he put into his practice was truly amazing. Qualities such as these
helped to ensure that samãdhi and wisdom steadily progressed,
never showing any signs of decline. Since the day he first discov-
ered body contemplation to be the right method for the prelim-
inary work of meditation, he kept that contemplation always in
mind. Assiduously maintaining that method, repeatedly investi-
gating his body, over and over again, he became very skilled at
mentally dissecting the various body parts, large and small, and
then breaking them apart with wisdom. Eventually, he could dis-
sect his entire body at will and then reduce the whole lot to its
constituent elements.
Through perseverance, Ãcariya Mun steadily and increas-
ingly attained more peaceful and calmer states of mind. He wan-
dered through forests and over mountains, stopping at suitable
locations to intensify his practice; but, never did he relax the per-
sistent effort he put into all his activities. Whether walking for
alms, sweeping the grounds, washing a spittoon, sewing or dying
his robes, eating a meal, or simply stretching his legs, he was aware
of striving to perfect himself at every waking moment and in all
activities, without exception. Only when the time came to sleep
did he relent. Even then, he resolved to get up immediately, with-
out hesitation, as soon as he awoke. He made sure that this habit
became ingrained in his character. The moment he was conscious
of being awake, he rose quickly, washed his face, and resumed his
meditation practice. If he still felt sleepy, he refused to sit in med-
itation right away for fear of nodding off to sleep again. Instead,
he practiced walking meditation, striding back and forth to dispel
the drowsiness that threatened to overtake him at the slightest
lapse in vigilance. If walking slowly proved ineffective, he sought
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1