25 April 2014

Dhamma Discussion with Korean Yogi at ThanLyin ThaBarWa Centre (Part - 3)


Teaching of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion
with Korean Yogi
at ThaBarWa Centre (Thanlyin)
18th October 2012

Part Three



Korean Yogi  :  When I follow Sayadaw when you do some daily activities, I find out that you are a very busy person going around, welcoming many many visitors, giving dhamma teachings in the morning and at night. How is it possible for you to do such a many works in a day? Are you not feeling tired or sometimes may be depressed?

Sayadaw  :  As far as practicing insight meditation and doing good deeds are concerned, you will know the value only when you put in your best effort in doing them. Regardless of whether the problems are yours or others, helping people in solving their problems as best as you can, can be as beneficial and fulfilling as practicing meditation and doing good deeds.

You will understand my logic and philosophy only when you personally tried it out and experience it. By fulfilling other's needs and requirements, you will also gain limitless merits (kusala). Due to the merits and benefits accrued from your good deeds, you can, in turn, help and do more for the benefit of others. This is like a chain of events. If I do not practice insight meditation and if I do not do other good deeds beside practicing insight meditation, my current actions and endeavours could well be way beyond my wildest imagination.

Instead of building castles in the air, if you practice insight meditation and doing good deeds diligently, due to the power and merits accrued from those actions, you might either be able to abandon or reduce your time and energy allocated for worldly actions and endeavours.

Human beings habitually spend their time and energy on created actions such as to earn money, to amass wealth and fortune.  In contract, those who do good deeds does not centre their mind on whether they are doing for themselves or for other.  Instead they do anything which are necessary and can be beneficial for people.



If you are so used to doing created actions and looking at things from created point of view, it might be so difficult for you to understand and appreciate my actions. You will understand my actions and endeavours only if you try them out by yourself.  

Once you carry out good deeds continuously and diligently, you will be able to amass and experience the merit and energy (power) which you have never experienced before. Due to these accumulated merit and energy, you will be able to do even greater and continuous good deeds like what I am doing now.  It is very important for you to have courage and desire to start doing good deeds.

The theory goes like this .... if you do bad deeds, you will accumulate akusala kamma (bad kamma).  Likewise, if you do good deeds effectively, continuously and diligently, you will eventually accumulate unlimited merit (Merit, virtue and good deeds always accrue equal returns without fail. 

Evil always accrue equal returns without fail). Due to the power and energy of unlimited merit which you had accumulated, you will be able to do even greater and unlimited good deeds in future.  This, indeed is the theory of cause and effect.  Due to the continuous and unlimited good deeds which you have invested in as a cause, you will amass unlimited merit, power and energy as an effect. If you keep this action of cause and effect going, you will be able to do unlimited good deeds continuously ... for as long as you wish to.

Since you are doing good actions and good deeds, the more you do good actions and good deeds, the more merit, power and energy you will be accumulated.  In this way, as time goes by, you will eventually be able to do more difficult and challenging good deeds which are way beyond your imagination.   You will understand my theory and actions only when you try to do it by yourself.  You will eventually be able to do like me, only when you try to put your utmost best and strive it out by yourself.  



In order for you to understand my actions and endeavours, you might need to physically try it out by yourself.  Once you have started following my footsteps, you will no longer find it challenging and difficult.  You will eventually be able to understand the unlimited benefits accrued from your good actions and at the same time, accumulate unlimited merits.  In this way, doing unlimited good deeds, actions and endeavours like me will no longer be a problem for you.

Sayadaw  :  Future plan, I forgot answer your question.

Korean Yogi  :  Future plan ... do you want to answer about it now?  Ok.

Sayadaw  :  Prior to establishing ThaBarWa Centre (meditation centres) of this scale, I have no preliminary ideas, plans and preparations.  ThaBarWa Centre is being established through fulfilling and carrying out requirements of the time and circumstances (situation) as well as the requirements of the present period and situation.  I will still be doing the same thing, fulfilling requirements of the masses, in foreseeable future.

As the needs, requirements and expectations of the people (masses) would change and vary along with the ever changing time and circumstances, in future, I will still be establishing merit making centres, groups, organisations base on the circumstances and requirements of the future period...I will still be bringing people of similar interests together and provide them with opportunities to do unlimited good deeds continuously.





To be continued .....



20 April 2014

Dhamma Discussion with Korean Yogi at ThanLyin ThaBarWa Centre (Part-2)


Teaching of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion
with Korean Yogi
at ThaBarWa Centre (Thanlyin)
18th October 2012

Part Two





Korean Yogi  :  The next question is that I saw (I have witnessed that) there is no strict rules and no strict regulations in this Centre, mostly about practice and about living in the centre. When I experience in other meditation centres or sangha, they put much importance on rules or sila. So how will you say about this?

Sayadaw  :  It is much more important for you to do good deeds than the methods which you use.  Again it is more important for you to do good deeds than all the rules and regulations. This is the reason why I give high priority and put emphasis on the most important aspects such as doing limitless good deeds continuously, practicing insight meditation in a right way, doing good deeds with the aid of abandoning power and observing sila in a right way than implementing rules and regulations in ThaBarWa Centre.

What I want to say is that I had ever encountered circumstances where they place central emphasis on rules and regulations and where the sets of rules and regulations were well implemented but people just simply ignore or do not abide by them at all.

On top of this, I had also experienced the scenario where people simply centre their best effort on abiding by the rules and regulations but weak in doing good deeds ... people merely do obligatory and limited good deeds as per the guidelines and requirements.

This is the reason why, at ThaBarWa Centre, we place central emphasis solely on doing limitless good deeds, regardless of who, what and why, be it volunteers who donate their labour for a worthy cause (labour dana), those who do and utter nothing but the best and the most beneficial things (observe sila), listening to dhamma teachings and practicing insight meditation (practice bhavana).


We centre our emphasis solely on doing good deeds only.  Should we place central emphasis on rules and regulations, yes, people might become more disciplined but might put less effort on doing good deeds. They might have huge grasping on rules and regulations. Likewise, if you place central emphasis on sila or samadhi, they might have grasping on sila or samadhi.

Another scenario is that people might even think twice to join meditation retreats and thus don't even have chance to do good deeds just because of those strict rules and regulations. Since I had discovered those weaknesses as well as the immeasurable benefit accrued from good deeds, even if they have chance to do only tiny bit, as long as they do good deeds, they will be rewarded with huge benefits. I always encourage them to do good deeds freely and willingly without restraint, with full setana. It should not be the case where they do good deeds just because they are told to do so. These are the reasons why I do not implement any strict rules and regulations at ThaBarWa Centre.

Korean Yogi  :  Today I witnessed the passing of one yogi. Would you give short teaching about death because we are all bound to be death.

Sayadaw  :  I teach my yogis, disciples and those who come to ThaBarWa to practice insight meditation on how to use life in a more practical and useful way. On the contrary, I also teach them how to best make use of death ... to experience it without loba (greed), dosa (anger) and moha (delusion). 

My teachings do not centre around life and death but the possible options to best make use of the situation if they are being confronted with. In general, people tend to have perception that they still have life to handle and take care of before death, they are still alive, need to take good care of life and protect it well while they are still alive, etc and thus spend so much time on these actions.

This is not the best way to make use of life. In contrast, here in ThaBarWa, all the yogis are encouraged and trained to enhance the power for performing limitless good deeds while they still have chance to do so. My teachings mainly centre around doing limitless good deeds and enhancing the power for true understanding in order to achieve maximum benefits without even taking life and death into consideration.


In this way, ThaBarWa yogis will not be confronting with the situation where they need to centre their mind on life and death. My main intention is to equip yogis with the right understanding so that they neither need to ask this kind of questions to others nor ask themselves.  

Korean Yogi  :  The next question is why did you establish this centre?  Do you have any plan for the future?

Sayadaw  :  The background reasons for establishing this ThaBarWa Centre is since I was one of the practicing yogi in the past, I am well aware of the requirements and difficulties which the fellow practicing yogis are facing on top of their struggles and great effort which they put in to understand dhamma teachings.

Since I was in their shoes before, their problems and requirements become mine.  Since these problems and requirements are difficult to handle, I did countless of limitless good deeds, abandoned until there is nothing left for me to abandon, did all kinds of sacrifices in order for me to solve for the problems of fellow yogis.

By doing so, my difficulties and problems were solved accordingly.  Due to my strong will and determination (setana) in solving others problems and difficulties as well as to establish meditation centre one day in future, I put in more time and effort in teaching dhamma and insight meditation to fellow yogis. Finally, out of sheer necessity and requirements, ThaBarWa Centre was established.

Since its establishment, without limiting the number of residents, ThaBarWa takes on everyone who seek refuge for care and attention, including  those who genuinely have desire to practice insight meditation as well as those who are not at all interested in dhamma but facing health, social and financial problems.


This is the reason why ThaBarWa takes on everyone, regardless of whether they are practicing yogis or not, as long as they come here to seek for refuge, regardless of age, race, social status and health condition, we teach them the best ways to solve their problems, by doing limitless good deeds regularly and continuously. These are the background reasons behind the establishment of ThaBarWa Centre.


To be continued .....


10 April 2014

Dhamma Discussion with Korean Yogi at ThanLyin ThaBarWa Centre (Part-1)


Teaching of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion
with Korean Yogi
at ThaBarWa Centre (Thanlyin)
18th October 2012

Part One



Sayadaw  :  It is necessary for us to do limitless Good Deeds as much as possible.

It is not sufficient if people choose to do or have ability to do only one type of good deeds such as,  doing dana (charity) only or observing sila (morality) only or doing bhavana (contemplation) only.

With the aim of providing opportunities for yogis and disciples to do wide range of good deeds on regular basis, I established ThaBarWa Centre. On top of this, I am also leading them by example, teaching sacca dhamma and insight meditation as well as carrying out social duties and responsibilities by following dhamma teachings and solving the problems with the aid of dhamma .  At the same time, I am encouraging and guiding them to do likewise, to follow my footstep.

The most important and crucial point here is that I initiated into the Dhamma contemplation and practice while doing business and while I was going through poor health problems, I learnt not to solve problems and difficulties by following created social norms. Instead, I overcome and solve them by following dhamma philosophy and teachings.

Ever since I have come to realize that practicing dhamma and doing dhamma contemplation is vital for everybody, every circumstances, time and place, I took on everyone who come to ThaBarWa to seek refuge.  Those people include yogis, who are genuinely  interested in to practice insight meditation as well as those who come here for care and attention due to various background and personal reasons such as poor health, unable to earn for living and unable to look after themselves among other reasons.

I not only teach them sacca dhamma and insight meditation but also guide them to solve their problems and issues in a right way, by taking refuge in dhamma teachings and by doing good deeds. Now people have come realise that solving problems in dhamma way is the most effective and beneficial. 


Instead of confronting with and solving problems directly by following traditional and social norms, I encourage, train and guide those who come to ThaBarWa Centre to seek refuge, including aged persons and those who are facing complex health, social and financial problems, to solve their problems with the aid of dhamma.  I teach them to enhance the power for true understanding by listening to dhamma teachings, practicing insight meditation and performing good deeds as much as possible.

Those people gradually come to realize that their problems were solved due to the merits which they gained by doing various good deeds while staying at ThaBarWa.  The news spread around and thus, as time goes by, we see more and more people with similar problems and issues seeking refuge at ThaBarWa Centre.

Moreover, the yogis who genuinely have desire to practice vipassana insight meditation at ThaBarWa also take this opportunity and do good deeds by looking after the welfare of the residents who are taking refuge in the Centre.  Since I am leading by example, by doing limitless good deeds continuously, all the yogis, disciples and volunteers are also following my footstep by doing good deeds as much as possible. 

Along the way, all of them came to realise that following my footsteps and doing those simple and basic actions can truly be beneficial and bring even greater results and benefits.  Since it is the sanctuary without discrimination as to number, system, accommodation, time, race, religion, age etc., even more people from all walks of life are now seeking refuge at ThaBarWa Centre.

This is the background summary of ThaBarWa, a peaceful sanctuary for the yogis as well as hopeless and helpless old and the infirm. I did not purposely create this situation. Neither was I given any alternative. In general, not many people have keen interests in staying permanently at meditation centres to practice meditation. As such, when I first established ThaBarWa Centre, I had no choice but to accept everyone, regardless of their character, background and teach sacca dhamma, insight meditation and merit making. 


Now, more and more people come to realise and accept the fact that doing simple good deeds can truly be beneficial and can achieve even greater results and benefits. Due to this good reputation, my project and mission becomes even bigger and reach to this current scale and level.   

At the same time, I am given more opportunities to do better things for people in future. Any question?

Korean Yogi  :  Please give us short dhamma teaching containing the essence of your teaching so that watchers of this movie could understand and listen to some of your teachings. Teach us please.

Sayadaw  :  Not only while you are practicing insight meditation and doing good deeds but also while carrying out your unavoidable social obligations and worldly endeavours, it is important for you to centre your mind on nothing but abandoning at all times. 

It is important for you to abandon your habit of placing central emphasis on yourself, your perceived rights and wrongs, time, place, method, etc, .  I centre my teaching on this most important aspect of dhamma, 'doing abandoning in your mind at all times', and train my yogis and disciples accordingly.

Everybody needs to do good deeds as much as possible. Even when you are carrying out unavoidable social obligations, you need to learn to do them freely, 'doing-only'.


If you carry out your actions by centring your mind on human beings, animals, I, you, man, woman, living beings, non-living things, etc, your actions can be considered as you are simply doing your actions with grasping on human beings, animals, living beings, non-living things, man, woman, etc.

It is a norm for people to carry out their worldly actions and tasks with grasping.  Even when they are doing dana, sila and bhavana good deeds, they habitually do them with grasping such as human beings, animals, seniority, old, young, living, non-living, I, you, man, woman, etc. 

The essence of my teaching and coaching centre mainly on the cause (effort), attaining the mind power to abandon their habit of placing central emphasis on themselves, others, methods, time, place, etc, in their mind. My teaching centre mainly on solving the most important and critical problem and teach them the right way to solve those problems.  This method, so far, is the most suitable and essential method for current, present-day situation.  If the situation change in future, I will change my teachings and methods accordingly to fit in to the changing environment and situation.  I will continuously guide and lead my yogis and disciples to their ultimate goal of attaining the ability to do limitless good deeds without grasping. 


To be continued .....


3 April 2014

No Medicine Better Than Dhamma by Dr. Swe Swe Aung


NO MEDICINE BETTER THAN DHAMMA

BY
DR. SWE SWE AUNG
VET, V / 370 (1976)
(Congenital Diabetic, Hypertensive Patient)

Translated by Ba Than (Mahavijja)


I was afflicted by congenital diabetes and persistent hypertension all my life. I am an educated woman with a profession in Veterinarian Science. Due to my illness I can no longer earn my livelihood. I cannot cook my daily meals, nor take care of my toilet. 

But now I have taken refuge in ThaBarWa Centre under care of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara.  Due to his boundless metta, virtues of Dhamma discourses and practical meditation, I no longer have to worry about my anxiety for food, clothing and shelter. I have also gained knowledge and insight of Dhamma teachings.

Formerly I was worried that I will have to live a lonely existence in misery, infirmity, and want. How wrong I was! During the two years of refuge in this peaceful sanctuary I come to realize how lucky I am. My lodge, boarding, meals, clothes as well as medicare are well taken care of and have no worry. I also come to observe many old people who suffer worse conditions than I.

Previously I had a great desire to enter and practice meditation in a Dhamma centre. But as I am an invalid with disability, there was no centre willing to accept me in my condition. My relatives had supported me financially but they cannot tolerate long years of caring for a congenital invalid who is constantly facing death and suffering.

It was my good fortune to meet Sayadaw U Ottamasara and take refuge in the ThaBarWa Centre established by Sayadaw. He has taken full responsibility for food, shelter, clothing and health. He has also given me peace of mind to practice meditation and take refuge in Dhamma. I also come to realize with gratitude his boundless compassion, knowledge and wisdom.


I have also come to know the virtues of community life among the old and the infirm like myself under the same roof. I come to learn mutual help, the sense of sharing, sympathy, consideration for others, sacrifice, patience, forgiveness, understanding, and to live in harmony. I learn to resolve differences, conflicts and problems by discussions and consensus. I feel that by practicing the virtues of Dhamma meditation, I will cultivate a better understanding of life and enjoy peace of mind.

Sayadaw’s regular discourses on Dhamma sermons, and practical meditation has offered solutions on natural law which is highly instructive. I am grateful for Sayadaw’s insight and guidance. I have pondered on ways to repay Sayadaw’s virtues most suitably, but cannot find how to do it. Finally I realized that the best way is by faithfully following Sayadaw’s discourses and practice dutifully.

I cannot help but admire Sayadaw U Ottamasara’s  boundless generosity and dedication for establishing and maintaining ThaBarWa Centre at Thanlyin. He has given food, clothes and shelter for more than 2,000  yogis in the Centre free of charge.  He also gives supreme guidance for the propagation and perpetuation of sasana through Dhamma discourses and practical meditation.

May the ThaBarWa Centre be a source of inspiration to the old, the needy and the infirm people. May Sayadaw be endowed with health, virtue, and wisdom to fulfill the mundane and supramundane Dhamma to perpetuity.     




2 April 2014

QA and Dhamma Discussion with Japanese Yogi on 31st October 2013


Teaching of ThaBarWa Sayadaw U Ottamasara
Question and Answer and Dhamma Discussion
with Japanese Yogi
at ThaBarWa Centre (45th Street)
31st October 2013


Desire ... desire to see, to eat, to listen ... you must not obey that desire. You can see, you can eat, but you must do against that desire. You must do without desire. You must abandon your desire. Doing with desire is wrong. Whatever we do is done with desire. We accept desire, that's why desire always makes our mind busy, wrong ... because of desire.

Question  :  What about our dream to accomplish ... for example I wish Sayadaw comes to teach in Japan ... so this is ok? No need to let go?
Sayadaw  :  You can do like this but you must try to abandon that wish.  Doing with desire or doing with wish is not right action. Doing-only is right. The real meditation is practicing-only.  Practicing with desire is not following the middle way.

Most of meditators (yogis) are practicing with desire. They don't understand that all desires and wishes are to be abandoned. They don’t know like this. This is why they use desire, use wishes in whatever they do. The real meditation, the real middle way is trying to be doing-only, without desire, without attachment. Desire is attachment. 

Your wish is that Japanese people know the teaching but normally whatever you do is with desire, you accept this desire ... this is not the best way. The best thing that you can do is trying to abandon the desire.  It is like trying to be educated.  Every student will try to be the best one but not everyone can be the best one.  Only the few of them can be. Everybody work but only few people can get good earning.

So using desire is not useful. The surest way is trying to abandon the desire. If you are able to abandon desire, this power is very powerful and because of this power your dream will surely become true.


It is possible to be able to do like this. You must try not to do unnecessary things.  Not to think unnecessary thinking.  Not to make unnecessary actions. In this way, you will be able to control your physical, oral and mental actions. You must try not to copy other people. We are always copying other people.  This is why our qualities are not much different from each other.

If we can abandon doing like this there will be special power which is perfect, complete. Because of this power everything will be easy. When I help many poor people, old age people, yogis, I use this power. When I use desire as "I want to help people", I cannot do like this; this desire is not very powerful.

Because of right practice I tried to abandon all oral, physical and mental actions; I tried to abandon living beings and non-living beings, to abandon all things and in this way abandoning power became complete. This power is very powerful, very useful. It can fulfil not only my desire but also the desire of other people.

All our actions are controlled by desire. This is why it is necessary to do against that desire. Not to look at everyone, not to think about everything, not to worry about the future. It is possible, this is mind habit. It is possible to abandon all mind habits. In this way you will be able to control your mind.

Meditation is simple, everybody can follow.  Not only meditators, everybody can understand like this but you must practice, you must make alive your understanding. In this way your life will change.


If Japanese people can apply this understanding and do good deeds there will be no mind problem. Very effective way. I am teaching many people in this country and many foreigners also. Later, more and more people will accept my teaching and try to follow and in this way believe more and more.

Try to abandon everything, every person and in this way you are changing the mind power. But your desire, your wish is necessary for your country. It is necessary for Japanese people to understand like that and practice like this, to use the right understanding.

Only changing the understanding. If you change your understanding, your action will automatically change. My intention is also to do like that. I went to Singapore and Malaysia for 4 years in the past. That’s why I can feel the mind of Singaporean. Japanese mind is also like this.

I know how to do. My desire is to help them. I want the Singaporean and Japanese people to be free from mind problems. For your country education is not necessary; to hear, to listen to the teaching and to practice is necessary. For our country, there are a lot of poor people so education is necessary.  Beside they must also meditate. If they don’t meditate, when they get rich there will be mind problem.


Question  :  About how to help Japanese to understand.
Sayadaw  :  You know, you understand what is necessary.  That’s why what you can do is just to abandon all desire except that desire. If you cannot abandon other desires you must work many other unnecessary works. If you can abandon, your mind will be clear and in this way it will be more and easier to achieve. Other things are not necessary

Here in our country, because there are a lot of monks, a lot of Buddha’s teaching there is less mind problems despite there are lot of poor people.

Question  :  About education in the west and Japan to cultivate the desire, so how to convince someone to change the desire to abandoning? (What benefit they would get as they know only benefit and pleasure).
Sayadaw  :  You are one of the people. Everyone should change his own habit. We use our habit, we do what we want to do. This is the habit of everyone. I am one of the people as you are. So you must try to change yourself. In this way the habit will spread to other people and this will solve the problems.  Problems can be solved only by this way.

Mistake is also spreading from one to another. Right practice or following the middle way must stop to spread mistake from one person to another one. You are responsible for yourself.  So you must try to change yourself. If you are dutiful to yourself you can help other people. In this way we all must try to be dutiful to ourselves. The same way we have to work to be able to stand on our own feet.  We also must try.  We are responsible to abandon our own habit. We are responsible to abandon our own actions. In this way.

There are two opposite practices : doing and abandoning. If more and more people are following the abandoning way, others will also automatically follow to abandon. In this way, everyone can be complete. Don’t think about others. Just think about yourself. The problem is only concerning yourself, to change yourself. So also other need to change by themselves.


Question  :  But they need an example..
Sayadaw  :  Now I also try to change myself  and I help other people to follow this way. You are also one of the yogis trying to follow this way. If you think about other it will be difficult. Just stop your habit. You have a lot of habit in yourself. Try to abandon all habit.  Try to follow the middle way. In that way that action will spread to other mind, to other people and in this way other people will also follow this way. This is the only way.  No choice.  You have to be like this. It really works.

Doing or not doing is not important.  Happening or not is not important.  Knowing or not is not important. Only to have abandoning power is important. If there is  abandoning power, doing or not is not important. Knowing or not is not important.  Whatever happens to you is not important. Without abandoning power it is important, doing or not is important, knowing or not is important.

Because there is no abandoning power. If there is abandoning power it will be easy but not for oneself, for others. I work for others. Because of abandoning power, easy or not is not important, life or death is not important, young or old, male or female ... if there is no abandoning power you have to depend on yourself; when you are young is ok , if you are healthy also ok if you are not it is not ok. The same for everyone, just solve your own problem it is working for others.

If you do against your desire, there is a lot of desire, whenever it appears, in this way there will be less and less desire and you will be able to abandon your desire. Abandoning power is very useful.


Question  :  So actually you abandon your desire in order to accomplish your wishes.
Sayadaw  :  Yes, if you can abandon your desire, it is very sure you will be able to accomplish your which. Desire is very easy, so many, but nothing happens.
Desire is the sign incompleteness; if there is desire, it means the mind is not complete; if there is no desire the mind is complete. There is desire because you cannot do. If  your mind is complete there will be no desire. Desire is disease of mind. If there is no disease the mind have power, if there is disease, no power.

Now you are using the understanding, it is possible to follow the middle way. What you should try at the present time is to follow the middle way. Not rejecting, not attaching, to use-only, to experience-only, this is the middle way. Using the created truth without attachment, using-only. All the created truths are to use-only, to do-only, to experience-only. If you don't understand like this you cannot follow the middle way and you cannot understand it is possible. I also practice like this and I share the practice.

Question  :  I am one of the persons who is so much impressed by you so if I do also like you I can help other people.
Sayadaw  :  The same. Over ten years ago, in this country I am teaching the meditation practice. You try to go beyond the followers. A lot of mediators practice just as followers. You should try. There are a lot of yogis in this country, but their understanding is just like other people, like followers.

Their good deeds are also like others and they cannot go beyond tradition. I had to try to go beyond tradition so you also have to try to do like this, to use the right understanding, in your daily life, in practicing meditation, in doing good deeds. If you can change your mind, you can work for all. So also  many people are impressed by my teaching. They want to change from tradition.


Question  :  A lot of Vipassana meditators in Japan they are not comfortable with outside people and so don't spread their knowledge. I agree with you about how should practice.
Sayadaw  :  If you can follow the middle way you can help whoever is concerning with you, because for nearly everybody it is necessary to understand like this and to be able to practice like this.

Because of meeting with you I will think about Japanese people, so that they will get not opposite understanding. It is possible to have the same understanding. I am specialised in this work, to change the understanding.

I have been working for about ten years. Here in this country many different understandings, so I try to balance everyone. Here in our centre a lot of different people can stay together and work together because the understanding is not like others.

Question  :  I have been very impressed  when I visited your centre last month to see these sick people so peaceful it made me reflect a lot about why.
Sayadaw  :  Most of the yogis in the centre can detach from the situation, this is the reason. Over 100 people died in our centre in the last four years.





End of the teaching.