sãsana has been transmitted by means of supaåipanno, uju, ñãya,
sãmïcipaåipanno sãvakasangho^6 as practiced by all those who have
attained magga, phala, and Nibbãna. They are like a vast stream
of the great deathless ocean of Nibbãna, shimmering forth from
the pristine nature of those who have practiced to perfection what
the Buddha taught.
Ãcariya Mun was one of the Arahants of this present age.
He passed away not so long ago on November 10, 1949, about
20 years ago.^7 The story of his passing away will be described later
when we reach the final chapter of his life. In any case, physical
death has existed since time immemorial and will continue to
exist as long as some form of conventional reality still remains.
What arises must pass away. What remains unconditionally is
the prodigious wonder of the Lord Buddha’s infinite compassion,
wisdom, and absolute freedom, all of which are enshrined in the
sãsana. Such intrinsic qualities being exactly the same, Ãcariya
Mun’s unqualified compassion, wisdom, and absolute freedom
remain unchanged in the same way as those of the Lord Buddha.
For us, it is essential that we faithfully practice the way laid down
by the Buddha – the degree of success we have will depend on
the amount of time and effort we put into the practice. This is
something we should all take an interest in while we are still alive.
Without making an effort to practice, no results can be achieved,
and the opportunity will be irrevocably lost.
ONE OF THE ANSWERS that Ãcariya Mun gave to the people of
Nakhon Ratchasima especially caught my attention. Here is a
summary of what he said: