That was the end of the matter. From that day on, Nai In became very close to the monastery. If we ever had any errands to be run or work to be done, we could always call on him. As for the people in Chokchai who had once resented our presence, they now began to hold us in awe. The word got around: "One of Ajaan Lee”s students, Phra Yen, was stabbed full force with a scythe, and yet the blade didn”t even enter the skin — just gave him a foot-long scratch. If his student is that invulnerable, just think what he”s like!"
Actually, the truth of the matter was nothing like that at all, and had nothing to do with Phra Yen”s being charmed or invulnerable or anything. What happened was simply that Phra Yen had taken a chair and a sewing machine that evening and placed them on the porch of his hut, which was about a meter off the ground. As he was sitting in the chair, sewing his robes, the attacker standing on the ground tried to stab him in the left shoulder with a long-handled scythe. The handle struck the chair, though, so the scythe left only a surface wound.
Afterwards I called the monks and novices together and drew a number of lessons from the incident. I finished by saying, "Don”t lose your nerve if there are any more incidents. I want you all to stay here in peace. I”m going to go visit my father in Ubon."
I then set out for Ubon. Reaching home, I found my father seriously ill, wasting away from old age — he was now 69. I stayed close to him, nursing and caring for him for several months until the rains grew near, when I returned to spend a second Rains Retreat back at Bong Chii Cemetery Monastery. I later received news that he passed away in the middle of the rains, on September 8.
* * *
Towards the end of the Rains Retreat, I began thinking more and more often of Ajaan Mun. I decided, without telling anyone, that I would have to leave the monastery that dry season. I went to Wat Salawan in Nakhorn Ratchasima to take my leave of Ajaan Singh, and he gave his permission for me to go, which pleased me immensely. I returned to Chokchai to say farewell to the monks, novices and lay people there. One of my very good friends, a person who had given a lot of solid support in helping to build and look after the monastery, told me, "If you don”t come back here for the next Rains Retreat, I”m going to put a curse on you, you know." That was Doctor Waad, the town doctor in Chokchai. So I told him, "What do you want, after all I”ve taught you about impermanence
"
So then, with a handful of followers, I went deep into the Ijaan wilderness, passing the branch district of Nang Rong and reaching Phnom Rung mountain just inside the borders of Buriram province. We climbed the mountain and stayed for several days high on the summit.
There on the summit were a number of ancient stone temples and large stone pools filled with water. The mountain was far from any habitation. One day I went without food, but my meditation went well. A few days later we climbed down and spent a night by a pool at the foot of the mountain. The next morning we went for alms and then walked on for a number of days until we reached Talung district in Buriram. It so happened that Khun Amnaad Amnueykit had just been transferred here to be the District Official. We were both very happy to see each other. After staying for a few days, I took my leave of Khun Amnaad so that I could go into Cambodia.
On this trip there were five of us altogether — two boys, two other monks and myself. Khun Amnaad arranged temporary passports for us. We went down into Cambodia, traveling first to Ampil, then passing through a large jungle to Svay Chek, and from there on foot to Sisophon. After our arrival at Sisophon, a number of lay people came to discuss the Dhamma with me. They bec…
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