The surprise visitor that night was a ne type of visitor. The crackling of leaves and underbrush cuold be heard in the distance, which caused Monk Bua to go into a state of near shock.
On seeing Monk Bua's condition, Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai crossed the stream and rushed to Luang Boo Moon's side. "Are you all right?" he asked Luang Boo Moon. Luang Boo Moon replied, "I don't know what' making that crackling sound, and it hasn't stopped." When Monk Bua heard them talking he came over and said, "I'm scared to death." "What do you expect us to do," said Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai, "We've come out here to meditate. It's nothing really-just a porcupine, not a tiger." " Whatever it is," said Monk Bua, "I'm still afraid so don't leave me alone tonight," So they went across the stream to get Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai's umbrela and came back to set it up between Luang Boo Moon's and Monk Bua's, with Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai's in the path that animals would normally use.
The next sound they heard different, though. It was like the growl of a cat, but much, much louder. Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai knew immediately that it was a tiger and that it was not far from his umbrella.
Just as Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai heard steady growl, Luang Boo Moon coughed very loundly, which caused the growling to increase in intensity just opposite to where it had been before.
Luang Boo Moon asked, "What is it?" "I don't know, either," replied Tan Phra Ajarn "but it was like something jumped over my umbrella," Then Monk Bua cmae out from the mosquuito net with a 17 flashlight in his hand. He shone thw\e flashlight around; they saw the prints of a tiger's paw on the ground next to Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai' umbrerlla.
The next morning they exammined the area and were able to determine that it had been a tiger with her cub. So Tan Phra Ajarn Somchaimoved the umbrella to the other side where they meditated for a suitable period before leaving to find another place.
There are some people who when they hear this story misunerstand that Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo moved his umbrella leaving Luang Boo Fun alone to face the danger of the wild animal, i.e. the student left to sae his own skin. This is not true at all; Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai does not have such a character triat at all. What I have told you is the true stroy.
There may have been times when Luang Boo Fun saw that the novinced anf monks were in need of a break from the tense meditation and work so he told them the story of the time when he went to Poo Wua with Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai. Thwn some others may have misunderstood and assumed that the monk refered to was Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo. Then others expanded on the story until it came out that Tan Phra Ajarn Somchaihad run away when a tiger appeared.
These kinds of fairy tale are usually like this. What I have written has come directly from Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo. The person whowas at the scene of the incident, Luang Boo Moon, it dead, but when he was still alive anyone who asked him about what happened was given a full account of the events.
As for the life story of Tan Ohra Ajarn Somchai Tidhaeiriyo, there are many other aspects of his life that some people havev not understood or have misconstrued. However, it is felt that it is not possible for anyone to understand the life story of another person correctly in every detail.
So the writer would like to suggest that if the reader has any doubts and would like to get an impartial account of the life story of Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai, he or she should go and ask Tan Phra Ajarn himself, because Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo is still alive. Such feelingsshould not be kept inside where they may result in a sinful action without the person being aware of it.
The reason O say this is that I have had some people ask me this: "What about the fact that in Luang Boo Fun's biography there is no mention of Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyoever having spent a year with Luang Boo Fun in 2489?" I have responded ti this already, replying that it is not samething applies to the biography of Luang Boo Fun. It is not an easy matter collect information have to be willing to saceifice their time and give everything to their work, and even spent their own money to enable the work to progress.
If we consider this line of reasoning, we can see that such work is deserving of praise. That's why I continued pointing out that so far as I had eveer heard, Tan Phra Ajran Somchai had not just spent that year with Luang Boo Fun, but had spent it in carrying out his duties, both internal and external, without any short comings.
Externally, Tan Phra ajarn Somchai served as an attendant to his teachers, the only break being when was ill. Aside from that, Tan Phra Ajarn somchai helped in construction of the living quarters for monks and novinces, and always took part in any and all activities of the temple. Also, he was the one who built the pond on Poo Pan at Tam Kam Temple, Sakol Nakorn, and the Buddha image at Phra Bon Poo Wua, Nong Khai. Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai had a part in helping to build up every place that he went. I have given you only a few examples of the work of Tan Phra Ajarn that I have knowledage of; there are so many others but space does not permit me to tell you of all of them.
Internally, Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo practiced meditation in a variety of pos turees, He did this regularly, even though he was called to carry out the work mentioned above, never faltering in giving time to meditation. So we can say that he was monkwho had a very hard-to-find degree of endurance. There may be those who feel that this sort of praise id too extrame since any kind of work is ordinary, and even construction workers who work every day don;t have anyone saying how great they are.
I am abolutely ceertain tha any person who can approach this matter justly will agree that Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo has shoewn true endurance. Even now, at an age approaching 70, he never misses a day of meditation. Seeing him carrying out his work like this is certainly in keeping with his stated ideal, i.e. "Life must have a purpose; if there is no purpose, life is not worth living." What means is that wherever he is, he has to do something beneficial to the lace; if he cannot be of benefit, he should not remain in that place. Every day now he devotes himself to the support of Buddhism and the common good. Thus, if one wishes to object to any of this, one has to give carful consideration, especially in the area of common welfare, and in a manner consistent with the principles of a a just person. The reason for this is that any consideration must be based on a careful study of true reasoning in order to avoid a philosophical pitfall.
Actually, construction workers, as laymen, carry on work that is considered ordinary, and any time during the 24-hour day they feel hunger they can get something to eat.
Which reminds me of the time someone sakedd me how I knew that Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo was such a good person, and I replied: "I know because it id something we can understand." What I meant was that before we can say whether or not a person is goodwe have to know what a good person is, what the characteriatics of a good person are. We can compare this with evaluating a jeweler how he know the difference between jewels, he will and\swer that it's all a matter of studying until you know. Doubt, then, will applies to the matter of Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo.
The study of Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai's life provides us with very valuable lesson. Not only does his life story set s good example for the younger generation, but it serves as very good case study for you, the reader. I want only to aplolgize for not being able to gather more information for you in such a short time. this outline of information will serve as a guide to a complete biography at sometime in the future.
In fact, this writing of the biography of a monk is no easy matter because it is done during the that he was meditating intensely in order to break through to a level that would be secure within the religion, or a level in which he would be able to control his inner mind. During such a time he never liked to remain in any one place for very long. Whenve he saw that a place was no longer conducive to observance of the Natural Truth, he would change the scene by moving on to another place, where practice and observance could proceed with renewed vigor. This wa done since he realized that the place one chooses to practice meditation is very important, as we have already pointed out.
When Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai was at Poo Wua he usually moved around because there were so many place favorable to meditation practice. Then, as the Lenten season approached, he would leave Poo Wua to spent lent at one or the other temple. This was his usual routine during these years.
In 2494 Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo went to spend the Lenten season with Tan Phra Ajarn sila Itasaro, another disciple of Luang Boo Mun, at Pa-issaratam Temple, Sakol Nakorn. Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai has always spoken highly of the techniques used there for the study and observance of the Natural Law.
At the Tan Phra Ajran Somchai was practicing meditation on Poo Wua, he had already of malaria. Then, while he was at Pa-issaratam he spent all his time meditating in the three postures, refusing to lie down for rest, while still keeping up with the regular routine at the temple. So, in the thied month near the and of the Lenten season, he fell seriously ill with- malaria. His physical condition was already weakened by not having rested at all, so his condition was quite serious. For 8 days he was unable to keep any food down at all Finally, one day he felt so anxious and confused that he had to lie down. He was always conscious, so he was able to observe how he felt. Then his mental capacity began to fail him until he - became quite befuddles. He said he began to fell that there was an enormous weight on his stomach, and then that his stomach seemed to collapse, with his innards all twisted about. Then it seemed that all the air inside came up to his glottis, causing sensations of intense pain to shift all over his body. This pain lasted for a while, then he hiccuped. This hiccup seemed to release all the air inside his stomach.
Then he had the feeling that his intence pain had in some way disappeared. How could this we, he thought? Here I was so very sick just a few minutes ago-now hiccup and it's all gone; after 8 days and nights, one hiccup and I have recovered.
After Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo ha recovered so mysteriously he thought of visiting another novince who had been of Poo Wua ans was very ill with malaria. On having this thought he suddenly felt as though he were moving without using his legs. Then, when he got to the novince's bedside, he found the novince asleep ao he thought of touching his forehead to see if he were feverish. Then he thought better of this because doing so might cause the novince to awake and feel even worse. So he turned away, thinking he would wait till morning to come to visit the novince, and stared back to his quarters. As he was walking along, he wondered what would happen to his robes, and then he reached a pavilion and saw in a corner a heap of his belongings. Then he wondered how he was able to see these things in the dark without uaing a fflashlight. On looking at the other end of the pavilion he saw Tan Phra AjarnSomchai Itsaro meeting with a group of monks. They were saying, "It's too bad that Krubah Somchai is so ill. He's so diligent in his study and practice and if he doesn't die he's destined to become an important figure in the furtherance of our Buddhist faith. Here he is deathly ill and he still insists on meditating. It's a real pity. Just the other day he said that we don't need to worry about him. All he asked was that we keep the jar in front of his quarters filled with water, and if he dies that we just bury him. Him said he didn't need to be cremated. He didn't want to put that responsibility on us. Do you supose he's dead already?"
As Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai was listening it occured to him that it was very rude and against regulations to eavesdrop on someone's conversation like this so he hurried on toward his quarters.
When Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai was approaching his quarters his favorite dog came out into his path. Now, He had raised this dog himself and it was really his favorite; he had even used the dog to practice deep concentration of the mind. The dog usually followed him everywhere so he was astounded when the dog turned tail and ran away for a short distance, turned to look back, adn then ran until it disappeared. Tan Phra Ajarn thought: " What's wrong with that animal? Did it see a ghost ot what?"
When Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo got to his quarters and opened the door what he saw was even more astounding. There lying on the bed he saw his own body with his mouth open and his eyes wide open. But here he was standing at the door; what is happening here? He asked himself. How can there be two of me, one here. The other wide-eyed there? Is this what they say can happen as the result of meditaion, that a person become as two?
Just then two men dressed in whitr came in and said, "Come with us, We'll take you home." "Do you mean RoiEt(his birthplace)?" asked tan Phra Ajarn Somchai. "No," they replied. Then I can't go with you," said Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai, "because I'm still trying to determine what is happening. There I am there and here I am here. Come back tomorrow and the one that is Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo will give you a correct answer," "There's nothing to worry about; all your doubts will disappear if you accompany us." Tan Phra Ajarn asked them again two times, and they replied again that all his doubts would disappear. So Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai said, "All right then, I'll go." On agreeing to go Tan Phra Ajarn has a great feeling of floating away after thm, up though the branches of the trees. He asked them again where they were taking him, and they replied by pointing straight ahead, where in the distance a star could be seen Tan Phra Somchai has said that
the star looked like a diamond, and all of a sudden he was on that star.
Tan Phra ajran Somchai has told us that place in which he found himself was similar to our world, but the strange thing was that trees were very high and set in a very orderly fashion, with all the branches touching. When ine looked up the color was like gold; underneath felt like a grassy carpet. The soil could not be seen but everywhere one stepped felt soft. He said that as soon as he arrived he felt that everything about his mental being was turned completely around, making his mind weak in a way that is indescribable. Anyone who has had this experience will know how the mind is altered; otherwise, it is impossible to give a correct account of thing like this. It's like trying to describe what a certain fruit tastes like to someone who has never seen that fruit. Only when that person actually tastes the fruit will he understsnd. It's like what happened to Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai Tidhawiriyo then; no words can describe how the mind was changed. Only those who have actually experienced the change will have their doubts answered.
Another thing that Tan Phra Ajarn told us was that he coud hear a strange melody playing continually. He didn't know where the music came from but it made his mind feel more and more at ease. Then the two men led him to a house, and said, "This is your house, the one we led you to."
On entering the house, Tan Phra Ajarn asked, "Who built this house?" The two answered, "This place we aree in now is a supernatural state of existence. Nothing here needs to be built; it comes of itself as thw merit for good deeds done in the world of the humans." Upon gearing this Tan Phra Ajarn Somchai realized immediately that if this were so, he must havce died already, and if death is like this, there is no need to fear death fot what is there to fear here. Then he asked, "Then how did this house come into being?"
|
Developer by Mr. Taweesak Rattanakom Science Computer, Rajabhat Institute Rambhaibarni |