He Does, But He Doesn't

In 1979, Luang Pu went to Chantaburi to rest and to visit with Ajaan Somchai.

On that occasion, a senior monk from Bangkok — Phra Dhammavaralankan of Wat Buppharam, the ecclesiastical head of the southern region of the country — was also there, practicing meditation in his old age, being only one year younger than Luang Pu.

When he learned that Luang Pu was a meditation monk, he became interested and engaged Luang Pu in a long conversation on the results of meditation. He mentioned his responsibilities, saying that he had wasted a lot of his life engaged in study and administration work well into his old age.

He discussed different points of meditation practice with Luang Pu, finally asking him, "Do you still have any anger?"

Luang Pu immediately answered,

"I do, but I don't pick it up."


* * * * *


"When a person has shaved his hair and beard and put on the ochre robe, that's the symbol of his state as a monk. But it counts only on the external level.

Only when he has shaved off the mental tangle — all lower preoccupations — from his heart can you call him a monk on the internal level.

"When a head has been shaved, little creeping insects like lice can't take up residence there.

In the same way, when a mind has gained release from its preoccupations and is freed from fabrication, suffering can't take up residence at all.

When this becomes your normal state, you can be called a genuine monk."


Extract from: Gifts He Left Behind, by Venerable Ajaan Dune Atulo