warned to go armed and in groups lest they should be attacked by
the two tigers.
As it happened, Ãcariya Mun was beginning his evening
meditation at precisely the time the announcement was made to
the village community. So, Ãcariya Mun, who was the object of
this warning, was also privy to the whole affair. He was deeply
saddened by the senseless accusations; but, instead of feeling
angry or discouraged, he felt only ineffable loving compassion
for the local villagers. He was concerned that the majority might
naively believe such slanderous talk and, therefore, be burdened
by its dreadful moral consequences until they died – at which
time they might well be reborn as tigers. Early the next morning,
he informed his disciple of what he had seen.
“Last night the village headman assembled everyone and
announced that we are ‘tigers in disguise’. We were both accused
of being tigers who are disguised as monks in order to deceive
them into trusting us so that we can then destroy both their per-
sons and their properties. Because of this, they have no faith in
us at all. If we were to leave here now while they still harbor these
negative thoughts, they may all be reborn as tigers when they die
- a grievous kamma indeed. So for their benefit, I think it’s incum-
bent on us as monks to remain here and put up with the situation
for a while. We must endure the ensuing hardships until they’ve
changed their attitude before we move to another location.”
Not only did the villagers distrust them, but groups of three
or four armed men often came to keep an eye on them. Sometimes,
they stood watching from a distance. But at other times, seeing
Ãcariya Mun walking meditation, they came closer and stared at
him from the end of his walking path, or from the side of it, or
