Ãcariya Mun taught his monks to be very resolute and cou-
rageous in their practice. Anyone who was not earnestly com-
mitted to the practice was unlikely to remain with him for long.
About once a week he called a meeting and gave a talk; on other
nights he expected the monks to expedite their efforts on their
own. Those with doubts or questions about their practice could
consult him without having to wait for the next meeting. An aura
of Dhamma pervaded the atmosphere around him, giving his stu-
dents the feeling that magga, phala, and Nibbãna were truly within
their reach. His reassuring presence gave them the determination
and courage necessary to pursue their practice to the limit, con-
ducting themselves in a manner that suggested they had the high-
est attainments in their sights. When meditating, they made little
distinction between day and night; each monk strived in earnest
regardless of the hour. On moonless nights, candle lanterns illu-
minated meditation tracks around the whole area. On moonlit
nights, monks walked meditation by the light of the moon, each
practicing with a sense of urgency that allowed him very little
time for sleep.
ÃCARIYA MUN’S PROFICIENCY in chanting the suttas was unrivaled.
He chanted suttas alone for many hours every night without fail.
He would chant long discourses, like the Dhamma-cakka-pavat-
tana Sutta and the Mahã Samãya Sutta, nearly every night. Occa-
sionally, he translated the meaning of the suttas for our benefit,
translations based on his own personal experience. He spoke
directly to their essential meaning, often bypassing the strict rules
of Pãli grammar normally used to maintain uniformity in transla-