Ajahn Karuniko | |
Question: Because I never met Luang Por Chah, I would like to get some experience, some feeling from someone who had the great opportunity to meet with him. You are one of those people. I would like to ask you what impressed you most about Luang Por Chah and, if possible, I would like to have an example according to your experience. Answer: I met Luang Por Chah in England. He came to the Hampstead Vihara in 1979, and I was a layman. One of the things was just the sense of happiness of Luang Por Chah, his joy and happiness, and the effect that had on my mind. It made me feel very happy being around him. One of the most interesting things about that time when I used to go to this Vihara in 1979—I had been meditating for maybe eighteen months and it was very difficult—pain, restlessness… Then Luang Por Chah turns up at the Vihara and my mind was very calm and peaceful. So I’d go every night because the mediation was very good when he was there for me. That was very interesting—just the power of his presence and my mind went calm. Usually it wasn’t calm, because in my early days of meditation it was just pain and restlessness. Even sittting was easy; it was easy to sit when he was there. Then I think just the power of his metta affected me—this nice feeling in the heart. So I really enjoyed just being around him. It was a very special time that week he was there; I’d go every night. It was interesting too that even if he was downstairs in the Vihara, still my mediation was good—even when he was downstairs and not in the room. But then when he left to go back to Thailand...! Incredible.
He used to tease people—ask people questions and tease them a little bit. So when I sat there—and I was just in awe of him then—I was at his feet just in awe of this wonderful man and he looked down at me and said, “What do you think it would be like to sit there for one whole hour without one thought coming into your mind?” I thought, “Oh, very enlightened!” and he said, “Like a stone!” and I couldn’t answer that! I thought, “I’m not going to get into that—I’m out!” That was a very wonderful expereince being around him and that’s more or less the only time I really was around Luang Por Chah when he was well, when he came to the Hampstead Vihara when I was a layman.
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