002 His Prophetic Dream
In the early days of his vipassana practice with Phra Acharn Sao, he chose to use the word buddho as the preferred theme of meditation. It did not at first produce the peace such as should have been expected, which sometimes made him doubtful of its value, but he continued his efforts which in time resulted in peace enough to cool his heart. Then one night he had a dream:He felt himself walking out of the village and right into a dense jungle with trees and undergrowth almost impenetrable in many places. But he managed to go through them all, and finally emerged to find a meadow stretching on before him to the horizon. Again he continued his journey with persistent efforts. On the way he came across a felled log of a tree known in vernacular Thai as 'jat'. The huge log had been felled so many years before that it was partly submerged in the ground with part of the bark and inner layer rotting away. He then climbed up and walked on it, contemplating the log as no longer capable of growth.[1] He knew that birth for him in the cycle of births and deaths was to be finished. He equated the felled 'jat' log with his previous jat(i) or births [which includes deaths as well]. That it was then incapable of growth was symbolic--if he did not give up his efforts, this birth would be his last. The meadow extending on to the horizon in all directions was the infinity of rebirths and redeaths succeeding one another like a snake eating its own tail.This prophetic dream gave him the assurance that he would be able to achieve his goal within this lifetime, provided he did not give up his efforts. From then on he committed himself to more rigorous practice, with the mental recitation of buddho controlling every moment and movement day and night. He continued to practice the dhutanga [ascetic] practices which he had strictly observed from the time of his ordination until the time of his death. These were: wearing rag robes; refusing robes offered him by hand; going out for alms food, except on the days he decided to fast; refusing food brought later, accepting only that put into the alms-bowl during his alms-round; having only one meal a day, refusing food offered later; eating within the alms-bowl; wearing three robes [excluding the bathing cloth which has now become necessary]; and dwelling in forest areas, which may be under trees, in valleys, within caves or under cliffs [except for the brief periods when he was invited into a town].While he was standing there contemplating these symbolic meanings, there appeared a great white horse walking towards him. He was moved to mount it, and at that moment he found himself astride the horse and galloping off at full speed. He had no idea where he was going or why, but felt that he must have been carried quite a long way in that vast, measureless terrain. On the way he happened to glance at a glass case with the Tipitaka [Pali Canon] in it. The case was intricately designed and was a beautiful silvery-white. As if in response to his feelings, the horse carried him to the Tipitaka case. He dismounted, hoping to open the case and look at the Tipitaka within, while the horse, having fulfilled its mission, disappeared instantly. This spot was at the end of the vast, open land. From there could be seen a steaming, uninhabited jungle made impassable with thorny, twisted bushes. He then made his way to the case, but before opening it to have a look at the Tipitaka inside, he woke up.
He also occasionally observed the other remaining dhutanga. His observance of these ascetic practices was outstanding and can hardly be equalled by anyone at present. He was always steadfast and determined, never being fickle in whatever he had set his heart upon, be it 'external' practice [dhutanga, etc.] or 'internal' practice [vipassana]. His chaste life was entirely devoted to the goal of Deliverance, with all his movements continuously controlled by his efforts to eradicate the defilements. Little chance was there for pride and vanity to intrude into his mind, in spite of the fact that he was still at that time a worldling[2]. He was different from others, however, in that he was constantly on the alert against such defilements, always putting up a fight and attacking them with courage. This we know from his later narration.
When he felt that his mind was firmly established for contemplative activity, he recollected his prophetic dream and came to realize that the life of a householder is the conglomeration of all kinds of suffering, being like an immense thicketed forest where lurk all kinds of dangers, whereas the chaste life, supported by efforts of renunciation, would serve to carry him through that dangerous land to the vast, open meadow, the place of security with an unobstructed view. The great white horse, then, was the mode of rigorous practice which would take him to Deliverance and to the intricately designed Tipitaka case. However, due to his own imperfections he was not able to open the Tipitaka case and was therefore not to be well-versed in the academic side of the Doctrine. Thus he was not to be equipped with the fourfold patisambhida ñana [fluency or discernment],[3] which is required of one who is unfailingly resourceful in the means and methods of teaching, with the heights and depths of wisdom like those of the sky and ocean, being thereby able to teach all sentient beings in the Three Realms [bhava].[4] His accumulation of merit [parami] in the past was not enough, so he said, and that was why he was given only a chance to look at the outside of the Tipitaka case and was not able to go through its contents. This indicated that his ability to teach others would be that of teaching them what to do, but that he wouldn't be able to put it into formal, technical language. Whether this is true or not, one thing is clear to those close disciples who had been instructed by him and who had practiced under his guidance: so wonderful and impressive was each and every theme of his instructions and sermons that it is beyond the power of words to describe them. Where on earth in modern times could one find such a never-to-be-forgotten way of instruction in dharma ?