are constantly on the assault. They inflict deep internal wounds,
gradually eroding a person’s physical and mental health until the
damage becomes acute. Such wounds are extremely difficult to
treat. In any case, most people can’t even be bothered to look for
suitable care. Though such kilesa-inflicted wounds tend to fester
menacingly, those who are afflicted usually neglect their injuries,
hoping they will somehow heal by themselves.
This sort of kilesa-infested jungle exists in the hearts of all
human beings – men, women, monks, and novices – without dis-
tinction. Ãcariya Mun said that he used life in the wilds as a
means of cutting back this wild inner jungle, which otherwise
could be so savage and disturbing that the heart never experi-
enced any peace and quiet. At least by living alone in the wil-
derness he could quell the kilesas enough to feel comfortable and
relaxed. He felt that this was the only sensible way to use our nat-
ural human intelligence, and thus not squander the good fortune
inherent in human birth.
Monks who sought out Ãcariya Mun in the wilderness tended
to be especially courageous and self-sacrificing, so he trained them
in ways that suited their uncompromising attitude and the harsh-
ness of their environment. Training methods that he found appro-
priate for himself were suitable for them as well. If necessary, they
were willing to die to achieve their goal. As long as they lived, they
were dedicated to the struggle for Dhamma in order to transcend
the world and end the perpetual cycle of birth and suffering.
The training methods that Ãcariya Mun employed with the
monks he encountered in Chiang Mai differed from those he pre-
viously used. They were far more rigorous and uncompromising.
The monks who came to train under his guidance were mostly
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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