This monk truly was a stubborn character, reluctant to
accept advice from anyone, just as Ãcariya Mun indicated. After
considering Ãcariya Mun’s remarks and reaching a definite deci-
sion, he went to take his leave. As he approached, Ãcariya Mun
immediately asked him where he was going.
“Where are you off to? You look all dressed up, and ready to
march earnestly into battle.”
“I’m going off to die in that cave you told me about.”
“What! What did I say to you: go die in that cave, or go
meditate there?”
“Well, you told me to meditate there, not die there. But I
know from the other monks that there’s a tiger living in the cave
above the one I’ll be staying in. They say that the tiger’s cave is
just close by – it comes and goes there all the time. When it goes
out to hunt for food, it will pass right in front of my cave, so I have
my doubts about remaining alive there. I was simply voicing my
apprehension.”
“Many other monks have already stayed in that cave, on
many different occasions, and none of them were devoured by
tigers. So, why should a tiger suddenly decide to come gobble
you up? What’s the difference between your flesh and the flesh
of those other monks that makes it so much more likely to whet
a tiger’s appetite? Where did you get this savory flesh tigers like
so much that they are waiting to pounce on and devour only you
and no one else?”
Ãcariya Mun then explained about the deceptive nature of
the mind that deludes people in ways that are far too numerous
to easily keep up with.
“If you don’t examine everything and test it out with a crit-
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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