the mysterious phenomena existing beyond the range of the phys-
ical senses. Such phenomena are mysterious only to those unable
to perceive them; they cease to be a mystery to those who can.
This same principle applies to dhammãbhisamaya.^2 So long as the
Lord Buddha was the only person capable of comprehending the
true nature of Dhamma, that Dhamma remained a mystery to
everyone else. But once the Buddha’s Arahant disciples compre-
hended that same Dhamma, its true nature ceased to be a mystery
to them. So it is with the mysterious phenomena mentioned above:
they cease to be a mystery to those who can perceive them.
At the time of the Lord Buddha, he and his Arahant dis-
ciples were the only ones capable of fully comprehending the mys-
terious nature of Dhamma, and the only ones capable of perceiv-
ing every type of mysterious external phenomena. Such things
were not common knowledge. Many people at that time were
incapable of perceiving these mysteries. At most, they had heard
about such things, and, after consideration, they came to believe
in them, being satisfied of their existence even though they hadn’t
perceived them directly. Others, who also considered the matter,
refused to believe in these mysteries. This became a hindrance to
their practice, preventing them from unreservedly following the
Lord Buddha and his Arahant disciples. It is the same today: only
those possessing an innate capacity to perceive these phenomena
can uncover their mysteries; for the rest it’s just hearsay. Whether
we choose to believe in such things or not, there is unlikely to be
any scientific evidence to prove their existence. I too might have
been tempted to disbelieve, but I never found enough reason to
be skeptical. So I have tried to remain impartial and simply write
Ãcariya Mun’s story as he and his senior disciples related it to me.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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