Nong Pheu proved to be an excellent central location for dhu-
tanga monks of the kammaååhãna tradition who were obliged to
attend regular recitations of the Pãåimokkha^3 and receive Dhamma
instructions from their teacher. Those wanting to come with ques-
tions about their meditation practice could easily do so. During
the dry season, his disciples wandered off into the surrounding
mountains, living and practicing in the many caves and under
the overhanging rocks scattered throughout the rugged terrain.
Numerous small settlements of thatched huts dotted the moun-
tain ridges where five or six families eked out a living, growing
crops. Many dhutanga monks relied on those communities for
their daily alms food. But they could live conveniently anywhere
in the region’s thick forests since small village communities of ten
to thirty houses were scattered throughout.
The village of Ban Nong Pheu was situated in a rather broad
valley completely surrounded by mountains. The villagers made a
living by farming the land they could clear. Beyond that, forested
mountain ranges stretched in every direction, making it an ideal
place for dhutanga monks who easily found the kinds of secluded
sites they preferred.
Consequently, large numbers of dhutanga monks lived through-
out the region, in the rainy and the dry seasons alike. Many went
to see Ãcariya Mun regularly, and then wandered off again to prac-
tice in the mountains, walking down from there to hear his instruc-
tions, then returning to continue their practice. Some traveled from
other provincial districts, or even other regions, to train with him
at Ban Nong Pheu, especially in the dry season when travel was
more convenient.
Lay people also made the arduous journey to pay their
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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