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himsell of distracting thoughts as Luang Phaw had instructed. As he struggled for control, he consoled himself with the thought that Luang Phaw must have a reason for taking so much trouble and effort — he would not be wasting the ordinand’s time. To the ordinand’s surprise, after a time he did begin to discern something. Slowly it arose in the inner darkness. A blur appeared and gradually became clearer. It became so clear in the end that it was as though he were gazing at it with his eyes wide open — yet his eyes were shut. What was it that he saw? The hair which had been shaved from his head. At this the ordinand became rather excited, unable to suppress his curiosity. “I can see something!” said the ordinand in a trembling voice. “You can see the tuft of hair, can’t you?” He thought he had achieved what Luang Phaw wanted — but Luang Phaw had not yet finished!1 “Keep observing it continuously. Observe the detail. Observe what direction the ends of the hair are pointing. Which direction are the shaven ends pointing? How is the middle portion curved?” The ordinand focused his mind’s eye so as to be able to answer Luang Phaw’s questions. And as soon as he could observe clearly, he replied. Again the ordinand thought he had come to the end of the exercise. But again he was wrong. Luang Phaw commanded the ordinand to examine his vision further. The ordinand obeyed his command, though not wholeheartedly. After all, hair was hair, and the ordinand had already seen it clearly. What else was there to observe? 1. from ibid. p.21