Three Arahants attained total Nibbãna at the cave in
Chiang Dao – two while reclining in the ‘lion’s posture’ and one
while walking meditation. Prior to giving Ãcariya Mun a visual
demonstration of how his death had occurred, each Arahant gave
him a detailed explanation of why he had chosen to pass away in
that posture. Very few died while standing or walking. Many more
did so while sitting, but the majority passed away while reclining.
On the basis of what he had seen, Ãcariya Mun came to the con-
clusion that over the centuries many Arahants had passed away
in Thailand. As far as I can remember, they included the three
Arahants at the cave in Chiang Dao, one in the Wong Phra Chan
mountains, one at Tago Cave in Lopburi province, one at Khow
Yai in Nakhon Nayok province, and one at Wat Dhatuluang mon-
astery of Ko Kha district in Lampang province. There were others
as well, but unfortunately I can no longer recall them.
“Nibbãna” is a term used exclusively with reference to Buddhas,
Paccekabuddhas, and Arahants, all of whom have expunged from
their hearts every trace of the kilesas leading to future birth. It
is not a term associated with living beings who still have kilesas,
for those beings continue to accumulate the seeds of future births
in their hearts constantly, thus making the designation “Nibbãna”
entirely inappropriate for them. Having died here, they are reborn
there; dying there, they’re reborn somewhere else. Negligent human
beings who’ve made no effort to develop virtuous qualities in this
life so as to enhance their future lives, may well be reborn as ani-
mals after they die. The opportunities for birth as an animal are
more numerous than those for birth in the much higher human,
deva, and brahma realms. So those who prefer making bad kamma
may be on one of the many paths to rebirth in the animal kingdom,
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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