Ãcariya Mun related that in ages past he had made a sim-
ilar resolution – in his case, a solemn vow to become a Buddha.
As with Ãcariya Sao, intensifying his efforts at meditation caused
Ãcariya Mun to recollect this long-standing intention, and this
underlying attachment made him reluctant to strive for the attain-
ment of Nibbãna in his present life. Ãcariya Mun renounced his
vow to be a Buddha only after he began practicing dhutanga kam-
maååhãna, for he then realized that its fulfillment would take far
too long. It required eons of traversing the round of saÿsãra: being
born, growing old, becoming ill, and dying over and over again,
enduring misery and pain indefinitely.
Renouncing the original vow relieved Ãcariya Mun of this
concern, opening the way for his meditation to progress smoothly.
The fact that he could so easily abandon the original vow indi-
cates that it was not yet so firmly fixed in his conscious being that
he couldn’t detach himself from it.
Ãcariya Mun often accompanied Ãcariya Sao on his excur-
sions wandering dhutanga across the provinces of the Northeast
region. Due to differences in personality, their meditation experi-
ences varied in some respects; but each very much enjoyed the other’s
company. By nature, Ãcariya Sao preferred to say very little. He was
a reluctant teacher, especially of the laity. Occasionally obliged to
give instruction to lay supporters, he was always very frugal with
words. The little he did say could be summed up like this:
“You should renounce evil and cultivate goodness. Being
fortunate enough to be born human, don’t waste this good
opportunity now. Our status as human beings is a very
noble one; so, avoid all animal-like behavior. Otherwise,