Single, But Good Enough

Single, But Good Enough

It is not adequate a single criterion to measure so-called success in life, for there is various fields on it. Subject differs, need differs, accordingly. It is however sufficient to decide so-called human. That is nothing but morality.

With the Best Wish!

                                 Rev. Uttamānanda

                                     10 April 2012

Go Together, Gain Tureasure!

Go Together; Gain Treasure

The Dhammas, Teachings of the Buddha, are like symbols which provide guidance precisely to Saṃsāric travellers. Simply reading to road signs is unable to reach what one’s destination. After reading guidance, then only makes travel as instructed them, one may reach what he aims at. Reading the instruction is a kind of making effort to know the direction whilst consequently going to is a committing into practice. Knowing is Vijjā and practising is Caraṇa in Pāli. Knowing is like a head of a coin whereas the practising is that of the other side. In other words, knowing and prictising are sides of the same coin.

Note! Treasure means the ultimate goal what one targets.

With Mettā,

                  Rev. Uttamānada

The Goal To Be Distinguished

The Goal To Be Distinguished

            The scholars point out there is many an impure Pāli words are applied in the Pāli texts. For instance, there finds out the terms Saṃghādisesa and Pācittiya in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the Book of Disciplines, which is of vital importance of Buddha Dispensation. A language is not to be attached, indeed. It goes off without hitch in day today life of men. So too, it is needless to adhere blindly to any language when one studies the Dhamma. It is the most crucial to discern what the real essence of Dhamma is.

With Mettā,

                    Rev. Uttamānanda

                       1 April 2012 

A Buddhist Monk and his Responsibilities

A Buddhist Monk and His Responsibilities

“If you are a real Myanmar, you have been to Bagan. If you are a real Myanmar Buddhist man, you have been in robes, at least once in your life.” These are favorite sayings and in fact, almost every Buddhist male in Myanmar does become a novice or a monk at least once, at least for a week. Other men become and remain monks for their entire lives. Now, the question might arise – what are their aims and responsibilities?

In the Raṭṭhapāla Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya, Ven. Raṭṭhapāla explained the reason to undertake the monastic life to King Koravya thus: “Great king, there are four summaries of the Dhamma that have been taught by the Buddha. What are the four? Life in any world is unstable, it is swept away. This is the first summary of the Dhamma. Life in any world has no shelter and no protector. This is the second summary of the Dhamma. Life in any world has nothing of its own; one has to leave all and pass on. This is the third summary of the Dhamma. Life in any world is incomplete, insatiate, the slave of craving. This is the fourth summary of the Dhamma. Knowing and seeing and hearing them, I went forth from the home life into homelessness.”(Sutta No. 82)

In Theravāda tradition, the process of becoming a novice or a monk begins with requesting thus: “Saṃsāra vaṭṭa dukkhato mocanatthāya etc….would you kindly, Sir, make me a novice or a monk so that I may be free from all suffering of Saṃsāra ….” This clearly shows that the aim of entering the Buddha’s Sāsana should be for the sake of liberation from suffering and the realization of Nibbāna. As a member of the Buddhist Order, a monk has two kinds of responsibility, namely Ganthadhūra and Vipassanādhūra. Ganthadhūra means both learning and teaching the Buddha’s Dhamma and Vipassanādhūra means engaging in insight meditation. These responsibilities may be approached separately or simultaneously depending on one’s inclination.

As for learning and practicing the Buddha’s teachings, there is no distinction between lay people and monks except that monks have the advantage of more time for study and intensive meditation practice. In Myanmar, there are hundreds of centers and monasteries in which novices and monks are learning and teaching the teachings of the Buddha as well as hundreds of meditation centers in which all can practice, monks and lay people alike. At the present-day, some centers are offering both Dhamma-teaching and meditation instructions at the same time. However, most prominent and learned venerable monks (Sayadaws) advise pursuing them separately, with learning first and practicing afterwards. It is argued that learning may be an obstacle to the development of insight; in fact, even reading Buddhist books while meditating may pose a hindrance. If a meditator ponders what he read, his reading can interfere with meditation. Reading is strictly prohibited in some meditation centers in Myanmar.

In the Codes of Discipline, Vinaya, once the Buddha admonished monks thus, “You are not free from the offense despite the fact that you violated a disciplinary rule without knowing it. If you do not know it, you have to ask others or learn.” This demonstrates that learning is extremely important. Practicing the teachings of the Buddha with thorough understanding will certainly bring great benefits.

The Buddha did not praise mere learning without practice. For instance, at the time of the Buddha there was a learned monk called Poṭṭhila who was thoroughly versed in the Tri-Pitakas and had many students. Despite being a scholar-monk, he was not interested in practice, so, he was still just an ordinary person, Puthujjana. The Buddha knew his lack of attainment and called him ‘Moghapurisa’, a good-for-nothing, who did not strive to attain enlightenment. When Venerable Poṭṭhila heard himself so described by the Buddha, he felt deeply ashamed, so he practiced strenuously and soon became an Arahat.

          Learning (Ganthadhūra) is compared to the bank of a dam while practicing insight meditation (Vipassanādhūra) is like water in the dam. Without the bank, there can be no water in the dam but with both present, lotuses may well blossom there. Learning (Ganthadhūra) and insight meditation (Vipassanādhūra) are interrelated and interdependent. When both are undertaken together, the result will be ‘Paṭivedha’, or realization of the Four Noble Truths or Nibbāna, like lotuses blooming in the dam.

          Besides, according to the Siṅgālovāda Sutta of the Dīgha Nikāya, there are yet some more responsibilities a monk should fulfill. They are (1) a monk should restrain his devotees from evil, (2) he should persuade them to do good, (3) he should love them with a kind heart, (4) he should make them hear what they have not heard, (5) he should clarify what they have already heard, and (6) he should point out the path to a heavenly state.

Prompting me to write this short article, a guest to my blog asked me a question. Perhaps he intended to ridicule me when he wrote, “Do you know the meaning of becoming a monk or have you forgotten what you recited just before becoming a novice or a monk— Saṃsāra vaṭṭa dukkhato etc…?.” My answer is that most of us monks engage in one of our two main obligations. I am sincerely grateful for the question, anyway. It is always useful to pause and reflect upon our monastic vocation, so we won’t be distracted by trivia. 

With the Best Wish!              

                            Rev. Uttamānanda (University of Peradeniya)

* This article was published in Lankataman Magazine, 2011.

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

Uncut Diamonds in Hands of a Lapidist

          There is a village called Ye Dwin Gyi which is remote from towns and cities and it is neither too big nor too small in its neighbouring villages. The village is situated in Magway Division, Myanmar. The villagers in this village are farmers who are ever busy with agriculture in all seasons around year. Since they are from hand to mouth, they would not look after as much as necessary to their offspring’s education.

          At the head of the village, there is a monastery and there is also a government primary school closed by to the former. Class attendance time of the school is at seven to at nine o’clock in the morning and at twelve to at four o’clock in the evening. At two o’clock in the afternoon, all students have half an hour’s break for playing.

          Thirty minutes before attending school in the morning and leaving school in the evening, all students in the primary school should be ready to proceed to monastery when they hear ringing bell rang by the abbot monk who has great influence over the villagers not only religious affairs but every social occasions of joy or grief. He is generally known as Sayadaw, reverence monk, in all parts of Myanmar.

Especially the young from this village come to the monastery to participate religious activities at least twice a day; in the morning and evening. They however come to monastery every day to learn Buddha’s teaching in summer season of school holidays.

          When all students are in temple, they have to pay homage to the Triple Gems, i.e. Buddha, Dhamma and Saṃgha, under instruction of Sayadaw. It takes almost fifteen minutes to be finished. Firstly, they must line up when they are sitting with two lines separately. The first line is boy whilst the second is girl. They all sit in serial order from elder to young, for one should pay due respect to the elder who is older even a second than oneself in accordance with Theravada Buddhism.

          When they sit gather together in the temple before starting pay homage to the Triple Gems, all of students have to count themselves saying one after the other as one, two, and three and so on. Accordingly no one dares to fail to join reciting prayers in a group and to attend school as well. It is one of the good ways to cultivate religious spirit in the heart of youths and to go to school regularly on the other. Being busy with respective works, almost all parents from village would not keep eyes day to day that their beloved tender ones whether or not they go to school. As a result, youths would stay away from school.

Youths however could not miss the school under the care of Sayadaw in stead of their parents. On the other hand, youths get into practice a moral life since they are young. So the villagers reverently rely on the Sayadaw and respectfully obey to him.

Now, full complement of youths in the temple, one of them leads paying absence, reciting Triple Gems, Nine Attributes of Buddha, Six Qualities of Dhamma and Nine Qualities of the Saṃgha, taking eight precepts in the morning and five precepts in the evening and so forth. The rest repeats after him in chorus. When they perform so, boys sit in squat or crouch whilst girls sit decorously making a gesture of respect by putting their palms together and raising them to the forehead.

Sayadaw gives a sermon to youths sayig “Not to associate with fools, to associate with the wise, to pay respect to those who are worthy of respect etc.” for a bit time when the worshiping is over. Sometimes, Sayadaw tells youth the life story of the Buddha so as to acquire basic knowledge on Buddhism and so that they take moral lessons by setting good example of Bodhisatta, who has destiny to be Buddha. Finally Sayadaw concludes his admonishing by distributing something to eat such as candy, banana, mango etc. Because of this manner, youths enjoy to come to temple without fail.

In the evening worshiping, Sayadaw leaves a closing word of day to youths as final message that all of you must study heard and worship the parents before going to bed. I’ll enquire your parents whether you all follow my advice or not. As soon as youths arrive in monastery on next day morning, Sayadaw asks that did you hear a sound of studying lessons such and such of your neighbouring friends etc. Do not tell line me, because I’ll ask your friends and parents again. Finally, youths come back to their home happily and cheerfully. On their way home, they narrate to each other the story what Sayadaw said and eating what Sayadaw gives away in charity.

Remember please that the life of youths is easy to reform and teach. Youths are like sketch or outline pictures drawn by elders. The whole life of a youth depends on the elders. If youths receive well discipline together with good lessons since they are young, they will become good leaders as well as good citizens in the future. If so, youths will definitely possess golden future and their mother land will surely be grand in the world where they live in.

May you all be strong mind and sound body!

With Mettā,

                   Rev. Uttamānanda

         Wednesday, September 07, 2011

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

he Village Flourishing in A Triple Name

          There is a small village called Ye Dwin Gyi which is situated in a rural town Upper-Min Hla, Ma Gway Division, Myanmar. Since there is a town called Min Hla in Pagu Division and beside the Yangon-Pyay high-way road, this town is called Upper Min Hla to be differentiated the former. Geographically, Ma Gway is not included in upper part of Myanmar though it is in Dry-zone, but in middle land of Myanmar.

          Ye Dwin Gyi village possesses another two names of Koe Dwin Giy and Nat Twin Gyi. So the village is well known with triple names in its neighboring villages.  Each and every name of this village was known as their respective oral histories. Fortunately, there was a record on my village which was written by Tat village Sayadaw, senior monk, in round about 1300 Myanmar Era, on the other. Soon after the establishing of Ye Dwin Gyi village over eighty years ago, the two names were added considering on their mysterious events. The first story goes as follow.

          There were some people at the place which will be called Ye Dwin Gyi in future and they had shifted from one place to another, for they hardly got water not only for people but their cattle. As above mentioned, it is a tropical zone which has rare water especially in the hot season. On one full moon night, the people prepared and loaded their goods to the bullock-carts to move a place where they would have cultivated and water. At that time, they heard a sound of digging through some metals and water spring up at some distance. Some elderly people decided to go and see what was taking place from the location where they got the sound.

          When they reached at that place which made sound, they found a clue of water. They tried weather the water would had been enough for the people and their pets as well as tame animals. They were certain that it was positive. Accordingly they resolved to keet staying at the very place which was not so far from water. From that time on, the name of village was called Ye Dwin Gyi, a big well, and the place water spring up called Nat Twin Gyi, a huge well created by gods.

At present, Nat Twin Gyi can be seen as a pool which is square size and it is about twenty feet wide and almost twenty feet depth. The water level is ever flush with the ground, and there has bare frame and fence since it was started until now. It is very natural and it ever flows a bit portion of water over the ground of one side. In every season, the rate of water flowing is almost the same. In the hot season, the neighbourhood of village came and fetched water. It is widely believe that if a patient drinks or take bath with the water of Nat Twin Gyi, his some diseases are fade away. Because of these reasons, people in neighbour strongly believe and pay respect to it.

Some years later, Ye Dwin Gyi villagers suffered from uncertain diseases and faced some kinds of crisis. Thu the time came to transfer their village to a new place according to their horoscope reading and traditionally belief. It became the present village now. And present village is one furlong far from its former village and almost two furlongs away from Nat Twin Gyi.

At the head of the village, there is a monastery and a white stupa. There are two big lakes at the south and north of village, and they are closed by village. Now Nat Twin Gyi is situated in the west of village. At the eastern side of village, there is a hill called Koe Dwin Gyi on which there are nine Pagodas and it is almost two furlongs away from village.

Koe Dwin Gyi is called because there are nine pits of copper at the top of the hill. At the right places, the nine Pagodas were built since over seventy years ago. The small six Pagodas built centre to the three big Ones. The village can be seen with the sky eyes view from the Hill of Koe Dwin Gyi. According to the historical record by Tat Sayadaw, first and formost, there was a stupa at the top of the hill of Koe Dwin Gyi. It is said this stupa was erected in accordance with the consent of King Along See Thu in 11^th A.D. It was covered by the thick forest for so many years unknowingly.

Later long, the people passers by had happened to see and hear something difficult to mention around the hill. They found out a tiny stupa when they inquired. As the time went on, the people in Ye Dwin Gyi village tried to wrap and construct over the old small stupa with the new one following their ominous saying. The high of new stupa is almost fourteen and it is square size foundation which is teen feet wide for all directions. The other stupas or Pagodas kept building up to nine in number offered by villagers. Thus this hill acquires Koe Dwin Gyi as its name based on the nine stupas as well as nine pits of copper.

At the present situation of this village develops in every part such religious activities, economic, social affair as education and son forth. This village is now situated at the border of Min Hla town and Tha Yet town. The both towns are far away from this village about thirty mile each. There are road and communications by vehicles between them. The current transportation is not still satisfied enough. It is neither too good nor too bad. Any way and at last, this village is alive with its three names and I’m sure it keeps maintaining its dignities forever.

May you be all strong mind and sound body!

With Mettā,

       Rev. Uttamānanda

  Thursday, August 03, 2011

Ref;

1.     A Study of Upp Min Hla My Native Town by Rev. Uttamananda, The Dissertation Paper For B.A, Buddhist University, Yangon, Myanmar, 2010.

2.     Koe Twin Gyi History by Tat Sayadaw, Printed in Uncertain Year and Print house, Tha Yet, Myanmar.

3.     Oral Histories By ederly people of Ye Dwin Gyi Village

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

Buddhists’ Sabbath-day

          Myanmar and Sri Lankans have the same Theravāda Buddhism. Majority people in both countries are brought up in the cradle of Theravāda Buddhism. Though we grow up in the bosom or live under the same roof of Theravāda Buddhism, there are different performing and activities on it in day to day life of respective people. Of them, Sabbath-day, Uposatha in Pāli, U-puth in Myanmar and Poya in Sri Lanka, is one of the most profound religious activities that can be seen obviously in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

          What the Uposatha is? Uposatha is a Pāli word and it renders in Buddhist Dictionary of Venerable Nyanatiloka that “lit. ‘Fasting’, i.e. ‘Fasting Day,’ is the full-moon day, the new New-moon day, and the two days of the first and the last moon-quarter.” “The PTS Dictionary defines it that “[Vedic Upavasatha, the eave of the Soma sacrifice, day of preparation]. At the time of the rise of Buddhism the word had come to mean the day preceding four stages of the moon’s waxing and waning, viz. 1^st, 8^th, 15^th 23th nights of the lunar month that is to say, a weekly sacred day, a Sabbath.” Something may differ from this interpretation to those who have been practising in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, mainly flourished Theravada Buddhism.

          Most of the Buddhist Scholar supposes that actual meaning of Uposasatha is very from Fasting or Sabbath-day. To be easy, Uposatha is a compound word of Upa and Vasatha. May I loosely interpret that Upa means ‘with noble practice’ and Vasatha means ‘living’. Accordingly Upavasatha means living with noble practises. Buddhist Terms’ Dictionary mentions on Uposatha that Observance of fasting day. There are two kinds of observance: one for lay devotees and the other for Bhikkhus; (1) the former by keeping the eight precepts by lay devotees as a means of purification of physical and mental actions. (2) The latter by reciting the Pātimokkha by Bhikkhus on full-moon and new-moon days.

            First of all, let’s see Sri Lanka. There is a Poya or Uposatha day in each and every month and it falls on only full-moon day of a month. Early in the morning of on that day, people come to the temple near by wearing white one-set clothes, which mostly can be seen in all religious occasions and young students. When devotees come to the temple, they bring something to offer to the Buddha such flowers, candle, oil to light as joss -sticks. They take eight precepts, Sīla, in front a monk by repeating him. Thus they keep staying in the temple till round about 6: pm observing their moralities and listing to the Dhamma preached by the monks alternately. The Dhamma-talk is presented from morning to evening taking a break moderately in each section.

          Some donors come to the temple on that day to offer breakfast and lunch meals to those who are observing precepts. There are three steps, Dāna, Sīla and Bhāvanā, in Buddhism when Buddhists engage in religious activities. Dāna which means Charity or Almsgiving or Liberality or Offering. When one cultivates Dāna well, it believes that it is easy to take Sīla, precepts of five or eight which mainly for lay-devotees. Bhāvanā is the final stage and it is rendered as Meditation in English. However there are various kinds in each stage. The last one is Bhāvanā which has two-fold of Samatha and Vipassanā or concentration of mind and seeing things as they truly are.

          On full-moon day in Sri Lanka, the devotees keep staying for a whole day long from early morning to late evening in temple. Meanwhile they are listing to Dhamma preached by monks alternately and they also get interval time every one hour for minutes so that they can get comfortable. As soon as they arrived in temple, their first duty is taking eight precepts in front of a monk repeating him. And they take five precepts at the end of the last Dhamma-talk in the evening when they are going to home. Finally, they share their merits to all sentient beings in the universe.

          Myanmar is not like Sri Lankans on Uposatha-day. Buddhist pious devotees come to the temple wearing white upper garment and brown lower garment putting on brown shawl, Yogi-Ta Bat in Myanmar, on their right shoulder especially for female devotees. This kind of wearing style is called Yogi-suit. There are four Sabbath or Uposatha days in a month in Myanmar; 8^th waxing day, full-moon day, 8^th waning day and new moon day or the last day of waning on which the moon is not available. Again, before each and every day of Sabbath-day, there is a day called Pre-Sabbath-day on which people are alarmed that tomorrow is going to be Sabbath-day such as by the State Radio, Television on one way and announcing by young people in the rural area so that they can prepare for their necessities next day on the other.

          On that day, people come to a monastery near by to observe eight or nine precepts and it is round about eight o’clock in the morning. After keeping precepts in front of a monk, some of them return their home whilst the rest stay in the monastery till in the evening. Some body cannot come to the monastery even on Uposatha-day because of their respective family duties. In some ways or other they try to observe precepts from a novice or monk who came to their house for alms-food about ten a.m. It is like others who go to the temple.

          The lay-devotees in monastery, after taking precepts, listen to the Dhamma preached by either monks or lay-devotees. Afterward, they engage in meditation taking a rest for minutes every one hour till late evening when the time is ripe to go home back. Their Sabbath-day is finished early in the morning of next day. After at twelve of Sabbath-day, they do not take any food except water and juice like a monk till next day’s morning.

          There are full of meditation centres in Myanmar and they can be seen through out the country not only urban area but in rural region. Every season, they perform meditational activities and it takes at least a week to three moths. On that period, not only lay people but monks and nuns participate to take meditation. Every necessary for meditators, Yogīs, is provided by the meditation center with the aids of donors.

          When I’m in Sri Lanka, I had rarely seen the people engaging in meditation even on Sabbath or Poya-day. But there are some forest meditation centres in which only monks can be seen. Instead of meditation, Buddhist Psychotherapy and Buddhist Counseling are more popular among the Sri Lankans, I think. Even the monks in Sri Lanka might prefer naming modern name on meditations, Samatha and Vipassanā, such as Buddhist Psychotherapy and Buddhist Counseling. We also had learned these subjects at Postgraduate Institute of Pāli Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Buddhist and Pāli University, Peradeniya so on in Sri Lanka. The native are also interestingly pursuing them.

          Any way, let’s me express again on Uposatha. It is a kind of Sīla, morality, which already had pre Buddhist era and Buddha time. According to the Jātaka stories, Bodhisatta who is an enlightenment being or a future Buddha, had done it as Sīlapāramī, morality of perfection. It is one of the ten perfections, Dasapāramī, in Buddhism. Therefore Sīla is one of the most crucial religious tasks for a Buddhist in his way of living.

          In the Sāsa Jātaka story, Bodhisatta was born as a rabbit and he had three other friends of a monkey, a jackal and an otter. They lived peacefully and harmoniously under the instruction of the rabbit. One day, the rabbit said his friends that tomorrow is the full-moon day and let all of us observe the Uposatha day and keep precepts. They kept Uposatha precepts, thus.

          There are ten great Jātaka stories or the Birth stories of the Buddha. One of them is Bhūridātta-jātaka in which states Bodhisatta was a serpent, Nāga, who had a super natural power. Being wanted to keep precepts, he disguised as a human being and came to human world, for in Nāga-abode, there are full of sensual pleasure that makes one difficult to concentrate with good intention.

          Uposatha Sutta of Aṅguttaranikāya mentions there are three kinds of Uposatha; Nigaṇṭha-uposatha, Gopālaka-uposatha and Ariya-uposatha. Of them the last one is the most highest and benefited to those who are observed it. The rest two are less result because of impure intention when one takes precepts. Either one, two or more observing morality is of good to whom perform them and it is also useful to control mental problems of greed, hatred and delusion. Finally, Uposatha day has been living in both Myanmar and Sri Lanka in accordance with their own tradition and it is one of our true dignity which we well preserves such a long journey of over 2600 years since the Buddha’s time.

With Mettā,

                 Reverence Uttamānanda

                  Friday, July 08, 2011

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

Monastic Education and Myanmar

            The development of the country or the nation depends largely on its respective education, for it is an essential thing of all. Moreover education takes parts in an important role for the way of living and thinking of people and it can show the standard of human society. If we say the history Myanmar’s education, we cannot neglect the monastic education which was involved mainly in Myanmar.

          The lord Buddha came out in the 6^th B.C. in India and His teachings were spread almost all in Asia. In 3^rd century B.C. during the time of Moriya dynasty, King Emperor Aśoka was a great supporter of Buddhism and he sent out Nine Missionary Groups to nine countries. Some of them arrived at Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Suvannabhūmi, Golden Land. The latter is considered that situated in Myanmar. Venerable Sona and Venerable Uttara were great benefactors of Buddha Dispensation, Sāsanā, in Myanmar and they performed missionary in Suvannabhūmi, modern Tha Hton, successfully. From that now on, Buddhism had been establishing in Myanmar fixed and firmly. In A.D 1044, the King Anawratha had removed impure Buddhism flourished in Pagan the capital city and he had replaced with pure and noble Theravada Buddhism which he gained from Tha Hton.

          At that time of Pagan, majority people were farmers and they had to rely on monks for their education. Reading, writing and calculating were fundamental subjects for their daily life. Especially they had learned Buddhist literature, culture and traditional sermons from the both monks and educated lay-people. This is starting point of monastic education in ancient Myanmar. It would not be said that there were out of date subjects even though they had learned a few subjects and only religious literature then. Because their environment was just agriculture and their life was so simple as well.

          Moreover, Pagan in earlier period had no sound and proper communication with neighbourhoods and over-sea countries either by road or by ship or least of air. When children were at five, in general, their parents sent them to a closed monastery to study. In those day of majority people had to learn as either novices or lay students till at twenty. At that time of twenty years old, they keep on pursuing their education according to their wish. If not, they go back respective homes and most people became farmers as a rule and the rest became clerical-staff to the king. Some of them keep on their education running highly and thus spent their life as monks guiding the people in accordance with Buddhism.

          So the monastic education was considered sufficient for both royal-class and base-class in an ethical point moderately for long years. But there was no doubt that the monastic education system had weak point in earlier age. Here for instance, as you notice, there were little chances for women to study in a monastery and there were neither private schools nor institutions for them as well. It is because monks follow the precepts strictly and they must avoid staying together with women under the same roof even for a night. For this reason, they had lost their education, and those of the day, majority women were illiterate.

In other sense, this is just lame excuse to women, for the King Anawratha made Buddhism as state religion guided by Reverence Shin Arahan. No matter how, there had come out contemporary lady composers with famous monks and the women had good name in learning while they were engaging in their household-chores. Seeing this some women in those of the day had proper chance to study either from monks or other lay scholars who were disrobed. In brief, it can be seen in different historical records that some of the women in Pagan were so good at Pāli literature as well as Buddhism that the learned monks had to praise their ability.

          As languages or subjects studies, they had learned not only Pāli but Myanmar, Mon and Sanskrit. On the other hand, there had developed the arts of living, such as architecture, agriculture, sculpture, traditional medicine, fine arts etc. and there were many evidences, historical events, Pagodas and monuments that can be seen in Pagan even in present day.

           In Kone Baung dynasty, A.D 1752-1885, monastic education was more active and bright and many subjects were added and taught except military science, body arts, performance arts and so forth which are not suitable for monks and their monasteries. But these subjects were taught in some monasteries by Pwe Kyaung monks.

          People studied and devoted their time in learning eagerly and even the state rulers did. Later Kone Baung era, there many state scholars were sent to the foreign countries to study sciences and technologies and those were trained in monasteries in accordance with the expectation of rulers. As a result of it, there came out industries, factories and mills. And various kinds of literature works appeared in standard. King Min Don and King Thi Baw were great supporters to monastic education in Yatanabone era involving in by themselves. 

          During late 18^th century and early 19^th century periods, monastic education were almost fade away and became weak its function and role. Because Myanmar was colonized by British and Christian missionary schools and European schools were come out strongly supporting by their respective government. On the other hand, second great world war was happened as wind the flame. In those days, religion, education, economic etc. and every sector were delayed to develop.

          After gaining independence, the government of Myanmar and State Great Saṅgha Council came to reestablish monastic education and they made rules and regulations accordingly. They supported its plan both mind and body with heartily and willingly to present day all over the Myanmar. Besides, it made syllabus for text books and specified the time to set for the examination on Buddhism yearly.

          Now a day, there we can see many Buddhist institutions or Monastic educational Learning Centre in Myanmar such as International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University (Yangon), State Pariyatti Sasana Universities (Yangon & Mandalay), Sitagu International Buddhist Academies (Sagaing, Yangon & Mandalay) and Buddhist Universities (Yangon & Mandalay) and so on which are teaching not only Pāli and Myanmar but other modern literatures and languages, and linguistic subjects, too. They have been teaching and guiding both Saṅgha Order and lay-people. As a main point, we cannot neglect Pariyatti Sar Thin Taik (Traditional Institutes or Learning Centres) which have been standing as fortress for the Buddha Dispensation in Myanmar.

          But, as the reader may think, monastic education had to face ups and downs situation along with its long journey and it is law of nature. According to the Policy of Rulers, it changes and will also transform either grand or beat-up alternatively. Everything is victim of circumstance, isn’t it? I’m sure that monastic education and its functions are more far and wide in its history and I also expect this is a bit brief of article will drive a great satisfaction to the readers.

With Metta,        

Reverence Uttamananda

May 01, 2009

References;

1.     The Encyclopedia of Myanmar (Vol. 8 & 10)

2.     The Buddha, Printed by SIBA, Sagaing, Myanmar)

3.     A perspective and prospect and their impacts by Dr. Ashin Nyanissara

4.     Lecture notes (2009) by SIBA, Yangon Campus)

5.     The monastic education of Myanmar by U Than Htut (Assistant lecturer)

 This article was published in The Voice of Saṅgha Magazine by SIBA (Yangon Campus) in 2010 and it was now re-edited by the author himself.

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

A Survey of a Monk and Responsibility

Or

The question on aim and object of becoming a monk

          In ancient India religion of Brahmanism, a Brahman was called as Dvija, one who was born twice in this very life, i.e. he is first born his human parents and he secondly born from the mouth of a Brahma, a highest Celestial being who creates the world.

          In Theravada Buddhism a monk is might be called Tija, one who is born thrice in this very life. First he was born as a human being form his parents like others, second he became a novice and thirdly he became monk in the Ordination Hall, Sīmā, when he was at twenty.   

Unfortunately, I have been staying in Sri Lanka for a periods of time, I had never been happened a novitiation ceremony and to enter into the Buddhist Dispensation as a Novice even though I had involved with various kinds of grief and joy occasions or ceremonies. In Myanmar, novitation ceremony, Pabbajja or initiate a boy into the Buddhist Order, is so well known that can be seen in very parts of the country.

          It is widely believed in that if you are a real Myanmar, you have been to Bagan, the ancient city of Myanmar, and have been a novice or monk as well at least each once in life. Of them the latter is chiefly intended for men, yet generally women also become nuns. Otherwise, you are not a true Myanmar.

          First and foremost, when one enters into the novice-hood or monk-hood, he has to do essential preparing to be so such shaving hair as so forth. Then he should ask prior permission from his master or abbot-monk saying “Saṃsāra vaṭṭa dukkhato mocanatthāya etc. would kindly, Sir, make me a novice so that I may be free from all sufferings of Saṃsāra….” Generally it can be said that one who enters into the Buddhist Order aims at for the sake of liberation from all sufferings or to be realized Nirvana.

          As a member of Buddhist Order, monk, novice and nun (later on monk), however, there are two kinds of duties that he has to perform as far as he lives in Buddhist Dispensation, Sāsana. Ganthadhūra and Vipassanādhūra are the special tasks of a monk. To be easy, the former can be rendered as both learning and teaching and the latter is engaging in insight meditation. Both duties can be performed separately or at the same time. The famous venerable Sayadaws in Myanmar prefer to carry out them individually. According to them learning is first and practicing or taking meditation is the second.

          In the code of Discipline, once the Buddha admonished to the Sangha Order that you are not free from punishment what you had committed or broken a discipline whether or not you know it. If you didn’t know it, you have to ask from others or learn. Accordingly learning first is the most proper way and then comes to Insight meditation, in my opinion too. On the other hand, that kind of happening can be seen in general through out the Theravada Buddhist countries. After all two of them is crucial to monks.  

          Here it is noteworthy that the Buddha did not praised merely learned in Buddhism, for instance at that time of the Buddha there was a learned monk called Poṭṭhila who was seriously acquaintance and scholarly in Tri-Pitakas and he had many students. But he was an ordinary monk and he wasn’t an Arahant. As a result Buddha called him Moghapurisa, useless or person who brings about no benefits to the Dhamma, who is good for nothing. Therefore a monk should follow both learning and meditation either together or one after another.

          Of course, it is said that studying or Ganthadhūra is like a bank of dam in which water is like meditational tasks. If there is no bank, there will not be water in the dam. So also, if there is no Ganthadhūra, studying, there won’t be Vipassanādhūra, meditational tasks. They are inter-related to each other so that one can liberate from Saṃsāra, Round of Rebirth.     

          In Myanmar, there are many Buddhist learning institutes, Pariyatti Sar Thin Taik, in which the Saṅgha Orders have been learning and teaching especially to Buddhism or Dhamma and Vinaya. For the time being, some of the Buddhist Institutes act upon meditational task, too. Again there are meditation centres, in almost all parts of Myanmar, in which they take meditational subjects or tasks only. Both of learning and taking meditation can be presented by the lay-people also. There are those people who are doing in both tasks. In this case, there is no special spec or specification between monks and lay-men and it is one’s own option. He may do according to his wish. Truly what we have to understand is that all Buddhists including monks and lay-people aim at to be freed form Saṃsāra. There is no differentiation of final goal or ultimate destination to all Buddhists.

          Well, then, there is a problem. If so, why becomes monk? To be short and easy, monk-hood is can devote more than lay-men-hood on the cases of religious activities or engage in religious matters to be realized the Nirvana or to serve not only one’s own benefit but others’. It is one of the reasons and there are many reasons why becomes a monk. To be clear, there is a Sutta called Samannaphala of Dighanikaya in which the Buddha expounds thoroughly and details why becoming a monk and his full result.

          Once, King Ajātasatthu of Māgadha wondered what the consequences of fitting monk-hood are. It is said that he was afraid of going to Buddha first of all, for he killed his own father who is a closed disciple of Buddha. Accordingly, he inquired from one religious teacher after the others before he became a Buddhist. He did not satisfy what their answers. Later on, he came to the Buddha planned by Jīvaka a greatest physician and asked from Him what the sakes of benefit being a monk are. Whole night was spent to preach and explain the problems what the King wanted to know. Therefore one may read it so as to get well and proper knowledge on becoming a monk and his results.

          This is a hint article concerning with a monk and his duties, and why I’m writing it is that a certain guest asked from me or he might laugh at me that “Do you know the meaning of requesting of becoming monk-hood or Are you forgetting or pretending to forget what the meaning of   prior saying of before a novice, Saṃsāra vaṭṭa dukkhato etc.,? This question is asked in most of the shout-box of Blogspots created by monks. I’m sure he really understands the question what he rose by. Of course, most of us, I do not mean all; engage in one of our two main obligations of learning or teaching and practicing the Insight Meditation. Any way and at last, my sincere gratitude is to be a certain guest who asked this kind of question, and I honestly believe in him that he has good-will to us so that we can follow what the Buddha instructed.

May you all be strong mind and sound body!

With Mettā,

                 Reverence Uttamānanda

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

A Reflected Glory

          It is a nature that a person who has lack of ability to rely on himself prefers to express that his parents are rich, powerful or he came from a high family of such and such in society whilst he hates to mention that his life is negative of face downing situation or down-trodden circumstance. Such a one is useless to not only himself, but for his respective environment as if a thorn which impales into the body. Instead of declaring what is my father or something like this, one should try to say bravely as well as proudly what am I? It is clear that he is not his father, yet he himself. For the time being, there is a exception that one in most cases has to depend on others due to complex being of a man since he was born.

          Inadequate one likes better to stand steeping on other foot. It is a great miserable one would not perform anything for the sake of both himself and others. On one occasion the Buddha expounds that “Sabbaṃ paravasaṃ dukkhaṃ, sabbaṃ issariyaṃ sukhaṃ: All subjection to another is painful; all sovereignty is bless” (Udāna Pāḷi). We all have to confess that the above mention is absolutely true with our own respective experience in day to day life. Nonetheless we cannot neglect the good fortunes of others whom live comfortably in life even oneself, yet we also accept the factual condition of oneself that he is nothing but himself.

          Prince Siddhattha is one of the most fortunate one in the world, for he acquires everything he wish by the supporting of his father. If he would not have been seen the nature of life or depended on his father, there would not happened greatest changing in the world. Well, he was gifted one or genius, and accordingly I may not apply here in this case to ordinary people like us. Let’s try to find out the logical reasoning, on the other, in our day we have to see the famous ones in respective fields of politic, economic, social and education. Their generation however could not inherit of their father or masters etc. as equal status or more. It is hardly and rarely happened to see the same situation of generation to generation. As the above said one is nothing but himself and he therefore would not be famous his ancestors. But he can surely maintain their dignity by his own ability because everybody possesses respective talent of which he can create glory like his pioneers. Because of shirking responsibility, one would not preserve the credit of former people. It is not sound situation on future to the respective country when her nation grows in the cradle of the opportunist and one who has no sense of obligation.

          Everyone possesses golden opportunity to gain success in life without mentioning what their parents are, but taking proper supporting from them as well as his respective environment. It is noticed that “a person in vain tries to carry out the worthless tasks”. On the other hand, it is mentioned that man is the most powerful one in the world and we human accordingly are the mightiest one that the rest who can upgrade not only oneself but others by cultivating of own energies positively. We truly claim that we are not reflected glory in no way as a result.

With Mettā,

                  Rev. Uttamānanda

                Colombo, Sri Lanka

            29 March 2010 (2: 48 AM)

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

A Man with responsibility

          Man may come and go to the world in accordance with his option, yet he should have sense of responsibility among a human society. Otherwise, he will surely be the dust of the world that nobody wishes to touch. At the same time a man was born, he brought a many of duty and responsibility till his life comes to an end. Who made him to bear them? It is absolutely himself. There is no one who commends other to carry something as his burden. If so, do leave his responsibilities off. Of course, it is not accurately. The reason why is that he is a human being who ever claims that he is the most intelligence in every corner of the world. He accordingly brought himself all responsibilities, but he surely forgot to bring sense of duty.

          Since a man was born had he rely on himself for all cases that lead to him directly? The answer is of negative. When he came of age, he had to go to either school or university. Then he relies on teachers, too. Further, he became a leader of some field of his environment. Unfortunately, he had his personal belongings finished to his subjects. Had he step on his very feet, what will happen? .....?

          It is said man is a complex being. He has to live with a family as well as a society. Man would not live alone and stay away from other though he keeps holding conceited mind that he is the most superior all else. In the world, even the sage or white-robed acolyte may live with people, yet they may not have attachments them or their mind would not mingle with to the ordinary people though bodily keep closing. Most ordinary people like us have to associate with each other in most cases. If only we unite with others, we may create everything on material. On the contrary, man may acquire his peace of mind forever if he lives remote from busy people.

          Man is ignorance one though he may have long of tails name after him. Therefore, he blames on others when he is commit something wrongly. Again he abuses others that he himself has lack of ability to do something. As a result, man proves himself that he is not the most intelligence in the world. Because of his ignorance he hates to confess the truth that he has no sense of duty to say something truth. On the other hand, it surely can say that man is the most powerful and intelligent in the world, yet he is also the most evil one and cunning one in all sentient beings. Thus they have to suffer various natural disasters that they could not prevent with their clamming at first.

          In all religions, there are various kinds of disciplines and duties that a man has to follow according to his present situation. If he does not follow them, he will become a man out-side of the world, for it is said that “the same fathers fly together”. Now man is carrying responsibility and discipline without knowing his insight properly. Thus they, responsibility and duty, became burden to him. No one in the world can take over sense of responsibility though he would neglect discipline.

          Now man is neglecting his responsibility day by day. Thus he became filth in the eye of others. Besides, others have to suffer from on his lack of knowledge and they don’t want to be companions with him. Even a man himself has to take his own tasks; he would not undertake other cases as a whole. There will be no unnecessary problems which will come to men if a man understands his works and sense of responsibility to all cases that fallen to him.

          A complex being is the man. He therefore would not live on his step only in almost cases. So do others. If a man gives helping a hand in return, there will be lesser questions among them. Now a man comes to understand that he should have sense of responsibility in all, there will be greatest gift of peace and harmony. Man is a man. He is nothing with the exception of a man. If he were the most intelligent in the world, then he is surely the worst upon all sentient beings even to the unconscious, for good and evil exist other side of at the same coin. They are back to back ones. So do the sense of responsibility and irresponsibility. It is said that “Example is better than precept”, and therefore man may live without obeying any discipline, but he has to imitate and follow the best example of noble ones so as to receive all blessings that lead to a man.

May all men have sense of responsibility!

With Metta,

                     Reverence Uttamānanda

                        February 22, 2011

၂၀၁၁-ေန႔စဲြမ်ား

A European couple I met

            It was last month when I had won golden opportunity to join the Third Annual Intensive English Course held in Kandy where situated about hundred and ten kilometers away from Colombo a commercial city, we stay and study, of Sri Lanka, an Island in the midst of Indian Ocean. Kandy was the last Kingdom of Sri Lankan and it possesses beautiful scene of hill sides in which various trees grow and colourful wild animals dwell. It lies in the midst of the hills that cover with green ever.

            We Myanmar monks of thirty-five members put up at Kandy Myanmar-Tooth-Relic Temple during the Course which took fifteen days or eighty-four hours. It was conducted by Mr. Ken and Mrs. Visakha Kawasaki and their assistances Mr. Lal Medawattegedera a Sri Lankan, Mr. Matthew Scherer and Mrs. Deena Scherer the American. They all seize good natured in and out side of the class that we would not neglect on them even apiece of their behavior and character. The lecture hall was a main hall of Buddhist Publication Society, BPS, and we all have to think of to whom it may concern of BPS. The trainees were from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Of them we Myanmar were majority. Our lunch in every day was offered by lay people from both local and foreign countries. We wished them including our teachers to be strong mind and sound body without end.

            Mr. Ken and Mrs. Visakha Kawasaki the couples well-matched I prefer to mention are very rare teachers I had ever seen though the rest participated in training were nice. They are Europeans and very pious Buddhists. I would dare say that they are real Buddhists in accordance with my eye witness on them, and so do my friends’ who close to them long. They now live in Kandy with a native Sinhalese family. Mr. Ken born in England is Japanese whilst Mrs. Visakha Kawasaki is a pure English lady, I was told. Both are considered now over fifty, yet they are so well preserved that we think as young. They ever say they are very fortunate and lucky to become a good husband and wife. They on the other hand are proud of being Theravada Buddhists in deed. In their house, there are so many kinds of Buddha statue from various Buddhist countries they had visited, and there are also the most famous venerable monks from Myanmar like Venerable Sayadaw Vicittasārābhivaṃsa and so on.

            Though we had very short time to meet them, from them we had not only very good moral lessons how to treat others and environment but we acquired how to teach various trainees with patience and smile in colourful situations. Demonstration and illustration in their teaching methods is one of the best I preferred. They are in high spirits to give helping a hand to others in need of their help. Because of their good-will and effortless we would tried with our burning desire though the course was very difficult to concentrate and tired due to extremely bad weather. Our studying with keenly and industriously was appreciated very much by all teachers.

            Once, we visited their house and they welcomed us warmly. We saw their house is graceful with the Buddha’s shrine room; home-library and furniture are keeping necessarily. They treat us with juice, but we preferred their open-minded and honest behavior to the guest. They are always of aware the rules and regulations of lay people in respect to the Buddhists and how to pay due respect to the Buddhist monks in every occasion.

            It is a law of nature we meet and depart one day. It is needless to be anxious being happened so. We had prime time with Mr. Ken and Mrs. Visakha Kavasaki and good relationship with mutual understanding. One day the time will come again to us to meet each other in some places of the world.

With Mettā,

            Reverence Uttamānanda

               February 19, 2011