irrespective of what it was or how much it may have cost. In terms
of actual poverty, perhaps no monk was poorer than Ãcariya Mun.
The combined amount of all the donations he received during his
life was prodigious, but the amount he gave away in charity was
equally as great, if not greater. Whatever he was given, he very
soon passed on to someone in need. Even on occasions when he
had nothing to give away, he thought of other ways to be of help,
though he did this unobtrusively. His beneficence often provided
nearby monasteries with much-needed assistance. As the result of
a life of self-sacrifice, even after his death people from all over the
region continuously arrived with offerings to place before his body
as it lay in state at Wat Suddhawat monastery.
Prominent senior monks, in consultation with local govern-
ment officials, decided that it would be best to keep Ãcariya Mun’s
body for several months before proceeding with the cremation.
Agreement was reached that the cremation should take place
during the period of the waxing moon in January of 1950. With
this in mind, they arranged a special casket to hold the body.
At four o’clock that afternoon, a large crowd of laity, monks,
and novices came to attend the funeral bathing rites for his body.
When this ceremony was completed, his body, still draped in his
monk’s robes, was wrapped in many layers of white cloth and
placed respectfully in the special casket. The casket’s entire front
panel was made of glass, allowing those coming from afar, who
had never before seen him, to view his body. No one was to be
disappointed. The community of monks, headed by Chao Khun
Dhammachedi, decided to arrange nightly sessions of sutta chant-
ing to honor him, accompanied by discourses on Dhamma, which
were always well attended.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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