and die there in disgrace. That would be immensely heart-
breaking for me.”Any monk who showed weakness when in pain could expect such
uncompromising treatment. The same kind of punishing rebuke
was meted out to a monk who succumbed to weakness or discour-
agement while undertaking any harsh training practice, since they
were obstacles preventing him from making use of the various
investigative techniques at his disposal. Ãcariya Mun constantly
urged his monks to display the fighting spirit necessary to over-
come these impediments, so they very often heard this dynamic
teaching. For them, seekers of the true Dhamma, his words were
a kind of therapy which roused their courage, invigorated their
practice, and kept their spirits high. Thus buoyed, they were ready
to advance triumphantly, step by step, up the path to that sphere
of blissful contentment the Dhamma promises to reveal. Inspir-
ing commitment, his stimulating instruction dispelled tendencies
toward weakness and laziness that prepare the way for the misery
of saÿsãra.
WHILE ÃCARIYA MUN lived there, two monks died in the monas-
tery at Ban Nong Pheu, and another one died close by, at Ban Na
Nai. The first to die was a middle-aged monk who ordained spe-
cifically to practice meditation. Living in Chiang Mai as Ãcariya
Mun’s disciple, he eventually followed his teacher to Udon Thani,
and then Sakon Nakhon – sometimes staying with him, some-
times practicing alone, until he finally passed away at Ban Nong
Pheu. He was very skilled in samãdhi meditation, and, prompted