looked like. It was not easy to get permission to take Ãcariya
Mun’s picture. Those who tried were on pins and needles, fidget-
ing nervously as they waited drenched in sweat, looking for a good
opportunity to broach the subject with him. Well aware that he
rarely gave permission for such activities, they were afraid that if
they did not handle the situation properly, then he might simply
dismiss them with a curt retort.
Ãcariya Mun stayed at Wat Suddhawat monastery for awhile
before moving to a small forest monastery near the village of Ban
Na Mon which, being very quiet and secluded both day and night,
suited him perfectly. The monks and novices living with him
were an impressive sight – they said very little, but packed quite a
punch. That is to say, instead of chatting among themselves, they
preferred to put effort into their practice, each monk sitting in his
own hut or walking meditation out in the forest. At four o’clock in
the afternoon they all emerged from their living quarters to sweep
the grounds together. With the whole area swept clean, they drew
water from the well and carried it around to fill up the water bar-
rels used for cleaning their feet and washing their alms bowls.
These chores completed, everyone bathed together at the well
in an admirably quiet, composed manner. They performed each
daily chore with a remarkable self-control, always applying mind-
fulness and wisdom to analyze the nature of the tasks at hand –
no one absentmindedly engaged in idle conversation. As soon as
the day’s duties were finished they separated, each monk return-
ing to his hut to sit or walk in meditation as he saw fit.
When the monks returned to their huts, the monastery
appeared deserted. A visitor happening to arrive then would not
have seen a single monk simply standing around or sitting idly. Had
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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