seclusion at Sarika Cave in the Khaw Yai mountains of Nakhon
Nayok province.Sarika Cave
Ãcariya Mun spent three years living and practicing in Sarika
Cave. His entire stay there was filled with the most unusual expe-
riences, making it a memorable episode in his life. To the best
of my recollection, he first arrived at Ban Gluay village, the vil-
lage nearest the cave and thus close enough to be convenient for
almsround. Unfamiliar with the area, he asked the villagers to
take him to Sarika Cave. Straightaway they warned him that it
was a very special cave possessing numerous supernatural powers,
insisting that no monk could possibly live there unless his virtue
was pure. Other monks who had tried to live there quickly fell ill
with a variety of painful symptoms – many had even died before
they could be brought down for treatment. They told him that the
cave was the domain of a spirit of immense size possessing many
magical powers. It also had a very foul temper. This giant spirit
guarded the cave from all intruders – monks being no exception.
Unexpected occurrences awaited all intruders into the cave, many
of whom ended up dead. The spirit delighted in testing any monk
who came bragging about his mastery of magic spells for warding
off spirits. Invariably, the monk would suddenly fall ill and die a
premature death. Fearing that Ãcariya Mun might die likewise,
the villagers pleaded with him not to go.
Curious about the talk of a huge, malevolent spirit with
supernatural powers, Ãcariya Mun asked and was told that a