Ingyinbin Journal: Arrival in the Village

John, a meditator from New Zealand, spends extended periods in Ingyinbin each year, the home of the revered Webu Sayadaw and with his friend Ashin Mandala. This winter, he has decided to keep a journal, which he has kindly offered to share with us. His journal alternates between observation and poetry, between meditation practice and commentary about Burmese Buddhist society, from his learnings and his questions. The full collection of his musings can be found here.

"The enthusiastic young student in the restaurant encourages us to return later to Kin-U and use her phone for wifi access if needed, given there is no internet available at the monastery. A few minutes later U Mandala arrives in a white car with the Sangha flag positioned mid-bonnet, his passenger a fellow meditator on a visit from Belgium, to drive us on the dirt and stone road, past multiple fields of mature rice plants interspersed by others containing only stubble on cracked earth, to the monastery.

Nearing Ingynbin 

egret buffalo buffalo egret: 

coming, staying, going.

Bhante is pleased to see us and clearly appreciates the National Geographic Atlas that, with other small gifts, we place before him following our prostrations. A new toilet is to be installed in the main building, itself freshly re-painted on the outside with a mixture of white green gold & silver; we also are shown the freshly painted white pagoda nearing completion that sits on a small mound between the guest house and the lake. Greetings ended, we pass by the dogs sleeping on the ground on the way to our accommodation and sit with the surroundings somehow seeming unshakeable:

Suddenly barking village dogs
enter an evening without disturbance
Already at home here.

The agreed time to sit is 5am; at 4:45 bhante’s torchlight appears at the glass panels of the metal door. The surroundings remain still until near 6 when the temple bell is struck in series of three calling the monks to breakfast - only to launch another crescendo, barks and yelps. Anapana together starts to reshape an internal sense of proportion:

A small boat 

smaller, smaller: 

sea everywhere!

When Karen and I in early afternoon head to the small white stupa in which Tamara said she had also meditated, it is the athletic young monks playing caneball who impress: some of them have draped parts of their red robes over nearby branches or tucked them round their bellies as they nimbly cavort. We see them kick the ball backwards over their heads or header it deftly to a teammate:

The cane ball repeatedly crosses the net 

dextrous monks!

- cane ball my mind.

The mythological duck placed atop the stone pillar adjacent our meditation place marks the historical extent of the monastery’s land. The elderly women with her few remaining blackened teeth who seems to be living out her life in one of the bamboo huts in the compound retains a wide smile as she fingers Karen’s lungyi ‘la la la’.

As we had done on the previous visit, now with Thierri we walk the local dusty lane, used by bullock carts leaving for the rice fields in the morning and re-entering the village near evening. Again the girls, at sunset, stream from the weaving factory, empty tiffins shining in their hands, smiling and laughing together, as they enjoy gazing at us and giggling:

A line of bullockcarts returning to the village: 

sunlight tangled in dust, 

girls smiling."

A Surprising Encounter

“The last three evenings we were there, two young novices would visit us in the evening to keep us company and practice their English. We would sit with them and look through his small tattered English note book and they would help us learn new Burmese words. They were teenagers and had both ordained as novices about a year earlier. I asked them how long they wanted to be monks and they both said without hesitation that they would be in robes for their whole life.

“At one point we asked U Mandala about the Buddha relics that we had heard about. He very willingly agreed to take us to meet his teacher and meditate with the Relics. A few hours later we met him and he led us to one of the buildings adjacent to the main hall. We went in and paid our respects to his teacher who was sitting on a large chair. The old Monk had a childlike smile and explained to us that ‘the Webu Sayadaw method is to be aware of the breath all the time’ and encouraged us to try to achieve this. One of the younger monks was there and he lifted a large square box out of the corner that had about 10 cloths wrapped around it. 

They placed it on a small table and one by one untied all of the cloths to reveal a dark colored wooden carved box. As they lifted off the lid inside was a small silver and glass container that contained many tiny spheres. We were encouraged to hold the container in our hands and meditate so we took turns doing this and felt a lot of uniform subtle sensation in our bodies. Afterwards they wrapped it all back up again and we thanked them and paid our respects to the teacher before leaving.” 

Dylan Fry, Canadian meditator

Discussion with U Mandala at Dhamma Bhumi

In May 2015, Ashin Mandala of Webu Monastery in Ingyinbin, known formally as Kan Nan Oo Monastery, was invited to visit Australia for two months. While here, he took two ten-day Vipassana courses in the tradition of Sayagyi U Goenka, and also spoke to assembled students and teachers of the tradition. For over one hour at Dhamma Bhumi meditation centre in Sydney, meditators were able to ask the venerable monk any question about his teacher, Webu Sayadaw, as well as his life as a monk back in Burma.

U Mandala arrives in Sydney

U Mandala, the disciple of Webu Sayadaw and vice-abbot of Webu Monastery in Ingyinbin, arrived in Sydney, Australia. Incredibly, at the airport just as he arrived was a Thai monk from Santi Forest Monastery, established by Ajahn Sujato for nuns. He was waiting for U Jagara, who resides in Burma and was coming to give a course at Santi, where Sayalay Anopama was already waiting. 

U Mandala will take several U Goenka 10-Day retreats while in Australia, and also answer questions during part of a work period at Dhamma Bhumi in Blackheath. As the Australian winter is just now approaching, the venerable Burmese monk will have to adjust to not only a different language and culture, but also an unfamiliar weather pattern! The editor of Shwe Lan Ga Lay is also in Australia, where he will be giving a series of presentations on the book and the last two years of research in Burma. Many threads are now converging Down Under!

"Shwe Lan Ga Lay" Editor to visit Australia

The Editor and Author of the upcoming meditator's guide to Myanmar (Shwe Lan Ga Lay) has plans to visit Australia and New Zealand in May and June. His visit will coincide with that of the senior monk from Webu Monastery, U Mandala. For anyone Down Under interested in organizing or attending a presentation about Burmese Buddhism, lineages, traditions, meditation practice, culture, etc., please contact burmadhamma@gmail for more information. After almost exactly two years of work and with the help of several hundred volunteers, the first four chapters of Shwe Lan are scheduled to be released next week! This release will allow meditators, monks, and nuns to begin planning their Burma pilgrimages and meditation retreats.

U Mandala Coming Down Under

As a previous post shared, U Mandala has been working towards plans to visit Australia. Many will recall that U Mandala is the disciple of the great Webu Sayadaw, having begun his meditation practice by learning at the foot of this revered monk. He is also the calm, welcoming presence seen in the Webu biopic documentary Anthology of a Noble One, and a still from this feature is shown above. As U Mandala has only traveled outside of Myanmar once (to Singapore), this will be a monumental trip indeed for the senior Ingyinbin monk. 

U Mandala needs to attend to his monastic duties during Thingyan, or Burmese Water Festival, which takes place in mid-April. He therefore plans to visit Australia from early May and may stay for several months. While here, he hopes to attend several Sayagyi U Goenka ten-day courses, visit Burmese and international Theravadin monasteries, and meet local meditators who have met him in Burma or who are interested in the lineage of Webu Sayadaw.

For those who would like to support this noble trip, there are ways that meditators and readers of this blog can take part. First, a dana (donation) fund is now being collected on U Mandala's behalf. This money will go towards covering his expenses, such as transportation, food, visa, and other logistics. Secondly, one can offer one or several meals to U Mandala. Thirdly, one can offer to help U Mandala with either accommodation or transportation. And finally, one can invite U Mandala to visit one's home region (including parts of Australia and possibly New Zealand as well). For anyone who is interested in being involved, please email at burmadhamma@gmail.

There is also the possibility that U Mandala may be available to meet meditators and possibly give a presentation. As the details of his trip get closer, this will be shared in further detail.

Plans for U Mandala in Australia

As noted earlier, U Mandala of Ingyinbin is confirming his plans to travel to Australia. On invitation from a Mexican yogi, he will first stay at Earth Home Thailand in Maejo village near Chiang Mai, where natural building techniques are practiced. The founder of Earth Home Thailand felt a strong desire to visit the ancestral home of the venerable Webu Sayadaw in December 2013, and spent three weeks there volunteering to build a natural home that is now used by monks as a meditation chamber. Pariyatti pilgrims donated further dana so that the program could continue, in the hopes that Burmese farmers and lay supporters in the area can learn and promote this practice in the remote village. The links between Earth Home Thailand and Buddhist Burma are indeed only growing stronger, as the Dutch monk Bhante Agga spent much of last year living in a forest near Maejo and being supported by the Earth Home Thailand family. 

U Mandala will then go to Australia on his own, and he hopes to meet with Australian meditators and Buddhists who have visited his home village of Ingyinbin, or who venerate the great Webu Sayadaw.

In his own words he has shared: "I will long stay in Australia because I want meditation. I am interested in attending Sayagyi U Goenka meditation centers because I want to practice meditation there. As for me, all life was spent on pariyatti. Now it is time for me to start to practice patipatta with more digiligence so I will go to away my birth place to do this. I want libration from samsara."

U Mandala first learned anapana meditation as a 17-year old novice in Ingyinbin from Webu Sayadaw, and has gone on to be the most senior monk at the monastery, only after the head Sayadaw. He is in charge of the monastic education for all novices as well as village children, instructing them not only in basic educational skills but also in Buddhist scripture, as well as continuing the anapana meditation promoted by Webu Sayadaw. He has also been the single Ingyinbin resident with the foresight for many years to greet and welcome foreign meditators who wished to come to pay respects to Webu Sayadaw, and has lovingly cared for them during their stay. Last year, he even helped to ordain one such visitor. Thus, after such heavy responsibilities for these many years, he views his visit to Australia as a chance to focus entirely upon the patipatti (meditation) practice.

Plans are still being made for his schedule in Australia. It may include a Dhamma talk and Question and Answer about Webu Sayadaw. Meditators who wish to make merit by offering lunch to U Mandala or who wish to invite him to their homes may do so, and dana to support his stay may be collected in Australia. Please contact burmadhamma@gmail and we will relay your request to U Mandala.

U Mandala of Webu Sayadaw Monastery to visit Australia

As was detailed in the wonderful Webu Sayadaw biopic Anthology of a Noble One, U Mandala is a senior monk charged with overseeing much of Webu's former Ingyinbin monastery. Single-handedly he has made sure that the sacred site remain open to foreign devotees in the years since his master's passing, and he has cared for them throughout their stay. Having learned the meditation method of Webu Sayadaw as a 17 year old novice, he now teaches it to the many novices currently at his Ingyinbin monastery.

U Mandala has been invited to visit Australia this year. Any Australian-based meditator (or perhaps those in New Zealand) who would like to welcome him during his visit, please contact us (burmadhamma@gmail) and we can forward your request to U Mandala. There may also be opportunities to offer lunch to the venerable monk during his stay down under.

A Kiwi Monk at Webu Monastery in Ingyinbin

During the recently completed Burma pilgrimage, New Zealander Russell Quinn made the decision to ordain for 10 days at Webu Monastery in Ingyinbin, ordaining in the very Sima Hall as Webu himself once did, and becoming only the second foreigner to ever ordain there. An initial seed for this decision was planted after watching the documentary, "Webu Sayadaw: Anthology of a Noble One" and seeing the welcoming presence of U Mandala. After Russell was given the Pali name U Sassana, his shaven hair was then put under the very same Bodhi tree where Webu Sayadaw placed Sayagyi U Ba Khin's hairs when he ordained in 1965. Now back in New Zealand, Russell has shared his experiences with the yatra group, and gave permission to post his words to provide inspiration with the wider world. A series of journal entries from this yatra are also available, most having been written by Kory Goldberg, and excerpts from the second yatra (currently in progress) begin here. Kory also wrote about the experience of Russell's own ordination and his own impressions at the time that it happened in January 2014.

For current pilgrimage offerings, see here.

"Minggulabah,

Just arrived back in New Zealand from the Dhamma Land: here is a short summary of my time as U Sassana and the remainder of the trip.

Once your bus had left, I felt very fortunate and joyful with the realization that I now had this wonderful opportunity to meditate in such an environment as a monk for 10 days. Amazing! How did this happen?

Once I locked into the 10 Day course routine it really didn't feel that different living as a monk than it does when one renounces for a course. Had I ordained for a longer period or even for life this no doubt would have been different. Although being in noble silence, with eyes downcast and with the attention focused inside, I did observe to some degree the community of monks at Ingynbin, to see just how they acted and lived. It seems as though they had individual practices and routines. I am very grateful for the introduction that U Agga gave me but felt a little frustrated by my lack of knowledge. In hindsight some prior inquiry would have been wise.

I sat with Sayadaw U Ku Tah La each morning for breakfast at Patipatti and he was obviously very keen to talk, but with our lack of a common language, conversation didn't go past learning the Burmese names for the different dishes. I would have liked to have talked to him about the vinaya and what the monks practice, if the discourses that often played where by Webu Saydaw and what it was that some monks were chanting etc. 

The one outstanding difference I felt was that of increased mindfulness and that more worldly thoughts subsided. After disrobing I felt less protected from the influences of mara. While being whisked out of Mandalay in the air conditioned shuttle to the airport, with thoughts surfacing about heading back to New Zealand, I saw a monk on alms round and that seemed to be clearly the more wise choice. The seed has been planted now: who knows if it will be given water in the future.

On day 7 I got sick. Uh-oh! This is what I didn't want to happen. I was resting, observing the sensation of nausea, when two novices who had been serving me very attentively at lunch time at Pariyatti, appeared to check on me - as I hadn't gone to lunch. They came back that evening with some "Buddha medicine" (two types of honey, one very dark strong one and a light clear one), energy drink and bottled water. The next day there was an improvement so I went for lunch and they had prepared some more "Buddha medicine". This time it was a soup - chicken I think - and some bread and other more plain food. That evening they arrived again at the kuti with more of the honey and drinks. I was very touched by their concern and care. Truly heeding the Buddha's teaching about caring for the sanga. 

One of the novice's, Nimon who is 17, is going to be sponsored by one of the Thai women next year to attend a special university for Buddhist studies in Chaing Mai. As Alex said "I think he will be quite an exceptional monk".

Ingynbin is certainly a strong place to meditate and I felt very much at home there, however, thanks to the advent of the megaphone, at times it was a case of meditating on the arising and passing of sounds. At one time there were three at once from three sides and not always carrying Dhamma messages. We tend to get used to our usually quiet meditation centres........ annica. The Dhamma hall was looking pretty good with it's new paint and there were a few well to do visitors, so perhaps the support for the monastery is on the rise. I have just heard that two NZ friends were there last year too.

The mud building at Pariyatti was finished up to roof level with lovely 3D sculptural images of flowers and Burmese lettering on the walls. It will be a great little guest room when finished. U Mandala escorted myself and the Thai group to Mandalay where he spent the day showing them some sites with U Vassa, while I went to Sagiang, thanks to the help from Ma Khaing and for the recommendation from U Agga, to a very beautiful and tranquil monastery for 3 1/2 days. The Sayadaw is a very kind and gentle person and although I was once again frustrated with the lack of a common language, he kindly showed me some of the special sites nearby, including the monastery where the yatra group stayed and the one where you did your one day sitting. I occasionally have the pang of regret at not staying with the group but do think that my solo experience was what was required for my journey.

Back in Mandalay I meditated for some time again at Maha Muni, which being a Sunday was thriving with people and there was even a group of students enthusiastically cleaning floors, walls and everything. On one side of me there was a monk reciting and on the other side someone else chanting and there were of course pigeons and other noises galore but in spite all of these potential distractions, the Dhamma vibration was strongest, which in a way sums up my overall impression of Burma. Two feelings that were almost constantly there throughout this journey and are there now are gratitude and compassion.

Deep gratitude to all those past and present who have continued the teaching and spread of Buddha Dhamma.

May all those who helped to make this and future pilgrimages to Dhamma lands possible gain plentiful merits.

With much metta,

Russell"

Burma Day 13: Settling In Before Heading Out

The day before can be seen here! The following excerpt was written by Kory Goldberg about the pilgrimage in Burma. You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

Pilgrims take a group photo with the Sayadaw at the Patipatti side of Webu Monastery

"Today was atypical as people had the opportunity to really follow their own rhythm. Following meditation and breakfast, most of us chose to take the village and Pariyatti Monastery tour, but some decided to simply take it easy and meditate on their own. Some even followed bhikkhus U Sasana and U Agga on their alms round through the village, getting a glimpse into the 2600 year old tradition in a location that probably does not look like too much has changed since then. For those of us on the tour walking through the village with U Mandala and the visiting monk U Yassa was quite special. Ingynbin's people are renown for their devotion to the Sangha and walking along with these English speaking venerable monks afforded us an opportunity to interact with villagers in a way that seemed impossible the day before when a small group of us went out on our own. The previous day, we certainly got a few brilliant smiles and mingalabas, but with the monks people actually came out to meet us after they had finished bowing in reverence to the monks. 

The group gathers for a photo in front of the magnificent Dhamma Hall on the Pariyatti side of Webu Monastery

When we arrived in the village centre, we came across a large float built to hold a coffin. Venerable Yassa's aunt had recently died and he was back in Ingynbin from Mandalay to participate in the funeral procession and practice the Asubha contemplation. One of the pilgrims asked the monk of 25 rainy seasons how he felt. He admitted that he felt sad, but he did not cry since he had so much Buddhist practice under his belt. He said he felt happy also at this moment, for he had helped to teach dhamma to his aunt and he knew that she had lived a pure and virtuous life. Sharmaji, with full compassion, held the monk's hand, for he too is a human being. 

U Yassa then translated the conversation to the crowd of villagers who stood close by (in a respectful and non-imposing manner, unlike in India when locals are not shy to surround a foreigner and gawk at him as if he were an animal in a zoo). The villagers were all smiling, including Yassa's uncle, understanding that death is just another part of the cycle of life. Yassa continued that his aunt was a dedicated Buddhist whose morality was stainless and her meditation strong, so he was confident that she was bound for rebirth in a celestial plane. He then invited us to attend the funeral and practice the Asubha, a reflection on the fragility of human life and the repulsiveness of the human body. To his surprise, we all accepted with gratitude and excitement to watch a corpse burn to ashes.

Since the ceremony was not for another 90 minutes we returned to the monastery for an audience with the Buddha relics. As I was at Chowse, I was quite skeptical regrading their authenticity, despite knowing that they had been donated to Webu Sayadaw by the Prime Minster of Sri Lanka (Webu Sayadaw had visited Sri Lanka only on the condition that he was given some Buddha relics to bring back to Myanmar). However, as soon as I entered the Sayadaw's darkened room where they were kept I immediately felt that distinct strong activation of the awareness of the anicca along with a coolness flowing through my body, a very unique movement of sensation that I feel only when in the presence of the Tathagata's remains. The 82-year old Sayadaw sat there flanked by some younger monks, and in front of him was an open relic casket. Right there lay before me mustard seed sized pieces of bone in the centre of an ivory lotus flower. Snow had been in the room for some time already, and she called each one of us up to the relics and then placed them on our heads for a direct blessing. Once everyone had had a turn, Yassa translated the Sayadaw's Webu-inspired teaching on practising continuously in order to awaken in this very lifetime. None of us wanted to leave, but this moment too had to come to the end of its life as the funeral ceremony was to soon begin.

The procession itself was neither solemn nor sad, but rather festive with lots of joking and laughter as people banged on the side of the float shouting out the Burmese equivalent to "Grandma, Grandma, come on Grandma." The float was then disassembled, the body removed from the coffin and placed on to the pyre. We then all moved to a nearby site where we were all given lychee juice while taking refuge in the Triple Gem and 5 precepts, followed by an Asubha-based discourse, which fortunately Yassa translated for us. 

Initially, I felt bad that we were given the seats of honour at a funeral of person we did know and that the translations stretched out the event for our sake, but when realizing that all the locals were so pleased to have us there, all such thoughts vanished. As the chanting and discourse commenced, the smell of burning flesh wafted through the air. When the discourse was over, we met Yassa's cousin, also a monk, and uncle who we met earlier. This time, however, the elderly farmer was no longer grinning from ear to ear as the direct realization of what was happening began to sink in. His son, the monk, looked devastated, despite wearing the armour of a bhikkhu. We then walked over to watch the corpse burn and reflect on the vulnerability of life and inevitability of death. To our surprise, most of the funeral attendees skipped out on what seemed to me one of the most important parts of the ceremony. Those in attendance, besides the freaky foreigners eager to see a dead body, were a bunch of young novices with their fingers stuck up their noses, a few teenagers, the calm Yassa, and those responsible for burning the body. Every now and again these guys would use a long piece of bamboo to scrape the flesh and poke at the bones to make sure that every part got consumed by the fire.

Later that afternoon as most people rested, a couple of us completely changed gears as we dove into the mud with the Thai women and a group of novices to work on constructing the mud bricks for the adobe house. We worked out our muscles by mixing the clay, water and rice husks and then carrying heaps of these mixtures over to the frame for shaping the bricks. It was a lot of fun and gave us an opportunity to interact with locals in a completely new and engaging way. Translating words into English, Thai and Burmese while building something useful is a great way to establish communication amidst linguistic and cultural obstacles. After we were done and bathed at the natural hot spring, we came across some young, local farmers playing their end-of-day ritual of chinlone-volleyball. At first we hesitated to join because these guys were amazing, but their skill and positive energy magically raised our bar and we fit in not too badly.

After our evening meditation the relaxation for most continued until bed while some of us went back to meet with Thais to learn more about adobe building and their projects back home. What an incredibly diverse and spontaneous day! The constant surprises and blessings on a pilgrimage can only manifest when their is a willingness to remain flexible and open to change, comfort with not knowing what will pop out around the next corner, and honest about one's needs and limitations. The next step is integrate these pilgrimage lessons back home where every day, every moment is its own little journey."

The next day's entry, when the group goes on to the mystical Sagaing Hills, can be found here...

Burma Day 11: Mysteries Unravelling

If you missed Day 10, it can be found here. Kory Goldberg continues his daily journal entries while on the pilgrimage in Burma. You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

"We began our day with a sitting in the building where Sayagyi U Ba Khin spent 10 days as a monk. Listening to a recording of him chant the Tikipatthana in such a location was almost like guilding a lily, but not quite. At home in the West, listening to such a recording sometimes feels out of place, especially since the audio quality is quite poor and the words incomprehensible, even to someone who understands some Pali. But here, it all made sense.

The Ingynbin Webu Monastery is divided into two sections. The original part of the monastery is referred to as the Pariyatti side, or the academic side, and is where Webu ordained as a monk in his late teens. The newer compound is referred to as the Patipatti side, or meditation monastery, and this is what Webu had constructed when he returned to his native place after several years of absence. Our group is residing in the very tranquil, though run-down Patipatti side, but taking our meals at the Pariyatti side, which has much more buzzing activity and is in much better shape, physically. After our breakfast this morning, we briefly met with U Mandala, the second in command after the Sayadaw and who had ordained under Webu Sayadaw at the age of 7, or 43 years ago. Struggling with his English, he gave us an overview of the monastery and of his life as a monk and a Pali scholar.

After our meeting we had some appreciated rest, bathing and laundry time. All the men who needed to bathe and do laundry Burmese style joked and laughed, mostly about the awkwardness of bathing while wearing a longyi and then switching it for a dry one. We imagined we were village girls at the water tank, gossiping about the community. It was actually a really nice communal moment, and many agreed that these type of interactions were sorely missed at home. Afterwards, Joah and U Agga, a Dutch monk with three rainy seasons under his belt, gave us a tour of the Patipatti side. Among many of the highlights were the hut where Webu Sayadaw attained liberation, the building in which he resided four months of the year (he only spent the hot season here) and passed away in, the dhamma hall for devas and "aliens"??, and the Bodhi Tree at which U Ba Khin placed the hairs from his shaven head. One of the most memorable sites, for this group in particular, was in the building with the painting of the prophecy. We decided to replicate the painting by posing in the same marching manner as the people in the picture. We are from 10 countries: Canada, USA, Burma, Russia, Columbia, Sweden, India, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand; plus a small group of people consisting of three Thai women and a Belgian man and add U Agga, all together making representatives from 13 different countries. It was quite the historical and humorous moment.

In the afternoon, Russell, a New Zealander from our group, joined the noble order of bhikkhus, becoming U Sasana. He was the second foreigner to ever ordain in the same sima hall as Webu Sayadaw. It was a very touching moment to watch him enter into a new phase of life, even if it is for just a couple of weeks. U Agga refers to the robes as meditation armour.

For me, and a few others who saw Russell through the process and prepared a private hut for him to live in, the day ended with a fantastically concentrated meditation in Webu's nibbana kuti whose spiritual charge is difficult to match. If concentration was always that easy..."

For Day 12 see here. The following photos show the transformation from the layman Russell Quinn to the monk U Sassana (the New Zealander later wrote extensively about his experience in robes, and his very inspiring words can be read by all)...

Lather is added to the hair

The shaving begins. The hair was later placed below the very tree where Webu Sayadaw also placed U Ba Khin's hair during his ten days in robes

Local villagers watch spellbound as the ordination continues

The final shaving is complete

Opening formalities to become a samanera

Paying respects

A European monk kindly helps to show the wearing of robes to this new monk

The samanera process is complete, with full bhikkhu ordination awaiting

Shwe Lan Excerpt: "Being a Western Monk in Ingyinbin"

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 are two paragraphs taken from the Ingyinbin chapter, which is the birthplace of the venerable Webu Sayadaw, and concerns his habit for alms rounds:

---

When Webu first returned to Ingyinbin, his teacher did not ask him to join the daily alms round, which is a common practice for pupils who are considered highly advanced or have much potential. However in his later years, he went on alms round by himself, doing so out of great compassion in allowing local villagers to gain merit by giving food to such a highly-attained monk. He established a routine of going to eight nearby villages, one for each day of the (Burmese) week. One Dutch monk who stayed for some time at Ingyinbin recounts what it was like to literally follow in the Webu’s footsteps:

“When I stayed with two of my Dhamma-friends in Ingyinbin in the beginning of 2012, U Mandala kindly explained many aspects of Webu's life. When I asked him how Webu Sayadaw went on alms round, U Mandala explained... I asked if I could do the same, and with permission, I now could also go to all these villages on alms round. Since we were planning to stay for more than two weeks, I went two times to the first village, two times to the next village, etc. It was amazing how much the people from these villages were supporting, every house seemed to be making food offerings, and it was done in such a respectful way. The dhamma that Webu Sayadaw had brought to this place was very much alive, and that there was this possibility to 'walk in his footsteps', was greatly inspiring and motivating. In the end, two people from the village helped carrying all the food that was donated back to the monastery, where it was shared with the monks, novices, nuns and guests.”

U Mandala, a senior monk who ordained at age 17 under Webu Sayadaw, is shown seated at one of Ingyinbin's monastic buildings

A Meditator's Guide to the Golden Land

A young nun in Sagaing offers rice to a young novice on his alms round. Both given and receiver must be barefoot according to custom

U Myint Toun Zay Pagoda in Sagaing.

We recently made available a document that provides a series of notes for Vipassana pilgrims who come to Burma to deepen their practice. This was a rather informal PDF file that detailed basic information for navigating and making the most of the Burmese meditator experience.  

Preparation is now underway for a much more comprehensive 3rd version, which we anticipate coming out around April/May 2013. We are really excited about the changes that are 

The sun setting over Mandalay Fort

coming to it; not only does it have updated information about logistics, monasteries, culture guides, and a "meditator Burmese" section, but it will also be formatted as a sleek, reader-friendly, and essentially proper guidebook. 

Monks and novices residing at Webu Sayadaw's monastery in Ingyinbin, Upper Burma

There will be no cost to the final version and all contributors are giving their time as dana to the project. (We will invite any yogi who benefits from their use to make any contribution for which they have volition to a Burmese charity in which all proceeds go towards impoverished villages, orphans, and the spread of dhamma) 

Waiting area at Mandalay Airport

Also note that while the 1st and 2nd versions were written almost entirely with the Goenka meditator in mind, the 3rd version will be more broad-reaching and non-sectarian. While it will still be particularly relevant to those coming from the Goenka tradition, we expect that yogis practicing other traditions of Theravadin Vipassana will also find it of great value.

If you would like to contribute in any way, please get in touch with us (burmadhamma@gmail).  Examples of ways other yogis are contributing are: professional photographs from Burma, on-the-ground fact checking, technological or formatting assistance, networking, etc.  Even if you are not able to contribute, please check back here regularly so that you can make use of the updated version!

A young novice resting on the Pali tablets made from Ledi Sayadaw's words at his monastery in Monywa.

Following is a selected text that comes from the working introduction to the 3rd version...

An old photograph of Sayagyi U Ba Khin at IMC

When we, as the contributors, found our way to The Golden Land for the first time, we experienced a sense of being overwhelmed with how to best navigate the culture and language in the limited time available.  It was also a challenge to figure out how to reach key meditation sites, and then how to properly pay respects and maintain practice once there.  For this reason, the overall intention of this document is to help meditators in making the best use of their time as they deepen their devotion to and practice of Dhamma while in Myanmar/Burma.  

Anagami Saya Thet Gyi's private meditation cell in Pyaw Bwe Gyi Village

The original template for these notes came in the form of a long email message responding to a request by a meditator who was heading to Burma and who had inquired how to best schedule his days while there. This message was later forwarded on to many others who were also hoping to make the trip and were in the process of planning their schedules.  In 2008 this stream-of-consciousness email was organized into document form and revised, and in 2009 was further edited.  This current version may be thus considered the 3^rd edition of these notes.

A local NGO run by local meditators organizes a children meditation course for survivors of the 2008 Cyclone Nargis.  (Any donations given to this project will go to this charity for their continued work)

Natural hot springs shower at Webu Sayadaw monastery

For a meditator to visit Burma even just a few years ago, there was no guide of which to speak, and many spent their days trying to figure out first what sites even existed, and then where they were located and how to reach them.  This often left many important places off the list and required more time and effort in tackling logistics than tackling meditation.  Burma guidebooks naturally do exist, but meditators have their own special needs and interests that the standard books often don’t cover.  For example, while yogis generally have less interest in the best bars and beaches, our kind tends to have a far greater desire to learn how to get healthy vegetarian food or communicate about Buddhist principles.      

A group of four meditator set up a makeshift mosquito net for their Vipassana self-course in a Sagaing cave

Pindaya Cave in Shan State

While the first version was simply intending to organize and update existing notes, we as contributors immediately received positive feedback and gratitude, as well as complaints as to what was left out or no longer relevant.  None of us realized the commitment we were thus making to simply format a series of notes!  But here we are now, with a third version that has become even more comprehensive. 

A Sayadaw from a small monastery deep in the Sagaing Hills feeds a monastery dog in the cool morning.