vinced of his ability to levitate, though this did not occur every
time he entered samãdhi.
From the beginning of his practice to the end of his life,
Ãcariya Sao’s citta tended to have this smooth, imperturbable qual-
ity; in sharp contrast to the wholly adventurous nature that char-
acterized Ãcariya Mun’s citta. Unlike him, Ãcariya Sao was not
so motivated to live dangerously, seeking adventure; nor did he
tend to perceive the variety of unusual phenomena that Ãcariya
Mun invariably did.
Ãcariya Mun told us that, once, in ages past, Ãcariya Sao
had resolved to become a Paccekabuddha.^19 Intensifying his
efforts at meditation caused him to recollect his longtime resolu-
tion, and his lingering attachment to that goal made him reluc-
tant to strive for Nibbãna in the present. It soon became apparent
that this vow would block any attempt to realize Nibbãna in his
lifetime; therefore, he immediately decided to renounce the old
vow. In its place, he resolved to attain Nibbãna as soon as possible.
He became determined to reach this goal within his present life-
time in order to avoid the misery of being reborn in the future.
Having forsaken his original vow, and thus, unhindered
by previous commitments, his meditation practice progressed
smoothly until one day he finally reached the Land of Ultimate
Happiness that he had been aiming for. However, his teaching
skill was very limited, probably due to a natural predisposition
toward becoming a Paccekabuddha: someone who has no incli-
nation to teach others although he is able to fully enlighten him-
self. Furthermore, the fact that he could so easily give up his origi-
nal resolve and then achieve his new goal meant that his previous
vow had not yet matured to the stage of being irreversible.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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