1
The Early Years
t
he Venerable Ãcariya Mun Bhýridatta Thera was a vipas-
sanã meditation master of the highest caliber of this present
age; one who is truly worthy of the eminent praise and admi-
ration accorded to him by his close disciples. He taught the pro-
found nature of Dhamma with such authority and persuasion that
he left no doubts among his students about the exalted level of his
spiritual attainment. His devoted followers consist of numerous
monks and laity from virtually every region of Thailand. Besides
these, he has many more devotees in Laos, where both monks and
lay people feel a deep reverence for him.
His story is truly a magnificent one throughout: from his
early years in lay life through his long endeavor as a Buddhist
monk to the day he finally passed away. Nowadays, a life of such
unblemished excellence is harder to come by than a lode of pre-
cious gemstones.
Ãcariya Mun was born into a traditional Buddhist family
on Thursday, January 20, 1870, the Year of the Goat. His birth-
place was the village of Ban Khambong in the Khongjiam dis-
trict of Ubon Ratchathani province. His father’s name was Kham-
duang; his mother’s Jun; and his family surname Kaenkaew. He
was the eldest child of eight siblings, though only two of them