Pure Inspiration

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi – 43
There is a tendency among the admirers of Ven. Ñāṇavimala to regard
him as an exclusive model of the ideal Buddhist monk. I look at him in
a different light. I believe that the diversity that we can see among the
Buddha’s own great disciples represents different modes in which
Buddhist spirituality can be embodied. From this angle, the great
disciples can be seen as ideals for those of later generations to emulate.
The Buddha himself held up Sāriputta and Moggallāna as the foremost
models, the one representing the epitome of wisdom, the other of
psychic powers. But other disciples represented excellence in other
fields: in learning, in expository skills, in monastic discipline, in
devotion to the training, in meditation, in recollection of past lives,
and so forth. Each is worthy of respect for the virtuous qualities that
he or she manifests, and this respect should be extended to Buddhists
of the present age who, though far from perfect, sustain the heritage
of the Dhamma.
Thus it would be a mistake, I feel, to interpret the points stressed by
Ven. Ñāṇavimala as constituting an exclusive model of the ideal
monastic practitioner. In my view, other ideals are possible, and those
who pursue them should not be denigrated by comparison with the
more solitary and ascetic model that the German elder exemplified.
However, at a time when examples of strict renunciation have become
so rare in the Sangha, a person like Ven. Ñāṇavimala certainly stands
out as a bright star in the firmament of the teaching. Though he never
sought renown or publicity in any form, the worthy example he
provided has won veneration and admiration from many, both from
those who knew him personally and those who have learned about him
by word of mouth.