Ariya Wasa Dhamma Yeiktha (အရိယ၀ါသ ဓမၼရိပ္သာ)

Located nearby Hnee Pagoda, this beautiful nunnery is relatively new to the Kalaw scene. Many of the buildings are temporary structures, as the compound is still in the process of being developed. Pleasant forest paths line the area, skirting between the many pine trees. At the highest point is a golden stupa that makes an ideal spot for meditation, as does the open-air gazebo surrounded by a dozen wooden pillars, and a Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya is growing steadily on a slight rise.

Of particular note are the two monks’ residences: made of wood and donated by a Burmese expatriate family in Texas, they feature an appealing circular design with private rooms and a spacious deck area.

Daw Nein Mala, who speaks English well, oversees the nunnery. In her early years, she had no interest in wearing robes, but listening to Dhamma discourses by some of the country’s great monks awoke in her a spiritual striving that she has been following ever since. She went on to learn meditation under Pakkoku Sayadaw, Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, and several teachers within the Mogok tradition. She now personally leads a ten-day meditation retreat each April, and her center can host over 100 yogis in Burmese style lodgings.

As of this writing, the site has no proper kitchen facilities, meaning that one would need to secure food needs elsewhere and come with a high degree of self-sufficiency. For monks, however, it is possible to eat from taking alms rounds in the area.

“I am in the eastern part of the country where it is more mountainous, cool, and less populated, scouting out possible places to relocate to in the future or retreat during hot season. I spent my birthday in this little hut in a pine forest overlooking the town of Kalaw in Shan state. It is rather peaceful here with a nice walking path for meditation just outside the door. Three of the neighbors kindly provide my one meal a day when I go for alms in the morning. I am well taken care of here.” Bhikkhu Obhasa, American monk

Burma Day 5: The Road to Mandalay

The pilgrimage group takes a final photo at Thoke a Monastery before departing for Mandalay by bus

Kory Goldberg continues his Burma pilgrimage journal while on the Pariyatti yatra. You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

"The morning began at 5:00 am with another offering of alms to the Sangha. By this point everyone had already had the chance to serve the monks, nuns and yogis. It was beautiful to watch each one of us make space for the other, not being greedy for the chance to serve and make merit. During breakfast, Ven. Komala, the monk who hung around to answer our questions before going off to a cave to meditate for the next several months gave us instructions how to eat mindfully. He said when tasting the food we recognize without prejudice or preference that we are merely tasting and that this moment like all moments is impermanent. If anything, this pilgrimage is deepening the understanding that meditation is not an on the cushion, off the cushion experience, but a continuous exercise 24/7. Sure we slip and slip some more but the effort and determination is a practice in itself. Maintaining this awareness we made our way to the last meditation session in the ordination hall, feeling anicca in our minds, on our bodies and in the sounds of novices and the two young orphan children laughing and running around outside. Our last offering is of Burmese Dhamma books by Goenkaji, robes, and financial support to the monastary and the various charitable projects overseen by the Sayadaw was a touching moment for all as Ven. Komala demonstrated a sincere desire to help us in whatever way he could to continue our dhamma practice. Like all Sayadaws, he too had a particular zeal to disseminate the Buddha's teachings worldwide and for the first time in Burma's recent history the doors have swung wide open making that wish a possibility.

U Komala, a forest monk, graciously delayed his return to his private meditation cave to answer foreign yogis' questions about Burmese Buddhism 

A few of us took the luggage by truck to our bus waiting for us about 5 km away because the road was too narrow for our wide, super delux coach. While waiting for the others to arrive we spotted a line of about a dozen young monks walking along the road on alms around. We quickly got out a crate of tangerines and a tin of crackers to offer them. Curiously, most of them accepted our gifts, but a few of them did not. We all followed the standard protocal so I was surprised to eperience this rejection, especially since we were foreigners clad in Burmese attire and probably the first outsiders to ever have been there. Monks are supposed to accept whatever food that comes to their bowls, partly to cultivate a sense of detachment and equanimity, but even more so to create an opportunity for laypeople to gain merit. Did we do something wrong, or was improper practice from the monk's side? A healthy lesson that while they do wear the robes of the noble ones, they too are just human beings riddled with imperfections. 

With great happiness and rejoicing we see that our dhamma group has performed the wonderful merit of feeding an entire monastery for one meal

The road to Mandalay was fairly smooth and easy, giving us ample opportunity to restfully prepare for the next few days loaded with activity. And the hotel we are staying at also contributes to our rest. Incidentally our group is the first cutsomers to ever stay here . The owners, devotees of Pa Auk Sayadaw and who just donated a one million dollar monastic complex on 200 acres in Pyin Oo Lwin, provided us with brilliant hospitality and are very excited to receive the merit from serving a group of foreign yogis."

To see Day 6, go here!

The monastery kindly provided mosquito nets for the pilgrims to use during group sittings, and turned over use of their Sima Hall for such purposes during our stay

A Dhamma Yatra in Burma

Foreign yogis sit in meditation at Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda as a monk chants through a loudspeaker, seated before them

Journal entry by Kory Goldberg after the second day of a Dhamma Yatra in Burma.... (to see how the next yatra turned out on this same day, see here!) You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

The view of Shwedagon from the pilgrims' hotel

"What a privileged life we live! Morning stretching with spectacular dawn views of Shwedagon followed by a traditional Burmese breakfast of stirfried veggies and a fruit platter. i was not alone in the joy that I felt as was clear on the faces of all my companion pilgrims in the Golden Land. our first stop was Dhamma Joti to join the local community for a group sitting in the centre's fabulously charged pagoda. Sharing a cell with three of my companions, I observed the piti arising from a sense of well-being, security and trans-national community that dominated this mind-matter structure. After the session, our group of 23 from seven different countries shared metta with the local yogis, and I was pleasantly surprised to briefly rekindle a connection I had made with a yogi from Pyaw Bwe Gyi eleven years back.

From the Light of Dhamma our group continued onwards to the country's largest and most beautiful reclining Buddha statue at Chotagyi. On the way Snow and Joah showed us how to wear the Burmese pilgrimage uniform composed of a Brown longyi, white shirt, and brown sash. Although I understood intellectually the value of everyone in the group wearing the same thing as a marker of breaking down distinction and creating a group bond, for some reason I didn't really feel comfortable with the standardized attire, especially the sash. nevertheless, I wore the sash at Chotagyi, as did everyone else, and thought to myself this is a great ego destroying practice. As soon as we got off the bus I noticed how everyone's eyes turned on us. While the handful of foreign tourists at the site looked at us as if we were more alien than the culture that they were visiting, the Burmese were all smiles, feeling proud that a group of foreign yogis came to their country to practice the Dhamma and wear specialized local attire to boot. Listening to the monks chant at the temple and feeling the metta coming our way while we meditated and toured the site was precious. Our next stop at Natagyi Pagoda with jewel laden Buddha image wearing royal regalia was equally interesting, providing us with food for thought about the nature of appearance and the ease of projecting erroneous conceptions onto a transient, disatisfying, and impersonal reality. Whatever opinions we form about the unknowable only cause further confusion and suffering.



Next we went to IMC where Goenkaji first learned vipassana. Although we were unable to enter the meditation hall or pagoda because a course was in progress, we were permitted to meditate on a small pavillion just ouside the pagoda. Despite the sounds of nearby construction work and honking cars in the distance, the tranquility in the atmosphere was tangible. Upon opening my eyes after the session and seeing the doors of the pagoda I visualized Sayagyi standing there (as In the photo that many of us have at home). i felt waves of gratitude for what has taken place at this powerfully charged space and felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience it first hand. We then continued the journey to the monastery of the recently deceased arahant Pakoku Sayadaw to meditate with and examine his corporeal relics, and also have all of our questions answered about this phenomena of relics (and their multiplication) by two of his disciples-one a radiant bhikkhu and the other a knowledgable and inspiring lay yogini who spoke perfect English. Another rare and fortunate moment in all of our lives.

The Pakkoku relics on display in Yangon

To top off this wonderful late morning, we feasted at a Chinese Buddhist Temple. Never have any of us had so much delicious vegetarian food presented to us. One dish after another kept arriving at the table, each looking and tasting more delectable than the last. Buddhist vegetarianism is a concept and practice that all of the yogis in our group embrace with open arms.

From the lofty spiritual realms we visited all morning, we then descended into the mundane, physical realm of Bogyoke Market. Most of us shopped for ourselves and for our loved ones back home. An exciting moment, but also a little draining as our attention was challenged. Fortunately, our next and final stop was Shwedagon Pagoda. Although we did not have time for a formal sitting practice, simply walking around the sacred monument containing eight of the Buddha's hair relics recharged our batteries. Snow guided us through various nooks and crannies, pointing out spots that are so evident but so easy to miss amongst the plethora of monuments, statues, paintings, ATM machines, money changers, monks, nuns, yogis, devotees, tourists, security guards and other beings whose presence contributes to the site's power and meaning. Finally, before heading back to the hotel, we stopped in for dinner at a restaurant that had already prepared us a wonderful Burmese vegetarian meal even though we weren't really hungry, allowing us to attune to Burmese sensitivity by practising the avoidance of anar. A great first day to a great first yatra."

To read about Day 2 at Saya Thet Gyi sites, click here!

Pilgrims begin their yatra with a group meditation sitting at Shwedagon Pagoda