“Metta does not mean to allow a person to act as he pleases”

“Metta does not mean to allow a person to act as he pleases”

Uncle Gae was a close disciple of Luang Pu Doo. Because he was an orphan since young, Luang Pu had special loving-kindness towards him so he was like an adopted son of Luang Pu. 

Luang Pu put him up at Wat Sakae as a temple boy and allowed him to live there. 

Even though Uncle Gae had passed away already, the senior disciples at Wat Sakae still remember him. When Uncle Gae came to live with Luang Pu, Luang Pu was still young and had more energy. Uncle Gae mentioned that Luang Pu had taught Uncle Gae by himself. 

All kinds of wichaa including Thai language, mathematics, as well as kammathan meditation (wichaa can mean knowledge or subjects not just magic). 

Uncle Gae emphasised that Luang Pu’s temperament was not the same during his younger days. Perhaps Luang Pu did not have so much energy as he aged or perhaps he became milder in personality. He mentioned that Luang Pu ever used to cane him when he was young. 

When the temple seniors asked Uncle Gae why he got caned, Uncle Gae replied that he was rather naughty and wild as a child. He liked to go out of the temple to play, and even ran away from school. When he got back, he saw Luang Pu standing there holding a cane and waiting for him. 

The temple seniors understood the moral of the story to mean that when our Phor Mae Kruba Ajaans scold us or reprimand us, it does not mean that they have no metta or compassion for us. But sometimes they have the intention to help us develop in better ways. If they had no metta for us, they would just ignore us and leave us be instead of spending time to correct and guide us.

Cr. Sith Poror

13th December, 2022