the Lord Buddha and his Arahant disciples encountered and then
proclaimed to the world over 2500 years ago. Having at long last
encountered it himself, he tirelessly paid heartfelt homage, pros-
trating himself over and over again to the Buddha, the Dhamma,
and the Sangha. Should people have seen him then, tears stream-
ing down his face as he prostrated over and over again, surely
they would have assumed that this monk was suffering immensely,
shedding tears so profusely. They probably would have suspected
him of beseeching the guardian spirits, living in all directions, to
help ease his pain; or else of being on the verge of madness, for
his behavior was extremely unusual. In fact, he had just arrived
at the truth of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha with utmost
clarity, as epitomized in the maxim: He who sees the Dhamma, sees
the Tathãgata, and thus abides in the presence of the Buddha, the
Dhamma, and the Sangha. Ãcariya Mun was simply engaged in the
kind of conduct befitting someone who is overwhelmed by a sin-
cere sense of gratitude.
That night celestial devas of all realms and terrestrial devas
from every direction, paid tribute in a resounding exclamation
of approval that reverberated throughout the world systems, and
then gathered to listen to Ãcariya Mun expound the Dhamma.
But being still fully engaged in his immediate commitment to the
Supreme Dhamma, he was not yet ready to receive visitors. So, he
signaled to the assembled devas that he was occupied, indicating
they should return on a later occasion. The devas then left, thor-
oughly delighted that they had seen a visuddhi-deva on the very
night when he attained Nibbãna.^15
At dawn, Ãcariya Mun rose from his meditation seat, reflect-
ing still on the unforgettably amazing Dhamma. Thinking back
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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