..续本文上一页nciples of the Dhamma and Vinaya. There was nothing roundabout or evasive about him. That was why I had made up my mind to stay with him. If he were alive today, I still wouldn”t leave him. I”d have to stay with him, although as a matter of course I”d still go here or there from time to time, as I had told myself.

　　It was only around the fourth or fifth night after I had gone to stay with him... this dream, you know, was really amazing. I dreamed that I was fully robed, carrying my bowl and klod, following an overgrown trail through the jungle. There were no side paths on either side. Both sides were full of thorns and brambles. All I could do was to keep trying to follow the trail, which was just barely a path, all overgrown, just enough to give a hint of where to go.

　　Finally I reached a point where a thick clump of bamboo had fallen across the trail. I couldn”t see which way to go. There was no way around it on either side. How was I going to get past it

　　 I peered here and there until finally I saw an opening — a tiny opening, right along the path, just enough for me to force my way through together with my bowl.

　　Since there was no other way, I removed my outer robe — that”s how clear the dream was, as if I weren”t dreaming at all — I removed my outer robe and folded it away, just as we keep our robes folded here. I removed my bowl strap from my shoulder and crawled through the opening, dragging my bowl by its strap and pulling my klod just within reach behind me. I was able to force my way through, dragging my bowl, my klod and my robe behind me, but it was really difficult. I kept at it for a long time until finally I worked my way free. I pulled my bowl, and my bowl came free. I pulled my klod, and my klod came free. I pulled my robe, and my robe came free. As soon as I was entirely free, I put on my robe again — that”s how clear the dream was — I put on my robe, slung my bowl over my shoulder, and told myself, ”Now I can go on.” I kept following that trail-it was really overgrown — for about another 40 meters, wearing my robe, carrying my bowl and klod.

　　Looking ahead, there was wide open space. In front of me was the ocean. Looking across, there was no further shore. All I could see was the shore on which I was standing and a tiny island, way out in the distance, a black speck on the edge of the horizon. I was going to that island. As soon as I walked down to the water”s edge, a boat — I don”t know where it came from and I didn”t notice whether it was a speedboat or a rowboat or whatever — a boat came up to the shore and I got in. The boatsman didn”t say anything to me. As soon as I sat down in the boat and got my bowl and other things in, the boat sped out to the island, without my having to say a word. I don”t know how it happened. It kept speeding, speeding out to the island. There didn”t seem to be any dangers or waves or anything at all. We went silently and in no time at all we arrived — because, after all, it was a dream.

　　As soon as I reached the island, I got my things out of the boat and went ashore. The boat disappeared completely, without my saying even a word to the boatsman. I slung my bowl over my shoulder and climbed up the island. I kept climbing until I saw Venerable Acariya Mun sitting on a small bench, pounding his betel nut and watching me climb up towards him. ”Maha,” he said, ”how did you get here

　　 Since when has anyone come that way

　　 How were you able to make it here

　　”

　　”I came by boat.”

　　”Oho. That trail is really difficult. Nobody dares risk his life coming that way. Very well then, now that you”re here, pound my betel for me.” He handed me his betel pounder, and so I pounded away — chock, chock, chock. After the second or third chock, I woke up. I felt really disappointed. I wished I could have …

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