embraced and taken to heart they then exert a powerful influ-
ence on that person, one no other force in the world can match.
Were this not the case, people would not have the self-assurance
to act upon their intentions – be they good, or evil. It is precisely
because they take such matters to heart that they can act boldly
upon them. Having assumed this attitude, the outcome becomes
inevitable.
This was especially evident among practicing monks who
revered Ãcariya Mun. By taking the Dhamma that he taught to
heart, those monks became uncompromising in their respect for
him. The power of their belief in him was so strong that they
would even dare to sacrifice their precious lives for him. But
although they could have given their lives without difficulty, their
strong faith in him was never sacrificed. It was this extraordinary
magnetic quality he possessed that so attracted people and engen-
dered such veneration in them, both during his lifetime and after
he passed away.
As for myself, well, I have always been a rather hopeless
individual, so my sentiments are very different from most people’s.
Although over twenty years has elapsed since his death, to me it
feels as if Ãcariya Mun passed away only yesterday. And though
his body died at that time, his citta seems never to have passed
away. I feel he is always here with me, helping me continually.
AS A CONCLUDING CHAPTER to his biography, I would like to present
a representative sample of the teachings Ãcariya Mun gave, begin-
ning with comments he made at the onset of his final illness and
ending with his last instructions to the monks – teachings which