ment of divine intervention. Although the wilderness he passed
through teemed with dangerous wild animals like tigers, elephants,
bears, and snakes, he did never encounter them. The only ani-
mals he came across were harmless ones. Normally, someone trek-
king through such a wilderness would encounter dangerous wild
animals daily, especially tigers and elephants. And there was a
very strong possibility that that person might be killed by one of
those savage beasts. Surely his own safe passage can be attributed
to the miraculous properties of Dhamma, or miraculous interven-
tion by the devas, or both. The villagers who helped him escape
were very concerned that he would not survive the threat posed
by dangerous wild animals, but there had been no other choice.
Had he remained in Burma, the threat posed by the war and the
English soldiers was even more imminent. So opting for the lesser
of two evils, they had helped him escape from the land of blood-
thirsty people, hoping that he would survive the savage beasts and
enjoy a long life. Which is why he was forced to make the peril-
ous trek that nearly cost him his life.
Please contemplate these mysterious happenings for your-
self. I have recorded the stories just as I heard them. But being
reluctant to pass judgment on them alone, I would prefer that you
come to your own conclusions. Still, I cannot help but feel amazed
that something so seemingly impossible actually occurred. Due to
the rigorous nature of Ãcariya Chob’s dhutanga kammaååhãna life-
style, he has had many other similar experiences, for he always
prefers living and practicing in remote wilderness areas. Since
he lives deep in the forest, few people dare to go visit him, so his
involvement with society is very limited.
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1