will let it die. But he will never relinquish his citta, or the mindful-
ness and wisdom which maintain and protect it. He is committed
to fighting on to victory. Failure is never an option. He displays
the attributes of a warrior who expects to be victorious, and thus
reach a sanctuary that is truly safe and secure. Practicing with
unwavering faith in the principles of Truth, he is certain to per-
sonify the maxim: dhammo have rakkhati dammacãriÿ – Dhamma
protects those who practice it faithfully. If, however, he practices
in a hesitant, halfhearted fashion, the outcome will only contra-
dict the Truth, never validate it. It cannot be otherwise, because
Dhamma, the svãkkhãtadhamma, requires that results be directly
correlated with their causes.
Despite all the rewards the world seems to offer, a dhutanga
monk prefers to concentrate on the immediate, inner rewards
offered by the sãsana. For example, the peaceful calm of samãdhi
and the intuitive wisdom needed to extract the kilesas piercing
his heart, both reward him with a steadily increasing sense of
contentment that is clearly evident, moment by moment. These
immediate, tangible results are the ones a dhutanga monk strives
to realize. In doing so, he cuts through burdensome problems and
unresolved doubts. If he truly has the capability to transcend the
world in this lifetime – be it today, tomorrow, next month, or next
year – this feat will be accomplished by means of his unflagging
diligence at each and every moment.
Ãcariya Mun employed inspirational teaching methods to
reinforce this fighting spirit, regardless of whether his students
were sick or not. He insisted his monks always be warriors fight-
ing to rescue themselves from danger. But it was in times of ill-
ness that he placed special emphasis on being uncompromising.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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