absolute clarity, just how they are interrelated. At that moment of
realization, his citta ‘converged’ into complete calm – a moment
that saw his spiritual resolve immeasurably strengthened, and his
bodily illness totally vanish. The illness, the pain, the mind’s pre-
occupations – all disappeared simultaneously.
Remaining only briefly in complete stillness, his citta with-
drew slightly, reaching the level of upacãra samãdhi. This ‘lumi-
nous’ citta then left the confines of his body and immediately
encountered an enormous, black man standing fully thirty feet
tall. The towering figure carried a huge metal club – twelve feet
long and thick as a man’s leg. Walking up to Ãcariya Mun, he
announced in a menacing voice that he was about to pound him
right into the ground. He warned Ãcariya Mun to flee that very
instant if he wished to remain alive. The metal club resting on his
shoulder was so huge that a single blow from it would have been
enough to pound a large bull elephant into the earth.
Ãcariya Mun focused his citta on the giant spirit, asking
why he wanted to club to death someone who had done noth-
ing to warrant such brutal treatment. He reminded the giant that
he had harmed no one while living there; that he had caused no
trouble deserving of such deadly punishment. The giant replied
by saying that he had long been the sole authority guarding that
mountain and would never allow anyone to usurp that authority.
He felt compelled to take decisive action against all intruders.
Ãcariya Mun’s response was reproachful: “I did not come
here to usurp anyone’s authority. I came to carry on the noble
work of spiritual development, for I aim to usurp the authority
that the kilesas exercise over my heart. Harming a virtuous monk
in any way is an absolutely despicable act. I am a disciple of the
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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