Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

difficult to discern the exact moment when an Arahant reclining
in the ‘lion’s posture’ passed away. His breathing was the only vis-
ible sign of life and that became ever more refined as he lay qui-
etly, as if asleep, without the slightest movement in any part of
his body, until his breathing gradually ceased altogether. Those
Arahants who demonstrated death in a standing posture stood
erect, assuming a reflective pose with the right hand placed on
the left hand, head slightly bowed and eyes firmly closed. They
appeared to reflect momentarily before slowly slumping into a
heap on the ground – first in a sitting position, then slumping
gradually further, until, softly, like cotton wool, they lay on the
ground. Arahants, who died while walking in meditation, paced
back and forth about six or seven times before gently slumping to
the ground where they lay perfectly still.
When giving these demonstrations, the Arahants came to
within six feet of Ãcariya Mun so he could clearly view every aspect
of their passing away, which created a lasting impression in his heart.
Listening to him recount those episodes, I felt the urge to shed tears.
I had to turn my face to the wall as this strange feeling overcame me.
Otherwise, I might have created a stir, which could have become
an embarrassing epilogue to this story. The total Nibbãna of those
Arahants was accomplished with a serene gracefulness that stands
in marked contrast to the distress typically suffered by most people
at the time of death. I was so moved by hearing how each Arahant
passed away that I simply couldn’t hold back my tears. Those amaz-
ing individuals were taking final leave of the world of conventional
reality with all its chaos and confusion – which is an amazing thing
to contemplate. I am sure that anyone else who listened would have
been deeply affected in the same way.