Ven. Acariya Mun - Spiritual Biography + photos

gating the increasingly more subtle defilements at the highest stage
of the Transcendent Path (arahattamagga), their development is a
prerequisite for reaching this level of practice and thus for attaining
the ultimate goal, Nibbãna.
mindfulness (sati): Attentiveness; the ability to keep one’s attention
deliberately fixed on whatever one chooses to observe. In all forms of
meditation, this means an uninterrupted span of attention focused
directly on the chosen object of meditation or on the unfolding
process of occurring phenomena that is the subject of investigation.
Mindfulness is the one faculty that’s essential to every type of med-
itation. Without it the mind will invariably falter and fail to achieve
its objectives.
nãga: A special class of non-human beings comprising all kinds of ser-
pents. Nãgas include snakes, deities associated with bodies of water,
and spirits of the earth and the realm beneath it. As such, they rep-
resent the vital potential of falling rain and flowing water. Nãgas are
a class of beings whose primary role is that of protector and benefac-
tor. They are said to be able to change their formal appearance at
will. In the ancient texts there are many stories of nãgas presenting
themselves in human guise. Nãgas were known to have great respect
for the Buddha and his disciples.
nãma: Mental phenomena. Nãma refers to the mental components of per-
sonality (nãma khandha), which include feelings, memory, thoughts,
and consciousness.
Nibbãna (skt. Nirvana): Literally meaning “extinguished”, Nibbãna is
compared to a lamp or a fire going out. That is to say, the three-
fold fire of greed, hatred and delusion goes out in the heart due
to lack of fuel. The extinguishing of this fire frees the mind from
everything that binds it to the cycle of rebirth and the suffering
experienced therein. Nibbãna is Absolute Freedom, the Supreme
Happiness. As such, it is the ultimate goal of the Buddhist training.
It is said to be Unborn, Deathless, and Unconditioned, but being
totally detached from all traces of conventional reality, a descrip-