The basis of death exists within the Citta itself, because both birth and death appear there. But the Citta itself is never truly born and never truly dies. The defilements that enter and spread through the Citta keep beings trapped in the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Do you understand? Look carefully at the Citta. If you cannot see the poisonous nature hidden in the Citta, then you will not see the poisonous nature of the defilements either. At the highest stage of practice, the radiant and mesmerizing Citta itself becomes the real danger. So do not think only about how precious and wonderful the Citta is, because hidden danger exists there. If you look at the Citta from this perspective, you will see the hidden harm inside it. Do you understand? As long as you continue admiring and valuing the radiant Citta, you will remain trapped there and unable to move beyond it. It is that simple. Remember this warning well. When the final moment comes, you must let go of everything completely. Leave nothing behind. Whatever you still preserve becomes the Ultimate Danger.
Speaking about this reminds me of the time I practiced at Wat Doi Dhammachedi. It was early morning before the meal. At that time, my Citta possessed such incredible brilliance that I was completely amazed by it. I thought to myself, “Why is this Citta so unbelievably radiant?” I stood on my walking meditation path contemplating that brightness, overwhelmed by how marvelous it seemed. But in truth, that very radiance I admired so much was actually the Ultimate Danger. Do you understand what I mean?
We naturally become fascinated by the radiant Citta. In truth, I myself had already fallen under its spell and been deceived by it. When all other things disappear, attention gathers on this final center point, which is actually the core of the endless cycle of birth and death. This is the condition of fundamental ignorance. This point is the highest level of ignorance, the very summit of the Citta wandering in saṃsāra.
At that stage, nothing else remained, so I simply admired that expansive radiance. Yet that radiance still had a center point. It was like the glowing filament inside a pressure lantern. The filament shines brightly, spreading light everywhere around it. That was the important point that amazed and awed me so deeply. I wondered, “Why is my Citta so extraordinarily bright? It seems as if it has gone beyond the whole world of saṃsāra.” Such is the powerful deception displayed by ignorance at the final stage of practice. At that time, I still did not realize that I had already fallen for its trick.
Then suddenly, a Dhamma teaching arose naturally in my heart, as if someone had spoken directly inside me: “If there is still a point or center of the knower anywhere, that is the nucleus of existence.” I can never forget those words. It was exactly the teaching I needed at that moment. It pointed directly to that center of radiance. Yet even then, I did not fully understand it. I was confused. “A point? A center?” It referred to the focal point of that radiant brightness.
I began investigating that “point” after Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta passed away. The teaching repeated in my mind: “If there is still a point or center of the knower anywhere, that is the nucleus of existence.” If he had still been alive, he could have immediately explained my confusion by saying: “It is the center point of that radiance.” Then the problem would have ended instantly. The moment I understood its true meaning, I would have recognized its danger, and it would have disappeared immediately. But instead, I continued protecting and preserving it carefully. That was the Ultimate Danger. The center of brilliant radiance itself was the source that produced the whole world of conventional reality.
I will always remember it. It was during the month of February. The body of Venerable Ajahn Mun had just been cremated, and I went into the mountains. There I became trapped by this very problem. It completely bewildered me. In the end, I gained no benefit from the Dhamma teaching that had arisen in my heart. Instead of helping me, it became mixed into the same deep delusion that already covered my mind. I kept wondering, “Where exactly is this point?” Of course, it was simply the center of that radiance, but it never occurred to me that the center of the radiant Citta itself could be the Ultimate Danger. I still believed it was the Ultimate Virtue. This is how defilements deceive us. Even though I had already been warned that it was the Ultimate Danger, its power still bewitched me and made me see it as the Ultimate Virtue. I will never forget how heavily that confusion weighed on me.
Eventually, I left Wat Doi Dhammachedi and traveled to Sri Chiang Mai in Ban Pheu district. I stayed deep in the forest at Pha Dak Cave for three months before returning to Wat Doi Dhammachedi, still carrying that mystery in my mind. Then, while staying on the mountain ridge there, the problem was finally solved.
When the decisive moment arrives, time and place no longer matter. They completely disappear from attention. Only the magnificent natural radiance of the Citta remains. At that stage, nothing else remained for me to investigate. I had already let go of everything else. Only that radiance remained. Except for the center point of the radiant Citta, the entire universe had already been fully abandoned. Can you now understand what I mean when I say this point is the Ultimate Danger?
At that point, supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom gathered together at the center of the Citta and focused the entire force of investigation directly there. I reached a stage where I began wondering why one Citta could display so many different conditions. I can say with certainty that every aspect of the Citta was clearly known, and every aspect was constantly changing. The moment one state was recognized, it changed into another. One moment it appeared good, another moment bad. The investigation concentrated entirely on that point, examining everything carefully: “Why does this single Citta contain so many changing conditions? Why is it not unified?” Every variation of the Citta was fully understood according to the incredible subtlety of that level of practice, where supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom worked together perfectly. Together, they kept up with every movement of the Citta, no matter how subtle. One moment it was bright, the next slightly dull. “Why does this Citta have so many different states?” One moment there was happiness, the next moment suffering.
Within the realm of conventional reality, these changing conditions always exist within the Citta. Since nothing else remained to investigate, supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom focused directly on the point where these changes appeared. One moment there was happiness, the next suffering; one moment brightness, the next slight dullness.
But you must understand that these changes were extremely subtle, almost impossible to detect. Still, supreme mindfulness remained directly aware of them the entire time.
“Why does the Citta have so many variations?” At that moment, mindfulness abandoned everything else and turned all attention toward the main source. Every part of the investigation came together within the Citta itself. At the highest level, supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom become so subtle and powerful that they penetrate everything at once. This highest level is different from the automatic mindfulness and wisdom used earlier in practice. Automatic mindfulness and wisdom work together naturally and investigate step by step, cutting through things gradually. But supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom at the highest level penetrate all things simultaneously.
At that time, they were examining the center point of the Citta. Everything else had already been investigated and discarded. Only that small point of knowing remained. It became obvious that both happiness and suffering came from that same source. Brightness and dullness also arose there. Why did one single Citta contain so many different characteristics?
Then suddenly, in one instant, Dhamma answered the question by itself. This is called “Dhamma arising in the heart.” Defilements arising in the heart bind beings to suffering, but Dhamma arising in the heart frees beings from bondage. Dhamma suddenly appeared like a voice within the heart: “Whether dullness or brightness, happiness or suffering, all of these dualities are not-self.” That was the final insight that cut through everything completely. For another person, the final realization might arise through impermanence or suffering, depending on their character. But for me, it appeared as not-self. The meaning became crystal clear: let go of everything. All of it is not-self.
The moment this was fully understood, the Citta became completely still. Having seen with certainty that everything was not-self, there was nowhere left for the mind to move. The Citta rested perfectly still within that Dhamma. It no longer cared about self or not-self, happiness or suffering, brightness or dullness. The Citta rested peacefully at the center, perfectly neutral and calm. But this calmness existed together with supreme mindfulness and supreme wisdom. It was not a dull or blank state. Outwardly it might have seemed inactive, but inwardly awareness remained complete. The Citta simply rested in total stillness and peace.
Then, from that perfectly neutral state, the nucleus of existence—the core of the knower—suddenly separated and fell away. Having finally been fully seen as not-self, brightness, dullness, and everything connected with them were instantly shattered and destroyed forever.
At the exact moment when ignorance flipped over and disappeared from the Citta, it felt as if the sky collapsed and the whole universe shook violently. In truth, it is ignorance alone that causes beings to wander endlessly throughout saṃsāra. Therefore, when ignorance separated from the Citta and vanished, it felt as though the entire universe collapsed and disappeared together with it. Earth and sky vanished in a single instant. Do you understand?
No one judged or decided anything at that moment. That natural truth revealed itself and completed itself automatically. The universe collapsed by itself. From the perfectly neutral state of the Citta, everything happened suddenly. In one instant, the entire cosmos seemed to flip over and disappear. It was unbelievably magnificent. Truly beyond words. This is the extraordinary nature of the Dhamma that I now teach.
Tears flowed from my eyes when it happened. Even now, remembering that moment still brings tears. These tears belong only to the aggregates of body and mind. Please understand that they were not part of the pure state that appeared at that moment. That pure state revealed itself suddenly in all its unimaginable magnificence. I want all of you who are careless in practice to understand what the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha is truly like. Oh, it was so unbelievably wonderful! Tears streamed down my face as I exclaimed in amazement: “Is this how the Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment? Is this what Enlightenment truly is? Is this what true Dhamma is like?” It was something I had never imagined before. It appeared suddenly, completely unexpected. Even now, the memory remains vivid and alive within me.
My entire body trembled at that moment. It is difficult to explain. Everything happened simultaneously: the sky collapsed and the world vanished completely. Again and again I repeated: “Is this how the Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment?” But in truth, there was no need to ask anymore because I had directly encountered the Truth itself. “Is this what the true Dhamma is? Is this what the true Sangha is?” At that moment, all three became one single supreme reality, what I call the Dhamma-element. “How can the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha all be one and the same?” I had never imagined such a thing possible.
Previously I had always understood them separately: “The Buddha is the Buddha. The Dhamma is the Dhamma. The Sangha is the Sangha.” This understanding had remained with me since childhood. But when the Supreme Dhamma appeared fully and clearly, all three were revealed as one single reality—the true nature of the marvelous Dhamma itself. The moment it appeared, everything that had previously been hidden and unknown became completely illuminated. I am not inventing stories to deceive anyone. Even now, that extraordinary Dhamma still moves and amazes me. Its light fills everything, illuminating the entire universe. Nothing remains hidden anymore.
At that moment, the reality of karma and the existence of heavens and hells became absolutely undeniable. I wish all skeptics could experience such certainty. Many people are deceived by defilements into believing there are no consequences of evil actions, no consequences of good actions, and no heavens or hells. But these realities have existed since beginningless time. They have always been present everywhere. People simply have not perceived them yet. Do you understand? These truths have always existed. They continue harming those who remain ignorant of them and blinded by the deception of defilements, unable to see the truth.
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