ciently strengthened by higher spiritual attainment did the com-
passion arise which made teaching his fellow monks a priority.
Such compassionate considerations were the reason why he left
the peace and tranquillity of Sarika Cave to journey back to the
Northeast.
Previously, his early years of wandering dhutanga in the
northeastern provinces had given him an opportunity to instruct
some of the kammaååhãna monks he met there. In those days, he
had found a large number of dhutanga monks practicing in various
locations throughout the Northeast. In making this return trip,
Ãcariya Mun was determined to teach the monks and laity who
trusted his guidance, putting all his energy into the task. Return-
ing to the same provinces he had once wandered through, he
found that monks and lay people everywhere soon gained faith in
him. Many of them, inspired by his teaching, ordained as monks
to practice the way he did. Even some senior ãcariyas, teachers in
their own right, discarded their pride and renounced their obliga-
tions to practice under his tutelage, their minds eventually becom-
ing so firmly established in meditation that they were fully confi-
dent of their ability to teach others.
Monks among the first generatn of Ãcariya Mun’s disci-
plesincluded Ãcariya Suwan, the former abbot of Wat Aranyika-
wat monastery in the Tha Bo district of Nong Khai province;
Ãcariya Singh Khantayãkhamo,^1 the former abbot of Wat Pa Sal-
awan monastery in Nakhon Ratchasima; and Ãcariya Mahã Pin
Paññãphalo,^2 the former abbot of Wat Saddharam monastery in
Nakhon Ratchasima. All three of these venerable ãcariyas came
originally from the province of Ubon Ratchathani – all have
now passed away. They were influential disciples whose teaching
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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