Engaging with the Dhamma: Advice for Burmese Monastic Life

One hidden trap that some foreign yogis bring to their stay in Myanmar is coming with a frame of understanding how Dhamma is practiced in the Golden Land by idealizing it; this certainly applies to stays at monasteries as well. One becomes quite attached to this expectation, which ultimately carries within it the seeds of disappointment, as it is an preconception that will be impossible to meet. And when one’s experience inevitably starts falling outside that unrealistic frame, frustration (and even stronger emotions) sets in.

For example, it is not the case that all monks have joined the order with the sole purpose of attaining nibbana, that all lay supporters behave with perfect scruples when at monasteries and pagodas, that all young children possess a clear comprehension of the basic Buddhist principles as a result of their upbringing and education. Yes, some monks do watch the English Premier League while playing with their smart phones, some lay people flirt and listen to music at pagodas, and some children seem to take a pleasure in torturing monastery dogs.

There can be also be a well-intentioned but counterproductive (and condescending) Western meditators' bias that exults in finding wisdom in the poor, simple Burmese countryside, as if devotion and purity of practice can be explained by merely being burdened with less material opportunity in life. Some would-be monastics seek out monasteries in particularly isolated, rural villages with this as a partial motivation. But such an approach ignores the commonalities that form the fundamental human experience, whether in an affluent Los Angeles suburb, downtown Paris, a poor Delta hamlet… or almost any monastery. Lobha, dosa, and moha are encountered at every turn, as is the intention to follow the Noble Eight Fold Path.

In other words, this whole issue exemplifies the very thing Dhamma students who come to Myanmar come to practice… Dhamma! Yogis should examine their expectations carefully, and experience the country with open eyes, appreciating it on its own merits, not filtering it through an ultimately impossible standard or distorted set of expectations. The Middle Path is negotiated with life circumstances, and it can be inspiring to see how some of Burmese monks and meditators work to bring the Buddha’s teachings into every moment of (real, unvarnished) life.

The Buddha’s Inheritance: A Cheerful Invitation

A Mexican meditator/monk and frequent visitor to Burma shares this advice:

"Sometimes one may be at a monastery or retreat centre that is not in good shape or is untidy, instead of allowing disappointment or worse a finger pointing attitude to enter the mind, it is beneficial to imagine beyond the surface remembering that everything that we see was once… an offering. It is not difficult to feel that all of this is actually, materialised generosity! Imagine, this generosity started as a wholesome thought - maybe generations ago - and now, we are standing, sitting, studying, sleeping and growing out of it! Nurtured by anonymous acts of selfless kindness. A gift that involves many people and spans generations.

And what was the base for such kind acts? The trust and appreciation for the Buddha and his teaching. Actually all this goodness started with His gift of wisdom, that being so, we could say that all this is his inheritance, isn't it? By looking in this way a shift happens, gratitude and energy arises to care for our Teacher’s gift and legacy, we can get involved!

Every sweep, brush and stroke of the mop becomes an opportunity to develop Saddha (faith) and gratitude that in turn invites other beautiful mental ingredients to generate wholesome (kusala) states (just cause and effect). This shift also leaves bare the judgements and expectations one may have, leave them ready to be studied, and by doing this, one may also see the many things we have taken for granted.  Maybe it's time for 'us foreigners' to come, support and care more directly for the gift that our Burmese Brothers and Sisters have nurtured for millennia, we can do it all together and it is happening, let’s care for our beloved Teacher’s Gift!

Goodness is bound to come."

An Attitude of Renunciation

When foreign meditators stay for extended periods to practice Dhamma at Burmese monasteries, their attitude of renunciation is very important. For this, one may keep in mind the Burmese proverb, pyaw yah ma, ma ne ya. Taw ya hma, ne ya. Translated literally, this means “Where one is happy, don’t stay; and where one is in seclusion, stay!” U Sarana renders this further as “one should stay at a place conducive to one’s spiritual development, regardless of the comfort to be found there.” He notes that this Burmese proverb can be traced to the Vanapattha Sutta, in which the Buddha advises monks to remain at any site where “unestablished mindfulness has become established.”

In this Sutta, the Buddha goes on to state: "Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu lives in some jungle thicket. While he is living there his unestablished mindfulness becomes established, his unconcentrated mind becomes concentrated, his undestroyed taints come to destruction, he attains the unattained supreme security from bondage; yet the requisites of life that should be obtained by one gone forth...are hard to come by. The bhikkhu should consider thus: 'I am living in this jungle thicket. While I am living here my unestablished mindfulness has become established...I have attained the unattained supreme security from bondage; yet the requisites of life...are hard to come by. However, I did not go forth from the home life into homelessness for the sake of robes, almsfood, resting place, and medicinal requisites. Moreover, while I am living here my unestablished mindfulness has become established...I have attained the unattained supreme security from bondage.' Having reflected thus, that bhikkhu should continue living in that jungle thicket; he should not depart.

"Is it Easy to Communicate in English at Burmese Monasteries? Are Interviews and Guidance Provided?"

Meditators from the Pariyatti Pilgrimage had many successful experiences communicating with monks, despite the language gap

One yogi recently sent us a question asking how foreign yogis may communicate with Burmese monks. 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.

"Is it easy to communicate in English at these monasteries? Are interviews and guidance provided?"

This depends on the type of monastery you are visiting. If you are staying at one that is consistently engaged in meditation practice and instruction, then a means of English communication is more likely to take place, especially if foreign yogis already come in some numbers. Translations and communication may occur through either monks or lay people who have spent time abroad, or written or audio material that is made available. At some monasteries sit may depend upon your luck when happening to visit, as there may be times when no bilingual people are present. For those monasteries that double as meditation centers, it is likely that they will have their own protocol as to when interviews, guidance, and Dhamma talks are given, and how (and if) translation is available. If you wanted to discuss meditation or Buddhism directly with a monk or Sayadaw, you would be welcome to, however a translation or English-speaking monk would be needed (and women yogis should take care to initiate such conversations only when another male is present).

Burma Pilgrimage #2, Day 4: "A Natural, Physical Manifestation of Gratitude"

The following excerpt was written by an American yogi about the pilgrimage in Burma. The first pilgrimage has ended, and the second one has just begun! To read about the previous day, go here. You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

"Last night was the first of two nights at Metta Shin monastery. There's not a huge number of monks here, but it's a lovely place. The Sayadaw has been involved in humanitarian work in Burma, and spent quite some time answering various questions.

The sign proclaiming the dana that our group has joyously given at Metta Shin Monastery

We were able to serve lunch to the monks (called Sangha Dana) - very sweet to see a whole range, from young to old. There are several cats around, who show up for some affection at mealtimes. One in particular likes to join during meditation hours...

A few members of our pilgrimage formally offer robes and books each time we pay respects to a Sayadaw. An incredible amount of joy arises, even when just witnessing these offerings.

We heard some beautiful words about Sangha Dana today - the act of offering is an outer shell, but the mind before/during/after is what matters most. And in the act of giving, one may remember to make the offering to not just the monastic standing in front, but to the living banner of the Dhamma - all of the Sangha.

We've been informed on how Burmese formally pay respect to Buddha statues and to Sayadaws. Taken out of context, one may consider this 'rite and ritual,' but in this special land, bowing is but a natural, physical manifestation of gratitude."

To read Day 5, go here!

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

Burmese Monasteries

One of the pieces of original artworks that was completed by a meditator and will appear in Shwe Lan

“They are most beautiful, many of these monasteries—great buildings of dark-brown teak, weather-stained, with two or three roofs one above the other, and at one end a spire tapering up until it ends in a gilded 'tee.' Many of the monasteries are covered with carving along the façades and up the spires, scroll upon scroll of daintiest design, quaint groups of figures here and there, and on the gateways moulded dragons.” Harold Fielding, Soul of a People 

Monasteries come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes, from giant concrete complexes with hundreds of monks in attendance to teak kutis built deep in the forests that house only a single occupant. Those monasteries that receive more dana or regularly welcome foreigners are often known to have slightly improved amenities.

Monasteries are not guesthouses. When looking at hotels, it is reasonable to ask about the room, the shower, the bed, and other such living conditions, and to even ask to inspect them before choosing to stay. Monasteries are a place for yogis to develop their nekhemma parami, meaning renunciation and acceptance. By definition, monasteries are places of simple living but where most basic necessities are met, and above this one need not request.

If you have a medical condition or special request, it is appropriate to communicate this to the Sayadaw and politely inquire if the monastery can meet this need. An example would be having a bad back and needing a certain amount of padding when sleeping, or feeling under the weather and needing a quiet place to rest. However, be careful not to stretch the meaning of “special needs.” Needing almond-flavor soymilk instead of 2% or asking the kitchen to prepare separate dishes with fewer chilies may pass at Western meditation centers, but you’ll have to make due here, and anything that does come from a request should be reimbursed to either the office or kitchen staff. In fact, one of the main reasons many Sayadaws hesitate to accept Westerners is they know ahead of time about their propensity to have such “special needs”, and they worry that their basic monastery will not be able to meet their standard of living. For this reason, it is important that the foreign yogi adapt to local conditions as much as possible (while not compromising health), and to show monks that you are satisfied with what has been given and do not require more. Your behavior will impact not only the relations you have with the monastery, but will have consequences for many more yogis who may wish to practice there in the future—if your stay causes any difficulties or complexities then they may hesitate to offer such an opportunity the next time someone comes to request.

On this point, it may be relevant to hear the words of one Dutch monk who has been living in Myanmar for several years: “What I think cannot be stressed enough is that all facilities, food, teachings etc are all gifts, they are coming from the generosity of others. You're a guest in somebody else’s place, [so] you can't demand things as you wouldn't if you are visiting friends. Here at [my monastery], too many times I've seen foreigners forgetting that everything is a gift. They make demands, complain about the food, require things, don't follow rules or don't show gratitude… I find it painful to see this ignorance, and feel bad for donors who see them.”

"Uncovering Monastic Life"

The opening lines from the subsection Uncovering Monastic Life...

“A person from the modern Western world can only marvel that a life of such beauty, grace and peace can even exist in this day and age. To live a life of such exquisite simplicity, refinement, and devotion is an extraordinary example of what is possible and indeed required of us in order to fulfill our perfections. With purity, concentration and wisdom as our foundation, we are able to follow the Buddha’s teachings in an exact way.” Daw Sanda Wadi, From One To Nun

Compared to other Theravada Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka, few Westerners have integrated into Burmese monastic life for a sustained period. In some ways it seems there has been more commentary on Burmese Buddhist life by 19th century Britons than by modern day foreign yogis and monastics. As the country continues to open, hopefully this will change as Buddhist practitioners are able to visit and appreciate the opportunity that Burmese monastic life provides.

A Burmese woman pays respects as monks pass on an alms round

Interactions with a Burmese Monastery

This from the chapter on "Roles and Relationships" in the Monastic Life chapter:

“People would have a fine time meeting friends at the monastery. ‘Apart from being a happy outing, a day at the monastery is satisfying in many ways, social, cultural and spiritual.’ I heard my grandmother used to say, never failed for all time. I concluded my diary the day at the monastery by the end of a perfect day.” Junior Win

“[My grandfather] usually had an interesting time discussing Buddhist scriptures with other retired gentlemen, who, like him, had found a useful vacation in the study of the scriptures in their retirements. Sometimes the discussions were spirited and they would often take their arguments to the head monk for decision. [My grandmother] would have a fine time meeting friends and she had an opportunity to do deeds of merit like sweeping the grounds. Children happily helped with chores and were taught the sacred duty of keeping the monastery grounds clean… Late in the afternoon we would come home, the end of a perfect day.” Khin Myo Chit (grandmother of Junior Win), Colorful Myanmar

A Burmese nun reads Buddhist scriptures at her nunnery

Introduction to Burmese Monasteries

In this excerpt from the book, we pick up an entry from our "Monasteries" chapter. Following is the introduction for the "Monastic Life" chapter:
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One of the great joys that your visit in the Golden Land can bring is to experience an extended stay in a monastic environment.

Integrating into monastic life can involve joining a devoted community of practicing monks, nuns, supporters, and lay people. While you may have to negotiate some gaps in language and culture, many monasteries warmly welcome foreign yogis who come to learn more about Burmese Buddhist practice and take it as a privilege to look after them. For many, it is a treasured meritorious deed as through their actions they are able to spread Buddha’s teachings beyond their own limited region. It is also a wonderful way to make lasting relationships with Burmese monastic and lay people, and by joining their community wholeheartedly, it can deeply transform one’s practice and understanding of Dhamma. As one American monk notes, “My teacher, Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw says that if you like this place, then you have certain qualities, or as we call it, ‘parami’… eventually it comes down to being one who ‘enjoys themselves.’ Those who cannot and who want an easy and relaxed life eventually leave.”

Burmese monks at a local monastery

Shwe Lan Excerpt: Shwe Yan Pyae Monastery

The Meditator Guidebook to Burma is in its final stages! As the guide gets closer to publication, we will begin to share excerpts of what yogis may expect... some sneak previews of what is to come. here is one paragraph taken from the Yawnghwe section, and in addition to the text also features original artwork designed by one of our arists:

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Shwe Yan Pyae Monastery
This monastery is about two miles north of town, on the way to Shwenyaung, so easy to catch on your way in or out of the area. This is a real monastery, though you might not know it by the hordes of tourist buses that pile on and off here for photos. This is mainly due to its very photogenic elliptical windows, and the curious novices or graceful felines who always seem perched in them. Still, it is worth seeing, and the grounds date back to the 19th century. The plinth where the Buddha statues sit are gilded with glass mosaics and gold filigree, and make a nice place to pay your respects. The statue itself is nine feet in height, and is made of gilded bamboo strips. Also, a gilded Celestial Being can be found in the Sayadaw’s chamber, where the monastery keeps a chest with ancient palm leaf manuscripts, also gilded. Shwe Yan Pyae Monastery is also known for its teak pillars, and indeed there are 167 of them, with the front ones gilded and adorned with glass mosaics. More teak shingles were placed on the monastery’s roof, and the inner ceiling has beautiful teak carvings as well. Note also the two guardian chinthe on the eastern side and garudas on the west. Also make sure to see the long hallways with many thousands of miniature Buddha images set into the carved out spaces, and the beautiful tiles of the floor below. This is located in the small temple behind the yard, on the right from the wooden building, across from the Shan stupa. As the site can unfortunately be overrun by tourists these days, if you do go, it can be very nice indeed to do so with respect and veneration, as many foreigners do not go with this sort of mindful intention. It is also a good place to practice your meditator Burmese with the many novices.

Shwe Yan Pyae Monastery in Nyaunshwe

Preparing flowers for Buddha in Ingyinbin

This video is from the Webu Sayadaw monastery in Ingyinbin, Upper Burma. Every morning the village children scale the trees on the monastery compound to collect the most beautiful flowers.  After they have completed their selection, they group at a table and together arrange the flowers beautifully, as you see here, doing so under the backdrop of ancient stupas and a flowing hot springs.  When they are finished with this, they respectfully enter the shrine room of the monastery and offer their flowers as a gift of respect to the Buddha.