What Caused the Post-World War II Patipatti Explosion in Burma?

Following is an excerpt from an unpublished draft of Shwe Lan Ga Lay, the meditator's guide to Burma/Myanmar:

It was the postwar period where lay meditation practice really began to take off, a phenomenon that jumpstarted in Burma before spreading and becoming established in neighboring Buddhist countries. 

And in Burma, nowhere was this happening more than at Rangoon’s Sasana Yeiktha Center, where U Nu and other prominent lay leaders brought in Mahasi Sayadaw to establish the new grounds.

Ingrid Jordt, a scholar who spent many years as a nun at Mahasi, captures the excitement and enthusiasm that characterized the early days of this site. She notes that “the laity flocked to the center to practice for enlightenment. The thrill of participating in the mass lay project of enlightenment had never before been so conceived in institutional terms. The center grew around Mahasi in the way that the texts describe laity coming around the Buddha. People vied with one another to have their offerings accepted by him, and new forms of participation emerged: schoolchildren on vacation, night yogis who returned to their offices during the day, retirees, and nuns all immersed themselves in a rigorous schedule of sitting and walking meditation, punctuated by monkly meal offerings at which the laity thronged around the eating tables to observe the project of sasana revitalization happening before their very eyes.”  

And Masoeyin Sayadaw U Theiktha expresses just how it felt at that moment in time to have a genuine practice that one could undertake to follow diligently, after so many years of war and colonization: “It had been a long time that we had become almost unbearable or choking, as it were, for not knowing the real concept or meaning of it. Our happiness knew no bounds when we came to discover the right method relating to the latent ambiguity in the higher aspects of Maha Satipatthana meditation practice.”

And although the non-monastic International Meditation Center led by Sayagyi U Ba Khin may have not seen the same high numbers (and was not state-supported to the same extent), its role and influence were profound. Many of the elites of society attended courses and became deeply affected by their experience, which sometimes manifested even in their work in matters of state. And it was not only the heads of Burma who were attending, but also top politicians other countries, scientists, Supreme Court judges, university professors, and actors. 

As the monastic teacher Maha Gandayon Sayadaw U Janaka put it, “If I were asked what you pray for, my answer is simple. One has to work for himself to get what he wants.” This ethos took over the Burmese people in these years, and can be seen manifested in Sayagyi U Goenka's mission in the following decade (he himself benefited from his patipatti boom as a student during this time). 

Why was it at this very time that the patipatti movement began to flow now as a raging river? There are many theories attempting to answer this, and it may have been the case of several important factors occurring at once, making the conditions ripe for such an undertaking. In the following section, we present no less than twenty possible arguments that have been put forth on this topic.

The Reclining Buddha at U Khanti Monastery.

Former President of Myanmar to Become Buddhist Monk

The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) announces that with the recent Burmese election, now-former president U Thein Sein will soon ordain as a Buddhist monk and intensively practice Vipassana meditation. While to many Westerners there it may seem like something of a contradiction to go from the highest echelons of power to a life of voluntary simplicity and poverty, but in over a thousand years of Burmese history it's not so odd. While past kings went in and out of monkshood, to take only the last century or so, many Burmese heads of state have flirted with renunciation before, during, and after their leadership. 

For example, the first independence leader, General Aung San, said he briefly considered leaving aside the nationalist cause in order to follow as a student of the Italian monk (and friend of Webu Sayadaw and Sun Lun Sayadaw) U Lawkanawta. The first president, Sao Shwe Thaike, learned Anapana and Vipassana under Sayagyi U Ba Khin at International Meditation Center, and later became a leader in Shan Buddhist revival. His president at the time, U Nu, was perhaps the greatest meditator-in-office, trying to encourage Vipassana meditation as a state policy of newly independent Burma and once refusing to interrupt his self-imposed 45-day course even when Karen rebels were camped out in Mingaladon and nearly took over the capital of Rangoon! Even Ne Win, the general who launched the 1962 coup that Myanmar only recovered from in 2010, spoke at the end of his days in power as wishing to leave his lavish life behind for that of cool monkhood. While Than Shwe, who was in charge for much of the recent years, seems not of the same religious bent, he did oversee the construction of the splendid and inspiring Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Daw. And Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has studied under Sayadaw U Thumana and Sayadaw U Pandita, and now is advised by Sitagu Sayadaw. Much attention was paid when she arranged for her sons to come to Myanmar when it was still extremely politically unstable and have the traditional shinpyu, or ordination ceremony. 

In short, post-presidency monkshood and meditation in Myanmar may be akin to American presidents setting up charities following their tenure. While some such as Carter and Clinton devote themselves wholly to those issues they care most about, others such as Ford, Reagan, and Bush have done far less. 

To read more about the Pyin Oo Lwin monastery where U Thein Sein went, see here.

"How Do I Extend My Meditation Visa?"

One yogi recently sent us a question asking about the Meditation Visa Following is our answer. For more questions about Dhamma in Burma to be answered on this blog, shoot us an email at burmadhamma(at)gmail.

"Mingalabar, dear ShweLanGaLay,
I am currently in Mandalay with a meditation visa. I would like to extend it. Could you help me and tell me what I need and how I have to proceed? Your help would be very valuable as nor the Minister of Immigration and Population no the embassy could provide any information about that. What kind of letter do I need from the monastery? Do I need to go out of Myanmar? Do I need to go to Yangon or is it possible to do it in Mandalay. Many thanks in advance for your help. Julie"

Religious Visa (also known as Meditation Visa)
** Note that if one is planning to stay overnight at monasteries or meditation centers, it is ideal to procure a Religious or Meditation Visa. Some monasteries and centers do not allow foreigners to stay even one night with unless they come with this specific visa. **

The Religious Visa is also commonly referred to as a “Meditation Visa,” although the visa covers not only those wishing to engage in formal meditation practice but also those interested in studying other aspects of Burmese Buddhism (the stamp one receives in the passport is actually an “R” for “Religious”). Provided by the Department of Promotion and Propagation of the Sāsana, these are often initially valid for up to 90 days. Those who are considering applying for a meditation visa should first consider these important points:

- This visa is only for those with a genuine interest in learning about Burmese Buddhism.
- To apply, one must have a letter from a government-recognized meditation center or monastery that states one is coming to Myanmar for Buddhist reasons, and will be studying or practicing at their site.
- A Tourist or Business visa can not be converted into a meditation visa; if already in the country, you must leave and apply from abroad.

Theoretically, a meditation visa allows the holder to visit Buddhist sites, pagodas, and monasteries throughout the country. However, this is entirely up to the discretion and policy of the sponsoring agency (i.e. the meditation center or monastery that has issued your welcome letter), as they are officially responsible for you for the duration of your visit in the country. Some sites may be more relaxed in their policy and others stricter.

The meditation visa can be extended indefinitely—sometimes for even several decades, in the case of some long-term yogis—and can be done so without having to leave the country, because government servants are mindful that this would interrupt one’s Dhamma practice. The renewal process is done through the Department of Religious Affairs, and must either be completed by going to the office in person (with a Burmese translator if one is not fluent), or by having one’s sponsoring agency complete the procedure on one’s behalf. Extensions for lay people are six months and those in robes can get a full one year. Both presently cost $90 USD, and must be processed at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

As the renewal process can take up to ten weeks, yogis planning to stay longer than three months are advised to begin the renewal procedure soon after they enter the country. It is each yogi’s responsibility to get this done in time or face whatever consequence may come as a result, such as getting the dreaded “overstay” stamp socked into one’s passport. Finally, anyone who plans to extend their Meditation Visa past the initial three months will need to get a Foreign Registration Card (FRC), which must be shown upon leaving the country.

No matter how long one remains in the country, the Meditation Visa is almost always single-entry, meaning that once one leaves the country a new one must be applied for at a Burmese Embassy. In limited cases and for long-term foreign monastics, re-entry and multiple-entry meditation visas may also be available for a higher fee.

Past yogis have reported that the Burmese Embassies in Asia, in particular New Delhi, Bangkok, Sri Lanka, and especially Kuala Lumpur have been said to be slightly faster at granting meditation visas. Meditation visas applied for outside Asia tend to take much longer.

The Meditation Visa itself dates back to 1979, before which only a handful of diplomats and scholars were allowed in on specialized visas. Tourist visas at that time were hard to come by, and even if they were granted, the maximum period was only for seven days! This prompted the great Sayagyi U Ba Khin to lament that he couldn’t impart his Dhamma knowledge in such a short window of time.

Many yogis today swoon over the thought that a meditation visa exists in Myanmar, and hope that this will open the gates for months of Dhamma practice in the Golden Land. The fact that the government provides this opportunity for dedicated meditators is indeed a sign of the nation’s commitment to Dhamma practice at the highest levels. And this is not a new phenomenon—Prime Minister U Nu once offered state funds during the 1950s to any foreigners who wished to come to the country to learn meditation.

However, the process of applying and receiving a Buddhist study visa entails more than simply listing the number of courses you have sat or describing how you follow the Precepts. For this reason, attention to protocol and procedure is important. The expression “once burned, twice shy” is applicable here, as some meditation centers and monasteries have had experiences in the past of sponsoring a visa application or welcoming a foreign yogi to stay on their grounds, only to find he or she was really a backpacker or English teacher in disguise looking for an easy way to remain in the country. Unfortunately, such behavior has led some monasteries to be more hesitant when considering requests for sponsor letters, as past incidents have weakened their trust. The reality is that each yogi’s actions—if they are in line with expectations and acting responsibly and honestly, or not—will impact the decisions that monasteries, lay people, and even government officials make about the Dhamma hopes of countless future yogis.

A Western monk in Myanmar has seen concerning signs of this already. He writes, “This situation has taken place over the past several years in Thailand to the point where a number of monasteries, previously supportive of foreign yogis and the ordination of foreigners, no longer allow such opportunity, and meditation centers have had to impose accommodation and meal fees as many backpackers abused the hospitality and support of the locals. Now, the early signs of this same unfortunate turn of events are beginning to take place in some of the better known meditation centers in Myanmar.”

Concerning visa extensions, he adds that a “Sayadaw may wish to give the yogi the opportunity to continue practice for a long time with the impression that the yogi is sincere in his/her practice, but in some cases once extensions are received, the yogis leave the monastery for travel or use the monastic accommodations simply as free lodging. Some meditation centers now only allow a stay of three months maximum as a result and will not sponsor visa extensions beyond the initial meditation entry visa.”

** It cannot be overstated that those who receive a Meditation Visa should be especially mindful to follow the rules and conditions of the sponsoring monastery, and use it with the right intention, otherwise future yogis may be not able to similarly enjoy the benefits of a meditation visa! **

In the past, some visitors chose to deliberately overstay their 28-day visa period and upon leaving, pay a nominal fine of $3 to $5 USD per day. While this was permitted in the past, it is discouraged nowadays. Having an invalid visa will cause one problems at hotels and monasteries, when booking travel tickets, and when asked to show one’s passport at other times. Additionally, a Burmese souvenir one should not wish for if one has any desire to return to the Golden Land in the future, is an “overstay” stamp in one’s passport!

Dhingan Monastery (formerly known as Bauk-Taw Monastery)

This Sun Lun center was initially established by U Nu long ago, as he personally invited Sun Lun Sayadaw in 1950 to stay here and make radio broadcasts of his dhamma talks to Buddhists living in Rangoon. Sun Lun Sayadaw arrived here in March 1951, and the following six days delivered these requested Dhamma talks, alternating his stay between here and the main Mahasi center (where he was personally invited by Sir U Thwin). With 24 other monks, he consecrated the Sima Hall, and as the local neighborhood started to expand five additional acres were donated by local supporters, giving it the seven acres that it contains today. This was also where U Vinaya was ordained in 1953. Of all the current Sun Lun centers now in Yangon, this is the only one where the original Sayadaw actually resided.

Today, yogis may be interested to meet Dr. Sundara, a Burmese monk who has a PhD in Buddhist studies and speaks fluent English. Remarkably, he is also one of only a handful of Tipitika-dhara in contemporary times, meaning he has memorized all of the Tipitika. There is also a beautiful Dhamma hall on site, and many new buildings have been constructed since Sun Lun Sayadaw’s time. Every evening a Dhamma talk is given by a monk who has memorized all of Buddha’s teachings, and is widely attended by local devotees.

The Sun Lun center is located about three miles from the Yangon International Airport and not far away from Aung Yadana Clinic and Hospital besides Waizayantar Road and Yadana Road. There is a prominent signboard on the Yadana road and in front of Yadana Market. The Centre is situated behind the Yadana Market. The registration counter is opened from 5 am to 10 pm, and the main gate closes at 9 pm after meditation time. Address:16/2 Block Thingun Kyun Yatana Road, South Okkalapa Yangon, Tel:95-1-56562 / 95-1-564654

For more information about Sun Lun Sayadaw, one may read here, or for information about his time with Webu Sayadaw in Kyaukse, go here.