ance reminds a dhutanga monk not to be careless by thinking in
ways that contradict the very virtue he is trying to develop. On
guard, he immediately becomes conscious of any lapses in judg-
ment, which in turn fosters mindfulness to catch such oversights
in the future. Considered in its entirety, dhutanga asceticism is
broad in scope, each separate practice having a very distinct pur-
pose. Provided a monk understands the true purpose of each dhu-
tanga he undertakes and then observes them properly, they are
easily capable of totally eliminating his kilesas. They are powerful
enough to deal a decisive blow to every type of kilesa – no kilesa
is beyond their reach.
As long as we dread the hardships involved in observing
ascetic practices, then the kilesas have little fear of us. The hard-
ships that the kilesas cause us, when there are no ascetic practices
to suppress them, are somehow forgotten, opening the way for us
to accuse these practices of being too difficult – or even obso-
lete. When our own thoughts become our enemies, the kilesas are
secretly held in high regard; but in our rush to admire them we
fail to realize this. The harmful effects of this supportive admira-
tion are plain, and plainly infinite in scope.
The monk who truly practices any one or more of the dhu-
tangas inevitably presents a pleasing, dignified appearance. His
basic needs are easily taken care of. What he eats and where he
sleeps are never a problem for him. He is always contented with
the simple belongings he possesses. Unencumbered by emotional
attachments and material possessions, he feels mentally and physi-
cally buoyant. Even lay people can benefit from undertaking some
of the dhutanga practices, just as the monks do, since both monks
and lay people are burdened with the same kinds of kilesas. The
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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