Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

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^0 L E T T I N G G O 06been a stray they had found and killed; one of the animals brought intothe forest illegally for grazing.After we had left the men, the track began to climb. The scrub aroundus was getting taller, and we could see mature trees on the hillsides aboveus. We were at last getting into real forest, and I felt elated to be amongnature again. I got caught up in an internal debate as to whether I couldask Ajahn Sucitto to stop a bit so that we could walk on later in the day,when wildlife was more likely to be about. Two evenings before, whenwe had been climbing up to the Japanese stupa, we had come upon amale nilgai, a great blue-black antelope the size of a domestic bull. It hadbeen very exciting, and I was hoping to see more. I was so immersed inthis that when I glanced back and thought I saw someone disappearinginto the trees, it registered just for a second before I dismissed it.A J A H N S U C I T T OIt was about expectation, surely; that was the heart of the problem. Iwas expecting India to live up to my projections of a “spiritual place.”What that seemed to mean was that it would allow me to stand backfrom it and feel balanced. And that was a demand that India refused tocomply with. The way out, surely, was in letting go: let go of getting aclear picture, let go of wanting things to be my way, especially as I didn’teven know what “my way” was. Letting go: although it feels like dying,it gives you the freedom to live without self-importance.I remember sitting in the garden of the forest resthouse while Nickwas engaged in the lengthy parleys with the officials; we were about towander off through a forest supposedly infested with bandits. At onepoint even talk of an armed guard arose, but one was not forthcoming.Oh well, I should prepare. There was nothing to prepare. Wait. I had acarefulshave,bytouch,dippingtherazorintomysteelmugof coldwaterand fingering my chin and face. There. Ready to go into the unknown.We walked for an hour, my outer robe folded and tucked over the top2 3 7
^0 T H I R D M O O N 06of my bag. The bag was hanging on my left shoulder. Across my chestwas slung the water bottle and mug so that they dangled by my rightside. It was from behind me on that side that the little chap approached.He caught hold of my mug, and as I turned, asked in Hindi where wewere going. There were others with him; they were the men who hadbeen sitting on top of the dead buffalo. “To the next village,” I said as hetugged my mug urgently. “What is it? Do you want this thing? It’s onlya mug....”Then everything blew up. Nick turned round with a menacing expressionon his face; someone was tugging my robe on one side while thefirst man was hauling frantically at the mug on its strap on the other.Three men charged at Nick who was crouched boxer-style; he wheeledand hit them with his backpack, then ran off with the three of them inhot pursuit. I was being lugged in two directions simultaneously by thestrap on my water bottle and on my bag, I could only try to get the stuffoff and let them have it, but their pulling on it made that impossible. Wewere going round in circles, with their excitement spinning into frenzy.I had to stop this. “Wait! Wait! Let me get this stuff off!” Momentarilythey stood still. They all had axes and staves. The leader glared at methrough twisted features and raised his axe.Funny how your mind goes clear when the options disappear. Whystruggle against the inevitable? The only freedom was to go withoutfear. I bowed my head and pointed the top of my skull toward him, drewthe blade of my hand along it from the crown of my head to the brow.“Hit it right there.” Something shifted; he backed off, waving his axe andmuttering angrily. I stepped forward and repeated the action. Give itaway; let it all go.Things settled. He lowered his axe. I slipped off the bag and the waterbottle and stepped back. The three of them began excitedly picking overthe treasure. I imagined that they’d rummage around, find there wasnothing there of any value, and run off. Two of them picked up the gearand scurried down the track a way. I felt shaky and sat down. Better keep2 3 8
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RUDE AWAKENINGS
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The mindful exert themselves;they a
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^0 F O R E W O R D 06mystically emb
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PrefaceWhat follows is the narrativ
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The First MoonT H E M I D D L E L A
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^0 F I R S T M O O N 06chomping.
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^0 F I R S T M O O N 06deities with
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^0 P I L G R I M S 06things around
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^0 F I R S T M O O N 06and pedestri
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^0 F I R S T M O O N 06government w
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^0 F I R S T M O O N 06too attracti
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A J A H N S U C I T T O^0 F I R S T
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2Over the BorderA J A H N S U C I T
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^0 B O R D E R 06managed to ignore
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^0 B O R D E R 06Buddhist holy plac
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^0 B O R D E R 06a Buddha except th
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^0 B O R D E R 06the maelstrom, som
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^0 B O R D E R 06I read a sign in t
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^0 B O R D E R 06to Bhairawa, the n
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^0 B O R D E R 06of homage to the B
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^0 B O R D E R 06the grass bank fac
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3Leaving HomeA J A H N S U C I T T
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06ascertain
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06take arou
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06region an
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06wanted us
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06mother: s
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06We stoppe
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06to allow
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^0 L E AV I N G H O M E 06conversat
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The Second MoonL U M B I N I T O VA
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4The ObserverA J A H N S U C I T T
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06with a lot of t
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06contemplative b
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06After that we e
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06forbidden. Reli
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06told me about t
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06to sit beside t
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06With this move
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^0 O B S E RV E R 06the back; the d
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06live in th
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06Eventually
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06to a prese
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06of his kne
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06found so d
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06of them sp
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06stupa, try
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06wanted to
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06and a dark
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06from the e
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River Gandak, Part 2
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06ebbing out
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06violent at
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06That topic
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06friendly f
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06The boat w
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^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06was time t
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7The Kingdom of the LawA J A H N S
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^0 T H E L AW 06A sub-lieutenant in
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^0 T H E L AW 06was built in the gr
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^0 T H E L AW 06to get over the wor
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^0 T H E L AW 06accept any fare at
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^0 T H E L AW 06and milk sweets I b
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^0 T H E L AW 06the surrounding tre
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^0 T H E L AW 06a small house near
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8CyclesA J A H N S U C I T T ONovem
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^0 C Y C L E S 06long while for the
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^0 C Y C L E S 06thosebirthsanddeat
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^0 C Y C L E S 06There was a tea st
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^0 C Y C L E S 06The land we were p
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^0 C Y C L E S 06the Indian “West
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^0 C Y C L E S 06parothas straight
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^0 C Y C L E S 06ignore thirty boys
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A J A H N S U C I T T O^0 C Y C L E
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9The Deathless DrumA J A H N S U C
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^0 T H E D R U M 06Once...when I wa
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^0 T H E D R U M 06was a way of enh
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^0 T H E D R U M 06Sangha at Amarav
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^0 T H E D R U M 06scriptures descr
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^0 T H E D R U M 06job, but had eno
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^0 T H E D R U M 06Vaishali’s gre
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^0 T H E D R U M 06less.” And the
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^0 T H E D R U M 06had been a notic
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^0 T H E D R U M 06Striding across
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Mid-Bihar
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06is losing it
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06I had learne
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06cycle—a va
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06the way acro
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06in Bettiah.
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06newspaper th
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^0 T H I R D M O O N 06There is not
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Page 205 and 206: A J A H N S U C I T T O^0 T H I R D
Page 207 and 208: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06bigoted mons
Page 210 and 211: 11Dark AngelA J A H N S U C I T T O
Page 212 and 213: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06on. Then for
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Page 216 and 217: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06something cos
Page 218 and 219: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06a cycle ricks
Page 220 and 221: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06is generously
Page 222 and 223: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06body in order
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Page 226 and 227: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06there are man
Page 228 and 229: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06wound about w
Page 230 and 231: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06It happens to
Page 232 and 233: ^0 DA R K A N G E L 06there. After
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Page 236 and 237: 12Letting GoA J A H N S U C I T T O
Page 238 and 239: ^0 L E T T I N G G O 06enough for A
Page 240 and 241: ^0 L E T T I N G G O 06marketplace.
Page 242 and 243: ^0 L E T T I N G G O 06to be comple
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Page 248 and 249: ^0 L E T T I N G G O 06blue antelop
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Page 260 and 261: 13Landing PlaceA J A H N S U C I T
Page 262 and 263: ^0 L A N D I N G 06gone. And the di
Page 264 and 265: ^0 L A N D I N G 06more assertive.
Page 266 and 267: ^0 L A N D I N G 06manager facing e
Page 268 and 269: ^0 L A N D I N G 06I was left alone
Page 270 and 271: A J A H N S U C I T T O^0 L A N D I
Page 272 and 273: ^0 L A N D I N G 06Ajahn Sucitto in
Page 274 and 275: ^0 L A N D I N G 06Ahlee, and the m
Page 276 and 277: ^0 L A N D I N G 06moment we were b
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Page 281 and 282: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06admit that a
Page 283 and 284: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06regretfully
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Page 289 and 290: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06filter like
Page 291 and 292: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06More than an
Page 293 and 294: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06Gotama milk-
Page 295 and 296: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06the sun, alw
Page 297 and 298: A J A H N S U C I T T O^0 T H I R D
Page 299 and 300: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06many-headed
Page 301 and 302: ^0 T H I R D M O O N 06abandoned Ed
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EpilogueSo many people helped us bo
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NotesP R E FA C E“The mindful exe
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^0 N O T E S 06C H A P T E R 6 : S
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^0 N O T E S 06C H A P T E R 1 0 :
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GlossaryAbhidhamma (Pali) one of th
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^0 G L O S S A RY 06chillum (Hindi)
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^0 G L O S S A RY 06Mahayana (Sansk
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^0 G L O S S A RY 06sabong (Hindi)
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Vinaya (Pali) the monastic discipli
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^0 B I B L I O G R A P H Y 06Conze,
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^0 B I B L I O G R A P H Y 06Raven-
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Recommended ReadingB U D D H I S T
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IndexAAbhidhamma, 213, 284, 295Adi
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^0 I N D E X 06HHajipur, 171-73, 18
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^0 I N D E X 06Nalanda and, 210-11,
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