ixVenerable Ãcariya Mun Bhýridatta Thera is a towering figure
in contemporary Thai Buddhism. He was widely revered and
respected during his lifetime for the extraordinary courage and
determination he displayed in practicing the ascetic way of life
and for his uncompromising strictness in teaching his many dis-
ciples. During the 50 years since his death, he has assumed an
exalted status in Buddhist circles and thus remains an overshad-
owing presence whose life and teachings have become synony-
mous with the Buddha’s noble quest for self-transformation. In
recent decades, he has gained recognition beyond the confines of
his native land as one of the 20th century’s truly great religious
figures.
The story of Ãcariya Mun’s life is a vivid portrait of a consum-
mate spiritual warrior unrivaled in modern times who practiced
the Buddha’s path to freedom with such perfection that he left
those who knew and revered him in no doubt that he truly was a
Noble disciple.