“The World Shaken by the First Noble Treasure”
Words from Master

One who will reach the end of cycle of suffering must possess 7 noble treasures.
The Buddha’s teachings are so profound that no words are enough to explain.
The more insight knowledge or Dhamma wisdom gained, the more profound one can realize in this teaching, which is:

1.Confidence
2.Morality
3.Moral shame – feeling shame to engage in any misconduct
4.Moral fear – fear of wrongdoing
5.Great learning
6.Charity – generosity and sacrificing
7.Wisdom – attaining Dhamma knowledge, not worldly knowledge

To attain enlightenment, a person must have or find noble treasures for himself. Similar to the worldly way, one can be rich by accumulating certain assets. Then he can be considered a rich man. Most people do not realize the importance of noble treasures or not even know what it’s all about. They focus on gathering worldly assets but not the noble assets which are superb and long lasting.
Noble treasures lead to nobility, lead to the noble path, resulting to the noble fruits; that is attaining the 1st stage of enlightenment, 2nd stage of enlightenment, 3rd stage of enlightenment and the full enlightenment as an Arahant.
The path is to be concluded as noble treasures, noble path and noble fruits.

The first noble treasure; confidence, is considered critical or turning point. It’s the biggest change for one’s life. A mind without this treasure will never find a way for freedom from cycle of rebirth.
Confidence in the noble treasures consists of many characteristics. It includes belief, admiration, esteem, respect and love. All these feelings arise in the “wholehearted” level. That means when one has a wholehearted feeling, it creates a shaking power inside the mind. It’s also called the inner power which is hidden in one’s mind. It’s so great that enabling one to do anything he never think of, never dare to do, never believe that he can do. It leads him to move toward the path, to commit to do anything and everything, with no surrender.
There is no other word that can change a person so much but only this word “confidence”. Confidence is the starting point to the path of Nirvana.

The meditation practice to the stage of breaking the Inner World requires this level of confidence to overcome all kinds of obstacles. It creates great force that can draw one’s inner power which is locked up, to fight and execute all impurities (Kilesa). It must be this level of confidence. That’s why it’s so important.
The level of confidence in noble treasures that leads to the noble fruits must be a complete confidence; that is confidence in the Buddha, confidence in Dhamma teaching, confidence in teachers and confidence in oneself. People always lack one or another of these confidences, especially the last one. They tend to look down upon their capability. Their eyes are blinded by karma and their mind is blinded by impurities. Those who have no confidence in themselves either by their past or present karma should think of Angulimala the Arahant. Despite being the criminal, having killed so many people, he could finally overcome ignorance. So for us, what kind of karma we have done? Why can’t we defeat the game of Karma?
The severe criminal did it, we can do it too.

The meditation practice to attain the stage of enlightenment until reaching full enlightenment is to declare war and to end the cruel game that bound the mind to this world long ago. Only casual or trendy confidence that may vanish any time cannot make any change.
Confidence in noble treasures is the power of earthquake at 7 Richter that can shake the valley of ignorance, opening the path for the great power inside the encaved treasures of the noble world to break out…Remember the day you read the book “Awaken from Madness”, did you remember how your mind was shaken? After reading the book, some cried and some felt overwhelming delighted. Almost everyone has awaken mind, brightened mind and wished to walk on the path to enlightenment at that moment.
This is the power of confidence at the shaking level in the mind.

If one can attain this first noble treasure, any miracle can happen. But miracle cannot happen if the person doesn’t have a full confidence or he has but cannot keep it. His confidence is robbed by impurities (Kilesa) in his own face. And because confidence is so powerful, impurities keep on robbing it from the blessed ones, making them doubt, become unsteady and unstable, then giving up their determination. With the unstable confidence, the treasure chamber leading to Nirvana is then closed down by the masterminding of impurities. So other noble treasures remain hidden, leaving the desperate original mind no escape from cycle of rebirth.

Up to this point, I feel sympathize, sad and pity, that why, why, why and why we let this incident occurred to our life over and over again in our countless lifetime. Why does this mind remember the pain? Discovering the treasure for not so long, the mind is robbed easily. Confidence at the enlightening level must be truly firmed like a sword that was stuck into the ground.
Announce it out loud, witnessed by the earth.

For those who are not convince in themselves, please sit down and think thoroughly that since you were born until today, who really and sincerely cared about you? Why did they do that? What did they expect you to find? When the Buddha attained the supreme enlightenment, he enjoyed the bliss of freedom for only 49 days although he had wandered in the cycle of rebirth for uncountable lifetime. He started teaching Dhamma since then until his last breath in order to free those who were teachable. Your parents gave life to you, I use up all my energy and breath in
teaching you. Your mind have received the power of love, compassion and support from so many people. But was it just like the blowing wind that is no need for you to keep in memory? How many people are needed to support you so you can push yourselves to be awakened?

Confidence is the great power that provides important step for everything.
Map out your life well and firmly keep the confidence that you have. Don’t waste that shake in your mind because it will be very hard to find another treasure. Now that you found it, keep it well. If you can’t remember these 7 noble treasures, just remember one; confidence, it’s the only one that will lead you to all greatest things.
Anything in this world stays only for a while, then it will pass. Gain, fame, praise, pain and happiness also stay only for some time and then will pass, leaving you as an old person who recalls the past just as a dream. But your spirit is still imprisoned in the same place. Whether in good or bad day, if you are not real, your mind will remain in this prison.
Spend the time that you still have to finish all your duties; supporting your beloved ones, preparing for their good future with loving compassion. At the same time, move forward to the path of spiritual freedom with full confidence.
..
It’s a must to keep the first noble treasure as it’s the greatest inner power. When you finish the daily duties, sit down in a quiet place.
Gather your confidence firmly in your mind.
Then strongly shake the inner world in your mind again.
Because before the inner world falls apart, it has to start from the shaking.
Let’s practice.
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Master Acharavadee Wongsakon
June 16, 2018

Translated by Siriporn Kuprasertsin