The free mind of Luangpor Teean
Awareness is the root of merit; ignorance is the root of evil.

I asked Luangpor Teean, "Does making merit really give me merit?"

Luangpor asked in turn, "What do you understand merit to be?"

When I told him that I understood merit to be a good outcome or destiny that we receive after we die, in exchange for the good that we have done, he asked, "Have you ever heard the monks' chant that lists the benefits of making the kathina offering, that it will lead to us reaching heaven where the sprites, numbering 500 or 1,000 beings, will be our dedicated followers?

Celebration of a Simple spirituality

A year-long commemoration begins for a unique monk whose legacy is still being felt more than two decades after his passing

It was an impressive sight indeed. Hundreds of people had come to pray at the spot where the monk's remains had been cremated more than two decades before. Soon the whole area was lit up with scores of small points of light, giving an amber glow to Wat Tub Ming Kwan, the small forest monastery in Loei where Luangpor Teean Jittasubho had spent his last few days. One by one his disciples came to place the candles they were holding on and around the circle, now paved over with concrete, where the body of the man they called Teacher had been reduced to ashes and returned to nature.

1

TO DEVELOP AWARENESS  IN THE SITTING POSTURE : THE RHYTHMIC-MEDITATION SIT UPRIGHT , THE  HANDS RESTING ON THE  KNEES AND THE  EYES OPEN, ONE MAY MOVE THE  EYES  AS  IS  NATURAL, IT  IS  NOT NECESSARY TO FIX THEM ON ONE POINT OR TO  LOOK  DOWN.

2

SLOWLY TURN UP THE RIGHT HAND AND FEEL THE SENSATIONS  THAT  ARISE  IN  THE ARM AND  THE  HAND  AS  YOU  DO SO . WHEN  THE  MOVEMENT  IS  COMPLETED , BE AWARE THAT  YOU  STOP.

3

RAISE THE ARM HALF-WAY THE  BODY ,BE  AWARE OF THE  FEELING. PAUSE  FOR  ABOUT  1  SECOND  BEFORE  MOVING  ON  AND  KNOW  THE  POINT WHERE  THE  ARM  COMES  TO  HALT .  RELAX.

4

MOVE THE HAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE  TO THE  ABDOMEN , EXPERIENCING  THE  MOVEMENT WITH AWARENESS , BUT  DON'T  CONCENTRATE : JUST ACKNOWLEDGE  THE FEELING . THEN  STOP. 

5

 TURN  UP  THE  LEFT  HAND. WHILE  MOVING  THE  HAND ,  YOU  KNOW  THAT  IT  IS  MOVING : WHEN  STOPPING  , YOU  KNOW  THAT  YOU  ARE  STOPPING . DON'T  VERBALIZE  THIS  IN  YOUR  MIND.

6

 RAISE  THE  LEFT  ARM  HALF-WAY  UP ,  CONTACTING  THE  SENSATION  OF  IT.  DO  NOT  COUNT  THE  MOVEMENTS  OR  REPEAT  ANY  MANTRAS  OR  WORDS  INTERNALLY : JUST FEEL  IT . VERY SIMPLE .

7

 PUT  THE  LEFT  HAND  ON  TOP  OF  THE  RIGHT  HAND . DO  YOU  FEEL  THE  MOVEMENT ?ALSO  NOTICE  THE  HANDS  TOUCHING  EACH  OTHER  AND  THE  COMING  TO  A STANDSTILL OF  THE  MOVE .

8

 RE-ESTABLISH  AWARENESS  AS  YOU'RE  MOVING  THE  RIGHT  HAND  TO  THE  CHEST.  EVERY MOVEMENT  AND  PAUSE  IS  AN  OPPORTUNITY  TO  RE-NEW  YOUR  AWARENESS. TOUCH  THE CHEST.

9

 MOVE  THE  RIGHT  HAND  OUT ,  TO  THE  SIDE  AND  LET  IT  BE  THERE  FOR  A MOMENT , KNOWING  THE  MOVEMENT  AS  WELL  AS  THE   STOPPING .  DO HE MOVEMENTS ,FEELING AT  EASE.

10

 LOWER  THE  RIGHT  ARM  TO  THE  KNEE  WITH  THE  HAND  UPRIGHT. JUST BE AWARE OF ONE MOVEMENT  AT THE TIME , ONE  MOVEMENT  AT  THE  TIME :  FROM  MOVEMENT  TO MOMENT  TO  MOMENT . 

11

 TURN  DOWN  THE  PALM  OF  THE  HAND .  KEEP  THE  EYES  OPEN  ALL  THE  TIME .  DON'T  FIX  OR  FOCUS  ON  ONE  PARTICULAR  PART OF THE  BODY : JUST  KNOW  WHAT'S HAPPENING  WITH  IT.

12

 IF  STRAY-THOUGHTS  MADE  YOU  LOOSE  AWARENESS , JUST  COME  BACK  TO  THIS MOVEMENT OF  RUBBING  THE  LEFT  HAND  UP  TO  THE  CHEST  AND  OF  STOPPING  THERE , BEFORE  MOVING  ON.

13

 MOVE  THE  LEFT HAND OVER TO THE  SIDE ,  EXPERIENCING THE  BEGINNING , MIDDLE AND END OF THE MOVEMENT  CLEARLY. FULLY  AWARE  WITHOUT THE  MIND  LABELING  OR FABBRICATING.

14

 IF  SENSATIONS  ARISE  IN  OTHER  PARTS  OF  THE  BODY, SUCH  AS BREATHING, THE  EYES  BLINKING ETC., BE  AWARE  OF THAT  ALSO AS  YOU'RE  LOWERING  THE ARM TO  THE  KNEE.

15

WHEN YOU TURN DOWN  THE HAND. YOU ARE  AGAIN  IN  THE  SAME  POSITION  THAT YOU  STARTED  OFF, AND  FROM  THERE  YOU  CONTINUE  WITH A NEW  CYCLE, CONTINUOUSLY.