ness creeps in, blocking our progress. Lacking the ability to
help ourselves, we have to look to others for support. Other-
wise, we couldn’t carry on in this life. The maxim: attãhi
attano nãtho – oneself is one’s own refuge – is meaningless
for us if we cannot breath through our own noses. Dhutanga
monks who are dedicated to the practice shouldn’t always
have to depend on others for life and breath.“Listen to your teacher, think about what he teaches, and
commit yourselves to attaining it. Don’t let his teaching just
slip through your grasp to no avail. Be persistent. Consider
what he says and follow his example until you see the bene-
fits within yourselves. Then you no longer need to lean on
him for support. You’ll be breathing through your own noses,
meaning you will have developed the knowledge and wisdom
needed to rid yourselves of dukkha. Gradually, you will become
more confident, more self-reliant, until finally you become
full-fledged, fully-independent monks in your own right.”Ãcariya Mun brought up this matter to give the monks on alms-
round with him something to contemplate. As he paused for a
moment, the rather obtrusive monk began to prattle away on his
own without considering the impropriety of such an intrusion.
Perhaps this monk’s idiocy struck a dissonant chord deep within
Ãcariya Mun, for he turned around and gave him a severe rebuke
that took the other monks aback, making them all somewhat
apprehensive.
“You must be mad! You’re like a rabid dog that pounces and
chews furiously on any old piece of wood tossed at it. Why don’t