chance to answer all the correspondence he had received. He told
Chao Khun Dhammachedi that he had read all his letters, but he
reckoned they were small and insignificant compared to the ‘big
letter’ that had just arrived; so, now he was ready to reply. That
said, both monks laughed heartily.
At the first opportunity, Chao Khun Dhammachedi person-
ally invited Ãcariya Mun to return to the province of Udon Thani
where he once lived so many years before. Chao Khun Dham-
machedi informed him that his disciples in Udon Thani, missing
him very much, had asked him to invite Ãcariya Mun on their
behalf. This time he could not object – he had to accept. Chao
Khun Dhammachedi suggested they work out a timetable for
picking up Ãcariya Mun and escorting him back to Udon Thani.
They decided on the beginning of May 1940.
As his departure from the mountain retreat became immi-
nent, large groups of terrestrial devas pleaded with him to stay.
Being very reluctant to see him leave, they told him that devas
from all realms experienced peace and contentment while he
lived there, due to the power of loving kindness which emanated
from him and issued in all directions – day and night. Feeling
very happy in his presence, they all greatly revered him. They
were unwilling to have him leave for they knew that their sense of
contentment from his presence would soon fade. Even their social
cohesion could be affected as a result.
Ãcariya Mun told them that, having given his word, he must
leave. He must honor his promise – he couldn’t possibly renege
on it. Unlike most people, a monk’s word is a solemn covenant.
A monk is a man of virtue so he must remain true to his word. If
he goes back on a promise, his virtue immediately disappears and
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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