and the forest tradition to which they belong. Establishing a monk
in bodhidhamma is very similar to raising a child. First the monk is
taught how to develop a firm basis in moral discipline. Then he’s
taught how to use that moral excellence as a basis for his medi-
tation practice, focusing inward to develop sufficient knowledge
and understanding that will allow him to safely look after himself.
The spiritual development of each and every monk represents an
extremely difficult challenge because implanting virtuous quali-
ties deeply into the heart of someone who is oppressed by the kile-
sas is always a very demanding task. The teacher must be on his
guard at all times, exercising complete mastery over every type of
kilesa so that the student remains earnestly motivated to undergo
the training. Persistent practice under a good teacher allows the
student a chance to bring his own character into harmony with
Dhamma and so steadily grow in confidence and determination.
On our own, we all suffer from kilesas. Everyone coming
to train under a teacher is equally full of kilesas. So it is diffi-
cult for them to find the strength necessary to drag one another
to safety. I believe the most difficult task any human being can
undertake is that of trying to transform an ordinary monk into a
monk who’s truly worthy of the highest respect. That task is fur-
ther complicated when the teacher tries to encourage the student
to shift from his original, mundane position up to the transcend-
ent levels of Sotãpanna, Sakadãgãmï, Anãgãmï and Arahant.^10
The degree of difficulty increases dramatically with each succes-
sive level of attainment. In all likelihood, insects will come along
and chew at its roots, boring into them until the whole tree top-
ples to the ground before the nascent Bodhi tree has a chance to
sprout and branch out, developing into a useful specimen. This
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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