Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

is perfectly capable of receiving the light of Dhamma – provided
we practice the way in earnest. We all accept the fact that we will
have to die some day. The key issue is: will we die defeated by the
cycle of kilesas and the cycle of kamma and its results? Or, will we
overcome them, defeating them all before we die? No one wants
to be defeated. Even children who compete at sports are keen on
winning. So we should rouse ourselves and not act as if defeated
already. The defeated must always endure suffering and anguish,
accumulating so much dukkha that they cannot find a way out.
When they do seek escape from their misery, the only viable solu-
tion seems to be: It’s better to die. Death under those conditions is
precisely defeat at the hands of one’s enemy. It is a result of piling
up so much dukkha inside that there’s no room for anything else.
Positive results cannot be gained from abject defeat.
If we are to die victorious, like the Lord Buddha and the
Arahants, then we must practice with the same faith, effort, and
forbearance as they did. We must be mindful in all our bodily and
mental activities, as they were. We must take our task very seri-
ously and not waver uncertainly like someone facing a crisis with-
out mindfulness to anchor him. We should establish our hearts
firmly in those causes that give rise to the satisfactory results that
the Buddha himself attained. The sãsana is the teaching of a great
sage who taught people that they too can develop wisdom in all
its many aspects. So we should reflect on what he taught. We
should not wallow in stupidity, living our whole lives in ignorance.
No one considers the word ‘stupid’ to be a compliment. Stupid
people are no use. Adults, children, even animals – if they are
stupid, they are hardly any use at all. So if we remain stupid, who’s
going to admire us for it? We should all analyze this matter thor-