A late night interview podcast with Thabarwa Sayadaw

What a talk! Thabarwa Sayadaw made a surprise stop by our recording studio at midnight and we talked till almost 4 a.m. Still, there was so much to discuss that we only reached halfway through our topics, so we hope to continue our talk later this month.

The majority of our conversation focussed on the origin story of Sayadaw himself as well as the development of the Thabarwa center and mission. He discussed his difficulties in being from a family of Chinese immigrants in Yangon and his early interest in education and business. While wildly successful in a time in Myanmar when almost no entrepreneurial activity was taking place, it led to a severely imbalanced mind that became dominated by greed and anger, causing him to make several key poor business decisions. Concerned about his deteriorating mental state, this led to an interest in meditation, and he spent several years studying intensively at such centers as Mogok, Thae Inngu, Goenka, U Ba Khin, and Mahasi.

He became a proper teacher in his own right at the time that massive societal and political transformations were underway in Myanmar, and he discusses openly how the the upheaval of his country put his entire center and mission in an existential crisis, not knowing if they were going to be shut down from one month to the next. Ultimately, the advent of a free press by 2014 finally allowed independent journalists to share more widely what his unique meditation center was trying to accomplish, and the resulting stability led to steady growth and today, international renown.

Thank you to Thabarwa Sayadaw and so many close to him that helped make time in his busy schedule. Sayadaw had just flown from the UK on December 31st, and had spent the prior several days driving from one event to the other throughout Yangon, as well as side trips to Hpa An and Mandalay, and is leaving today to Vietnam. So we were really privileged to have access to so much of his time.

Summer Meditation Retreats at Thabawa

The following message comes from Sayalay Khema Cari at Thabawa Monastery. For more information, or to apply, contact her at: 

dawkhema@gmail.com or call 09-250047330

"Analysis of TRUTH"18th to 28th April 2016 at Thabarwa Centre, Than Lyin, Yangon.

Applying Pali and Abhidhamma into Vipassana Practice, by Sayalay Cala Theri.
Including meditation, chanting, Dhamma discussion.
18th to 26th April (8 days)
7.30 am-9.00am:Pali*
9.30 am-11.00 am:Abhidhamma *
11.00am:Lunch
12.00pm to 4.30pm:Self-study
4.30pm:Walking and standing meditation at a nearby ancient pagoda (outdoor activity)
5.40pm:Dhamma discussion
6.00pm:Rest/Bath
7.00pm:Basic Buddhism
8.00pm:Sitting meditation
9.00pm:Chanting and sharing merits
* These are intermediate levels. But beginners are welcome to come and listen.

Meditation Retreat

27th to 28th April (2 days) 
7.30 am: Basic meditation instructions and taking 8 precepts
8.30am:Sitting meditation
9.15am:Walking and standing meditation
10.00am: Sitting meditation
11.00am:Lunch
12.00pm:Rest/walking
1.00pm:Sitting
2.00pm:Walking
3.00pm: Sitting
4.00pm:Dhamma Discussion
4.30pm:Walking at Stupa (outdoor activity)
5.40pm:Meditation Discussion
6.00pm:Rest/bath
7.00pm:Dhamma and Meditation discussion
8.00pm:Sitting meditation
9.00pm:Chanting and sharing merits

Theinggu Method- by Sayalay Wisanda (Intense breathing method)
1st-5 May 2O16
Timetable:

4-6am MEDITATION
7.3O-9.30am MEDITATION
1-3pm MEDITATION
4-6pm MEDITATION
7-8pm discussion



Water-Fasting-Festival 

10-16may 2016
7days retreat with fasting-during the new year retreat

Khema Cari
ThaBarWa Dhamma Center
Thanlyin, Yangon
+95 9 250047330

www.thabarwa-nmc.blogspot.com
www.thabarwaratana.org
www.thabarwameditationcenter.wordpress.com

A Glaring Omission

Shwe Lan Ga Lay's underlying mission has been to illuminate and discuss the Dhamma as it is practiced in the Golden Land of Burma (Myanmar). Although Burmese Buddhists are greatly welcoming to the foreign meditator, and eager to share the wealth of the Buddha's teachings, due to recent history, the country has been rather inaccessible for some time. As it now opens up for investment, tourism, and other opportunity, we hope that its Dhammic venues may also open to foreign spiritual seekers, and that Burma's greatest export may benefit the many suffering people around the world. 

Bhikkhu Agga recently found an example of the startling lack of knowledge available about the country when trying to access it from abroad. He noted that the current Wikipedia entry for Mogok Sayadaw comes up with no information. A separate search for his Pali name, U Vimala, brings one to a very basic biography (of which much of what is written is not accurate to begin with). By comparison, this is about three times smaller than the entry for the one-hit-wonder American rapper Young MC, who had only a brief moment of stardom nearly three decades ago.

Mogok Sayadaw was one of Burma's greatest monks, a part of the patipatti movement in the postwar era, a reputed Arahant (fully enlightened person), and a key member of the so-called Golden Generation of monks and meditation teachers (which also included Thae Ingu Sayadaw, Mahasi Sayadaw, Webu Sayadaw, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Sun Lun Sayadaw, etc.). What is more, the Mogok technique is the most popular tradition today in Myanmar, with over 800 Mogok monasteries in the country alone. That such a paucity of information is available about this highly historically important individual who single-handedly spread the Dhamma to literally millions of practitioners is, if not surprising, then highly unfortunate. Just as many Burmese venerate the great work of Mogok Sayadaw today, so also may foreign yogis who yearn for liberation, even if they practice according to different lineages, traditions, and techniques. 

For those who wish to learn more about the Burma-Dharma, consider downloading the free version of Part 1. For those who would like to support our volunteer project, more help is always needed, and will greatly appreciated for the benefit of future readers.

Thae Inn Gu Sayadaw and Meditation Monastery

Born in March 1913, U Aung Tun married young and had three daughters. His first wife died, and subsequent two wives left the marriage to become nuns. U Aung Tun’s first profound awakening occurred upon reading Sun Lun Sayadaw’s biography. Like him, this highly revered monk had little educational background, and yet achieved the greatest spiritual heights— prompting U Aung Tun to wonder, “why not I?” This, combined with having received a sharp blow to the head while attempting to rob a house, prompted the 46 year old man to travel to his sister’s home in Kyaung Ga Lay and follow nine precepts for nine days. Here, from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day he practiced ānāpāna meditation in the sitting position, not changing his posture unless having to meet the calls of nature. He developed profoundly during this time, and this determination and perseverance would go on to characterize his future teaching style.

Following this period, he continued his practice, in later months moving to his nephew’s home, where it is believed he attained the third state of enlightenment. Once, he described viewing his past lives “in his vision… like a television series.” He later decided to go to Twante to meditate alone in a forest, and accepted an offer to have lunch at the home of U Su Ya in Hmawbi, and it is here where he is believed to have become fully liberated—nearly 21 months after beginning his ardent practice. Sayadaw U Okkatta, as he was now known, came to establish himself here, and soon thousands of Burmese disciples were coming to pay their respects and learn from him. The Sayadaw also started to travel and give Dhamma talks, where audiences numbered as much as 3,000.

Thae Inn Gu Sayadaw drew particular inspiration from the Buddha’s vow at the time of his enlightenment, Ayoo kye kye, ayay khan khan lu yin thay ma thay yin tayar ya, or “I will try [either until my] bones dry up [or until] the case is accomplished,” and he exhorted his monks, too, to work until enlightenment or until their bones broke apart. In his teachings, this translated into encouraging longer periods of sitting without changing posture, starting with a minimum of two hours and building up from here.

The Sayadaw passed away at the age of 60 on July 8th 1973, after which the body was kept in state for three years. Disciples say that despite not being embalmed, the body did not become rotten during this time, but “dried up,” and eventually left seven relics, two from the eyes, four from the bones, and one tooth. They were once taken to a jeweler to be examined without prior explanation, and the jeweler thought they were real precious gems! However, when looked at more closely, it became apparent that vein-like lines were also present. These are on display annually in April and are believed to emit light from the pagoda. 

Thae Inn Gu Sayadaw has influenced many great monk of today, including the Thabarwa Sayadaw in Than Lyin. Discourses of the great monk can be found here.