Buddhist Monk - Ajahn Taungrut

Tahn Ajahn Taungrut Kantasilo was a Buddhist Monk disciple of Luang Pu Mun Bharidatta and Luang Pu Sao Kantasilo. He was of the same generation of disciples as Buddhist Monks Tahn Ajahn Sing Khantayamo and Tahn Ajahn Deu Acaladhammo.

He was born at Sampong Village and ordained as a Buddhist Monk at the village monastery. He stayed there five pansas and learned the patimokkha; however he still had some doubts regarding the vinaya. Because he couldn't understand the meaning of some of the rules, he began to search for a Krooba Ajahn who could clarify the matter. After hearing of the reputations of Luang Pu Mun and Luang Pu Sao he set off travelling to pay respects to, study with and converse with them. Both the teachers explained the essentials of correct practice--practice in line with Buddhist Dhamma and Vinaya, from the Patomsompot (a 19th century Thai commentarial classic in verse form) and the Vinaya texts--until MonkVenerable Taungrut understood. He was so satisfied with the explanations that he asked to become their disciple and stay at their monastery. Both of the Monks Venerable Ajahns trained him, instructing him to practice in accordance with the Vinaya in all its details.

Concerning the practice of meditation (bhavanเ), Luang Pu Mun and Luang Pu Sao recommended that Monk Venerable Taungrut go and find a place in the forest suitable for bhavana—especially a place with tigers or that was rumoured to have a malevolent ghost. The best would be a cremation ground that had corpses carried in each day, so that the heart (citta) would become unwaveringly firm and Buddhist Dhamma would quickly arise.

They recommended that he study the Buddhist texts Visuddhimagga and Moon Mahเ Kan. These were to be studied only in order to have a well-rounded understanding, not to be memorized in order to give Buddhist Dhamma talks. Both of the Ajahns reiterated, "Don't go giving Buddhist Dhamma talks, Venerable Taung. First meditate until you're accomplished in bhavanเ. If you're in too much of a hurry to give Buddhist Dhamma talks, the Buddhist Dhamma inside won't have a chance to do any teaching." Tahn Ajahn Taungrut then practised, strictly following their advice.

Life in the jungle was one of extreme impoverishment. The four requisites were in short supply. There were no cups, no kettles. He had to use a section of bamboo and drill a hole in it to thread a shoulder strap. He had to filter his drinking water. On alms round he'd only get plain rice. When it was time to eat, he chewed it thoroughly. On those days when he'd get one banana, he'd be elated. The villagers weren't very clued in. Generally they understood that meditation monks didn't eat meat, that they only ate sesame seeds like people from India. He'd go on alms round to four or five houses, get enough rice to fill him up, and then quit. He didn't have a glot'. If there were lots of mosquitoes then he would cover himself with his robe folded in half. Go here for more information... Buddhist Monk

The sanghเtใ was used in place of a pillow or blanket. Sometimes he would sleep with his head resting on a tree root or on his own fist. On those times when he'd stay near where the villagers threshed their rice, he could ask for some old rice stalks to roll up in a bundle, cover it with a folded cloth and use that as a pillow. If a villager happened by, he could help by breaking off a branch so the leaves could be used. He would even take some vines, tie them up together and cover them with a bathing cloth, and that would substitute for a pillow. Lying down he would focus on his bhavanเ.

Sometimes the water buffalo herders would pass by, and finding him sitting in the cremation ground, they'd tease and make fun of him in various ways:

"Is this monk crazy or what? He's been sitting here for two or three days!"
Some people would approach, bow to him, then pretending to be serious, ask in jest,
"Would you like to chew some betel nut? Do you smoke cigarettes, Ajahn?"
Monk Ajahn would respond; "If there is some, I chew it. If not, I don't. If there are any, I smoke them. If not, I don't."

This is just one example. But they were just asking to ask. Not once did they actually offer him anything. There were a few occasions when some villagers would come and request Buddhist Dhamma teachings.

"Teach us some Buddhist Dhamma, Venerable."
"I'm still new to the practice. My Krooba Ajahns won't allow me to give Dhamma talks yet."
"Well, what about that book you've got there? Give us a Dhamma teaching from the book,"
"They gave me this book simply for me to read, telling me not to use it for Dhamma talks. They told me to wait for the Dhamma inside to express itself, then start teaching others,"

he explained to the villagers—in the same way as his Krooba Ajahns had stressed so emphatically with him. He did however, give the villagers the five precepts, so that they would be satisfied with having made merit.

The Monk Venerable Taungrut practised and developed meditation like this for four years. Only very rarely did he go to pay respects to his teachers, and then for only two or three days or maybe a week. Once he'd heard some Buddhist Dhamma teachings, they'd chase him back out there to meditate, and the places they'd send him to were all fear inspiring.

Staying in the forest for extended periods of time, his possessions became old and worn. His bathing cloth was ripped. His robe (jiwon) was disintegrating. No one offered to provide him with requisites (pavเranเ), and he didn't have any relatives there. He couldn't ask laypeople to provide things because it was against the vinaya. So when his robes ripped, he'd mend them. There were patches everywhere. He spent a lot of time sewing and the thread he'd brought with him ran out. When he found some yellow bark on a tree that had recently died, he'd take a knife and gently pare it off. Once the bark was stripped off he'd weave it into the robe. Each time he bathed he had to wait until there were no women in the area. He'd bathe in the forest, hopping just like a frog.

As things got increasingly worse, Buddhist Monk Venerable Taungrut began to think of his home. He missed his two younger sisters and his older brother, a government official at Sampong Village. He came up with the idea to return and spend the pansa at his home village. That way he could ask for some cloth from his younger sister. But when he went to respectfully present the idea to his two teachers, Luang Pu Mun immediately scolded him.
"Ha! So you said you wanted to receive some Buddhist Dhamma from the teachers Mun and Sao, but after a little bit of practice you get homesick. Your house's pillars at Sampong are firmly sunk into the earth. Whenever you go back they'll be there for you to see. What's difficult is this practice of Buddhist Dhamma—that is, if you haven't yet realized Dhamma. Your house is just the same as it always was. You want to attain magga- phala. Do you think that longing for your home while meditating will do the trick?"

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