90. No fables

In all the long time I lived close to Luang Pu, there were never any fables or entertaining tales in his teachings—no Jātaka tales or stories of the present. All his teachings were noble truths, pure and simple, on the ultimate or impersonal level. Or else they were a few carefully chosen comments, as if he were trying to be frugal in his words. Even when he gave instructions on religious ceremonies or on how to make donations or basic morality, he taught in a very detached way. For the most part, he’d say,