Venerable Ācariya Mun Bhūridatta Thera: A Spiritual Biography (PDF)
by Aj Maha Boowa
What do you think of it, especially this part?
On the nights subsequent to Ãcariya Mun’s attainment of vimutti, a number of Buddhas, accompanied by their Arahant disciples, came to congratulate him on his vimuttidhamma. One night, a certain Buddha, accompanied by tens of thousands of Arahant disciples, came to visit; the next night, he was visited by another Buddha who was accompanied by hundreds of thousands of Arahant disciples. Each night a different Buddha came to express his appreciation, accompanied by a different number of Arahant disciples. Ãcariya Mun stated that the number of accompanying Arahant disciples varied according to each Buddha’s relative accumulation of merit – a factor that differed from one Buddha to the next.
Having no recollection of being present at the time of this event, I am in no position to hold an opinion one way or another. But I do know that this world is far weirder than people think. I also feel that these individuals took their vows quite seriously - so I can’t see them intentionally making up some story - but like I say - don’t know - wasn’t there.
I did a quick search and found some explanation regarding the above issue. This is a quick translation and cannot be verified whether this conversation really took place.
Summary of the converstation between the Sangharaja of Thailand and Luang Phor Phut Thaniyo:
Reading the bio, Sangharaja asked how it was possible for the Buddha to come to talk to Ajahn Mun.
Luang Phor Phut replied that it was not the Buddha, but Ajahn Mum’s own spiritually advanced citta (the knower). The knower can materialise in a form of a person that we worship to teach us the dhamma. In fact, this is to clarify or affirm our own knowledge.
Regarding what’s written, I don’t know what Ajahn Maha Bua thought or knew, but to give the good monk the benefit of the doubt, I’d say that he may have written it in a way that laypeople, who have little knowledge of the practice, can understand easily and get inspired to practice? (like when you explain complicated quantum physics issues to a kindergarten kid)
Something relevant from Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Ajaan Dune Atulo compiled by Phra Bodhinandamuni:
When people asked Luang Pu if he had read any of the many accounts of Ajaan Mun’s life, he would answer, “A few.” The next question would be, “And what do you think of all the psychic powers and miraculous events they describe?” Luang Pu would answer, “Back in the days when I was living with Ajaan Mun, I never heard him mention anything about them.” (Source: Gifts He Left Behind: The Dhamma Legacy of Ajaan Dune Atulo)
I’ve seen people having different explanations about this kind of vision. Personally I think that these visions can have a certain impact on the meditator (physical or mental) - they are intriguing even if the images of the dead ariya is totally imaginary.
“In the same way that physical relics of the Buddha, etc., can still exist, enlightened beings can use their samādhi to leave behind mental relics (relics of nāma-dhammas rather than rūpa-dhammas) that meditators of succeeding generations can tune into or come into contact with, even after the arahants have passed into parinibbāna. And since they are nāma-dhammas, they are interactive in a strange way that physical relics obviously are not. So it is not the case at all that the Buddhas or the arahants are 'coming out of Nibbāna’ to visit people, even though it seems like the knee-jerk assumption that a lot of people jump to…” - said a Kruba Ajahn, reported by Hāsapañño Bhikkhu.
You can read Ajahn Keng’s autobiography as well. He described receiving teachings from dead Kruba Ajahns through visions. Ajahn Plien said similar things.
To simply put, these are hypnotic, trance-like mental states which are much subjected, suggested, and influenced by the individual’s environmental, cultural conditions and upbringing.
I remember having heard Ajaan Geoff speaking how even arahants could make mistakes, and he picked up the example of the bad effects caused on people by the supranormal stories written by Ajaan Maha Bua.
One of Ajaan Chah’s big disciples said that these were just nimittas.
“The Buddha does exist or not exist after death ?”, that’s not the question we should bother asking to ourselves. It’s just a danger, like the question: “Is there a self ? Is there no self ? After death, is the self annihilated ? After nibbāna, is the self annihilated ?”. That’s just a waste of time.
We should just see which hindrance is inside ourselves now, like Doubt or Restlessness surrounding these stories.
Then, we should get rid of it. Once, it’s done, once the mind has a good basis in concentration, he should analyse the body so as to get dispassion from it.
I am not familiar with Mahayāna teachings, but I remember someone telling me that Mahāyana teachings could “fit” into this (with Buddhas coming back to life). Can anyone who is well versed in the Mahayana teachings confirm or deny this?
As far as the writing, it seems pretty straight forward and very clear. The “excuses” or “explanations” seem like afterthoughts to justify what was written.
Besides the Thai Forest Tradition having Theravāda ordinations, is the philosophy different?
Supposedly, Ajahn Chah was a scholar monk before his time in the forest. What did he have to say about this quote or the special pure citta?
