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 .....