I could give a much better talk than this. I made those listen-
ing laugh a lot so they didn’t get tired and sleepy. I had a special
rapport with the audience which kept them howling with laugh-
ter. Still others think: It’s rumored that this monk knows the
thoughts of others. So whatever we think, he knows immediately.
Why, then, doesn’t he know what I’m thinking right now? If he
knows, he should give some sign – at least indirectly, by saying
that this or that person shouldn’t think in such and such a way
because it’s wrong. Then we would know if he deserves his repu-
tation. Some people come ready to find fault so they can show off
their own cleverness. These types are not interested in Dhamma
at all. Expounding Dhamma in their presence is like pouring
water on a dog’s back – they immediately shake it all off, leaving
not a drop behind.
Ãcariya Mun would often laugh when talking about this
type of person, probably because he was amused by his occasional
encounters with such ‘clever’ people. He said that some people
who came to see him were so opinionated they could barely walk,
the burden of their conceit being much heavier than that which
an ordinary mortal could carry. Their conceit was so enormous
that he was more inclined to feel trepidation than pity for them,
which made him disinclined to talk to them about Dhamma. Still,
there were certain social situations where this was unavoidable, so
he struggled to say something. But as he was about to speak, the
Dhamma seemed to vanish and he could think of nothing to say.
It was as if Dhamma could not compete with such overbearing
conceit – and so, it fled. All that remained was his body, sitting
like a lifeless doll, being stuck with pins, and ignored by everyone
as though he had no feelings. At such times, no Dhamma arose
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1