they never spoke making a lot of noise the way humans do when
going to see an ãcariya they revere. This is probably due to the
refined nature of their celestial bodies, which restrict them from
behaving in such a gross manner. Here is an area in which human
beings can be considered superior to devas – talking loudly. Devas
are always very composed when listening to a Dhamma, never
fidgeting restlessly or showing any conceit that could disturb the
speaking monk.
Ãcariya Mun usually knew beforehand when the devas would
be arriving. For instance, if they were planning to come at mid-
night, by early evening he was aware of it. On some occasions he
had to cancel a scheduled meeting with the monks for that evening.
At the appropriate hour Ãcariya Mun left his walking meditation
path and sat entering samãdhi until the time approached for the
devas to come. He then withdrew his citta up to the access level,^23
sending out the flow of his citta to see if they had arrived. If they
had not arrived yet, he continued with his samãdhi practice before
sending his citta out again to check. Sometimes, the devas had
already arrived or were just in the process of arriving. At other
times, he had to wait, continuing his samãdhi practice for some
time before they came. On rare occasions, when he knew that
they would be arriving late – like at one, two, or three A.M. – he
would practice for a while and then take a rest, getting up to ready
himself just before the devas were expected to arrive.
Gatherings of devas, who came to see Ãcariya Mun, did not
happen very often nor in very large numbers while he lived in the
Northeast. They came only infrequently to listen in on his talks
to the monks. But when they did, he would dismiss the monks
as soon as he became aware of their presence, entering quickly
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1