Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

of Nong Bua Lamphu and Ban Pheu. He stayed at the village of
Ban Kho for the rains retreat while spending the following rains
in the Tha Bo district of Nong Khai province. He remained prac-
ticing for some time in both these provinces.
As mentioned previously, Ãcariya Mun lived mostly in wil-
derness areas where villages were spaced far apart. Since the
countryside was relatively unpopulated then, he could easily put
the teaching into practice. Virgin forests abounded, full of great,
tall trees which were still uncut. Wild animals were everywhere.
As soon as night fell, their myriad calls could be heard echo-
ing through the forest. Listening to such sounds, one is carried
away by a sense of camaraderie and friendliness. The natural
sounds of wild animals are not a hindrance to meditation prac-
tice, for they carry no specific meaning. The same cannot be said
for human sounds. Be it chatting, singing, shouting, or laughing,
the specific meaning is immediately obvious; and it is this sig-
nificance that make human sounds a hindrance to meditation
practice. Monks are especially vulnerable to the sounds of the
opposite sex. If their samãdhi is not strong enough, concentration
can easily be destroyed. I must apologize to women everywhere
because my intention here is not to criticize women in any way.
It is the unsuccessful meditator that I am addressing here so that
he may arouse mindfulness as an antidote to counter these influ-
ences and not merely surrender meekly to them. It’s possible that
one reason monks prefer to live in mountains and forests is that
it allows them to avoid such things in order to relentlessly pursue
the perfection of spiritual qualities until they reach the ultimate
goal of the holy life.^25 Ãcariya Mun enjoyed living in forests and
mountains right up until the day he passed away, a preference