the procession eventually reached Ban Phu monastery shortly
before dark. The journey had taken all day because we followed
the more circuitous route, skirting the edge of the mountains, to
make it easier for him and the many elderly men and women deter-
mined to follow him all the way. Upon arriving, we invited him to
rest in a low pavilion where his needs could easily be attended. It
was also a convenient place for monks and lay people to pay him
their respects.
Ãcariya Mun’s sojourn at Ban Phu monastery dragged on
for many days, his condition steadily worsening the entire time.
Meanwhile, each new day brought visiting crowds of monks and
lay people from the surrounding area. Some even came at night.
All were eager for a chance to meet him and pay their respects.
Though well aware of his illustrious reputation, most of them had
never made his acquaintance. They had heard the news that he
was certainly a modern-day Arahant who would soon pass away
into Nibbãna. It was rumored that those who met him would be
blessed with good fortune, while those that didn’t would have
lived their lives in vain. So they were all anxious to benefit by
coming to pay him homage. They did not want to feel they had
wasted their birth as human beings.
The very first morning after arriving at Ban Phu, Ãcariya
Mun demanded to know when he would be taken to Sakon
Nakhon. He told his disciples that it was not his intention to die
at Ban Phu – they must take him on to Sakon Nakhon without
further delay. His senior disciples replied that they planned to wait
for a short while for him to recuperate, then they would proceed
to Sakon Nakhon as he requested. So Ãcariya Mun let the matter
drop for awhile. The next day he again asked the same question.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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