willing to sacrifice their lives for him. The Venerable Ananda is an
excellent case in point: He had such unwavering affection for the
Buddha that he was willing to sacrifice his life by throwing him-
self into the path of the wild, charging elephant that Devadatta
had let loose in an attempt to kill the Buddha.
In Ãcariya Mun’s case, dhutanga monks listened to his
instructions with great reverence, enthusiastically taking them
to heart. This was especially evident when he advised one of his
monks to go live in a certain cave in order to give his practice new
impetus. Monks, singled out in this manner, never objected, but
faithfully followed his recommendations with genuine conviction,
refusing to allow fear or concern for their safety to become an issue.
Instead they were pleased, feeling that their practice was bound
to be strengthened by living in the locations he recommended.
This in turn infused them with determination to strive relent-
lessly both day and night. They were convinced that, if Ãcariya
Mun suggested a certain location to them, then their efforts there
were sure to be rewarded with good results – as though they had
received an assurance of success from him in advance. This could
be likened to the assurance that the Lord Buddha gave to the
Venerable Ananda, just prior to his Parinibbãna, when he told him
that in three months time his heart would be free from all kile-
sas. He was predicting that the Venerable Ananda was certain to
attain enlightenment, becoming an Arahant on the opening day
of the First Sangha Council.^16 It’s obvious that devout obedience
to the teacher is vitally important. It engenders an unwavering
interest in practice, guards against carelessness and apathy, and so
helps to anchor the basic principles of Dhamma in the disciple’s
heart. It facilitates the establishment of a common understand-
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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