to immediately determine the level of Dhamma he has realized
from that description. When a student tells the teacher about his
experiences in meditation, or when he asks advice about a specific
problem, he can assess his teacher’s level of attainment at that
time by gauging his responses. If the teacher has passed beyond
that point himself, he is already familiar with those experiences,
and he is able to use them as a starting point to advise his stu-
dent on how to proceed. Or, in the case of a specific problem, he
is able to pinpoint the nature of the problem in such a precise way
that the student accepts his advice without reservation. Perhaps
a student deludes himself into thinking he has reached the high-
est level of Dhamma, having completely transcended the different
stages. But, the teacher, through his own experience, knows this
to be untrue. The teacher must then explain to his student why
he is wrong, pointing out exactly where his thinking went astray.
Once he is willing to accept the validity of his teacher’s reason-
ing, he can safely avoid such dangers.
Once dhutanga monks have discussed the various aspects of
meditation practice among themselves and reach the point where
they know and accept the truth of their respective levels of attain-
ment, there is then no need for further confirmation. The princi-
ples of truth that have been discussed constitute their own proof.
Practicing monks use this knowledge to determine one another’s
level of Dhamma. From the teacher on down to the junior monks,
they all rely on evidence gathered in this way. As for intuitive
knowledge of these matters, it requires an inner faculty to which I
can lay no claim. I shall leave this matter to those with the appro-
priate expertise. It is a special case requiring individual skill.
The regular conversations on meditation that Ãcariya Mun
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1