Lord Buddha, that supremely pure individual whose all-powerful
loving compassion encompasses the whole of the sentient uni-
verse. Does the great authority you boast give you power to over-
ride the authority of Dhamma, and of kamma – those immutable
laws that govern the existence of all living beings?”
The creature replied: “No, sir.”
Ãcariya Mun then said: “The Lord Buddha possessed the
skill and the courage to destroy those insidious mental defile-
ments that like boasting of power and authority. Thus, he ban-
ished from his heart all thoughts of beating or killing other people.
You think you’re so smart, have you ever given any thought to
taking decisive action against the kilesas in your heart?”
The creature admitted: “Not yet, sir.”
“In that case, such overbearing authority will just make you
a cruel, savage individual, resulting in very grave consequences for
you. You don’t possess the authority needed to rid yourself of evil,
so you use the fires of magic against others, unaware that you’re
actually burning yourself. You are creating very grave kamma
indeed. As though that weren’t bad enough, you want to attack
and kill someone who represents the virtues of Dhamma which
are central to the world’s well-being. How can you ever hope to
lay claim to laudable virtues, when you insist on engaging in evil
behavior of such unparalleled brutality?
“I am a man of virtue. I have come here with the purest
intentions – to practice Dhamma for my own spiritual benefit,
and the benefit of others. Despite that, you threaten to pound me
into the ground, giving no thought to the consequences of such
an evil deed. Don’t you realize that it will drag you into hell where
you will reap the terrible misery you have sown? Rather than feel
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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