies and glory, rule over the thousand Brahma-worlds; there are ten Great Brahmas who are lords over that thousand-world Brahma realm, each dividing the rulership among themselves and sharing it -- they too came. The great Brahma named Marita, surrounded by his retinue, came into the midst of those Brahmas. Mara and Mara's army came to confront the deities, came to confront Indra and Brahma, as is Mara's nature -- so let us observe the foolishness of Mara. The Mara-king commanded his army: "Seize these deities and bind them! Bind the deities with passion (raga)! Surround them completely! Let none of them escape!" The Mara-king thus drove his army into that assembly, and then struck the ground with the palms of his hands, making a fearsome sound, like a rain-cloud releasing lightning...

...roared thus. At that time, the Mara-king was utterly unable to bring anyone under his power, and so, filled with anger and resentment, he departed. (This is clear material for study: the matter of Mara and his army-commanders refers to those who kill and destroy. The killing done by Mara and his army is a killing and destruction that occurs without one's own awareness, because that killing and destruction gives rise to defilement, causes defilement to intensify, and gives rise to greed, anger, delusion, jealousy, and envy arising within the mind, within one's disposition -- or fear, or weariness. As stated here, this would cause the deities and Brahmas, even the great Brahma kings, to develop raga -- that is, lustful desire -- arising, causing each of them to intend to flee in different directions. This shows that even deities still possess raga, still have affection, still have lustful desire. There is Mara as a deity (devaputta-mara), Mara as an army (sena-mara), and Mara as defilement (kilesa-mara). Wherever there is the Dhamma -- that is, noble virtue -- one should undertake practices that help one escape suffering, escape from the world, escape from greed, anger, delusion, and craving-satisfaction. That place is within that very mind -- just like our own minds -- there too is Mara, that is, the defilements that bind, that entangle, that imprison, that cause one to remain attached to the world. Everyone has Mara within. Ordinary worldly people (puthujjana) have Mara present at 50%, or even at 100%. The noble ones (ariya), or the deities and Brahmas who are disciples of the Buddha, are those who have conquered Mara -- Mara cannot kill or destroy them. May we, who are the Buddha's followers, study so as to know Mara and Mara's army, and strive to overcome Mara without fail. We are disciples of the Buddha; let us keep the Buddha in mind with every breath...

...the breathing in and out, is buddhanussati [recollection of the Buddha]: "Bud" on the in-breath, "dho" on the out-breath. We shall become dear to the deities and to all humankind; we shall conquer Mara just as the deities and Brahmas did, who came to the assembly of the noble ones in the Mahavana forest, at the great gathering (Mahasamaya) which has now been brought for us to study together. This is knowledge that stands as a foundation and a root, both within the Buddhist tradition, the yogic tradition, and the tradition of saiyasat [occult lore], as well as astrology. Only those who do not know, who do not believe, and who are heedless, are the ones who dispute the matter of spirits and deities. Forgive the foolish -- it is only fools who boast of their own cleverness who dispute it; they dispute simply out of their own foolishness. Fools are without shame. Let us read the Key to Saiyasat and set our minds to seek knowledge even further beyond this -- this is merely a guiding path. Read on.) The Teacher, who possessed the divine eye, having considered and known that whole matter, then spoke to warn all his disciples who delighted in the Teaching, saying: Mara and Mara's army were assailing you all. Know this: the monks, having heard the Buddha's Teaching, exerted effort, developed the divine eye (dibbacakkhu), and having seen [Mara], Mara and Mara's army then withdrew from the monks -- who, being free of raga, could not be made to tremble even so much as a hair. In the end the Mara-king spoke in praise, saying: "Sabbe vijitasangama, bhayatita yasassino; modanti saha bhutehi, savaka te janesu tadi" -- "All your disciples, having conquered in battle, having transcended fear, being glorious, rejoice together with all beings; among people, they are such [steadfast ones]." All the disciples of the Blessed One are conquerors...

...having conquered in war, having transcended fear, their glory made manifest in the assembly of people, they abide in joy together with the noble ones (ariya) who have arisen within the Teaching.

(Here ends the translation according to the Pali text, in the Mahasamaya Sutta -- this much only. The translation follows the Pali text and is not translated according to [my own] opinion; the portions explained according to [my own] opinion are all given in parentheses.)

Now, in describing the matter of deities, it is necessary to provide instruction on the subject of deities: the method of bringing the mind to reach the deities; the method of making offerings and sacrifices to the deities; teacher-deities connected with various rites, including the rite of Buddha-consecration (buddhabhiseka) and the empowering/awakening of sacred objects (pluksek); one must examine and consider carefully so as to see whether the teacher-deities we invite and invoke truly come or not; whether, having come, they truly receive our offerings and sacrifices or not; whether they truly grant favor and benefit to us or not. If it should happen that cunning, deceiving deities come instead, how are we to know it? And once we know, what are we to do? For all this, one must bring the mind to reach [them] -- that is, to fix one's attention and come to know, as described above. But there remain secrets far beyond what has been described so far, because this is a matter of the divine body (kaya thip), and it is a matter that requires us to bring forth our own divine body, so that we may then come to meet with the divine bodies of the deities. This must be written out in full detail, according to the ability one has actually attained, and according to the truth, in the standard textbook, the Key to Saiyasat, Volume 2.

I wish to record here remedies against poison, against sorcery-induced illness ("ya sang"), and against curses ("khun") that have been worked upon someone, within the Key to Saiyasat textbook, because I consider that saiyasat, being descended from the black-magic medical arts, has used spells, incantations, and poisons to kill one another, to drive people mad, to make people love one another, to separate people, and to break husband and wife apart -- this has existed since ancient times, and to this day it still exists. There remain many practitioners of saiyasat who are without morality, unashamed of wrongdoing, and greedy for gain. Therefore, students of the Key to Saiyasat ought to know of these things, so that they may help to relieve the suffering of their fellow human beings. I myself studied the knowledge and methods for countering various such workings from several teachers in the town of Phatthalung, [schools] that both cast such workings and countered them; but I have chosen to learn only the methods of countering, and these have proven effective for me up to this day. These remedies are to be empowered with dispelling incantations, or "back-stripping" incantations, such as: "ya tha phutmona u a ma su sa wa i", or the incantation for withdrawing from the ordination hall: "na khluean, mo thon, phut khlon, tha khluean, ya luean lut hai" -- these are specific dispelling incantations. One chants over water and gives it to drink, chants over betel nut, chants over medicine and gives it to drink.

Remedies Against Sorcery, Worked Through Occult Power

**First Formula**

Given by Teacher Iat of Phatthalung: he directs one to take pomegranate leaves (leaves of "phrap phrueng"), small taro corms, and salt, pound and press out the juice, and give it to drink. If the working was done with iron or with a nail, [the victim] will vomit it all up completely.

**Second Formula**

Take the root of pandanus (lamchiak) 1 part, areca-palm root 1 part, "hunter's sock" plant 1 part, "kring badan" 1 part; boil these together, and set the liquid out to catch the dew overnight in the open air, then give it to drink. Whatever the working was made with, it will come out completely.

**Third Formula**

If someone has worked [sorcery] intending to cause death within a single day: take good turmeric 1 part, ginger 1 part, pickled field-crab lime paste 1 part, cockroach 1 part, and blood (a leech) 1 part; give this to drink and [the victim] certainly will not die.

**Fourth Formula**

Take the bark of the kanaa tree, the root of inthanin (Queen's crape-myrtle), and pomegranate fruit; boil down to one-third of the original volume; add 1 grain of salt and 7 peppercorns; pound finely, mix in, and give to drink. If the working was done through flesh and skin, it will cause pain and bring down blood, or cause bloating and flatulence; after drinking, it will all be expelled.

**Fifth Formula**

If one wishes to know what the sorcery was made with: take floating water-lettuce root 1 part, rice-water, and the root of the "mai mao yai mom" plant 1 part; grind and give to drink. If it was made with a corpse's bone, roots [of the affliction] will emerge. If it was made with beeswax, [the victim] will feel pain all over the body. If it was made with a phi phrai spirit, it will cry out. If it was placed in a rice-pounding mortar, [the victim] will feel pain all over the body. If it was made with lead, the pain will rise along the spine. If it was made with iron, it will cause pain in the head. If it was made with fish, it will cause...

...vomiting. If it was made with "phrom hot" [a plant/substance], it will cause [the victim] to fall asleep and lose consciousness. If it was made with flesh and skin, it will cause panting/gasping. If it was made with egg, it will cause a wobbling, wretched vomiting.

The Remedy Is Given With This Formula

Jujube (phutsa) root 1 part, som-khao root 1 part, white-flowered ixora root 1 part, double-jasmine root 1 part; pound these with water and give to drink. Or, take both kinds of hatsakhun [Harrisonia perforata] root, or all five kinds; grind and give to drink, to counter a working made with a phi phrai spirit. If it was made in a rice-pounding mortar, take red-lotus root 1 part, yellow-tip samui root 1 part, white-tip samui root 1 part, boil and give to drink. If it was made with lead, take thong phan chang [Rhinacanthus nasutus] root 1 part, "lai phueak" root 1 part, "ra-ngap" root 1 part, grind and give to drink to cure it. And if it was made with iron, take tong taek [Baliospermum] root 1 part, "chueat" root 1 part, "kam cham" root 1 part, senna (chumhet) root 1 part, grind and give to drink. If it was made with "phrom hot," take both kinds of snake-hood plant, bodhi-bai root 1 part, golden banyan root 1 part, bitter rattan root 1 part, "tru" root 1 part, rice-water root 1 part, grind and give to drink to cure it. And if it was made with skin and flesh, take leaves of the Bodhi tree, lichen from a chedi (stupa), and lichen from the middle of a canal, pound and rub over the whole body to cure it. And if it was made with betel-and-areca, take moringa root 1 part, jujube root 1 part, red-lotus root 1 part, floating water-lettuce root 1 part, boil and give to drink to cure it. And if the affliction causes stomach pain and coughing, take the skin of young areca-nut stalk and leaves of the "thong lang" tree (Erythrina), pound and press for juice, give to drink to cure it. And as a general remedy to drive off all sorcery-workings altogether -- that is, to clear away all such curses -- take "kam cham" root 1 part, pepper root 1 part, "so-euk" root, and vegetable root...

[continued from previous page] ...sweet 1, rice-water root 1, both kinds of samui root 2 (1 each), kamjat root 1, [another] kamjat root 1, kamjai root 1 — simmer these together with betel nut/leaf, blow on the crown of the head, blow on the armpits; made from any of these ingredients, it all comes out.

Every formula of medicine must be consecrated with the incantation stated above.

Universal Medicine (Medicine Encompassing the Cosmos)

This is the formula of the Venerable Phra Khru Phrahm Lek Wutthikhun, abbot of Wat Chai Mongkhon, Songkhla. He was famous for his skill in curing illness. I went to live with him. He boiled this medicine every day; whatever the disease, all were cured — people who had been cursed, struck by an evil wind to the point of madness, or women harmed by a blood ailment — for all of these he boiled this same medicine. For it, he had one take 108 lime leaves and recite upon them the Virtues of the Buddha, the Virtues of the Dhamma, and the Virtues of the Sangha; a large galangal rhizome, 32 finger-widths, reciting upon it the [32] bodily parts; turmeric, 5 slices, reciting upon it 'Namo Buddhaya'; borapet (Tinospora) vine, 7 finger-widths, reciting upon it the Seven Factors of Enlightenment; som-poi leaf, 7 leaves, reciting upon it the seven books of the Abhidhamma; bitter-orange fruit, 4 quarters, reciting upon it the Four Elements; matgaa leaves, 12 leaves, reciting upon it the Three Lions [verse]; golden-shower-tree leaves, 5 leaves, reciting upon it the Nine Planetary Virtues; rhinoceros-hoof herb 1, gold-rolling herb 1, foreign pine heartwood 1, both kinds of samo (myrobalan) seed-core 2 (1 each); both kinds of sandalwood 2; three eyes from a ripe yellow bamboo cane; 33 stalks of sadao (neem); root of phu-om, teakwood, amber, lotus blossoms offered to the Buddha 5 flowers, reciting upon it the na-phin formula; sweet-flag root — take each ingredient to a weight of 2 baht; consecrate each ingredient separately; incense and candles, 5 of each; betel quids, 5; then invoke the teacher (yok khru).

Medicine for Vomiting Blood

He instructs to take borapet vine, a length equal to going around the patient's head, cut it into short pieces, pound it, then add about 1 teaspoon of yang (resin) oil. Add it in, pound and strain out only the liquid, and give it to drink 3 times, 1 teaspoon each time. Once the bleeding has stopped, take the trunk of the red male areca palm, all 5 kinds, and boil with 1 bottle of honeycomb honey; give it to drink until finished, to cure it completely so it never recurs. [Recipe] of the Venerable Phra Khru Phrahm Wetchawutthikhun, [Wat] Chai Mongkhon, Songkhla.

Key to Saiyasat

Unlocking the mystery of upathawa (ill omens) at the foot of the Bodhi [site] — that is, ill omens that arise in the house, in the home, in the workplace, in one's orchards, gardens, or farmland, which are our own property; or that arise within a town or city, within temple grounds, within a palace; that arise at a place of worship, at ancient objects we revere, such as a spirit shrine, the house pillar, the city pillar, a Buddha image, and so on. An ill omen (upathawa) is an event that arises through the power of a deity, showing and telling us of it, intended for us to know and to receive and remedy. 1. Arising in the eastern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Indra. 2. Arising in the southeastern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Phloeng (the Fire God). 3. Arising in the southern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Yom (Yama). 4. Arising in the southwestern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Narai (Narayana). 5. Arising in the western direction is called [continues on next page]...

[continued from previous page] ...is called the ill omen of Phra Phirun (Varuna). 6. Arising in the northwestern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Phai (the Wind God). 7. Arising in the northern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Som (the Moon God). 8. Arising in the northeastern direction is called the ill omen of Phra Phraisop.

As for the phrase 'arising in such-and-such direction,' this means the direction within the house or town, within the home, the workplace, the orchards, gardens, or farmland. The text sets out the ill omens as follows:

'Puppha-thane thanang nassati, akkhaney akki thai-hakang, dakkhina-maranan-jeva harati-ye jora-mevaja, bacchima-la-phate naring, phayap-phae sukhang-lap-phate, uttare sappha-labhang, isaneya racha-puchitang.' [a Thai-script mnemonic verse in Pali-like form, glossed below]

Translated, this means: an omen arising in the east — one will lose money and wealth. An omen arising in the southeast — fire will burn, and one will suffer heartache of many kinds. An omen arising in the south — one will fall ill or die. An omen arising in the southwest — one will be robbed by thieves. An omen arising in the west — one will gain fortune, including fortune from a woman, or will gain a woman [as a wife]. An omen arising in the northwest — one will receive happiness. An omen arising in the north — one will gain various satisfying fortunes. An omen arising in the northeast — an elder/patron will come to support and sustain one.

If, when an ill omen arises, we recognize it and arrange to make offerings for it, the ill event will vanish.

As for those omens that arise in an auspicious direction, when one performs a ceremony of worship for them, this will further enhance one's fortune ever more. If one does not know, or knows but does not worship or remedy it, it will instead bring harm.

The ill omens arising according to the directions described above can occur in many different ways: from external causes through the power of deities, or through the power of evil people or dangerous animals — in these cases, consider according to the direction in which it arose. [As for] causes arising from within ourselves, or occurring within our children, spouse, or dependents; arising from material wealth and property — calamity, change, breakage, and destruction occurring by chance, or occurring without our knowledge — these are considered ordinary [natural occurrences]. When such a calamity has already come to pass, one then seeks out a knowledgeable person of learning and expertise, according to the principles of study they have learned. As for causes arising from mystery, arising from a power beyond any individual's own knowledge — which one does not know — for example, one goes to an astrologer, who considers one's fortune according to one's horoscope and the nine planets, and predicts and foretells according to the principles of astrology. [Or] one goes to a monk, who says it is due to past karmic debt (wen kam), and has one make merit and dedicate it to one's karmic creditors (jao bun nai khun, jao wen nai kam). [Or] one goes to a spirit doctor, who says one has been afflicted by a ghost, by black magic, by someone's doing. [Or] one goes to a spirit medium — many establishments, each telling something different; seeking a method of remedy, the methods given do not agree with one another — it all depends on the knowledge and expertise of each individual. If one meets someone who truly knows, that person will point out the path of what they truly know. But if one happens instead upon someone who does not truly know, yet boasts...

...they know, and gives a method they claim will remedy things and be of benefit to you — this is pointing you down a false path, and worsens your suffering all the more.

Therefore, we ought to study and seek knowledge of this mysterious branch of learning ourselves, to some degree, so that we may remedy things and make merit and give alms correctly according to the actual circumstance. The methods of investigation and remedy will be written out in detail in the later part of the Key to Saiyasat, to be published this coming January 2518 [1975 CE].

In this first part of the Key to Saiyasat, the aim is to point the way toward study, so that one may come to know something for oneself and not have to depend entirely on others. At the very least it may serve as a guide for seeking further knowledge from those who truly know — not from those who pretend to know everything under the sun, who claim to know the answer to whatever anyone asks, which is beyond the capacity of any single person to truly master every mysterious branch of learning. I myself have long been a student of this mysterious subject, namely saiyasat (the occult arts), and I know only saiyasat alone; of other branches of learning I know nothing at all, because I have had no time to study them and no time to research them. Should any problem arise concerning saiyasat, I am glad to assist according to my ability.

Method of Practicing Ānāpānasati Meditation (Mindfulness of Breathing)

Ānāpānasati-bhāvanāmaya is the merit accomplished through meditation, taking the in-and-out breath as the object of concentration. The benefit to be gained from the practice of this ānāpānasati meditation is to withdraw from the turmoil that is the natural and ordinary condition of the world, which we encounter every day through...

[continued from previous page] ...the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. From the moment you wake each morning, the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind all begin to awaken together with you. Your mind alone is the sovereign, sitting enthroned in the midst of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body, which continually report and relay to it whatever is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched, whether good or bad. The mind alone must be the one to receive and know all of this, amid the greatest turmoil and weariness, and one cannot even determine when this turmoil will ever reach its end. I therefore ask that you all begin, for once, to stop using the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body in their turbulent way, so that the mind may rest in a state of calm. Withdraw from all this uncertain turmoil and go before a Buddha image, or to some quiet place, and then begin the practice as follows:

Kneel and press the palms together, fix the gaze upon the Buddha image (if there is one), bow in homage to the Triple Gem, and then utter the following words:

'Arahaṃ sammāsambuddho bhagavā, buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ abhivādemi' — [I pay homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One] (bow once)

'Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, dhammaṃ namassāmi' — [I pay homage to the Dhamma, well proclaimed by the Blessed One] (bow once)

'Supaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, saṅghaṃ namāmi' — [I pay homage to the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples, who have practiced well] (bow once)

Then lower yourself into the polite kneeling posture (phap phiap), press the palms together, and let the breath move in and out; compose yourself fully in body, speech, and mind; utter words of homage to the Blessed One, 'Namo tassa...,' three times through. Then set an intention in your mind that you will hold fast to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha as your refuge, all your life, until you finally enter parinibbāna. Then utter the following words:

'Buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [I go for refuge in the Buddha, as my life, until nibbāna.] 'Dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [I go for refuge in the Dhamma, as my life, until nibbāna.] 'Saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [I go for refuge in the Sangha, as my life, until nibbāna.]

'Dutiyampi buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the second time, I go for refuge in the Buddha, as my life, until nibbāna.] 'Dutiyampi dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ maraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the second time, I go for refuge in the Dhamma, until death.] 'Dutiyampi saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ maraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the second time, I go for refuge in the Sangha, until death.]

'Tatiyampi buddhaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ maraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the third time, I go for refuge in the Buddha, until death.] 'Tatiyampi dhammaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ maraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the third time, I go for refuge in the Dhamma, until death.] 'Tatiyampi saṅghaṃ jīvitaṃ yāva nibbānaṃ maraṇaṃ gacchāmi' — [For the third time, I go for refuge in the Sangha, until death.]

Following this, undertake the precepts according to one's own level, reciting silently in the mind as follows:

For the Five Precepts, say: 'Imāni pañca sikkhāpadāni samādhiyāmi' — [I undertake these five training precepts.]

...three times, then set in the mind the intention: 'I undertake these five precepts.' Then recite the precepts one by one, beginning 'pāṇā...' and so on, until all 5 items are complete.

For the Eight Precepts, say: 'Imāni aṭṭha sikkhāpadāni samādhiyāmi' — [I undertake these eight training precepts] — three times, then set in the mind the intention: 'I undertake these eight precepts.' Then recite the precepts beginning 'pāṇā...' and so on, until all 8 items are complete.

For the Ten Precepts, say (as printed) 'Inima dasa sikkhāpadāni samādhiyāmi' — [I undertake these ten training precepts] — three times, then set in the mind the intention: 'I undertake these ten precepts.' Then recite the precepts beginning 'pāṇā...' and so on, until all 10 items are complete.

For monks (bhikkhu), have them undertake the precepts as follows:

'Pārisuddho ahaṃ bhante, pārisuddhoti maṃ Buddho dhāretu' — [I am pure, venerable sir; may the Buddha hold me as pure.] 'Pārisuddho ahaṃ bhante, pārisuddhoti maṃ Dhammo dhāretu' — [...may the Dhamma hold me as pure.] 'Pārisuddho ahaṃ bhante, pārisuddhoti maṃ Saṅgho dhāretu' — [...may the Sangha hold me as pure.]

Once one has undertaken the precepts according to one's own level, fix the mind in recollection, thinking: 'From this moment onward, I am now ready to conduct and practice myself in accordance with the level of these precepts. I shall cease from committing...

...evil, and begin instead to do good. Then strive to maintain the precepts according to one's own level, until one may affirm and recognize oneself as one who is now pure in body, speech, and mind. Reflect with reverence upon the Virtues of the Buddha, the Virtues of the Dhamma, and the Virtues of the Sangha; when finished, bow three times. Sit with the palms pressed together, calm the mind, and cultivate the Four Brahmavihāras (Divine Abidings), namely:

1. Mettā (loving-kindness): make the mind loving and affectionate, wishing that oneself and all beings alike may be happy.

2. Karuṇā (compassion): make the mind tender, compassionate, and sympathetic toward oneself and others, so as to help free them from suffering.

3. Muditā (sympathetic joy): make the mind humbly rejoice in the good deeds of oneself and of others who have already performed them.

4. Upekkhā (equanimity): make the mind remain even and unmoved toward things that ought to be let go. [Then] lower the hands from their pressed-together position, and change into the cross-legged posture with the right foot resting over the left. Press the palms together in salutation, keep mindfulness firm and steady, do not let it stray from its object, and recall in the mind:

'Buddho me nātho' — the Buddha is my refuge. 'Dhammo me nātho' — the Dhamma is my refuge. 'Saṅgho me nātho' — the Sangha is my refuge.

Then establish mindful recitation of 'Buddho, Dhammo, Saṅgho' three times. Then gradually release the pressed-together hands, lowering the left hand first, then placing...

[continued from previous page] ...the right hand over the left. Draw the breath fully in, then breathe fully out, three times, to steady the mind into its ordinary state. Next, as you breathe in, mentally note 'Phut,' and as you breathe out, mentally note 'Tho' [together forming 'Buddho'], fixing the in-and-out breath at both nostrils. Women should fix it at the left side, men at the right side; or one may fix it at whichever of the six bases of the breath one prefers. The bases of the breath are:

1. The nostril opening. 2. The middle of the head. 3. The palate. 4. The throat. 5. The pit of the stomach (solar plexus). 6. The center (navel).

One may fix the breath at whichever base one wishes, according to one's own preferred disposition. Once one has settled definitely upon a particular base, fix it there at that one base only, and continue meditating in this way for a long time until calm arises.

When the mind has grown calm and is no longer restless, gradually let go of the word 'Buddho,' leaving only the in-and-out breath, until one becomes aware that only the in-and-out breath remains, with not even the slightest emotion or object intruding upon it. Then gradually set aside even the fixation upon the breath itself, letting the mind rest still and undisturbed, becoming concentrated until it is calm and unified into a single point.

That state is called 'ekaggatā-ārammaṇa' [one-pointedness of mind] — a pure current of breath arising from a subtle flow of wind. Brightness — that is, the sphere of wisdom (duang panya) — will then gradually arise following it.

Hold onto the purity of mind that has arisen from the calm now present in your mental state; keep it just as it is, and remain still for as long as you are able to sit.

When you determine that you will stop the sitting practice, gradually lower the level of your mind back down into an ordinary state of awareness.

Once you have opened your eyes, if there is a place available for walking meditation (jongkrom) in the clockwise-circumambulation manner, then fix your mind, thinking: 'I am now going to change into the posture of walking meditation.'

The fixing of the mind should follow every stage of the body's movement and shifting, as follows:

With the breath moving in and out normally, note 'Phut' at the moment of releasing the right foot into the folded posture; then note 'Tho' at the moment of releasing the left foot into the folded posture.

Note 'Phut' by moving the right hand to rest above the right knee; note 'Tho' by moving the left hand to rest above the left knee.

Note 'Phut' by parting the right foot to press against the floor and rise; note 'Tho' by parting the left foot to press against the floor and rise. Once you have stood up, note and be aware: 'Standing, indeed.'

As you breathe in and note 'Phut,' step the right foot forward, with the eyes fixed on the toenail of the right big toe. As you breathe out and note 'Tho,' step the left foot forward, with the eyes fixed on the toenail of the left big toe. Then let the feet move step by step in accordance with the span of your in-and-out breath. Do this using mindfulness, recollection, and clear comprehension of self-awareness, keeping attention fixed on each step of the feet, without letting it break — continuous, like an unbroken thread — guarding the mind so that no disturbing emotion or object may intrude at any step.

When you are about to stop the walking meditation, resolve that you will stop, then direct your steps back to the original sitting place.

Upon arriving there, stand upright, make mindfulness firm and resolute; when about to sit, note and be aware: 'Sitting, indeed — Sitting, indeed — Sitting, indeed,' then kneel down on both knees and change into the cross-legged posture. Then use mindfulness to fix upon the in-and-out breath with 'Buddho,' settling it at whichever base you prefer.

Once calm has settled, use this calmed state of mind to radiate loving-kindness to all beings, reciting as follows:

'Sabbe sattā sadā hontu, averā sukha-jīvino' — [May all beings always be free from enmity, and live happily.]

May all beings never bear enmity toward one another; may they dwell and live happily at all times.

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[Pali verse] Kataṃ puññaphalaṃ mayhaṃ, sabbe bhāgī bhavantu te

May all beings without exception share in the fruit of the merit that I have performed with body, speech, and mind.

Next, if you wish to dedicate merit to your father, mother, or deceased relatives, or to your teachers or preceptors, and so on, that is also fitting. Then prostrate three times.

In the next stage, you should maintain mindfulness of standing, walking, sitting, lying down, acting, speaking, and thinking — keeping mindfulness in every posture so that all of it proceeds along wholesome lines.

If you are about to stand, walk, sit, lie down, act, speak, or think of something unwholesome, turn your mind back to observing the breath: on the in-breath note "Phut," on the out-breath note "Tho." Then, with mindfulness established, resolve to act in ways that are good and wholesome going forward, so as to dispel that unwholesome state of mind.

When it is time to go to sleep, prostrate to the Triple Gem at your pillow once while reciting "Phutdho," then lie on your right side. Follow the in-breath with "Phut" and the out-breath with "Tho," in step with the sequence of bodily movement as you settle into a comfortable sleeping position.

Or if you prefer to lie on your back, use your right hand to rest on your chest while saying "Phut"

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place the left hand over the right hand while saying "Tho," then observe the breath: on the in-breath say "Phut," on the out-breath say "Tho," keeping attention at the abdomen with every in- and out-breath, until you fall asleep.

When you wake, on the very first in-breath recite "Phut," on the out-breath "Tho," until it becomes a habit so ingrained in the mind that it accompanies every posture throughout life.

The Direct Path to Nibbāna

The practice that yields certain, direct results must follow the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, because this is confirmed by evidence in the Pali Canon which states: "Yena'va yanti nibbānaṃ buddhā tesañca sāvakā, ekāyanena maggena satipaṭṭhāna-saññinā" — meaning: every Buddha, and all of his noble disciples, proceeded to Nibbāna by the one direct path, namely the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are:

1. Establishing mindfulness to contemplate the body as its object: "This body is just body, it is not a being, a person, a self, 'I,' or 'they.'" Contemplating and seeing this truly is called "kāyānupassanā" (contemplation of the body).

2. Establishing mindfulness to contemplate feeling — that is, suffering, pleasure, and equanimity — as its object: "Feeling is just feeling, it is not a being, a person, a self, 'I,' or 'they.'" Contemplating and seeing this truly is called "vedanānupassanā" (contemplation of feeling).

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3. Establishing mindfulness to contemplate the mind, whether tainted or clear, as its object: "This mind is just mind, it is not a being, a person, a self, 'I,' or 'they.'" Contemplating and seeing this truly is called "cittānupassanā" (contemplation of mind).

4. Establishing mindfulness to contemplate dhammas — wholesome and unwholesome states that arise in connection with the mind — as its object: "This dhamma is just dhamma, it is not a being, a person, a self, 'I,' or 'they.'" Contemplating and seeing this truly is called "dhammānupassanā" (contemplation of mental objects).

Therefore, one should begin studying and practicing from "ānāpānasati bhāvanā" (mindfulness of breathing), and only then will one reach the essence of the Dhamma, the aggregate of the wholesome, as the Buddha declared —

"Kusalarāsī ti bhikkhave vadamāno cattāro satipaṭṭhāne sammā vadamāno vadeyya" — meaning: Monks, when one wishes to speak of the aggregate of the wholesome, one must speak of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness; only then does one speak correctly.

"Kevalo hāyaṃ bhikkhave kusalarāsi, yadidaṃ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā" — meaning: Monks, this entire aggregate of the wholesome consists precisely of these Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

For what reason did the Blessed One teach the Foundations of Mindfulness as exactly four — neither fewer nor more than that?

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Because these Four Foundations of Mindfulness bring benefit and guidance to beings needing training, as follows —

1. Kāyānupassanā Satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness of the body): has a coarse object; it is the path to purity for a person of craving temperament who has weak wisdom, and it is the path to purity for a person of the calm-vehicle (samatha) type who has weak wisdom.

2. Vedanānupassanā Satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness of feeling): has a subtle object; it is the path to purity for a person of craving temperament who has sharp wisdom, and it is the path to purity for a person of the calm-vehicle type who has sharp wisdom.

3. Cittānupassanā Satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness of mind): has a not-broad object; it is the path to impurity for a person of view (diṭṭhi) temperament who has weak wisdom, and it is the path to purity for a person of the insight-vehicle (vipassanā) type who has weak wisdom.

4. Dhammānupassanā Satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness of mental objects): has a very broad object; it is the path to purity for a person of view temperament who has sharp wisdom, and it is the path to purity for a person of the insight-vehicle type who has sharp wisdom.

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Nibbāna Is the Food of the Heart

Satiation through sense-objects of form, sound, smell, taste, and tangible touch — that is, contact — is the food of the body, and belongs to the worldly side. Satiation through rapture and joy that arises from calming the mind, free of desirable objects (iṭṭhārammaṇa, objects to be craved) and free of undesirable objects (aniṭṭhārammaṇa, objects to be shunned) — that is the food of the mind, and belongs to the side of Dhamma.

The ideal of a person of lofty mind is to wish to reach the utmost of both kinds of food — worldly and spiritual.

But worldly food, that is, bodily food — what is called bodily pleasure — never knows contentment or fullness, never knows an end. It is therefore mixed with suffering, laced with poison, marked by both laughter and weeping. It is the cause of division — from within our own families all the way to fellow villagers, fellow citizens, and fellow countrymen — and is ultimately the root cause of quarrels and warfare, until wars break out. All of this happens because the world values bodily food and bodily pleasure alone.

As for mental food, called the food of the heart, or mental pleasure that is filled with calm, with rapture, with joy — this is the highest happiness, incomparable to any other happiness. It brings happiness to oneself, and causes...

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...others also receive that happiness. It is the root cause of love, of unity, of loving-kindness and compassion, and of forgiveness; there is no harboring of grudges, and so there is no division and no quarreling with people — within the family, in the household, in the town, and even with neighboring countries. It brings about peace, just as fire can never arise out of cold. This is because the seeking of mental food and mental happiness never disturbs anyone at all. Our Perfectly Self-Enlightened Buddha taught and guided us to seek only within our own body, and it was through this very practice that He attained Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment — because He established mindfulness on the in-breath and out-breath, and His entire enlightenment came from this. As the Buddha once said in one place —

"Monks, within this very body, a fathom long, a cubit wide, and a span thick, endowed with perception and mind, the Tathāgata has declared 'the world' — that is, suffering; has declared 'the origin of the world' — that is, the cause giving rise to suffering; has declared 'the cessation of the world' — that is, the utter cessation of suffering without remainder; and has declared 'the path leading to the cessation of the world' — that is, the practice for reaching that cessation of suffering." This was taught in order to show that seeking mental happiness, all the way up to attaining the supramundane treasure, is a treasure that brings the very highest happiness, such that the practitioner need not keep circling...

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...to be reborn and die within the round of saṃsāra, but without causing suffering or distress to anyone else, even in the slightest — this is therefore the most fitting path. May the Buddhist community, those who are heedful and who see the suffering and peril in saṃsāra, hasten to steady their minds directly along the footsteps of the Buddha, that is, "the practice of ānāpānasati meditation." Nibbāna is the final destination of every person.

The pull toward the state of Nibbāna, or put another way, is the innate instinct of the wish to be free, which is always present. But it is interfered with by certain forces — for instance, the fruits of unwholesome karma that keep pulling one off the path in every moment of mind, and so on — because one is blind and does not know how to secure safety for oneself, or for one's own journey."................(by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu)

The body is like a boat's hull; the mind is like the boat's captain. The round of saṃsāra is like a harbor for trade. The fruits of merit and demerit in a given lifetime are like the trading — the captain either loses money or profits at that harbor. Reaching the island that the captain is satisfied is an island utterly full of the highest happiness — an island he has sailed back and forth past yet never once seen — and there abandoning the boat, stopping the wandering upon the sea absolutely and for good: that is Nibbāna.

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If someone were to ask: if Nibbāna is known to be the final destination of every person, why must we trouble ourselves with the practice of the Dhamma? We could simply seek worldly happiness and pleasure, and in the end we would still reach Nibbāna just as one who practices the Dhamma does — and we would get to enjoy happiness both ways besides.

The answer is: what you understand is indeed true — Nibbāna is the final destination. But let me ask you this: suppose there were a venerable monk of such great merit that he could know absolutely everything, even to the point of being able to truthfully name the first-prize lottery number worth a million baht. When you go to see him and ask him to give you the first-prize number, and he asks, "When do you want to win?" — you would smile and say, "Let it be today, or tomorrow, please." Now let me ask: why would you not tell him "whenever is fine"? You would say, "I want the money to use quickly." I would say: true, and everyone else wants exactly the same, because when it comes to money we understand it very well — merely knowing that we will get it is enough to make us so overjoyed that we cannot sleep, cannot eat our fill, and grow restless wanting the money to come quickly. But as for Nibbāna, we do not understand it, we have never encountered it, we do not know what kind of happiness it holds — and so we do not love it, we do not want it, and we do not even try to attain it.

Therefore, even though Nibbāna is indeed the final destination for every one of us, when we do not love it, do not understand it, do not strive...

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...attain it, we shall reach it much as we would that million baht — only after many hundreds, many thousands more lifetimes will we finally get it, finally reach it. But the Noble Ones, who understand Nibbāna even better than they understand a million baht, therefore have diligence and effort, wanting to reach Nibbāna as quickly as possible — and so they reach it in that very lifetime.

All of you who are members of the Buddhist community should therefore strive diligently to cultivate ānāpānasati kammaṭṭhāna by practicing ānāpānasati bhāvanā, taking the in-breath and out-breath as the object, so as to block off both desirable objects (iṭṭhārammaṇa) and undesirable objects (aniṭṭhārammaṇa) — because a million baht cannot shut the door to the four woeful states: hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, the realm of asuras, and the animal realm. Let alone a million baht — even a billion baht or more could not bring about the path, fruit, and Nibbāna. Nothing can do it except the practice of the Dhamma alone — and it must be practiced with a mind that truly delights in it, that genuinely wants it.

Each of us is a boat, together with its captain. When we, or the world, become so preoccupied with form — that is, with the hull of the boat — that we forget the mind, which is the captain, then the captain will die before ever bringing the boat to find that island. But if we become so absorbed in the captain, that is, the mind, that we forget the boat entirely, then the boat will rot and fall apart before the captain can use it to reach that island either. For this reason, the Buddha therefore taught us to follow the Middle Way, which is the path of wisdom that arises...

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...from calm, brought about by making the subtle currents of the breath arise, being heedful of neither the taut nor the slack extreme.

The five aggregates — that is, the grouping of body and mind — in which ignorance (avijjā) still remains within: that group of five aggregates also has clinging (upādāna), which is the cause for holding onto oneself as "I, I am I." "I" therefore continues to dwell within the five aggregates in which clinging still remains. And this kind of five aggregates cannot yet make contact with Nibbāna. These five aggregates must therefore be full of suffering, and must keep tumbling through saṃsāra — now high, now low, now sunken, now raised — enduring painful feeling in the four states of woe.

Whatever five aggregates, after helping themselves through the practice of the Dhamma, become five aggregates in which ignorance and clinging can no longer stand — then there is no longer an "I" dwelling within those aggregates, and they become fit to make contact with Nibbāna. They then receive its flavor — the utter, utter coolness of Nibbāna — until they finally break apart and cease, with no seed left behind at all.

The five aggregates that have exhausted ignorance but have not yet broken apart, still tasting the flavor of Nibbāna — this state is called sa-upādisesa-nibbāna, or "bare" Nibbāna. When the five aggregates break apart completely, with no seed remaining, this state is called anupādisesa-nibbāna, or parinibbāna.

The practice of the Dhamma, otherwise called the Noble Eightfold Path, is the very path that leads to Nibbāna. I, or any practitioner —

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...every person, however far one still remains from Nibbāna, is something difficult for anyone else to know on one's behalf; only oneself can know it — it is sandiṭṭhiko, "to be seen for oneself." Whoever practices must see it for themselves.

In closing, I invite all members of the Buddhist community to reflect with reverence upon the great compassionate virtue of the Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha. Just before His Parinibbāna, He gave this admonition: "Appamādena sampādetha" — "May you all bring heedfulness to completion." This is a great compassionate virtue, full of loving-kindness and pity, born of the fear that those born after Him would grow heedless in virtue, concentration, and wisdom — and so He gave this admonition as His final words.

Members of the Buddhist community who are now heedful should hasten to refine their own virtue, concentration, and wisdom to a higher degree — becoming higher virtue (adhisīla), higher mind (adhicitta), and higher wisdom (adhipaññā). While cultivating these, the threefold training must be practiced together — for instance, by noting form and mentality (nāma-rūpa) through observing the in-breath and out-breath, and so on.

Maintaining mindfulness in this way is virtue (sīla), called sati-saṃvara-sīla, the virtue of mindful restraint. Not straying from form and mentality is concentration (samādhi), called samādhi-sikkhā. Seeing the arising and passing away of form and mentality as they truly are — that is called paññā-sikkhā, the training of wisdom.

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When one cultivates this meditation for a long time, doing it again and again, repeatedly, so that it multiplies and grows, this is called "adhi" — meaning "exceedingly great, compounded." As these layer upon one another more and more, until one reaches path-knowledge (magga-ñāṇa) and fruition-knowledge (phala-ñāṇa) — that indeed is called adhisīla, higher virtue. And being this adhisīla, it accords with the Pali saying "Sīlena nibbutiṃ yanti" — "one reaches Nibbāna through virtue."

This kind of virtue is therefore able to eliminate the underlying tendencies of defilement decisively and completely.

As for the ordinary Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Ten Precepts, or the two hundred and twenty-seven precepts of the monastic code — these eliminate only coarse defilements at the level of body and speech alone, and so are still considered a lower stage.

As for the cultivation of ānāpānasati bhāvanā — taking the in-breath and out-breath as the object in order to establish mindfulness aligned directly with insight (vipassanā) — this is the highest stage, for eliminating defilements at the subtlest level. In the end, we will thereby attain freedom from suffering and reach true and genuine peace.

Such is the path at hand. I ask all my fellow members of the Buddhist community to set out and walk it — walking with heedfulness, hastening to set out from this very day, through the practice of the Dhamma.

Paying Homage and Reciting Prayers, for One with Many Duties

Paying homage and reciting prayers briefly brings benefit to oneself and to others, as well as to father, mother, the deities, and all those of great kindness — this is an excellent merit and virtue. Use it as the morning and evening prayer text.

Having lit incense and candles, sit, press the palms together with intent, and pay respect, saying: "By this offering of homage to [the Buddha] of great power, of great wisdom... of great wealth, Lord of the World — with this offering I perform this act of homage: to the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, the Blessed One, the Blessed Buddha, I bow in reverence." (bow) "Well-proclaimed is the Blessed One's Dhamma — I pay homage to the Dhamma." (bow) "Well-practiced is the Blessed One's community of disciples — I pay homage to the Sangha." (bow) Then sit in the polite kneeling posture, press the palms together and say "Namo" three times, then say: "I go to the Buddha as my refuge for life, until Nibbana. I go to the Dhamma as my refuge for life, until Nibbana. I go to the Sangha as my refuge for life, until Nibbana." A second time: "I go to the Buddha... a second time I go to the Dhamma..." A third time: "I go to the Buddha as my refuge for life, until Nibbana; a third time I go to the Dhamma as my refuge for life, until Nibbana; a third time I go to the Sangha as my refuge for life, until Nibbana."

Undertaking the Five Precepts

"By this merit, these training precepts I undertake" — recited once, then say: "I undertake the training precept of refraining from taking life. "I undertake the training precept of refraining from taking what is not given. "I undertake the training precept of refraining from sexual misconduct. "I undertake the training precept of refraining from false speech. "I undertake the training precept of refraining from fermented and distilled liquors that are a basis for heedlessness."

Reciting in Praise of the Ten Perfections of the Buddha

First: the perfection of giving, the higher perfection of giving, the ultimate perfection of giving. Second: the perfection of morality, the higher perfection of morality, the ultimate perfection of morality. Fourth: the perfection of wisdom, the higher perfection of wisdom, the ultimate perfection of wisdom. Fifth: the perfection of energy, the higher perfection of energy, the ultimate perfection of energy. Sixth: the perfection of patience, the higher perfection of patience, the ultimate perfection of patience. Seventh: the perfection of truthfulness, the higher perfection of truthfulness, the ultimate perfection of truthfulness. Eighth: the perfection of resolution, the higher perfection of resolution, the ultimate perfection of resolution. Ninth: the perfection of loving-kindness, the higher perfection of loving-kindness, the ultimate perfection of loving-kindness. Tenth: the perfection of equanimity, the higher perfection of equanimity, the ultimate perfection of equanimity.

[Continuing the ten perfections:] the thirty perfections [in sum]: amity, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — endowed with wholesomeness.

"Such indeed is the Blessed One: the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, the Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Trainer of persons to be tamed, Teacher of gods and of humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One."

"Well-proclaimed is the Blessed One's Dhamma — visible here and now, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading onward, to be experienced individually by the wise."

"The Blessed One's community of disciples has practiced well; the Blessed One's community of disciples has practiced straightly; the Blessed One's community of disciples has practiced for the right method; the Blessed One's community of disciples has practiced properly — that is to say, the four pairs of persons, the eight kinds of individuals: this is the Blessed One's community of disciples, worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation — the unsurpassed field of merit for the world."

[First verse of the Buddha's Eight Victories:] "Having, by the power of giving and the other perfections, overcome Māra — who had conjured a thousand arms each bearing a weapon, and rode the elephant Girimekhala together with his army — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by the power of well-tamed patience, overcome the demon [Āḷavaka], fiercer than Māra, who fought throughout the whole night — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by sprinkling with loving-kindness, overcome the elephant Nāḷāgiri, maddened and terrible as a forest fire and a thunderbolt-wheel — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by the power of his mental resolve, overcome the murderer [Aṅgulimāla], who ran three leagues after him, sword raised in hand — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by his calm and skillful bearing before the multitude, overcome the false and wicked speech of Ciñcā, who feigned pregnancy with [a piece of] wood tied to her belly — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by teaching through supernormal power, tamed the mighty serpent-king Nandopananda — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

"Having, by the power of knowledge, subdued Baka Brahma — who held wrongly to his views, whose hand [of pride] had seemed as strong as a serpent's grip — showing him purity, radiance, and power — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

(Or it may be recited in this shortened form:)

"Having, by the power of giving and other virtues, overcome Māra, who had conjured a thousand arms each bearing a weapon and rode the elephant Girimekhala with his army — by that power, may victory blessings be mine."

(Then, focusing only on the heart-mantra of the "Bahung," recite: "Phamana-uka-sathu-thu-thu... chitava munintho tantechasa, phamatu-me chaya-mangalani." Sit and recite in this manner. Reflect and ask to rely on the merit and perfections of the Buddha, by which he was victorious over Māra in all eight great battles — may that same victory be granted to me. Recite this to overcome obstruction in every kind of work. Wish for victory over enemies, that enemies be defeated by us. If it concerns a legal dispute, ask for victory in it — victory over people's hearts, so that enemies cannot do us harm, victory in all things and every matter. When finished, then recite:)

"May one develop boundless loving-kindness of mind toward all beings in the world — above, below, and across — unobstructed, free of enmity, free of hostility. Whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down, so long as one is free from drowsiness, one should firmly establish this mindfulness. This is called the Brahma-abiding, taught here [in this teaching]. Not approaching wrong views, endowed with virtue and vision, having removed greed for sense-pleasures, one does not come again to lie in a womb."

Gatha of the Buddhas of the Ten Directions

Padumuttara in the East, Revata in the Southeast, Kassapa Buddha in the South, Sumangala in [the direction as given], Buddhasikkhī in the West, Bethinkara in the Northwest, Sakyamuni in the North, Saraṇaṅkara in the Northeast, Kakusandha at the nadir (below), and Dīpaṅkara at the zenith (in the sky).

"These are the Buddhas of the ten directions, honored with kingly reverence. May there be no illness, danger, or sorrow; may they bestow well-being and prosperity. May there be no suffering, illness, or danger; may all enemies be utterly destroyed. By the power of their wisdom, virtue, restraint, and self-control, may they protect me here, with health and right conduct. By [the power of] the Buddha yet to come — Metteyya the Victorious Sage — with great glory and great power, may all safety and well-being be mine."

Gatha of the Arahants of the Eight Directions

"The Buddha in the center, the highest place; Sāriputta in the South; Ānanda in the West; Moggallāna in the North; Koṇḍañña in the Southeast; Gavampati in the Northwest; Upāli abiding in his place; Kassapa in the Southeast; Rāhula in the Northeast — all these are the blessings of Buddha and gods. Whoever knows and reveres them is honored in the world, free of suffering, free of misfortune. By great glory and great power, may victory and well-being be mine."

Gatha of Phra Sivali

"Sivali, the great elder, revered and worshipped by the gods and by men, of good fortune, [I ask that] may I obtain..."

"...great gain be mine. Supreme gain arises, of good fortune, [I ask that] great gain, always accompanied by well-being, be mine."

Having finished the rite of paying homage and reciting prayers, one then dedicates the merit, saying:

"May all beings always be free of enmity and dwell happily — may all beings be without enmity toward one another, may they always live and abide happily. By the power of the merit I have made, may all beings share equally in it; may all those beings receive the fruit of the merit I have performed here." (Set your intent firmly on dedicating this merit to all beings. The word "beings" here refers to fellow human beings, as well as to devas, relatives and friends, father and mother, and animals — all those who are still subject to birth, old age, sickness and death, revolving in birth and death into future existences. To call them "beings" is not a coarse term but a neutral, general one. If there is still time, one may also recite the remaining seven verses following the Eight-Direction Arahant gatha, and then recite the Phra Sivali gatha.)

Simply reciting the verse of the Ten-Direction Buddhas together with the verse of the Eight-Direction Arahants — whoever cultivates this through regular recitation and chanting by heart gains merit that wards off calamity and inauspicious misfortune, or that keeps spirits and demons from arising in our house and home. Furthermore, reciting it turns back misfortune that has already arisen, changing bad into good. It is used to make holy water to dispel astrological ill-fortune, to cure a person afflicted by black-magic sorcery, to sprinkle on someone struck by a wasting wind-affliction, and to sprinkle on goods, house and home, fields and rice paddies, to bring especially auspicious fortune.