the difficulties, battling pain and discomfort but never reversing
course. Otherwise, the kilesas will make fun of them as they dis-
grace themselves and the yellow robes they wear. Even more dam-
aging is the discredit they do to the monkhood – an order of spir-
itual warriors who never accept defeat – and the sãsana which is
the principal basis for all mankind. Better they sacrifice their lives
to redeem themselves and the yellow robes, than allow themselves
to perish in disgrace. In that way, they redeem the monkhood and
the religion as well.
Dhutanga monks use such exhortations to embolden them-
selves to strive for victory, thus honoring the Dhamma that some
day will undoubtedly lead them to that sublime domain beyond
dukkha. Only the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha is capable of
showing the way to that sublime transcendence. It is without a
doubt the one straight path leading to the land beyond suffering.
There is not a more esoteric way that can be taken to avoid the
difficulty of putting maximum effort into the practice. Alterna-
tive paths are all littered with stumbling blocks that constantly
thwart the wayfarer’s hopes of success. They inevitably cause pain
and frustration, leading to despair and a lack of confidence that
the chosen way will ever lead to a state of total freedom.
Before emerging as a revered teacher of such renown, Ãcariya
Mun practiced with the attitude that cemeteries were irrelevant
to him. That is, he was prepared to discard his body wherever
he happened to be when he breathed his last breath. He felt no
qualms about dying for the sake of Dhamma. Later, when instruct-
ing his students, he taught them in a forceful, dynamic fashion
that stressed the sharp, incisive tactics he had honed to perfec-
tion in his own practice. His teaching was mentally stimulating,
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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