The Medicine of Dhamma, Insight into Death and Impermanence - Luang Pu Khao

When Luang Pu Khao fell ill in the forests or mountains, he was not very interested in curing his body with medicine. Instead, he relied heavily on the medicine of Dhamma, as this had the effect of healing both the body and the mind (citta) simultaneously. He would grasp the problem firmly, focus his attention for a long time, and observe it. Through this introspective observation, he overcame illnesses caused by fever many times and gained strong confidence in this method whenever he was sick.

This began once the mind entered samadhi (concentration), became calm, and grew cool. When a feverish illness struck, he would meditate with unwavering determination and fight with a completely immovable mind. This method always brought clear results.

Initially, when he had a fever, he was guided in the correct method by Acharn Mun. Acharn Mun said:

"The times when the mind gains extraordinary strength almost always come when one has overcome intense illness and pain. The more intense the illness, the more mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (panna) circulate through the body, quickly reaching every aspect of the illness. There is no need to go out of one's way to examine the body. At that time, I had no interest at all in whether I would get better. My only concern was to know the truth of the feeling of pain that was attacking me at that moment. I used the mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (panna) that I had mastered through constant training."

Once, Acharn Mun came to Luang Pu Khao while he was suffering from a fever and asked him a sharp question:

"In your past lives, you experienced pain far more intense than this just before death. Have you ever thought about that? Even ordinary people in the world who have never studied Dhamma can endure the suffering of a normal fever. Some maintain excellent mindfulness (sati) and keep a calm attitude—they are better than many monks. They do not moan, move restlessly, or thrash their limbs. Some monks are inappropriate and should not be Buddhists. A monk must not place himself in a position that tarnishes the Buddha's teachings."

Acharn Mun continued with the story of a dying layperson. That person, upon seeing Acharn Mun, sat up on his own, expressed joy and respect, and met death calmly. Acharn Mun rebuked Luang Pu Khao, saying:

"Your illness is not as severe as that person's, so why do you neglect to examine and observe it? Is it not laziness that makes your mind heavy and your body weak? The death of a weak and lazy person is no different from the death of a rat."

After this teaching, Luang Pu Khao was deeply moved and immediately began to practice. He observed the feeling of pain by separating it from the aggregates—he placed the body as one aggregate, sanna (perception) as another, sankhara (mental formations) as yet another, and the citta (mind) in a special position. He then examined the arising and ceasing of the pain, and its cause and effect. He did not focus at all on whether the pain would disappear or whether he would survive, but concentrated only on knowing the truth.

"I am one of these beings, fearful and trembling before dukkha (suffering). So, how can I deal with the dukkha (suffering) I am experiencing now and become fearless with the truth as my witness? I must separate and analyze the aggregates with mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (panna) and see them clearly. Which aggregate is the feeling of pain? Is it the body? Perception? Formations? Or the citta? If it is none of these, why do I think 'the pain is me' or 'I am in pain'? Today I must reveal this truth. Even if the pain does not stop, I will sit here until I know the truth clearly, and I do not care if I die."

From this determination, mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (panna) began to observe as if their lives depended on it. This battle of life and death lasted for five hours, leading to a clear knowledge of the truth of each of the five aggregates. In particular, he knew the aggregate of vedana (feeling) most clearly through wisdom. The moment he thoroughly penetrated the observation of every aspect of the five aggregates, the feeling of pain vanished instantly.

From this time on, an unwavering faith in the Four Noble Truths, especially the truth of suffering (Dukkha), was born. Thereafter, whether it was a fever or any other illness, the mind emerged victorious through the practice of mindfulness and wisdom, and it no longer became weak in the face of pain. It was precisely during times of pain and illness that the mind became strong.

Through the observation of pain, the Dhamma revealed the manifest truth. The pain ceased, and the mind sank into the foundation of samadhi (concentration), remaining there for several hours. And so, all doubts and problems regarding the body and mind were stilled.

p.61-73