even stood right in the middle of it. They glanced around, survey-
ing the whole area for about 10 to 15 minutes, then left. This sur-
veillance routine continued day after day for many weeks.
The villagers showed no concern whatsoever about the per-
sonal welfare of these two ‘tigers’. They were not interested in
whether or not they had enough food and other necessities to sur-
vive. Thus, the living conditions of these two tigers were difficult
in the extreme. The most they received on almsround was plain
rice. On some days, it was just barely enough to satisfy them; on
other days, it wasn’t nearly enough, even though they drank a lot
of water with it as well.
Since there was no cave or cliff overhang in which they
could take shelter, they lived and slept under the trees, putting
up with exposure to the sun and the rain. When it rained in that
area, it tended to rain all day. After the rain abated and things
dried out a bit, they went looking for dry leaves and grasses to
construct a make-shift thatched roof, giving them some limited
protection against the weather. It provided enough cover to sur-
vive from day to day, albeit with much discomfort. When it rained
heavily, they sheltered under their tent-umbrellas with the cloth
sheeting hanging down around them as protection against the
cold wind.^7 Often the rain was accompanied by strong winds that
came howling down out of the mountains, blowing their umbrel-
las, soaking their belongings, and leaving both monks drenched
and shivering. If it happened during the daytime, they could at
least see what they were doing while collecting their requisites to
look for some cover. But when it occurred at night, the situation
was extremely trying. They were unable to see even as the rain
poured down and the cold wind blasted through the trees, caus-
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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