Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

way since there were no automobiles back then. Each monk had
to carry his own belongings – he could expect no help from others.
For this reason, each monk took with him only as much as he
could conveniently manage. Since it was awkward to be loaded
down with too many things, only absolute essentials were taken.
As time went on, this frugal attitude became an integral part of a
monk’s character. Should someone give him something extra, he
would simply give it away to another monk to avoid accumulat-
ing unnecessary possessions.
The true beauty of a dhutanga monk lies with the quality of
his practice and the simplicity of his life. When he dies, he leaves
behind only his eight basic requisites^14 – the only true necessities
of his magnificent way of life. While he’s alive, he lives majesti-
cally in poverty – the poverty of a monk. Upon death, he is well-
gone with no attachments whatsoever. Human beings and devas
alike sing praises to the monk who dies in honorable poverty, free
of all worldly attachments. So the ascetic practice of wearing only
the three principal robes will always be a badge of honor comple-
menting dhutanga monks.
Ãcariya Mun was conscientious in the way he practiced all
the dhutanga observances mentioned above. He became so skill-
ful and proficient with them that it would be hard to find anyone
of his equal today. He also made a point of teaching the monks
under his tutelage to train themselves using these same ascetic
methods. He directed them to live in remote wilderness areas,
places that were lonely and frightening: for example, at the foot of
a tree, high in the mountains, in caves, under overhanging rocks,
and in cemeteries. He took the lead in teaching them to consider
their daily almsround a solemn duty, advising them to eschew