Seal Bait – Your mind body and spirit connection

The rat (thought) is bigger and stronger than the kitten (awareness)

"Generally, when thought arises, the mind will be dragged along like a kitten trying to catch a big rat. The rat (thought) is bigger and stronger than the kitten (awareness). When the rat shows up, the kitten, by nature, will catch the rat. The rat is frightened and runs away with the kitten holding on. After a while the kitten becomes tired and let the rat go. Similarly, thoughts will arise endlessly and stop by themselves.

As we cultivate self-awareness more and more, it is like we keep feeding a kitten until it becomes a big, strong cat. When thought arises, the mind will not be dragged along and thought will stop immediately."

''Luangpor Teean Jittasubho''

(Source: Luangpor Teean Jittasubho ''A Manual of Self-Awareness'', Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Foundation, 1994)

One is one's own shelter

"You should not believe what I have said, but prove it for yourself. If anyone just believes me, that's wrong. Change your mind - don't just believe. Prove it with yourself and thoroughly understand it - then believe. Otherwise, whom should we believe? The Buddha? Don't even believe in the Buddha or teachers. We must believe in ourselves. The Buddha taught us we will be our own refuge. The Buddha said 'attahi-attano-nato' - "One is one's own shelter." Since most people have no shelter, they turn to something else which prevents them from finding the real shelter."

''Luangpor Thong Abhakaro''

(Source: Luangpor Thong Abhakaro, ''Beyond Text, Beyond Scriptures'', Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Foundation)

==Further reading Luangpor Teean, ''To One that Feels.'' Bangkok: Supa Printing Co, Ltd., 3rd Ed 2005, ISBN 974-94394-3-0

_____________, ''Normality,'' Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Foundation, 2004

_____________, ''Nibbana'', Bangkok: Medchai Printing House, 2006 (Thai Version)

_____________, ''A Manual of Self-Awareness,'' Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Foundation, 1994

_____________, ''Teacher, teaching,'' Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Foundation, 1997, ISBN 974-89976-1-8

Luangpor Thong Abhakaro, ''Mahasati Meditation'', Taiwan: Mahasati Meditation of Taiwan, 2009 (Chinese Version)

Anchalee Thaiyanond, ''Against the Stream: The Teaching of Luangpor Teean.'' Bangkok: Thammasat University Press., 1986


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Mahasati meditation, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki