Question: Dear respected master! This morning you instructed us three steps that should be focused when meditating. Please explain further to help me understand and distinguish between the second and the third step.

“In order to detach from other people, we need to be mindful ourselves. The more we are mindful ourselves, the more we can detach from the others. Besides, we must be mindful within our body and mind in order to detach from the appearance of ourselves. The more we are mindful within our body and mind, the more we can detach from our appearance: white or brown or dark, old or young, beautiful or ugly, man or woman…

If we are mindful or pay attention at the present moment within our body and mind, we can be aware of the ever new environment nature. Nothing is permanent within our body and mind. It is not created by something or someone, ever new impermanent process is the nature. The more we have our own experience of impermanent nature, the more we can detach from ourselves. There are pain or itching or anger, worry, fear, doubt in our body and mind. If we are not mindful, we might misunderstand that all these are real. We have to suffer from all these feeling or discomfort. Only when we are mindful within ourselves at the present moment, we can be aware of the ever new impermanent nature of each of these sufferings. In this way, we are sure to endure all sufferings.

Besides, we are able to detach from these suffering, we need to practice again and again. Even if we know the impermanent nature of present happening within our body and mind, we may attach on that knowing, we may misunderstand that knowing is real. That’s why, we should try to be mindful and knowing or present awareness. That’s why we should try to be mindful on that knowing or awareness in order to know the truth of impermanent nature of each knowing or awareness. The more we know about the impermanent nature of every knowing or awareness, the more we can endure that knowing or awareness.

We may also may be detached from that knowing or awareness. We need to practice seriously to be able to be mindful on the present knowing. Sometimes we may have difficulties to say the truth to someone, because that person can not endure to know the truth about oneself. Because of not accepting the truth, we dare not endure to know the truth. The more we are trying to do and tell the truth the more we will endure to know the truth. Mindfulness on present knowing is also the most needed practice to endure and detach from knowing the truth. Many people can not endure if they know that they are going to die. In fact, we are all sure to die, if we can not accept the truth of our own death, we cannot endure. If we try to accept death of everyone, all living beings, including our life, we can endure.

Besides, if we are trying to be mindful on our present awareness or knowing, we can know that impermanent nature of each knowing and we are sure to detach from present knowing. Even if we know the impermanent nature of each of our knowing or awareness, we may stay at that present of mindfulness. If there is attachment, we may have difficulties to practice mindfulness, on the actions of mindfulness. Not knowing the impermanent nature of present actions of mindfulness is the cause of attachment. In order to detach we must able to be mindful our present action of mindfulness. In this step even the present action of mindfulness became the object of mindfulness. If we can not be mindful like this, we may misunderstand this practice as something real. Only when we are able to be mindful on our present action of mindfulness, we can be free from misunderstanding.

The second object of mindfulness, which is present knowing is easier to be mindful than the action of mindfulness. In the second step, we accept present knowing as the object of mindfulness. But in the third step, we don’t accept one of the knowings as the object of mindfulness, we just accept the present action of mindfulness itself is the object of mindfulness. In the third step, the object of mindfulness and the action of mindfulness become the same. Only attention of mindfulness became the object of mindfulness. It is so deep and gentle, we need to practice more seriously than the others to be doing only and practising only.

When we are mindful on the objects of three steps, we must try to be aware of our present: greed, anger, worry, doubt and misunderstanding. The more we know about the present diseases of the mind, the healthier our mind will be.

I am able to help you by explaining the truth of meditation or mindfulness. Besides, I am able to practice according to the right understanding. That’s why you just need to practice more and more together with Thabarwar center. You don’t need to go in the wrong way. You just need to practice like this more and more and then you can understand very well. You can be satisfied.”