There was bhikkhu who had been a famous boxer when he was a layman. Having been ordained, he wished to join the circle of dhutanga bhikkhus for the sake of mind-development. He had heard of the fame of the Venerable Acharn, who was known far and wide at that time as being well-behaved and well-versed in meditation practice, so after ordination he set out to seek the Venerable Acharn. However, somewhat unwittingly, or perhaps quite casually, he put a number of photographs, more than a dozen of them, of boxers in various styles of boxing in his bag and took them along with him to the wilds in Chiengmai where the Venerable Acharn was then staying. At the Venerable Acharn's place, he paid his respects, declared his purpose in coming and was accepted.
    That night, the Venerable Achan must have surveyed him extensively [regarding his tendencies and potentialities] by means of his meditative power, for in the morning, when all the bhikkhus were assembled in the meeting-hall, he said to that boxer-bhikkhu, 'Your original purpose is to find the dharma. Your demeanour is also agreeable and you deserve our appreciation, but why did you look so terrifying last night? It seems that you came to see me, stood about a metre in front of me and then you put on a good performance of boxing postures for quite some time. You then drew back a little, this time kicking and boxing furiously alone. Were you a boxer before taking ordination?'
    At this surprising question, all in the assembly were struck dumb and all eyes were focussed in astonishment on the newcomer, who had now turned pale with fear.
    'What was your purpose in carrying on like that?' asked the Venerable Acharn again. 'But then, after all, it's a good thing you didn't box me!' Here the Venerable Acharn stopped since it was time to go for alms-food.
    He didn't touch on that matter again that day or that evening during the instruction time. But that night he must have again checked the boxer-bhikkhu out, for the following morning he once again asked him why he had repeated his boxing styles and exercises all night.
   'What's your purpose in coming here?' the Venerable Acharn asked.
'If you don't tell me, then I am afraid that I cannot let you stay here since for two successive nights you have done nothing but put on a boxing exhibition before me.'
    The boxer-bhikkhu was trembling and was much too frightened to speak. It was then that a bhikkhu in the gathering, seeing the boxer-bhikkhu in such a state, asked the  Venerable Acharn for permission to console him.
    'You had better tell the Venerable Acharn all about this. He certainly doesn't want to do you any harm. We have all been admonished or scolded by him at one time or another since we are still worldlings. We are his disciples and we look up to him both as Master and as parent. It's but natural, isn't it, that he should point out our faults and criticize us for those faults? We have all been strongly reprobated by him, far stronger than you are being scolded now. Some have even been driven away from this place. But we stay here as we are, for we have admitted our faults and have tried to rectify ouselves, and he has never again said anything about them. You ought to take heed of his warning now and not be too frightened. Tell him the truth, all that you know about your past.'
    At this the Venerable Acharn again asked the boxer-bhikkhu, 'What do you say now? I don't want to criticize you without reason, but you have entered into my vision nearly all night. Either there is something wrong with you or my vision has played a trick on me. That's why I ask you to tell me the truth. If you have done nothing wrong, then my vision is false and I had better stop teaching people right now.'
    The bhikkhu who had tried to help him urged him to answer. With a trembling voice he said, 'I was a boxer.' He was unable to say anything more than that.
    The Venerable Acharn asked again, 'But now you are a bhikkhu!
How can you be a boxer at the same time? Or did you box your way here and in that way earn money?'
    The poor boxer-bhikkhu was now beside himself with fear, and all he could answer to any question was 'Yes, yes, yes.' After this crossquestioning, all that was know about him was that he had been a boxer before ordination but that after that he had given it up completely.
Seeing that he was too much terrified, the Venerable Acharn changed the subject saying that it was time to go for alms-food, and he then ordered another bhikkhu to question 'the boxer' more about this later on.
    After mealtime, the bhikkhu who was ordered to question him told the Venerable Acharn that 'the boxer' had been a famous boxer in the Suan Kularb camp for many years. Later he had become weary of the life of a layman and after his ordination had set out to seek the Venerable Acharn. Everything seemed to be all right now, sinced the Venerable Acharn did not mention this matter again that evening after giving him some instructiion. But the following morning, the Venerable Acharn, who must have studied him further that night, again said to him that there must be something still hidden. If he had been a boxer only before his ordination, then the vision should not have revealed anything more than that. He must therefore consider this matter again more carefully. After that, the Venerable Acharn again said nothing more.
    The bhikkhu who was his helper then went to 'the boxer's' place and told him privately that there still must be something wrong. After some discussion, 'the boxer' showed him the more than ten photographs of different boxing styles and postures which he had brought along with him.
Seeing this, the helper bhikkhu realized that they certainly were the cause of the trouble. He advised 'the boxer' to burn them all, and from that time onwards, the case was closed.
    The boxer-bhikkhu himself was well-behaved and well-disciplined.  He lived a peaceful and happy life after that.  The Venerable Acharn also had compassion for him and never said another word about this incident.  When later asked by the helper bhikkhu to recall this event, the boxer bhikkhu said that he was petrified with fear and that he felt as if he would die.  He could hear himself stammering out answers like a person in a trance or like someone who had completely lost his self-control.
    'Without your help I would have been mad with fear,' he said, 'but the Venerable Acharn must also have known this and thus suddenly changed the subject and took no more notice of me.'
    The above story is an example of how the Venerable Acharn made use of his meditation-vision in addition to his unique mind-reading ability in dealing with other people.
 
 

 

   The Fault-Finding Naga

    In Mount Chiengdao there is another cave.  This is not the long one visited by tourists (nor the one on top).  It is higher up than the tourist cave and it is here that the Venerable Acharn dwelt for a time.  In that cave a great naga had also dwelt for a long time.  He was given to fault-finding and was rather hard-heating, being almost unable to enjoy the fruits of merit dedicated by the Venerable Acharn.  Perhaps he had had ill-will against a bhikkhu for some time and that was why he always cherished a malicious fault-finding attitude towards the Venerable Acharn every moment of the day and night, even while he was sleeping.
    At night when the Venerable Acharn was doing his walking-meditation with his sandals on, the naga would say, 'Why is this recluse walking like a race horse? He should be better self-controlled.  Doesn't he know that his sandals are making anoise like thunder and that I am being much disturbed?'  This despite the fact that the Venerable Acharn was walking with the best possible self-control, making the least possible noise with his sandals.
    Having heard what the naga said he managed to walk with more self-control and less noise, but still the naga complained, saying, 'What is he doing now?  Is he a hunter shooting birds?'
    When,once in a while, the Venerable Acharn happened to trip over a stone, the naga at once murmured a complaint, 'What is this recluse?' He walks like a strip-tease dancer!'
    At times when the Venerable Acharn arranged some stones along the track for his walking meditation, the naga would grumble, saying, 'Why should this recluse be always moving this and that?  Doesn't he know that my head will break because of all his noise?'
    Even during sleep when his hands and feet would move a little he would know when he woke up that the naga had found fault with him as usual, complaining about his heavy breathing, snoring and other things.
    Whenever the Venerable Acharn would attune his mind to that of the naga, he would see the naga staring at him as if he never slept or didn't have anything else to do.  It was a pity that this naga was obssessed by thoughts that consumed himself instead of thoughts of other kinds.  The Venerable Acharn took great pity on him, knowing that such a wrong attitude of mind would produce an evil that would bounce back to hurt the mind that gave it birth.  So he gave the naga a long instruction saying, 'I have come here for the sake of self-development and assisting others, never to hurt anyone.  It is inadvisable that you should think that I have come here solely to cause you trouble. Whatever results of the good that I have done, I have also dedicated to all sentient beings, yourself included.  You are sure to reap no benefit from your attempts to find fault with me.As a living being I cannot help moving about, walking this way and that and changing the postures of the body.  As for self - control, I have tried my best, but after all, I am still alive and cannot lie dead and motionless or without breathing. While sleeping, the systems of the body still function, and, for that matter, I cannot help making noise which is to be expected while walking or doing other things.
    'It seems, you always exaggerate whatever I do, saying for instance, that I walk like a race horsse. You must know that a horse is an animal and should not be compared to a recluse who always practices self - control. That you should not do if you do not want nullify your ouwn good and then head for the realms of misery. If you have in mind your own progress and development, from now on you should observe the condition of your own mind and try to understand whether it is good or evil, right or wrong, so that you will not be consumed by your own fire of evil. Such malicious fault - finding, even if another really has such faults, is by its very nature an evil on the part of the fault - finder, causing his own mind to deteriorate and become defiled.
    'All my movements are ordinary, even coupled with the best of self - control, yet I am severely blamed. What if you were a human abeing in a human world? I suppose in your case it would be the pot calling the kettle black. You should know that I am not troubled by your complaints, which in this case have bounced back to you with a vengeance. The results is now plain to you, only you refuse to open your eyes and see. I have known your every thought and forgiven them, but it is apparent that you have not stopped producing them, only to the detriment and hurt of yourself. Why are you not tired of accumulating evil? Were you a patient, your illness would be almost incurable by now. I have been helping other sentient beings such as angels, demons and other nagas, many of them more powerful than you are. They have all accepted the dharma and have relized its value, all, tha is, except yourself, who has unreasonably taken delight in malicious fault - finding, thereby neglecting to look at the truth of the dharma. It is a pity you are obsessed by the thought that such an attitude of mind is helpful or profitable. What is more pitiful for you is that you will be destined for a miserable realm of existence at the dissolution of this body of yours.
    'I must now speak frankly to you, without any evil intention whatsoever, and hope that you will not misinterpret it. Ever since I came to stay here I have always respected your presence and feelings, trying in every possible way to be self - controlled in every movement so as not to cause you any inconvenience. I already knew that you were given to fault - finding and this is what you have been doing to me. You must also now know that I have not been trouble by your fault - finding since I have never enjoyed finding other's faults. It is you who have been so much troubled by your own action.
    'In this case I can therefore say that there is no evil whatoever on my part. Whatever evil there is belongs to you and falls to you alone. Wise men, being detached from the mundane, enjoy the fruits of the wholesome deeds they have accumulated both for themselves and others. Why are you so inclined towards such perverse thoughts and deeds? I don not suffer the results of this evil for you, but seeing that you are going to suffer, I would like to keep you from it. I know how evil is sure to make its doer suffer and this is what I am afraid of. Old age, illness and death may appear to be frightening to others but they mean little to me, compared with the effect of evil.
    'To be ordained a bhikkhu in Buddhism is to conduct oneself against the stream of defilements, training oneself to do everything in accordance with the dharma. There must be trouble and suffering in going against the stream and in complying with the dharma. This I know and willingly accept for the sake of Deliverance from defilements. It is in view of this that I have come here and have been undergoing various inconveniences in this cave. Never have I have any intention to give you any trouble, nor do I cherish an ill - will towards any other beings in the Three Worlds, knowing that they are all heirs to the effects of their own karma. I always dedicate the results of my doing wholesome deeds to all of them, including you. You should bear this in mind and then consider what good there is in finding fault with others with malicious intent. It is nothing but inflicting untold suffering upon yourself. I would like to advise you to realize this and stop the evil thoughts and words which serve only to carry you to a realm of misery.
    'The dharma belongs to all sentient beings in all the planes of consciousness. This is the truth that should be accepted although one is not in a position to follow and realize it fully. This truth is all - embracing as far as the Three Worlds are concerned and is an enemy to no one. Those understanding this truth have always tried to follow it in whatever ways are possible to them. You are one of those who are able to understand the dharma to a certain extent, but why are you doing everything to the contrary and imposing on yourself what is conducive to untold suffering, this malicious fault - finding? Haven't you realized yet that it will only bring you the suffering which you do not at all want?
    'I know that you have long been cherishing these evil thoughts without your knowing that I am able to know them. My feelings towards you are feeling of pity, not irritation or anger. I am telling you this so that it will be of some help to you. Remember that whatever evil results there are belong to you and fall to you alone, since you are the one who has given birth to them and cherished them. I am not in the least troubled since I am not in the least affected. What is in my mind, besides great pity for your wrong attitude of mind, is an unshakable degree of peace and bliss.'
    All this time the great naga did not say a word in protest. 'The words of this recluse are interesting,' he thought, 'but I'm afraid I cannot fully follow what he said. I have been in the habit of thinking like this for such a long time. It may not be until after arising in another plane that I shall be able to comply with his instructions. This recluse is unique and wonderful. How can he know I am here, since I am invisible to him? And how can he see even my own thoughts? Many many bhikkhus have come here and not one of them had ever known of my presence. All of them had been driven away by my tricks, including my spitting venom. Even while he was asleep my thoughts were no secret to him! It seems he is able to know everything.
    'Just what about my thoughts and attitude of mind? They seem to be so incurable. Perhaps I am just loaded down with evil. His instruction is obviously well - intended, but what is my mind that it cannot cure itself? I wonder what will befall me in the next plance of consciousness?'
    After some moments, the Venerable Acharn asked, 'Have you been able to realize the truth of what I have said?'
    'I have understood every word but I know that it will be difficult for me to rectify myself, since my mind has been so long accustomed to these evil tendencics,' the naga said.
    'What evil tendencies do you mean?'
    'My fault - finding,' the naga replied. 'I know that it's evil, but I can't seem to help it.'
    'It is good enough if you are convinced of its evil and try to rectify yourself,' the Venerable Acharn said. 'Habit or impulse will gradually reduced ins strength. I can only point the way. I am unable to help anyone correct his own faults, for that is the duty of everyone who believes in the dharma and who prefers to follow it. With persistent practice and self - training, any evil tendency is sure to be weakened and then removed from the mind. If you sincerely believe in the dharma of Buddha, then you will be protected by it. The mind protected by dharma is always endowed with blissful peace, both while awake and asleep. It can remain balanced in midst of all disturbing influences. This is the benefit to be obtained from the dharma.'
    The naga admitted the truth of his instruction and said he would try to follow it obediently. He was found to improve a little with the development of his self - control, but it still gave him a lot of trouble and the Venerable Acharn, seeing that his presence would not do the naga much good, told him that he would have to go to another place. The naga willingly consented and thus ends the story of the Venerable Acharn and the fault - finding naga.
 
 

 

Adventures at the Sarika Cave

    He stayed one year at Sarika Cave, and what happened during that period is quite remarkable, both with regard to external occurrences and internal developments. When he arrived at the village near to the cave, a village whose name was perhaps Bahn Kluey, he requested the villagers to take him to the cave in the mountains. The villagers, however, were quite unwilling to do so. They said that the cave was a terrible place and told him about the many bhikkhus who had gone to stay there before him and who were known to have been stricken by serious diseases which had driven them away. Some had even been killed by those diseases. That cave was believed to be possessed by a Great Demon with terrible powers who had taken it over as his own. He was known to haved wielded his powers indiscriminately against all those who had gone to dwell in 'his' cave, sometimes even frightening them to death. He seemed to prefer to challenge any Bhikkhu who dared intrude into his domain, no matter how clever that bhikkhu was in mysticism or black magic, and it often resulted in the bhikkhu being suddenly struck down with illness or his dying a premature death. The villagers were thus unwilling to take him to that cave lest he too be killed like some of those before him.
    Phra Acharn Mun then asked the villagers how this Great Demon made himself known. They said that even during the first night whoever was staying in that cave would ssee in his dreams a tall black Demon coming at him, his face contorted into a frightful look and giving every impression of his intent to kill. The Demon would then announce that he was the owner and protector of that cave, thus being the sole ruler of that territory. He tolerated no intruders and would immediately set about driving them away, getting rid of anyone who trespassed into his kingdom, and in most cases, those who had ventured there would not be able to stay there for long. Some were known to have left after the first night, faces contorted with fear and bordering on madness, vowing never to go back to that cave again. Others have died there. Not long before this four bhikkhus, boasting of their mystical powers when they arrived, went up to the cave and were never seen again.
    Such was the story of Sarika Cave which was also reputed to have contained a piece of magical metal which possessed mystical powers, rumors of which often tempted many to go to the cave but of which there has been no account of discovery.
    Phra Acharn Mun was not discouraged by the villagers' story and made up his mind to go to the cave and to face whatever would happen there. Instead of being overwhelmed with fear, he looked at it as an opportunity to develop his mindfulness and to learn some valuable lessons. He modestly told the villagers that it was a horrible story withc they had related to him, but that he would still like to go up there for a time. He said that if he found it too horrible, then he would come back, but that he would like the villagers to take him there. He said that he had made up his mind a long time ago to come here and to admire the beauty of the place, and therefore, at his insistence, the villagers finally agreed to take him up to the cave.

The first Sign of Illness

    His first two or three nights in the cave were uneventful, his body and mind both satisfactorily rested due to the perfect quietness and seclusion of that place. The only noises to be heard were those of the occasional wild animals roaming about the area. On the following night, however, he was stricken with a stomachache that had troubled him before, but this time it seemed to be much more serious. He sometimes passed blood with his stool and he appeared not to be able to digest food at all, it passing out of his system in exactly the condition it was when it was eaten. He was reminded of the villagers' account of the four bhikkhus who had already died there. He thought to himself that if this illness continued in this way, how could very well be the fifth. When in the morning some villagers stopped by to pay him a visit, he asked them to prepare a herbal medicine from the roots or cores of some nearby trees, but it was all in vain. The condition of his stomach steadily worsened, his body became enfeebled and his will power obviously waned. While taking the medicine he tried to encourage himself, thinking that there ought to be some curative effect if the medicine were to be helpful, but after many days if proved useless. What was the use in depending on it?
    When he had thought about this, he decided to stop taking such conventional medicines and to resort to the therapeutical effect of the dharma alone, no matter what happened to his body. 'Let this body die here in this cave if the power of dharma fails to cure this illness. I have progressed far enough to be fairly certain of the Path, Fruition and Nirvana,' he told himself. 'Why should I become disheartened and enfeebled by this pain and suffering? If I were to be defeated by this amount of suffering at this stage, what hope would I have when the moment of the dissolution of the body arrived, when wave after wave of suffering would pount to pieces my lines of defense?'
    Thinking thus he stopped taking herbal medicines and began his meditation for the therapeutical effect of the dharma alone. Attachment to life was then abandoned, whereupon the body was allowed to undergo its natural curing process. Mindfulness and wisdom together with faith and exertion then hammered on the mind which does not die but which is always death-stricken. No attention was paid to the disease as to whether or not it could be cured or whether it would destroy the body. The dissecting eye of wisdom was directed at vedana (the sensation or feeling of suffering), with the other aggregates (khandha) ruthlessly analysed. The body (rupa), sensations (vedana), perception (sanna), and metal formations (sarikhara) were all brought before the supreme tribunal of scrutinizing mindfulness and wisdom, which continuously dug and uncovered more profound truths. The pitched battle raged from dusk to midnight and ended with the mind being considerably empowered and able to realize the nature of the aggregates, including the gripping pain which had been fully manifesting itself. The illness totally disappeared and the mind withdrew into absolute, unshakable one-pointedness.
    At that point came the threefold cessation: pain, disease, and responsiveness of mind. When the mind later emerged to a less profound and more responsive level called upacara, there seemed to be a light radiating from his body and which revealed a tall black man about ten meters high. He was carrying a club about four meters long and as big around as his leg. He threateningly approached the Venerable Acharn and said, 'If the Venerable does not leave this place, I will crush you to death with my huge club, which can crush an elephant to the ground with one blow.'
    The Venerable Acharn communicated with him telepathically and asked 'Why do you want to kill me? I appear to have done no wrong. Why should I deserve such capital punishment when I haven't harmed anyone up here?'
    The Demon answered, 'I have long been authorized to safeguard this mountain and will not tolerate anyone who dares to challenge me or attempt to overpower me.'
    'But I challenge no one, nor do I attempt to overpower anyone,' the Venerable Acharn said. 'It is just to challenge and overpower the defilements which rule human minds that I have come here. It is highly inadvisable that you should harm me, a bhikkhu and a disciple of the Buddha whose power of loving-kindness encompasses the 'Three Realm of Existence.' The Venerable Acharn continued, 'If you are someone who really possesses skilful powers, as you  have boasted about, do you have the power beyond karma and dharma which are the great laws ruling the masses of beings in the three realms?'
    'No,' the Demon answered.
    'The Buddha possessed the power of eradicating from his own mind the desires to dominate and to harm others,' the Venerable Acharn continued. 'Do you have such a power?'
    'No,' the Demon confessed.
    The Venerable Acharn began to admonish the Demon, pointing out that his power, if any, was primitive and savage, being detrimental only to himself. 'Such powers bring only fiery results, because you don't realize that in consuming others you only consume yourself as a result. This is indeed heavy unwholesome karma. I am a bhikkhu following the Path of Righteousness, and this is both for my own benefit as well as others. This is my genuine desire. And now here you come planning to hurt and kill me thinking nothing of the evil that will drag you to the realm of woe. I care little for my own life but I do take pity on you since you will be consumed by your own power delusion. Just stop and consider whether there is any power in the world which can counteract the result of the evil karma which you are about to perform! Is there any power which you possess over this mountain realm that can supersede dharma and karma? If you do, then you may do to me whatever you wish. I do not fear death because I will die anyways when the time comes, whether or not you try to kill me. This world is a place of mortals, which includes yourself, who are deluded by power complexes.'
    All the while the Venerable Acharn was thus admonishing this Demon, the Demon appeared to be frozen, unable to move or speak. As a human being he would have been terribly afraid and ashamed in his defeat. He was spellbound and at the end of the Venerable Acharn's reprimand, he threw down his club in submission, changed himself into a gentle and pious Buddhist the size of an ordinary human being, and then apologized to the Venerable Acharn for his rude manners and evil intention.
    'I was struck with wonder and surprise the moment I saw you a few days ago,' the Demon said. 'I seemed to have been struck by a ray of light, powerful and wonderful, which appeared to have been radiating from you. It had such a strange effect on my aggressive intentions, both weakening and paralyzing. The moment I was enveloped in that impressive light I was discouraged from doing you any harm. I don't understand why that should have happened. I have been recognized by the other demons around here have been used to wielding our powers in evil ways, and as their chief I was bound to do something to preserve my dignity, in spite of myself. I had no harmful intentions after having been bathed in that light. May the Venerable Acharn please forgive whatever indecent actions I have done towards you today. Forgive me that the burden of guilt may be lifted from my shoulders, a burden already too heavy to bear.'
    The Venerable Acharn then asked him, now a pious gentleman, if he too experienced suffering, possessing as he did a non-material body, neither bulky nor heavy like that of a human being. Besides that, he is also not burdened with earning a living or seeking shelter, as is the case with man.
    Our pious gentleman answered, 'Superficially speaking it would appear to be that way, but strictly speaking, there isn't one plane of existence which is absolutely free from suffering. It differs in degree rather than in kind.'
    The dialogue between the Demon and the Venerable Acharn still went on regarding this mystical subject, but it was so profound that the writer is unable to quote here every passage and would like to apologize to the readers for this deficiency.
    At the end of their dialogue the mysterious gentleman, formerly a ferocious Demon, was impressed in the dharma and declared himself a lay devotee, taking the Triple Gem as his Refuge, along with the Venerable Acharn as his material witness and personal Teacher. He promised to give all protection to the Venerable Acharn and expressed his earnest witsh to have the Venerable Acharn stay there forever. He would be the Venerable Acharn's guardian and would allow nothing to harm him. In fact, he was not really the tall black Demon in whose guise he had appeared to the Venerable Acharn in his meditation vision. He was really chief of the terrestial angels
(rukkhadeva-literally meaning tree spirits) with a great company of followers in the vast mountain area of many towns in that region, such as the town of Nakhorn Nayok.
    It was around midnight when the Venerable Acharn's mind withdrew into the unshakable state of appana-samadhi. Upon emerging from this state, his dialogue with the demon-gentleman continued until about four o'clock in the morning. When he had emerged from the level of meditation (upacara) in which the dialogue had taken place the disease which had raged during the early stage of his practice had totally disappeared. There was now no need for conventional medicine since his illness had been completely cured by the therapeautical effect of the dharma. He spent the remaining hours before dawn in continued meditation efforts, there being no need for sleep since whatever weariness or tiredness there was had been replaced by strength and vitality.
    The Venerable Acharn was thus moved to realize and understand many wonderful things simultaneously: firstly, the power of the dharma which could bring that invisible being to his senses and convert him to the Right Path; secondly, his mind had withdrawn into the unshakable bliss of peace for hours, during which the wonders of such a lofty state were overwhelmingly evident to him; thirdly, the chronic illness which had troubled him for so long was completely cured; fourthly, his mind had attained to a level where many doubts were cleared away; fifthly, his meal taken later in the morning was normally digested; and lastly, of before, both for the eradication of defilements and on how to apply such methods of eradication to various individuals with different dispositions or tendencies.
    The following nights were marked by peaceful efforts and a blissful condition of mind, the body being in perfect health and not troubling him anymore. In the wee hours of the night he received a large group of terrestial angels who came from various places in that region. They were led by the gentleman-demon, their chief, who introduced them to him. Whenever there were no visitors, he delighted himself with meditation efforts.
 
 

 

Sermons by Arahant Disciples

    Occasionally at night arahant disciples of the Buddha would give him sermons while he was sitting in meditation. According to one arahant's instruction, walking-meditation should be well-guarded physically and mentally.

    'Mindfulness should be fixed upon the theme selected, be it part of the boday or any other aggregate. Do not be distracted, thus revealing fickleness and fluctuation. Every movement must be preceded by mindfulness. Do not move about like a person during sleep, unguarded by mindfulness. The daily round of going out for alms-food, partaking of a meal, and defecating and urinating should follow the manner of the Noble Ones (ariya,) not the manner of an ordinary, untrained man. Always follow the procedure of the recluse (samana), the way of life blessed with composure and tranquillity. In every posture of the body do not fail to develop mindfulness-and-wisdom, which serve to uncover hidden evil. While eating, always contemplate the (repulsive) nature of the food. Never allow its delicious taste to become a mind-consuming poison. The body may be strengthened by the nourishment the food provides after it is swallowed without comtemplation, but the mind will then be robed of its progress by that pleasant taste. This is cutting short one's own development by nourishing the body at the expense of the mind. All this occurs because mindfulness is lacking.
    'Wherever a recluse goes or dwells, he must not accumulate mental defilements, which are detrimental to himself, nor should he allow them to reach out and consume others. On the basis of the Noble Practice (ariya-dhamma), defilements are regarded as a real terror. Thus you should be constantly on the alert against every expression of their outflowing stream, each of which is of a similarly destructive power. Standing, walking, sitting, lying down, eating, defecating or urinating, or talking, you must not be without the control of mindfulness. This is the path all the Noble Ones have followed. To be without mindfulness or self-control is the breeding-ground of evil and defilements, of being entangled in the cycle of births and deaths. He who aims at breaking away from this cycle must stay away from the path leading to the abyss, which will only turn him into an evil, undesirable recluse. Evil food serves no one's purpose. No one wants to live in an evil house. No one wants to see or look at an evil dress. All things evil are loathed by everyone. An evil mind is consequently shunned by virtuous minds. Worse still is an evil recluse who is repulsively loathesome to gods and men alike. Hence the imperative necessity of self-control.
    'Of all the nourishment in the world, mind-nourishment is supreme. Supreme in the world is mind. A mind well-nourished is a mind well-established in dharma. A mind knowing itself is a mind which has known dharma. A mind reaching itself is a mind which has reache Nirvana. One's own mind is the priceless treasure. Do not overlook it! The person who misses his own mind is the person who neglects to treat his priceless treasure properly. A thousand births of such a person are but a thousand misses. Having known the mind to be so invaluable, you should not miss it knowingly. That will but cause you regret. This should not happen when you have known about it in advance.
    'A human being is an intelligent being. Do not show want of intelligence that is to be expected of a man. That would be a miserable evil. The work of a recluse, both internal and external. is one the world can look up to with confidence. It is flawless and unblemished in both what is to be done and the manner of doing it. It is decent and righteous and should be developed steadily, for your own development. A recluse taking delight in moral practice, meditation, mindfulness, wisdom, and exertion is sure to become a samana in the real sense of the term, either at present or in the near future.
    'Such is the dharma of one with exertion, patience and endurance, with the determination to fight for the sake of Security and Supremacy. It is the dharma of one who is absolutely delievered from suffering, being without bondage and under no compulsion whatsoever. It is the dharma of the Buddha who is absolutely free and independent, who is Teacher of the Three Realms. Realizing the significance of this dharma you will be freed of defilements in a short time. This is the message of dharma for careful consideration. You will experience the wonders of your mind, which is already wonderful by its very nature.'

    The sermon being ended and the arahant having departed, the Venerable Acharn reviewed the instruction, carefully pondering upon its various points in detail. By virtue of the instruction of each arahant who came to him, he was more developed and resourceful, with ever-increasing strength of will and of mindfulness-and-wisdom.
 
 

 

Answering Questions Rather Than Questions Themeselves

    With inner development always his main concern, Phra Acharn Mun always dedicated himself to instructing the people., lay disciples as well as bhikkhus and samaneras. In a sense, his aim was to make a 'human being' out of a man. In his wanderings into the villages he often encountered the village wise men who would approach him for the sake of debate and to question him. Some of the popular topics often discussed concerned the existence of ghosts and spirits; the birthplace of men; the cause of love between a man and a woman, and male and female animals; and what school educated man and animals in the affair of love. The Venerable Acharn's answers to such questions, as far as the writer can remember them, will be quoted here briefly.

    Are there ghosts or spirits? In response to this question, the Venerable Acharn said, 'Whatever exists exists by itself, be it a ghost, spirit or any other thing. Such a thing exists independent of a person's belief or disbelief, which cannot change matters. The causes of one's fear and suffering of ghosts exists in one's own worry and imagination. The mind that doesn't 'reach out' for such fearful stories is obviously not troubled by fear. Fear such as this is therefore produced more often than not by one's own imagination, not by real ghosts.'

    Do ghosts exist as real entities? 'Even though there really are such things as ghosts, there is as yet no irrefutable evidence of their existence which will convince the sceptics, because most people cannot bring themselves to admit the truth. The thief who is arrested with stolen property in his possession, for example, will rarely confess his guilt. Even when he is confronted with witnesses and is therefore bound to admit his guilt, he will still try to justify himself in some other way. Asked during imprisonment what crime he had commented and he will most often say he was accused of stealing. In other words, he will still not admit his guilt. Such is the tendency of most people.'

    From where was man born? The Venerable Acharn answered his questioner rather emphatically saying that man was born of his parents, that he didn't 'come out of a tree's hole' (a Thai saying meaning that life comes from living things). He also said that questions such as this should not be asked.
    If one speaks in accordance with reality, man is born of ignorance (avijja-ignorance and tanha-desire, referring to the Law of Dependent Origination), but an answer such as this would have been of no use to the questioners since how many of them would have been willing to learn about it and then to make the effort necessary to reduce that ignorance and desire! It is evident that the questioners wished to test him rather than to know about the truth. However, it should be noted that the cause of each person's birth in in his own mind which is overcome by what are collectively called defilements (kilesa). If we break these defilements down, they in a sense can be called ignorance, desire, etc., as found in the enumeration as given in the Law of Dependent Origination-through ignorance arises the karma-formations, etc., through the cessations of ignorance comes the cessation of the karma-formations, etc. Looking at one's own mind will enable one to know where man is born and what is the cause of suffering and troubles in this world. There is no need to ask anyone else, nor is there any need to seek the answer elsewhere. It is thoughts and attentions directed outwards which blind a person to his own nature, affairs, and , most importantly, his defilements. Such a mind is untamed and untrained, obsessed by its own vanity and obstinacy.

    Why, even without conventional education, do mean and women come to love other? The Venerable Acharn's answer to this question was direct and bold. 'Lustful desire does not exist in any book, nor does it take its birth in any school, and never has it to be taught by any teacher! Lust exists in the minds of men and women who [think they] are in love, and also in the minds of animals which
[we presume] are in "love". Lust makes the people and animals in its power shameless, irrespective of age, caste, race, or nationality. Without any attempt to check or restrain it, society  would soon collapse since minds would be overflowing with its tyrannical influence. Much of the world's untold suffering has been caused by this defilement being unduly dencourage and made a god of. A mind overflowing with lust [disguised as love] produces suffering to itself and public disaster. What is more important, teh internal flood inundates the mind throughout the year, knowing no dry season whatsoever. Lust is the cause of [what we suppose to be] the love between a man and a woman.
    'It is through the dictates of lust that men and women are led to love and take delight in each other. But the guile of lust is subtle. Working one way it produces love; working in another way it breeds anger, hatred, and other destuctive thoughts and moods. At one time it brings a man and a woman togethr in what seems to be an immortal love; at another time it pulls them apart, setting one against the other until they cannot bear the sight of each other.
    'Haven't you ever experienced this dual aspect of your "love"?' he asked his questioners.
    'Yes, we have,' they admitted. 'To tell you in all honesty, we are fed up with quarrelling amongest ourselves, but we just can't seem to help it. It just seems to happen.'
    'Have you really, in all honesty, tried to help yourselves? Such a way of life is destructive not only to yourselves, but also to your children who are innocent of your bickering and brawling. When you are influenced by anger and hatred, you must remind yourselves of the time when you experienced love. The result will b an overall view of the two-sided coin of love and hate. In most cases, each of you appears to be a despot or a perfectionist, forgetting what is possible and what is not. This attitude of mind may be compared to "damming he waters of the ocean with one's hands", and is sure to result in bitter disappointment nd depression -- a just reward for an impossible desire. This principle should be extended to other members of the household or to friend and other people as well. If there are those, however, who will not admit this truth and who persist in their desire for the impossible, then it is their own fault and evil. Whoever admits the truth is blessed by it' [that is, by his own ability to admit it]. Such was the Venerable Acharn's instruction regarding love.
 
 

 

Manner of Respect on the Part of Angels
Mind-to-Mind Communication

    During his stay in some of the Northeastern towns, the Venerable Acharn knew that there were at times terrestrial angels listening to the instructions he was giving to his disciples late at night. Both the terrestrial and celestrial angels had a profound reverence for him. These celestial angels, whenever they would come down to listen to his sermons late at night, would not come passing te bhikkhus' shelters, but would take another way.On their arrival, they would circumambulate the Venerable Acharn three times, keeping him always to their right. They would then sat themselves in a polite manner, all in the same posture. Their leader would then inform him as to where they had come from and to which aspect of the dharma they wished to listen. The Venerable Acharn would greet them mentally and then for a moment he would 'withdraw into silence' for the emergence of a proper topic of dharma which would be suitable to them. He would then begin his sermons, explaining the various aspects of that dharma to their satisfaction. They appreciated his sermons and would thank him to a man uttering the word 'sadhu' "[meaning 'It is well'], repeating it three times. Those with 'celestial ears' would be able to hear them but not those with the ears of a pitcher, a pan or a kettle. After that they would once again circumambulate him in the same manner and depart.
    The manner of their departure was so graceful and attractive that it cannot be equalled by man. Perhaps it is the nature of their bodies, being more supple and delicate, which makes the difference. Having reached the area beyond the monastery of bhikkhus' shelters, they would soar into the air like wisps of cotton blown up by the wind. Even on their way to listen to his instructions, they would settle on the ground outside the area and walk respectfully towards the Venerable Acharn. Their manner of walking was delicate and delightful to see. Unlike some groups of human beings, these celestial angels would maintain a respectful silence. never making a noise, when approaching a person they revered. Perhaps this is the point where they are superior to men, [some of whom just cannot help chatting while listening to a sermon].
    While listening to the sermon, they would be perfectly self-controlled, never looking this way or that, and they never crossed the mind of the instructor with their vanity or pride.
 The Venerable Acharn was usually informed of their purpose in advance of their coming. When, for example, they wished to come at midnight, he would know of it that evening. In such a case, he would cancel the meeting of bhikkhus for that night and after leaving the track for walking meditation, he would begin his meditation sitting. At the approach of the appointed time, he would emerge [from the third profound level of concentration called appana] to the [second]  level of upacara samadhi. If they had not yet arrived, he would withdraw into the seclusion [of appana] for some time before emerging once again. Sometimes, however, they would already be waiting, while at other times they would coming and soon crowding the area. When sometimes they chose to come at one or two o'clock in the morning, or , more rarely, three o'clock, he would sleep for a short time after his walking and sitting meditation and then get up at the appointed time to receive them.
    The angels who came to listen to his sermons in the Northeast were not as many as those in the North. But there were also some who would stealthily listen to him while he was delivering a sermon to his bhikkhu disciples. When the Venerable Acharn knew of this, he woud stop his sermon and dismiss the meeting. He would then begin his meditation sitting to contact them and give them a sermon. After their departure, he would continue his regular rounds of daily activities until the following day.
    This association with divine, invisible beings was particularly his own, the times being firmly fixed since they were strictly true to their word, being always punctual and admonishing anyone who did not keep the appointed time. Another characteristic of these invisible beings was that they were respectful and obedient to their leader, always listening to and promptly following his orders. It was customary for these terrestrial and celestial angels to come with their leaders.
    The dialogue between the Venerable Acharn and these beings was carried on directly through mind, there being no language barrier as in the society of man and animals. Such a means of communication is more convenient in that there is no need for language. One mind touches and feels another and everything there is readily understood, much in the same way as phrases and sentences are used, and in fact, much more effectively. Such mind-to-mind communication is direct and produces the desired results with no effort and no time wasted in selecting words and phrases to convey the exact meaning. Try as one may, there are often loopholes or deficiencies in the medium of language, both verbal and written. Thus one is always liable to misinterpret the words and sentences used by another, no matter how careful and meticulous both are. Frankly speaking, words cannot hope to bridge all the gaps which always exist between two minds. It is not a perfect medium; this should be borne in mind [by word-worshippers].
    As long as minds cannot resort to the direct and most accurate way of communication, however, the medium of language is indispensible. While we must be satisfied with it, we must not forget that it is not perfect and all that is in the mind cannot be transformed into words. Language is to be accepted as it is, and not as more than it can be or do. For the Venerable Acharn, however, mind-to-mind communication was one of his achievements. It belonged to him and he was able to make use of it at will.
 
 

 

Smallpox Eradication--His Daily Radiation of Loving-Kindness

    During this period, the Venerable Acharn's practice and instruction went smoothly, there always being peace and bliss wherever he went and stayed. Bhikkhus and smaneras were impressed by his instruction and mode of practice; lay devotees were delighted whenever they learned of him. They would throng to see him and to hear him speak, and they would be amply rewarded with his impressive personality and sermons.
    There was a village called Bahn Tham in the district of Tha Khak on the other side of the Mekhong River in the kingdom of Laos. Phra Acharn Sao and Phra Acharn Mun has previously stayed there for a time. A short time before the Vernerable Acharn Mun arrived, almost all the people in the village had contracted smallpox. When he arrived there, they were overcome with joy, swarming out of their shelters to welcome him, begging him to be their Refuge. He called them to a meeting and told them to accept the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as their Refuge in place of ghosts and spirits. He also taught them the way of practice, such as the Triple Gem in the morning and at night before going to bed. This was to be done twice a day. They readily and strictly obeyed him. He also did something to help him in his own inner practice.
    It was then that a miracle happened. No more deaths were reported after his arrival, this despite the fact that several had died every day, even on the day just before he arrived. Those who were suffering were fond to recover speedily and the infection miraculously disappeared. This unprecedented and unexpected event created an indelible impression and firm faith in that village, even up to the present day. The bhikkhu who was abbot of the monastery in that village was no less impressed. He made it a rule to join hands in homage to both the Venerable Acharns whenever he mentioned their names, and before saying anything about them. This was the result of Phra Acharn Mun's radiating loving-kindness which spread out to induce peace and bliss in the world.
    The Venerable Acharn said that there were three times when he comprehensively radiated loving-kindness: in the afternoon during his sitting meditation, before going to sleep, and after waking up. There were several other occasions during the day and night when he also radiated loving-kindness in a small or [possibly more particular] way. These could not be counted or fixed. In his comprehensive radiation of loving-kindness, he would first balance his mind and radiate its force to traverse the worlds in all planes, upwards, downwards and horizontally without any interruption. The radiance of his mind at that time was indescribably bright, being limitless and unobstructed, and far brighter than hundreds or thousands of suns. There is nothing brighter than the mind that is completed purified. The radiance beaming out of an absolutely purified mind illumines the world and cools it with the tranquillizing effect it produces. There is nothing poisonous or harmful in this light which shines out of the dharma itself. A person with his mind radiating loving-kindness and purity is always welcomed with joy and reverence by both angels and human beings wherever he goes and stays. Even animals are not suspicious of him. They know that he means them no harm. The radiation of loving-kindness from such a mind is all-embracing, excluding none, being like raindrops falling to the ground.
 
 

 

Fear vs Dharma

    At night, when his mind is attacked by fear, a bhikkhu forces himself to do his walking meditation in the open. This is the battle between fear and dharma. If fear is defeated, the mind will be overwhelmed by courage and enjoy profound inner peace. If fear is the victor, it will multiply itself rapidly and prodigiously. The whole body will be enveloped by both a perspiring heat and a chilling cold, by the desire to pass urine and to defecate. That bhikkhu will be suffocated by fear and he will look more like a dying than a living man. The threatening roar of a tiger from a nearby place or from far away--at the foot of the mountains, on top of them, or in the plains--only serves to increase his already suffocating fear. Direction or distance mean nothing to such a bhikkhu, his only thought being that that tiger is coming to make a meal of him and that he is coming at that very moment! No matter how wide or vast that area might be, he will be hypnotized by his own fear into believing that that tiger knows of no other place to go to but the very spot on which he is walking. The passages for recitation to prevent fear disappear. Ironically, what remains is that passage which serves only to increase it. He will thus recite to himself 'The tiger is coming! The tiger is coming!'
    This is the way of defeat on the part of such a bhikkhu and his dharma development. It is the admission of defeat even before the battle has begun. It is the result of abandoning the dharma. The right way is to fix the mind on any theme of dharma, such as the recollection of death, in order to keep the mind inside, shutting it off from the source of fear outside. In life or in death, the mind must not be divorced from the recitation passage or the dharma contemplated. The mind that dwells despite attacks from fear, and then will come courage.
 
 

 

Abandonment and Detachment

    Phra Acharn Mun always taught his disciples to sacrifice whatever they thought belonged to them, including his body and mind, but to never abandon the dharma, be it the way of practice or recitation at the moment. Whatever is to happen, let it happen, for that is its natural course. Whatever is born is to die. It is impossible to resist death. That is against the law of nature. No benefit can be derived from such a perverse attitude of mind. The right way is to be courageous and determined  and not to worry about death.
    With regard to the place for mind development, the wilder such a place is--abounding with ferocious beasts and tigers--the better. In such a place, he said, the mind will be developed in meditation and wisdom. The tigers will help implant dharma into the mind, for when a person does not believe in the Buddha and is not afraid of him, but believes in tigers and is afraid of them, it can be a good thing after all. The fear of the tigers, the picturing of oneself being devoured by tigers, may be able to drive the mind to dharma. Knowing that it is helpless, such a mind will fix itself on a theme of meditation or recitation until it is absorbed in dharma. Then it will see the wonders of the dharma and believe in the Buddha. At such a critical moment will be developed the concentration which has not yet been developed up until that time. There will also occur the wisdom or insight which has not yet occured. A mind at leisure, without any compulsion, is inert and easily falls victim to evil influences. It then accumulates defilements, only to weigh itself down. The tiger, however, will help lift the weight off the coward's shoulders so that he may be unloaded to some extent, and will not have to tremble wherever he goes or stays.
    Wherever defilements are afraid, it is there that as spirant is advised to go. Wherever the defilements are not afraid, however, let the aspirant stay away from that place. To surrender to defilements' whispering urges is self-indulgence, from which nothing profitable can be gained. There can only be spiritual collapse in such a case which blinds the aspirant to all concepts of evil and merit.
    Phra Acharn Mun often stressed to his disciples that a place that does not, exercise any compulsion will not help develop the mind, but that a place where an aspirant is bound to be always cautious of lurking dangers can, in the end, be a great help to him. In such a place the mind dares not divorce itself from mindfulness, which then is the pathway of exertion. In critical moments let dharma be firmly fixed in the mind, for that is where dharma exists, and do not let the mind stray outside. Then will come strength of will and consequent security. Death cannot come when it is not yet its time, and instead of the death that was imagined and aniticipated will come unexpected strength of will and courage. It is this practice of holding fast to the dharma inside and not succumbing to outward influence that will lead an aspirant to the final fulfilment of his aim.
    There is no substantial development to be gained from self-complacency or self-discouragement. An aspirant must cultivate the live-with-dharma and die-with-dharma attitude of mind in every way, which alone can assure his advancement. This will enable him to face whatever dangers may stand in his way in wild and fearful places. The more critical the situation, the more firm the mind's hold must be on the theme of dharma selected. From such a mind the attacker will draw back, be it a tiger, a snake, or an elephant. The aspirant may even be able to walk right up to it. His attitude towards them is based on loving-kindness, which has a mysterious but real and profound influence. His mind is therefore more powerful then theirs. It is true that animals do not know this, but they can feel and sense it. This is the power of dharma which gives protection to the aspirant, meanwhile softening or neutralizing the ferocity of the animals. This is the mysterious power of the mind which is sel-evident but which is still difficult for others to realize who have not yet developed to the same level.
    As far as this aspect of dharma is concerned, it will always be mysterious to those who study it intellectually in various institutions, however worldwide they may be. It is when dharma unfolds in the mind that the mind will be able to know what dharma is, depending on the degree or depth of the dharma unfolded. When both are equally subtle, delicate and mysterious. And in level of complete union, it can be said that mind is dharma and dharma is mind. No contradiction now exists since the defilements [the contradictors] are removed.
    The priceless mind now appears to be worthless since it has become the tool of the defilements, being subjugated by them until its own value is lost. A mind living in such degradation, without any attempt to rectify or purify itself, will undergo hundreds or thousands of births and deaths in vain. No lesson is learnt, no improvement made, and no progress achieved. It is like a person changing one dirty and shabby shirt for another. He may have changed his shirt a thousand times, but in the end, the thousandth shirt is as shabby and dirty as the first one. But when another person gives up the dirty shirt for the sake of a new, cleaner one, he looks cleaner with his first change. This is a lesson for one who wishes to change the dress of his own mind, to improve its worth and to enhance its value. This is the most significant task for everyone, from an irretraceable past to an endless until the mind is uplifted to the point of finality, when no more change of dress for purification is needed. This refers to the Buddha and his Noble Disciples, the Refuges of all virtuous people, and even of vicious people, who, after all, do not discard or forget the Triple Gem. A comparison can be made with a great family having many offsprings, some good and some evil, but all having the greatest esteem for their parents.
 
 

 

The Way of Deprivation Based on Dharma Is One of Liberation

    Such was the mode of practice recommended by Phra Acharn Mun. Those who followed him obediently and reverently were bound to attain to the same inner development and insight dawning upon their own minds, this apart from the way of life his disciples have inherited and instructed their disciples in turn. All this reveals the significant fact that hte Buddha's Dispensation can still produce the same Path and Fruition as before.
    Frankly speaking, the mode of practice of the Venerable Acharn may be called the way of deprivation as far as material requisites are concerned. Food was not enough, places of shelter were poor, robes were always wanting, other requisites were lacking more or less. To those who are used to a life of comfort, luxury and entertainment, this way of life is nothing delightful in such deprivation and self-imprisonment. To Phra Acharn Mun, however, this life was accepted voluntarily and was supported by the dharma. Every moment of suffering and endurance was not without dharma, for this was self-training based on dharma. What appeared to be wretched and miserable to others became pleasant and comfortable to those whose life was guided by dharma and who willingly accepted all these privations.
    This way of practice can also be called the practice of self- denial. Whether in sitting, standing, walking or lying down, whether in eating or in doing anything, whether in travelling someplace or staying anywhere, there was always the denying oneself of the physical pleasor cries for ease or comfort. At times there would be an uninterrupted fast for several days in order to carrry on an uninterruped exertion. There was, of course, suffering during that period, but there was also mindfulness to remind the aspirant of his endurance for the sake of exertion.
    This way of practice is of course agreeable to those aspirants who are cut for this kind of austerity. For them to eat evey day may strengthen the health of body, but it enfeedbles the mind which has become dull and static. Thus only way is to sacrifice the strength of the body to some extent by fasting for a period of time. The duration of such a fast is up to the strength and endurance of the body plus the observation of the condition of one's own mind, both of which help to determine the middle point. In some cases, a fast can last for several days when it is found to not upset the point of balance. The suffering which then arises is counteracted by endurance, which is in turn strengthened by will power, which again is urged on by the determination to achieve the end of all suffering.
    During the period of fasting, an aspirant observing the conditions of his own mind will be able to know whether or not this mode of practice is agreeable to him. To some, the longer they fast, the more courageous and brilliant the mind is, it being strengthened and more dynamic.
    During meditation, the swinging pendulum of time stops--day and night are lost in the radiance of dharma, hunger and fatigue totally disappear. What prevails is ecstatic absorption in dharma. Now is the time for an aspirant to take adavantage of this opportunity when such defilements as laziness and fickleness are sleeping, as it were. If but once he is able to climb upon their backs and put a yoke on them, then he should not hesitate. A delay means greater rishk and the possibility of a great loss. Once they are allowed to wake up, the odds may be against him, who might become a tamed elephant at the mercy of the hook of the mahout, for long have our minds been dominated by the power of the defilements like an elephant under the mahout's hook. The mind dreads the hook just as a burnt child fears fire. What can counteract the mahout's hook of the defilements in this case is only the dharma.
    From the worldly point of view, however, mind and defilements have become inseparable companions. This produces two different categories of men: one, based on dharma, struggles for a life independent of the mahout's hook; the other, guided by the defilements, has to pamper them and submissively follow their orders. What results from this second way of life is self-evident to themselves and to others, for the force of the defilements accumulated in the mind will sooner or later be let loose in words and deeds. The harder the mahout strikes his hook, the more the blood of suffering is spilled from the wounded mind. This why as aspirant who realizes this truth is so determinded in his struggle for self-liberation. Hunger and other privations in the course of that struggle for are willingly accepted. Even death, when it is the result of that struggle, is regarded as a sacrifice on the alter of dharma. To such a mind the path is irreversible and absolute.
    Phra Acharn Mun, having realized through his own Attainment the forces of the defilements and dharma, went back to the Northeast and undertook to instruct his disciples in accordance with the dharma he had periodically attained to and realized. By that way he always encouraged bhikkhus and samaneras to be steadfast and to take delight in liberating themselves from the enslaving power of their own defilements.
 

 

The Five Powers

    The topic of dharma, most often taught by Phra Acharn Mun to encourage his disciples was the Five Powers of faith or confidence, exertion, mindfulness, meditation, and wisdom. He reasoned that as aspirant who always equips himself with these Five Powers can expect onl progress and development, never loss or decline, wherever he goes or stays. Following is the substance of his instruction to bhikkhus which is frank and straightforward, being highly enlightening and encouraging. It was, of course, in line with his way of life.
    'Saddhu refers to faith or confidence in the Teaching of Buddha which he has so kindly bestowed upon the world. Buddhists are among those who can be blessed with light of that Teaching., if we are sincere and earnest in our practice. We know that we are destined to die sooner or later. But the time when we dies is not quite as important as how we die. Are we going to die defeated by defilements, being entangled in the cycle of defilements, karma, and the results of karma? Or are we going to die having terminated the process of this cycle? The word 'defeat' is undesirable everywhere. Even children playing games want to win. They don't look for defeat. This should be a lesson for dhutanga bhikkhus who must strive courageously for victory. If he is defeated, his way of life is one of the defeated. His manner and his gestures are sure to be depressing, while his miseries are overwhelming. There is no benefit to be expected from such a death when a heap of suffering will be piled upon the dying person, giving him no breathing space.
    'To follow the Buddha and his Noble Disciples it is imperative that we have faith or confidence in him, believe his teaching, equip ourselves with his exertion and endurance, protect ourselves with his protective mindfulness, and follow his way of practice. Be steadfast in your duty. Do not be fickle through the lack of mindfulness. Strive with determination to fulfill the causes that produce the effects in the manner he has laid down for us. His is the Teaching for a man of wisdom. It is wisdom in all aspects in the manner he has expounded. We must cultivate this wisdom while listening, eating, drinking, in whatever we are doing, so as to avoid self-delusion or ignorance, which produces nothing good. What use can be expected from an ignorant man, woman, or child? A dhutanga bhikkhu must not be submerged in the slough of ignorance, which is taking things for granted. Such is not the Path to the Cessation of Suffering. It is never becoming to him who is recognized as a recluse [samana], the kind of people who must always equip themselves with wisdom.'
    These are the main points of his instructions given most often to his dhutanga bhikkhu disciples. It was bold and direct. It was meant for aspirants who were already determined in the battle between defilements and dharma, for those who were prepared to accept any challenge for the sake of final victory, which is Deliverance, Nirvana.
 

 

To Speak with Courage and Confidence

    It was learned from a Venerable Acharn who had been one of Phra Acharn Mun's elderly disciple that a gathering of bhikkhus and samaneras under his guidence, however large, looked like a gathering of those who had done away with all defilements. Never was there anyy uncontrolled word or gesture to be seen. All were modest and serene, whether they were where they dwelt or in a meeting. So flawless and impressive was their manner that one could easily be tempted to believe that all were arahants, were it not for the questions they put to the Venerable Acharn regarding their experiences during meditation development. What level each questioner had attained to, however, could be surmised from the questions asked, since those questions involved meditation and wisdom, from the elementary to the advanced level of insight.
    Whether in answering questions or instructing his bhikkhus, Phra Acharn Mun spoke out with such courage and confidence that his disciples were assured that the dharma which he spoke was the dharma which he had realized for himself, that it was not dharma which he had speculated about or imagined. The tacit assurance given his listeners was that if they persisted in their efforts in the manner he prescribed, one day they too would be able to realize the dharma of his Attainment.
    All of his instructions were modified to suit the degree of maturity of his listeners, who were bhikkhus, samaneras, and lay devotees. His explanations were given in detail so that they could be easily remembered and put into practice. To lay disciples especially he explained dharma which was relevant to them--generosity, morality, and mind-development. The Venerable Acharn taught them that these three practices are fundamental to birth as a human being and also to the life of Buddhism as a movement. Every human being must have accumulated at leasst one of the three in his or her former lives, otoherwise he or she would not have assumed a human body and taken birth in the human world.

    Generosity [dana] is the first expression of a noble human being, who is urged by compassion towards other human beings or animals in a condition inferior to him. This may be done in the form of money or other material goods, in the form of advice or counsel regarding secular or religious knowledge, the latter being called dhamma-danna. Generosity in this context must be done without hope for any return, except the inward karmic effect of generosity itself, which is the mind that has been conditioned and ennobled by that selfless purpose. Another aspect of generosity is the willingness to forgive another who has done wrong to oneself. A person taking delight in generosity [in its variously mentioned aspects] is recognized in society with a respectful love, regardless of his physical appearance. He is loved by men and also by invisible beings who can be collectively called angels [devata, both terrestrial and celestial]. Wherever he goes, he will never be in a helpless situation. In the world of human beings it is obvious how a person equipped with the practice of generosity can be said to have adorned himself with 'up-to-date, modern fashion', and to be delight to all. Generosity is looked forward to, even by a wealthy miser, not to mention helpless people. Those whose habit it is to practice generosity will, by the karmic effects there of, be far from privation, no matter in what plane of existence he takes his birth. The practice of generosity helps nourish and sustain human society, making life in it meaningful and hopeful. Without generosity the world would soon be bleak and barren. Hence the importance of generosity moved to generosity would surely run dry and become desolated, being devoid of all dharma.

Morality [sila] is the protective fence for the security and welfare of people's lives and property, and it's is also the preventative measure against doing harm to another person and feelings. It is another well-spring of higher  mind-ennoblement. A human being who cannot be restrained by any kind and degree of morality is like a devastating fire in the society in which he lives. When the majority of people are moved to behaving without the restraints of morality, just imagine what conflagration of crime and violence would sweep the world, consuming its inhabitants and laying waste its terrain! The world might might develop materially untill it can bury itself under its devices and gadgets for physical comfort, but it can also burn itself up by its own negligence of morality, which can produce a ray of heat far more devastating than many suns. Never can there be peace in a world which values matter above morality.
    The Buddha, a superman among men, was perfectly equipped with morality which he said is his ornament. This he kindly presented to the world with a view to adorning and uplifting its mind. By its very nature, a mind that is moved by the power of defilements emits heat which consumes itself and others. Without the restraint of morality, or, worse still, with the sinister tendency to feed and flatter defilements, it is evident how the world will soon become an inferno where peoples are victimized by the wild beasts or monsters or their own creation. This is the inevitable fate awaiting the world that allows itself to be dominated by its own defilements, as opposed to the world that pays heed to the Buddha's instruction, which always radiates peaceful bliss to all who care and dare to follow it. This difference should be weighted by Buddhists so that they may be able to reduce, if they are not yet able to remove, the power of defilements. Morality may therefore be likened to medicine for a chronic and epidemic disease. At the least, in some cases, the medicine will help to contain the disease, or, at the most, in other cases, the disease will be completely cured by it.
    The writer himself was so impressed and delighted in his sermon on the value of morality after having listened to it, that he could not help wanting to observe the Precepts of the lay devotees, forgetting the fact that he was already observing the bhikkhu's code of discipline, which is far broader. His joy and delight at that moment were quite overwhelming. This also serves to reveal a truth of another color--that of the person who, having been hypnotized by suggestive words to do evil, just cannot help being eager to follow that suggestion. It is therefore imperative that a person's thoughts should at all times be under the scrutinizing eye of mindfulness-and-wisdom in order to detect the nature of those thoughts and to deal with them properly and in time.

Mind-Development [bhavana] is the system of training the mind to accept the dictates of reason and dharma, to know how to deal properly with itself and other situations, and then to prevent the mind from being undisciplined and running wild. It is through the system of mind-development that an untrained mind can be calmed down and brought under control, which will be for the sake of its own peacefulness. An untrained mind is liked an untrained horse or any other kind of untrained animal, which cannot be expected to work for its master's benefit.
    Mind-development is exactly that: it is for the development or ennoblement of nothing other than the mind itself. It enables the mind to function properly in whatever work it is put to, be that work crude or delicate, small or great, internal or external. A person who submits himself to the system of mind-development is inclined towards thoughtful and dispassionate consideration before doing anything. This helps to minimize errors and wastage, together with danger and evil results that might occur to himself and others. The developed mind can therefore reap benefits for both the present and the future.
    Whatever there is to be done must be done well--not carelessly or half-heartedly, but with its possible advantages in mind. Mind-development, which is the ability to govern oneself in accordance with the law--the law of cause and effect and of righteousness--also mean self-government. In following such a law, no prejudice or personal likes and dislikes are allowed to insert themselves into a person's judgement. Many a person has been known to have been spoiled by succumbing to personal considerations and to have regretted their own decisions. The sooner they can return to self-government, the less bitter their regret. This is why the system of mind-development can help a person counteract his own prejudices and hasty conclusions, thus keeping his always on the Path of Righteousness. This system is naturally not without its difficulties, since it is nothing but self-control, which is commiting the monkey-mind to discipline. It is in sharp conflict with the raw nature of both the monkey and the mind.
    Mind-development is nothing but mind-observation. It is the observation of the spasmodic and flitting movements of the mind through the establishment of mindfulness [sati]. In order to establish that mindfulness, a theme for recollection or recitation is usually used. Some commonly used themes are the mantra-words buddho, dhammo, and sangho; objects such as hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth or skin; and the recollection of death. Mantra-words may be used either singly or in groups, by reciting them forwards and backwards. Here attempts must be made, or force exerted, to fix the mind upon the selected theme [hence the term 'exertion' for such continuous or uninterrupted attempts].
    When the mind can be made to dwell upon the theme that does not by its nature produce a harmful effect on an undeveloped mind, a blissful peace will come as a result. When the degree of that blissful peace is enough to sustain the mind, the theme previously used to establish it is no longer necessary, since the mind is now able to independently maintain itself and withdraw into the seclusion of inward peace. After a time it will emerge, that is, it will come back to the fomer level of consciousness. The aspirant is then advised to repeat the process for the sake of inward peace until he is 'at home' with it, being able to withdraw to the state at will. With this achievement, the mind that used to fall victim to evil influences will gradually be able to divorce itself from them and will come willingly to accept its own responsibility. There will be less force needed to be exerted on the mind in order to subject it to discipline.