the whole world had momentarily vanished from their awareness.
What remained was an awareness of the heart united in perfect
harmony with Dhamma, an experience so amazing and gratify-
ing it defies description. For days thereafter the dynamic power
of his Dhamma seemed to subdue their kilesas, as though he had
issued them all a defiant challenge. Inevitably, their kilesas grad-
ually reemerged after several days, until they were finally back in
full force. By then, another meeting had been scheduled where
Ãcariya Mun subdued them once more, giving the monks a few
more days of relief.
All dhutanga monks earnestly striving to reach the Dhamma
that transcends dukkha feel an exceptionally strong bound with
their teacher. Eradicating the kilesas requires that individual
effort be inextricably combined with the help and advice of a
good teacher. When confronted with an intractable problem,
a monk practicing on his own will hurry back to consult his
teacher who clarifies the nature of the problem, allowing the stu-
dent to understand its underlying causes and so overcome his
doubts. Sometimes while a monk is struggling with a problem
which is too complex for him to resolve on his own, his teacher
unexpectedly explains the solution of that very problem to him,
immediately eliminating that obstacle so his student can proceed
unhindered.
Practicing monks are able to determine the precise levels of
Dhamma that their fellows, and even their teacher, have attained
by listening to their discussions about meditation practice. This
knowledge helps to foster an atmosphere of mutual trust within
the circle of practice. When a monk explains the nature of his
experiences and the stages he has passed through, it is possible
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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