Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

were listening to Ãcariya Mun’s parting words and mourning his
imminent departure. At that moment, all three elephants resem-
bled real, living animals, rather than mere psychic images. At his
command, the two elephants, carrying the young monks, slowly
backed out of the cave, facing Ãcariya Mun with an imperiously
calm demeanor all the while. Then, as Ãcariya Mun sat astride
its neck, the hindquarters of Ãcariya Mun’s elephant began to
bore its way into the cave wall. When half of the elephant’s body
had penetrated the wall of the cave, Ãcariya Mun’s citta began to
withdraw from samãdhi. The nimitta ended at that point.
Having never experienced such an unusual nimitta before,
Ãcariya Mun analyzed it and understood its meaning as being
twofold. Firstly, when he died, two young monks would attain
Dhamma after him, though he didn’t specify who they were.
Secondly, samatha and vipassanã are valuable assets for an Arahant
to have from the time of his initial attainment until the time he
passes away. During this whole period, he must rely on samatha
and vipassanã to be his ‘Dhamma abodes’,^21 easing the discomfort
that is experienced between the citta and the five khandhas, which
remain interdependent until that moment – popularly known as
‘death’ – when the mundane khandhas and the transcendent citta^22
go their separate ways. At death, samatha and vipassanã cease to
function, disappearing like all other mundane phenomena. Fol-
lowing that, nothing further can be said.
Most people would have been terrified to see the elephant
they were riding bore its rear end into the wall of a cave. But in
the event, Ãcariya Mun felt unperturbed – he simply allowed the
elephant to complete its appointed task. At the same time, it was
heartening for him to know that two young monks would realize