ÃCARIYA MUN HAD the knowledge and the ability to confer Dhamma
excellence on his monk disciples. As a result, many of them devel-
oped into veritable Bodhi trees^8 in their own right. This type of
Bodhi tree is extremely difficult to plant and nurture to matu-
rity for it tends to be surrounded by hazards. Many disciples of his
who became senior ãcariyas are still alive today. Some of them I
have already mentioned by name. Ãcariya Mun’s senior disciples
include such well-known ãcariyas as Ãcariya Sing and Ãcariya
Mahã Pin from Ubon Ratchathani, Ãcariya Thet from Tha Bo in
Nong Khai, Ãcariya Fan from Sakon Nakhon, Ãcariya Khao of
Wat Tham Klong Phen in Udon Thani, Ãcariya Phrom from Dong
Yen village of Nong Han district in Udon Thani, Ãcariya Lee of
Wat Asokaram in Samut Prakan, Ãcariya Chob and Ãcariya Lui
from Loei province, Ãcariya Sim and Ãcariya Tei from Chiang
Mai, and Ãcariya Kongma from Sakon Nakhon.^9 There are still
many others whose names I cannot recall. Each of these ãcariyas
possesses certain exceptional qualities setting him apart from the
rest.
Each is outstanding in his own distinct way, and all are worthy
of the highest respect. Some being quite famous, they are well-
known to monks and lay people across the country. Some by nature
prefer to live in quiet seclusion. There are senior disciples of Ãcariya
Mun possessing exceptionally virtuous qualities who remain virtu-
ally unknown because they naturally prefer to live in anonymity.
More than any other teacher in the Northeast region of
Thailand Ãcariya Mun was able to firmly establish monks in bodhi-
dhamma. Bodhi means wisdom. The Bodhi of the Lord Buddha is
called Enlightenment; but in the case of these ãcariyas I would
prefer to simply call it bodhidhamma, as befits their humble status
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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