PATIPADA – CHAPTER IX: ABOUT BEINGS IN THE REALM OF GHOSTS
We must return once again to the story of Venerable Acharn Chob which is not yet finished.
At one time he was staying in a cave in the province of Chiang Mai and it seems that it was very favourable for his practice of Dhamma. While there he experienced all sorts of things both internally and externally, much more than before and much more extensively and quite different from everywhere else he had been. He soon saw that this was a good opportunity for him to progress, so he stayed on doing his practice there for many months.
His investigation of Dhamma was good and clear both by day and by night, the weather was good and the cave was open with a good flow of air through it all the time, so he had no problems with external conditions which were comfortably cool and constant. But in that place there was something which he felt was unusual in connection with samadhi bhavana. When he did some investigation within his heart it became calm in a very subtle way, and when he came out of samadhi to go the way of developing wisdom, it was nimble and skilful without any fumbling, groping and sluggishness, which are signs that laziness has crept in. He said that while he was there he was constantly visited by Devatas from many different levels and places, both high and low, but he considered that this was quite normal. What was unusual was the large number of “ghosts” that were moving house with their families from various districts in the Northeast of Thailand and going to settle in the hills of the province of Chiang Mai. Some were riding on horses or cattle holding their children and belongings, and moving their families, passing by in front of the place where he was staying. As soon as they came close to where he was staying, the leader of the group would bring all his followers to pay respect to the Acariya. He asked them why these ghosts were all moving like this. They replied that they were moving their families and relatives from their village — they told him the name of the village — and they were going to a hill, which they named, in the province of Chiang Mai. They also told him that where they had come from there was little food, conditions were very difficult and people had no sense of morality (Sila–Dhamma). All the time they were robbing, plundering and killing each other. As ghosts have characteristics that are very like human beings, they become ghosts without any moral sense by following the ways of people. They tormented and harmed each other in the same way as people were doing, causing trouble and confusion so that it was not peaceful like it used to be. Then they heard from relatives who came to visit them, that here in Chiang Mai one can find happiness for the moral behaviour of the people is better than elsewhere. They also heard that there were other beings living in the district of Chiang Mai who were similar to themselves and who were unknown and unrecognised by human beings, and that they were also well imbued with moral behaviour and had more peace and happiness than elsewhere. Therefore they decided to move there following the advice of their relatives (one must understand that their relatives were also ghosts).
The Acariya asked:
“When you say that conditions are difficult and there is little food, how is this since you do not depend on rice, fish and other foods, nor on housing, clothing and other things connected with living and eating, as people do. For these are what would make you work with hardship to plant and build things, as well as providing the conditions for those who make trouble by thieving and plundering from each other, as happens in the world of people?”
He replied:
“As long as one is a being who has the results of kamma (vipaka) attached to oneself, wherever one is born and lives one always has results of kamma to support and help one, and to bring one trouble and suffering, in the same way as it does with all other beings. Whether one is born with a material body or any other kind of body is not so important, for what really matters is whether one is endowed with good or evil kamma. One takes birth and goes to live in some form of existence in a particular place and it is this one himself who lives there just for the happiness and suffering which he is destined to experience. Therefore, to be in want, and to have plenty, are both found in beings who have good and evil kamma, but how strong or weak they are depends on the background of each individual.”
The Acariya asked:
“When you said that some ghosts have Sila–Dhamma (a moral basis) and some do not, how is this? Do you mean that ghosts know the meaning of Sila–Dhamma in the same way that people do?”
He answered saying:
“Sila–Dhamma is a universal thing, it is not only found in human beings, but everywhere. The virtue and happiness in this principle of nature, is known by beings everywhere in the world, but they may or may not have a name for it, because the name is not so important as the nature of it which all beings like and are bound to depend on. That ‘virtue’ is in fact Sila–Dhamma, and the happiness that arises from that virtue is also an aspect of Sila–Dhamma. But they are different in that the former is causal and the latter is resultant. In saying that ghosts have Sila–Dhamma, I mean of course, those ghosts who have good characteristics and whose behaviour towards the other ghosts is good. And also, in saying that ghosts do not have Sila–Dhamma, I mean those ghosts who are not good and who have bad characteristics, and whose behaviour towards the others is not good. This is much the same as people who are good and bad, and it shows up in their different forms of behaviour respectively. Therefore wherever Sila–Dhamma is found, it is peaceful, and wherever it is lacking, there is trouble.”
The Acariya asked:
“What does it mean when you talk about your relatives, and since when have you been relatives to each other?”
He answered:
“The relatives of ghosts and the relatives of people are the same. In other words, previously when we were humans we were related together as brothers and sisters and so on, and we were close together and had a high regard for each other in the way people do. Then, when we died we all came back to birth as ghosts, and we can clearly remember each other so we have been inseparable blood relatives ever since we were human beings and will remain so until kamma separates us, causing us to be born elsewhere so that we have no way to remember each other.”
The Acariya asked:
“When you live here in Chiang Mai, won’t you be thinking of your old home with longing, in the same way as people get homesick when they move to another district?”
He answered:
“There is nothing to long for, because ghosts do not have farms and homes like people. All we have are a few subtle personal possessions which we carry with us, so there is nothing to long for.”
The Acariya asked:
“Why do you carry these baskets and things along with you to clutter you up; and why do you bring these horses and cows? Wouldn’t it be better to leave them behind?”
He answered:
“Those things which are useful to ghosts and those things which make up their wealth are bound to cause attachment in ghosts. Or, to put it another way, there is no real difference between the results of kamma in ghosts and in people, nor between that which makes up the wealth of ghosts and of people when either of them have kamma–results inherently with them.” The Acariya asked: “Where you lived before, and where you are going to live in the Chiang Mai district, are you all bound to have houses to live in and friends about the place, or do some of you live differently?”
He replied:
“We are bound to have houses, children, relatives and friends in the same way as people and other beings do. Because we are beings of one kind in the same way as all others, but our bodies are not visible to human eyes and the eyes of some other beings. Although we are quite visible to those who have Deva bodies, and we all have happiness and suffering in the same way, because the hearts of the ghosts and the hearts of all other beings have kamma and the results of kamma in the same way. So that wherever one is born, whatever type of birth one has and wherever one lives, one must experience the results of kamma in the same way as all other beings.”
The Acariya said that when he saw these ghosts moving their families, husbands, wives, children and relatives going by in large numbers, they were in no way different from human beings when they move their family to a new home. They gave the same kind of impression of being loaded down with all sorts of things which they were carrying along with them, outwardly showing their suffering, anxiety and unhappiness. Just like people moving home and also like some other creatures such as ants carrying their eggs from one home to another. It made him think of the Dhamma aphorism, where it says:
“Kamma disposes of beings in many different ways so that they experience different things in accordance with the results of the kamma which they have done. In whatever state and wherever they are born they come under the overruling influence of their good and evil kamma, as also does their sukha and dukkha and there are no exceptions to the law of kamma at all. Those who do good will be rewarded by the result of happiness, and those who do evil will get the result of suffering (dukkha).”
These two principles of happiness and suffering are to be found in beings everywhere regardless of their form of birth. The only difference is that they are more gross or more subtle, depending on how gross or subtle the bodily form is. Or to put it briefly, this is just the bodily home of our happiness and suffering. Therefore one should not get so excited about birth, which has an equal status with death. For one who does not want to die but desires to take birth in various different forms, is in fact desiring nothing but death.
The Acariya said,
“I have thought about these ghosts and the various Devas that I have met and seen, and compared their situation with my own and with that of other beings generally, until I came to understand quite clearly that all are enmeshed in this mass of Dukkha together. Like a lot of animals of various kinds which have all been confined together in one place. It made me very sorrowful about the condition of birth and death under which we and all other beings live, never knowing if or when we will be able to get free from them. And the more I came across such things, the more it made me diligent in the practice of citta bhavana for the demolition of the kilesas which lead one on to ever more becoming and birth. For existence, or birth, is what sets up the immediate conditions for suffering. Therefore, one who wants to attain complete and perfect happiness should not at the same time desire birth, which contradicts and opposes this aim. For in fact it is the erasing of the seed of this tendency from the heart which is true, complete and perfect happiness.”
He said further that he not only knew about the Pretas, ghosts, Devaputta and Devata, but:
“Even Venerable Acharn Mun who has already reached Parinibbana, came regularly with metta, to visit me and explain Dhamma. Generally the teaching which Venerable Acharn Mun gave me laid great stress on not being negligent, and doing this by rousing up mindfulness as the assurance that one is being diligent. He said that one who has present mindfulness in any position or situation, not only when practising meditation for samadhi or walking cankama, is in fact being diligent, because the presence of mindfulness means that he is being diligent. Mindfulness is the acknowledging Dhamma, the Dhamma of withstanding or putting up with hardships, the fighting Dhamma, the Dhamma of evading the enemies attacks, as used in fighting, and the Dhamma of advancing, fearless of death in the battle between the citta and the kilesas. But if mindfulness is the only thing that is lacking one will lose.”
“This is what Venerable Acharn Mun taught so one who practises must develop mindfulness, and it ought to be present with Dhamma at every stage and level of the citta. Regardless of whether one is just beginning the training, whether the citta has achieved samadhi, whether one is just beginning the training for wisdom, one has developed wisdom or one has reached a stage of skilfulness and penetration in the use of wisdom, in all cases mindfulness is a necessity with Dhamma at all levels. Mindfulness should never be confined to a limited field of activity with the idea that one should have it present in those circumstances as a necessary minimum — or that so much is the maximum that is necessary. But one should promote mindfulness until it becomes firmly entrenched and becomes “Maha–sati” — and this is the way it should be — because mindfulness is a very important Dhamma in this work, and one in which those who practise should take the greatest interest. Regardless of what one is doing, whether internal or external, gross or subtle, mindfulness is an essential Dhamma which should be present and which should permeate everything that one does. In samadhi at every stage and in wisdom at every level, mindfulness must be present as a guardian continually. If mindfulness is lacking, more is lacking than would be the case if one lacked in all other forms of work and did not do them. So one may do work or not, but one should never let mindfulness be absent from oneself, from one’s heart. Anyone who endeavours to develop mindfulness relentlessly is bound to clear obstructions from his path and to walk on until he gains success regardless of how thick the kilesas are within his heart. This means that samadhi and wisdom at every level will arise and be able to gain strength due to the overpowering influence of mindfulness — that which gives them sustenance — and this is absolutely certain. The way which leads progressively from the beginning onward until it reaches the state of freedom (vimutti) of Nibbana is the way of mindfulness and it is this that supports them. If those who would develop calm (samatha) or insight (vipassana) at all levels lack mindfulness, their calm and insight have no way that they can develop at all. From the beginning of the practice, right up to the end of the way, I have never seen any Dhamma which is so remarkable and which goes so deeply into the heart as mindfulness. Mindfulness is a guardian, a sustenance, and a prophylactic or preventive remedy which protects samadhi and wisdom at all levels — and these two Dhammas (samadhi and pañña) can only develop and reach their fulfilment if they are associated with mindfulness to promote and look after them — which can never take place if mindfulness is absent. You must listen well to what I say, take it to heart, grasp hold of it and never let the following be forgotten in a cloud of delusion, that: mindfulness is a deep well of great strength in every aspect of striving in the way of Dhamma. Before one can alter or change one’s thoughts or views in any way, they must be subjected to mindfulness, and whether they are gross or subtle and at whatever level of Dhamma one must have mindfulness which is one of the most important things in the field of Dhamma practice.”
“With regard to wisdom, when the time has come to use thought for research, one must do so to the maximum of one’s ability without holding back one’s strength for fear that wisdom will “overflow”. If one always has mindfulness to control wisdom in every aspect of investigating or research, wisdom will not be able to overflow and become trivial nonsense. The reason why wisdom becomes like water overflowing until one is unable to intervene and stop it, is because there is a lack of mindfulness to control it. Then it turns into discursive thought based on memory (sañña), until finally one can find no truth in it at all. But wisdom which has mindfulness as a companion is sure to walk up towards the stage of Maha–pañña (Great wisdom) in a way that one would not expect.”
“Once the heart has Maha–sati and Maha–pañña as its companions, then even though the kilesas may be thicker than a mountain, they will not be able to withstand their own destruction being brought about by the power of these two — “Maha–sati” and “Maha–pañña”. When one is working to develop the way, one should not pay attention to time, place or anything else more than one pays attention with mindfulness to the citta or the events that arise and cease in the citta, while investigating them with wisdom. This is the way to freedom from dukkha of all kinds which is here within one and not dependent on place, age or time.”
“But the search for a secluded peaceful place to act as a suitable battlefield where one may gain victory is the right way of Dhamma. Although one must not be so concerned about it that it becomes an obsession and changes into a self-made obstacle due to one’s anxiety to find a place. One should just go on searching until one has found a suitable place that is satisfactory enough. Having found a place one should set up mindfulness and think with wisdom at the same time without wasting any more time.”
“The Four Satipatthanas and the Four Noble Truths (Sacca–Dhamma) are the battleground, and in that battleground one must throw in the utmost of one’s mindfulness, wisdom, faith and effort. Don’t doubt that the Path, Fruition and Nibbana are to be found anywhere but within the field of these Four Satipatthanas and the Four Noble Truths. These are the unshakeable Dhammas which have guaranteed the Path and Fruition through the ages since the beginningless past, and they are still the Dhammas which give complete and perfect assurance of the Path and Fruition at all levels without any shortcomings.”
“Any shortcomings and inability to reach the goal are to be found within the mindfulness, wisdom, faith and effort of each individual and not in the aforementioned Dhammas which are unshakeable and have always been there to give assurance. So you must set your heart firmly on the Path and Fruition by digging down and searching in the Four Satipatthanas or the Four Noble Truths with the utmost of whatever wisdom you have. Then one day in the future you will certainly be one of those who bestow the Path and Fruition on yourself through your skill and in the most unexpected way, a way that one could never have foreseen.”
“This explanation that I have given is a summary of the Path and Fruition which cannot be found elsewhere. You must try and follow it! You must get rid of all doubt concerning “the essential nature” (anga) of the Teacher (the Sasada: i.e., the Buddha), of the Dhamma and of the Sangha, as well as that of your Teacher (Guru–Acariya) whom the world claims has “entered Nibbana” already.”
“That which is called “Nibbana” is not where the “world” thinks or believes it to be. Where it is actually located, the “world” is quite unable to guess. But where it is, there you will see Nibbana, the Lord Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the Teacher, and also yourself right there; and then all doubts and uncertainties of all kinds will disappear. And where is that place? That place is the Four Satipatthanas and the Four Noble Truths together with the heart that has Maha–sati and Maha–pañña digging and searching in detail all round, until everything becomes Dhamma and absolutely true in every part, without any false knowledge and understanding remaining in those Four Satipatthanas and Four Noble Truths at all. Then each of them is true and real; in other words, the Four Satipatthanas are true, the Four Noble Truths are true, and the heart is true with wisdom. This is freedom (vimutti)! This is Nibbana! This is the dwelling place of the Great Teachers (Buddhas), the Dhamma, the Sangha, and those Acariyas who have attained the state of Purity! But once again, where is this place? It is where all anxiety and worry are at an end, where all becoming and birth are let go of, where all dukkha is let go of. You let go of them, all of them, right there. So you must endeavour to develop the way of practice for this “letting go” in that place. You must not indulge in speculation and guesswork which only wastes time and makes you tired in vain. Because that Dhamma is not a Dhamma of speculation or guesswork but the true Dhamma of whoever truly does the practices which the Lord laid down. That person will reach and attain the true Dhamma without having to do any guesswork at all.”
When Venerable Acharn Mun had finished his teaching out of metta, this Acariya prostrated to him within his samadhi bhavana, then Venerable Acharn Mun just moved a little bit and immediately disappeared. This time he did not come by flying through the sky and when he went it was immediate. This Acariya said that he could never predict with any certainty what nimitta he would get for Venerable Acharn Mun, for sometimes he would come and go as if flying through the air, whereas at other times he would come walking like a normal person, and go in the same way, but his appearance was the same as it had been before he died without any noticeable differences. In fact, he said, that every time he came to teach, his appearance was always the same and he came quite regularly out of metta to teach him.
This Acariya is endowed with a rather strange destiny of which the most outstanding features are his tendency to like living in the hills and forests and to wander about on his own, and his liking for eventful encounters of various kinds, such as with tigers. Even when he came out of the forests and met up with other Bhikkhus and friends, it was only for a short while before he returned to the forest again. But despite these tendencies, he has lived his life in safety without anything doing him any harm.
At one time, in the middle of the day he was resting in a small hut while staying in a Wat. On that day it happened that his Mother came unexpectedly to the Wat, and she went to his hut and called to him,
“Come quickly to the sala (meeting hall) because just now Lady Madri is there. Please come quickly, right now!”
What inspired her to do this is not known, but she kept on calling him while waiting for him in front of his hut, telling him to hurry up and come quickly until he became startled, woke up completely and ran out of the hut. He did not think of why, and whether all this about Lady Madri being in the sala was true or not, for without thinking about it he just jumped up and immediately left the hut. Then the most unexpected and unusual thing happened, for hurrying out of the hut, he had only gone about nine yards away when a huge tree in front of his hut broke and fell right on his hut, demolishing it and smashing it into fragments. If his mother had not come and roused him up so that he woke suddenly, he would have gone on sleeping and would never have been able to wake. He said that this was his kamma which was still going on, for it had not yet reached its end on that day, otherwise that would have been his last moment for sure.
After this had happened, the Acariya asked his mother why she had come and called him and woken him up in such a hurry that he had no time to think, so that he got out of the hut so quickly. And after he had woken up properly he was still puzzled, even despite the falling of the tree. His mother said that it was as if something made her feel that she must quickly go and wake him up to come and see Lady Madri, and just at that moment she saw Lady Madri actually sitting in the sala, and she said that she was Lady Madri. So she wanted the Acariya — her son — to come and meet and to welcome Lady Madri. Up to that moment, she had only heard of Lady Madri in the Vessantara Jataka story and she never ever dreamed that she would see her or that she would come to sit in the sala in the forest like this. So she was completely overwhelmed and went quickly to wake up her son and bring him to the sala quickly to meet the Lady Madri. This was his mother’s explanation, and the Acariya went on to say that he was amazed and never thought that such a thing could happen — “but if it had not, I would have died for sure right then.”
While listening to this story I felt as if my hair was standing on end! The Acariya said further that this was a true case of an event caused by kamma. As to seeing Lady Madri sitting in the sala, this was probably a Devata nimitta in the form of Lady Madri which came to save his life, otherwise he would almost certainly have died that day. His mother told him that she really did see a woman sitting in the sala and she was very beautiful, in fact she had never seen such a beautiful woman as this one who said that she was Lady Madri. But when she went back to look for her after the tree had fallen, there was nobody there — only a picture of Lord Vessantara and Lady Madri which had been there for a long time. Everyone who heard of this incident was amazed and filled with wonder that such a thing could happen.
This Acariya seems to have come close to the end of his life many times, for apart from the foregoing incident in which a tree fell on his hut, he has also met wild tigers face to face on several occasions, but the Devatas have been able to help him escape unharmed. We will relate one further incident where this Acariya narrowly escaped death in the following story.
One day, this Acariya had been on tour and had gone to stay near a village in an extensive forest area after having come from the hills. He arrived in the evening and stopped in the forest to spend the night. After it was dark, about 9 o’clock it started to rain and a storm came on with large hailstones coming down. He could not find anywhere to shelter and had to stay close to a large tree. It was too dark for him to see anything and the rain was pouring down mixed with hailstones like pebbles falling from a mountain, as a huge storm developed. It seemed as if the tree that he was by would be uprooted while he was standing there soaked, with one hand holding his opened umbrella tent (klod) and his bowl hanging from his shoulder in its carrier, cold and shivering like a small bird caught in the rain at the foot of this tree. Then quite unexpectedly and suddenly a large branch broke off the tree in the storm and fell just by him, hitting his umbrella tent which he was holding, breaking it in pieces and his bowl slipped off his shoulder and fell, scattering its contents about the place. Now all he had left were his body and his life to withstand the cold weather and wait for his last moment to come. All his possessions had fallen and he had no way to find out where they were because it was too dark in the middle of the night with the rain falling heavily and the storm in full blast for him to distinguish anything. All he could do was to stand there, close his eyes and watch his breath to see when it would finally stop. All he had left were his two robes which he was wearing and they were soaking wet. The cold, numbness and pain seemed to spread quickly throughout the body. It was quite indescribable and at one time he thought he had already died due to the suffering and torment which covered him at that time.
Standing there, he reflected on the Lord Buddha who is the original Teacher, and how he had experienced suffering and torment much worse than this that he — the Acariya — was experiencing at this time. The Lord was not overwhelmed by it and he was able to pass through all the dangers he met unharmed, until he was enlightened and became the “Sasada”, the world Teacher. “As for myself,” the Acariya reflected, “I have some suffering, which will only last until the rain stops. If I cannot stand this I should die and I should not regret the loss of my life at all.”
When the rain and the storm abated, after about two hours, he was able to breathe more freely, for to begin with he had thought he would die with all the rain, the storm and the hailstones. That night he never lay down or slept at all, for he could only stand and squat down right through until dawn. While it was raining, by chance a large snake — a banded krait — came up to him and would not go away. It crawled right up to his feet and he bent over to look closely at it and he was able to make out that it was a banded krait. That he was able to see at all was because the moon was up, although it was still very dark due to the heavy rain clouds. He tried to drive the snake away, but it would not go and just coiled itself up about half a meter from him. This made him resign himself to the course of events, thinking: “At present here I am full of suffering, but when the rain comes, this snake probably finds it most agreeable, so it comes out to look around for something to eat. But why, instead of looking for food, does it come and coil itself up and lie there quietly so close to me — and I can’t even drive it away? Maybe it has come to be my friend at this time of suffering and hardship.” As soon as he had accepted the situation he stopped trying to drive it away and just let it lie there peacefully. But the snake never displayed any fearsome behaviour at all and it was probably just acting in its accustomed manner, and as soon as the dawn came it went away quietly.
The Acariya could not leave that place while it was dark because he could not see to find his things and he could not light a match because they were in his bowl which had been knocked away by the branch and he had no way to find out where it had gone. Nor could he find his candles and “cloth” lantern which had also been in his bowl. All he could do was to stand or squat down and watch the banded krait until dawn. As soon as it got light enough to see, he looked for his things which he had lost in the night. His umbrella tent which had been knocked away by the branch that fell had been broken to pieces. His bowl had been badly bent out of shape by the branch that hit it, but it was not beyond repair and he beat out some of the dents in it so that he could use it to get and eat his food out of.
In the morning some of the villagers came out to see him. They expressed their sympathy and condolences for his plight, saying that he must have a lot of merit to have survived this ordeal, and they felt very sorry for him. But they could not help him at that time because many of the houses in the village had their roofs damaged and blown off in the storm. When an incident of this kind occurs, if one has not yet reached one’s time, one can get through unharmed — but who would want to go through such an experience as this?
Such is the way of life of a Dhutanga Kammatthana Bhikkhu and the kinds of experiences which each one has to put up with before he can become a teacher (Acariya) who can show the way of Dhamma to his followers. Their lives are eventful with much suffering and torment as we have already seen from the above accounts. But even so they are not prepared to relax their striving to take it easy. Thus, where we said above, that, “all he could do was to stand or squat down… and put up with the cold all night,” this was another way of fighting the enemy. This method is known as the method of being in a tight corner with no-way-out, for he was up against enemies, which were in this case, the rain, the storm, the hailstones, and the branch which broke off and fell and tore away all his possessions and broke them up and scattered them about. These were enemies that surrounded him and came so close to him that there was no way to escape, and this is what is meant by fighting the enemy in the manner of one who is in a tight corner with his back to the wall and close to death. Yet he was able to go through it and survive, which suggests that his time was not up — and he was able to go on until he became a teacher or Acariya, imparting Dhamma and its meaning to others. But when his followers listen to the “Dhamma of narrowly escaping death”, from him, they must think how if he had not gone through such experiences, there would probably have been no Dhamma concerning narrow escapes left to reach them and us. When one thinks about it, his followers would seem to be in a more advantageous position than their teachers in that they can hear of such experiences without going through such difficulties and hardships as those who strive and struggle.
The Acariya met with a lot of suffering and difficulty throughout, from the time he first started practising the way. But the level of his Dhamma is very high and worthy of respect and veneration as an ideal and an example to all of us. Even nowadays, he still has not reduced or relaxed his striving, because he always gained good results from making strenuous efforts in the past and he tries to keep up the same thing all the time. Never has he seen any useful results coming from laziness and weakness, so he refuses to drift in that direction. As explained early on in this book, those who have seen valuable results coming from any path of practice are likely to strive along that path.
This Acariya should be a good example to us, although it is difficult to find anyone who can do as he did. The level of his citta and his Dhamma are worthy of respect and homage, for he has great ability at samadhi and he is able to know the Pretas, ghosts, Devatas and the Naga–kings both inwardly and outwardly, and it is rare to find anyone who can experience these things like him. In the ways of wisdom he is skilled, but the Dhutanga practices are his special love and he maintains them well all the time. Amongst Venerable Acharn Mun’s follows he is one that is very high in his Dhamma attainment (Dhamma–guna) and when Venerable Acharn Mun was still alive he praised him highly saying: “He has a characteristic tendency to help the Devatas and when he speaks about the Devatas, Pretas, ghosts and the Naga–kings he knows what he is talking about. He is content with little in the way of possessions and wants and likes to live alone in the forests and hills. He is by nature both resolute and courageous and he encourages his own striving, not becoming excited by the world of samsara where people so easily get involved in popular trends. He holds that the forests, hills, caves and overhanging cliffs are the best place to live and practise all the time, following the way that his teacher practised. He is not one of those who tend to do an about face to curry favour with people, to fawn obsequiously on those who are senior, nor to climb the ladder of special success by ‘running with the fox and hunting with the hounds’, but who are hardly able to uphold anything that is essential and valuable. They just like the words but nothing that is genuine and true.
If one compares them with money, all they have got is the balance sheet without any assets to back it up… He has none of these tendencies, but is one whose level of Dhamma is worthy of respect and admiration. He is also praiseworthy in the way that he does not talk much. But when he does talk, what he says is very penetrating. He does not chatter nor speak aimlessly in ways that have little of the truth in them and are improper, but he likes speaking what is true and acting in a true and genuine way and this is habitual to him, which is appropriate for one who has been a practising Bhikkhu from the day of his ordination up to the present. As to his material wealth of possessions, he has very little. But the Bhikkhus and his followers know very well that he has not accumulated a lot of things because of his tendency to like wandering in the hills and forests, rarely visiting villages and towns where there are many people. In addition he rarely stays in one place long enough for others living there to get to know him and to visit him regularly, and he likes to keep his interest and his focus of attention on Dhamma rather than becoming involved with and concerned about other people and their offerings of dana. All this has formed his characteristics which are those of one who likes the way of searching for Dhamma and staying in places which he considers to be suitable and conducive to the way of practice for the attainment of that Dhamma which is his goal.”
This Acariya usually likes eventful encounters of various kinds connected with wild and fierce animals, and it is possible that he and the animals were all frequent enemies in the past. So now that he is living the life of a Bhikkhu he likes to walk in those places where he will most frequently encounter danger from them. But when we look at the various things that happened to him, it would seem that however fierce some of the animals may have been, his citta increased in strength every time he met up with them. Never did any of these encounters cause him any misfortune, nor did they cause him to lose heart and become dejected, nor yet were they in any way a danger to his life of purity (Brahmacariya). But in fact the more he met with such experiences the more they confirmed his faith in merit, in kamma, in moral behaviour (sila), in Dhamma, and faith in the capability of his own citta, all of which became stronger than they would have been normally if he had not encountered such things.
This gives rise to the speculative thought which accords with the intuitive feeling of those who practise the way of Kammatthana, that it is the power of the metta–citta, the power of the one who practises the way, and the power of Dhamma — the Dhamma which has always given confidence and peace to the world — that enables them to emerge unharmed and safe, and to gain strength of heart every time they encounter these various incidents. This Acariya is likely to be among those who have strong metta–citta, enough to cause uncertainty in the hearts of the animals which he came across and to cause their vicious ruthlessness to abate and die away, until they become as though intimate friends with the Acariya, in their hearts. Otherwise they would probably have been a mortal hazard to his life of purity long ago and he would never have lived to have the story of his life told — whereas in fact he is still alive now. Dhamma is therefore the most amazing and wonderful thing beyond all expectations for those who have experienced and realised it clearly in themselves. But it is a mystery for those who do not live within that sphere where the way of being able to know lies. Nevertheless, Dhamma is always Dhamma, standing as a pair with the world and it does not depend for its existence on whether someone makes contact with it and knows it and believes in it — or not. Because Dhamma exists by its own rights as the one Dhamma (Eka–Dhamma) based on its own natural principles throughout eternity and it does not depend on anything else by which it could otherwise be influenced or led.
This Acariya must have a fine faith in the value of all the forms of Dhamma which we have already discussed buried deep in his heart. So that he likes to dive into the forest, willingly putting up with all the obstacles and difficulties he finds there without ever backing out and taking it more easily or weakening. In fact it seems that he is content with his lot and goes this way more and more, with contentment and happiness. He shows the truth of this by the way he leaves the Wat to go on his Dhutanga wanderings in the forests and hills every year at the end of the vassa period, when he goes away and nobody sees him or knows where he has gone to. He has never been seen to hang about where there are lots of people, nor to get involved with others, but always, he sets off for the forests and hills to strive for the way of Dhamma in his heart without letting up or giving up. He can talk easily about the forests, hills, caves and overhanging cliffs in all sorts of places with an evident satisfaction, and if one leads him on to describe these places in more detail it arouses an enthusiasm for such places in those who listen to him and they become engrossed and do not want him to stop. One pictures oneself going the same way with a fully committed and joyous heart, as if one were dropping all one’s burdens and restrictions of every kind from one’s shoulders — in other words, dropping the kilesas away from one’s heart in those places that he described. After listening to him one gains heart and starts thinking how one would like to go and stay in such suitable places. Places which this Acariya described, where he had gone to practise the way and where the heart can become calm and peaceful much more easily than in more ordinary places where he stayed until he became wearied of them.
This Acariya said:
“Sometimes while I was sitting in meditation, or it may have been while I was asleep, I am not sure which, but during the night a huge tiger came quietly up to the small bamboo platform where I sat and slept, and I never knew anything about it at all. But when I woke I saw its footprints, for everyday I swept the grounds round where I stayed, clear of leaves and things and anything walking there would leave clearly visible marks. So when I saw its footprints in the morning near where I stayed I followed them to see how close it had been and found that it had come right up to the platform where I slept. Not just close to the platform four or five feet away, but so close that the last footprint was less than about eighteen inches away. It probably came to sniff me out and finding that I was still alive and a person it quietly retreated, and when it went, it went back over the same tracks that it had come by without wandering about over the area where I was staying. When I saw its footprints, so bold and fearlessly coming right up to me a little shiver of fear went through me, for its footprints were so large, well above the average size. But it only came that one night and it never came close again. I stayed there for several months and if it had thought to come and make a meal of me it would probably have returned. But it never came near, although I heard it roaring and growling round about there as I had so often heard them everywhere in the forest.”
I have a tendency to make fanciful suggestions, so having heard what the Acariya said, I immediately said to him in an encouraging manner:
“I think that it came to pay respect to you and to admire your virtues (parami), and that it did not come as an enemy. As it was an animal it could not be ordained as a monk and practise the way of Dhamma like a human being, so when it went wandering here and there and happened to come across a Bhikkhu who had a kind heart it felt confident with faith in you and came to pay homage and admire your virtue. But if it had come at any other time, I think it would have been concerned lest it frighten the Bhikkhu, so it came to sniff you while you were asleep so that it could admire you to its heart’s content while you were not conscious of its presence and it need not fear that you would be scared stiff — for this would have been contrary to its purpose in coming to pay respects to you. As soon as it had paid respect to you to its satisfaction it then withdrew immediately, for fear that you may wake up and be afraid, or that you may make a symbolic gesture or use some magic saying or mantra to cast a spell over it which may spoil its good-hearted feelings and respect for you. I think that this is the most likely explanation, otherwise, how else would it be so bold as to go right up to where you were resting?”
The Acariya laughed quietly and said:
“How would it know enough about me to have any faith or respect? But it may well have thought that — “this is a nice snack for me” — or some such thought, for sure, and that is the only reason why it crept up to me to have a look. Then as soon as it realised that it was a person it went away quickly because from the time they are born they have an instinctive fear of people. From that day I never saw any sign of it coming to sniff me or look at me again while I was there.”
He said further:
“Animals of this kind are strange in that it seems as though they are possessed of some tendency in their hearts which makes them want to come and look at Kammatthana Bhikkhus who are sitting in samadhi, walking cankama, striving to practise the way, sitting in meditation practice under a mosquito net or sleeping. Sometimes in the morning they would decide to come and look me up, and they would sit there like a dog, looking at me complacently but not acting in any way that would frighten me. Sometimes one would be prowling about in the middle of the night roaring and growling and it would then come up and see me in the cave where I was staying. As soon as it got there it would just sit there and look at me, like a dog, and when it had enough it would go without doing anything to frighten me at all. But I could not help being rather apprehensive, because they are always fearsome animals. What is rather strange is that, the tigers that came to see me, regardless of where it was or when they came were always very large striped tigers with long bodies and quite awesome. But they never displayed any aggression to make me afraid at all. All they did was to look at me, and when they had finished they went away and never returned. Wherever I stayed, in whatever kind of place, when they came to see me they always came in the same manner; not as an enemy coming to bite or claw me for food, but in the manner of a domestic pet well accustomed to people. So they never had the appearance of an enemy, but their eyes looking at me always seemed to be very sharp and implacable which was their nature even though they were not filled with the anger and hunger to make them spring on me to eat me as food. Even so, the nature of their eyes is very sharp and frightening.”
I then asked him:
“When those tigers came to visit you, did you talk to them at all?”
He said:
“Sometimes I would say something, such as, ‘Why have you come here? For this is not the place for you to find your food, but a place for a Bhikkhu to stay and practise meditation. You should go away to wander about elsewhere. Don’t come here, because this Bhikkhu may become so frightened that your coming becomes evil, which may lead you to hell.’ But in saying, ‘I may become frightened,’ in fact this was just talk, because I had been frightened from the first moment I saw it.”
I asked:
“Did you ever walk towards any of these tigers when they came and sat in front of you, staring at you?”
The Acariya said:
“Sometimes I walked towards them. For after I told them to go and they took no notice of what I said, but remained there about six to eight yards away, just sitting and looking at me, I would walk towards them pointing with a stick or my finger, saying, ‘The place for you to be wandering about is way over there, where it is all forests and hills and you can go where you like to your heart’s content. It would be so much better than coming around here frightening this Bhikkhu. Go! Now! Don’t come sitting here for fun, scaring a Bhikkhu who is doing his meditation practice or you may soon end up in hell!’ When they went they took one sudden leap away and then disappeared silently.”
- “I think these tigers know something about what Bhikkhus have within them, otherwise why should they come up and look for me in the caves where I stayed. Because some of the caves were large and roomy and not the sort of place where tigers like to stay or climb up to, for they like to live in well concealed places, out of sight where they can keep their meat and their kills in ways that conform to their nature. They must know something about the ways of Bhikkhus for them to make the effort to come quietly in the middle of the day to see me. Much in the same way as children who think it would be fun to climb up to a cave and visit a Bhikkhu staying there — which often happens. But tigers are different from children in that they also like to visit a Bhikkhu during the night or in the morning before going on pindapata.”
I asked:
“Before these tigers came up to see you did you ever think that you would like them to come up and visit you?”
“Why should I ever think of wanting them to visit me?” he replied. “Even when they come for only a few moments I almost die of fear and I break out into a sweat. If they came to stay for a long time and showed no intention of leaving, I am afraid I would surely get an attack of fever. Who would ever think, in a kind of perverse playfulness, of actually wanting a tiger to look them up for no real purpose at all?” he laughed gently.
“Seeing that you are obviously very courageous and are not afraid to live alone without any companion to talk to, I merely thought that you might like a tiger to come and keep you company and talk to. That is why I asked you that question.”
He grinned and then said:
“To look for trouble and danger is not the right way to act at all. Who would be bold enough to think in such a way as that, which is a careless inconsequential thing to do and out of keeping with Dhamma? Supposing it suddenly appeared there showing every intention of actually attacking and killing, in what world would this bold daredevil who knows no fear end up?”
The practice as done by Kammatthana Bhikkhus must seem, when one thinks about it from the viewpoint of most people, to be very risky and dangerous. But when one thinks about it from the viewpoint of Dhamma, one can see how it is normal and natural for people who have gained value from any particular way to want to go on looking for more in the same way. So those who have gained good results from such a way of practice will probably continue to “scramble up” by that way, and even though it is difficult and they must risk suffering and danger in various ways, they have to put up with and accept it to some extent. Most of those who have been able to establish a firm basis in their cittas, until they have been able to act as teachers — Acariyas — to other Bhikkhus, novices and people in general, have practised in the foregoing way. Thus Venerable Acharn Mun used to say:
“Dhamma is to be found where death is close by, if one has not been faced with death one has not seen Dhamma.”
This is because to risk one’s life and sanity by truly facing death with a heart that is unshakeably intent on the Dhamma of Deliverance is the principle which is upheld by those Kammatthana Bhikkhus who are determined to practise the way in a true and genuine manner. Therefore they are likely to meet with insufficiency of food and poverty of possessions all the time while they are striving for Dhamma. But their hearts will be fully contented with Dhamma, for they have peace and brightness where the heart abides, without any external involvement and turbulence.
