The Meditator Gratitude Campaign: A Deeper Framework
Earlier this week, we announced a new fundraising campaign that we expect will be of special interest to spiritual practitioners who have benefited from contact with Myanmar. The project is two-fold. First, we will be sharing more detailed information to meditators and Buddhist across the world about how the Golden Land’s monastics are faring during this dark time of military terror. Second, we will be accepting donations from supporters which will go to support a wide range of monastic sites and populations in Myanmar who are now in a dire state without adequate food and medicine. Following is a more detailed plan for the project. (Please note that we are starting our work by focussing on sites in the Sagaing and Mandalay regions, but we will soon be expanding to other sites as we coordinate with local teams) Continue to follow this account to be updated about our mission.
1. Introduction
WHAT IS THE PROJECT?
1.1. Background Information
Many of the countries across the globe have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic since December 2019. The world was alarmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) when it declared a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" on January 30, 2020. In Myanmar, the virus was confirmed to have reached the country on 23 March 2020, according to the news report of The Straits Times published on March 24, 2020. The administration led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) rapidly took actions to implement containment measures and public health responses. The first wave and second wave of the pandemic were well controlled to a certain degree, somehow, under the leadership and effective management of the State Counsellor and Myanmar Ministry of Health through providing virtual and modern directions to reach out to the on-ground implementers, i.e., the townships' General Administration Departments, Information and Public Relation Departments in joint with the townships' Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health in the effective and fast process of step-by-step (state-level to regional, regional to district and district to township/village levels) across the country.
However, after the coup d'état in February 2021, it was subsequently followed by nation-wide protests and civil disobedience movements against the de facto military coup junta which deposed the hard-working and civilian government of the people, repeatedly elected by the General Elections in November 2020. Many public health-care workers joined the CDM movements and those were arrested by the de facto coup junta. [Ref: (i) The Guardian. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021. (ii) Reuters. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.] The illegitimate coup junta did not have any capacity and capability to control the outbreak, obviously in the third wave which took place the worst in July 2021 with many cases and a big number of daily deaths. In brief, the outbreak has truly impacted the country terribly worse than the other countries in South East Asia, not only affecting thousands of lives but also disrupting the economy of the whole population of the country.
Since the first wave and second wave of the outbreak under the civilian administration in 2019 and 2020, both the national level health ministry and the local administration departments of different areas strictly announced the precautionary measures and travel restrictions to control the spread. Hence, it could slightly control the spread somehow to a certain extent. On the other hand, many big and small businesses were affected and mostly shut down though there had some economic relief plans nationally. Although there were many state's economic relief aids for the SMEs supports, it did obviously not cover and reach out to the whole population, especially of the grass roots. For these reasons, the Buddhist community in Myanmar were impacted quite a lot, canceling many religious events and services both nationally and locally. This obviously disrupts the regular services of many Buddhist monks and nuns of a population of approximately 500,000, as well as the Buddhist studies of Pariyatti Monasteries where the Buddhist Tipitaka (Three Basket) literatures are taught, and the Vipassana meditation trainings and retreats of the meditation centers across the nation. From a perspective of either a traditional Buddhist person or the one who believes in the teachings (Dhamma) of the Buddha, it is a heartfelt sorrowful news to hear, as well for all those international meditators from different countries all around the world.
Truly, since Myanmar is a Theravada Buddhist country full of many generous lay-supporters of the Buddha Sāsanā, Buddhist Myanmar local people support the 500,000 Sanghās (monks, novices and nuns) in country though all the people in country are suffering from many crises even for themselves. It can help the Sanghās to survive for a short term, indeed. Those people who know English well and have friends from international communities, are also working their best to help the Sanghās. Among these people, our local religious organization is taking a particle in this great and meritorious support of the Buddha Sāsana and we are hereby presenting our current works on researches and case studies with some discoveries of the huge needs of the alms-food at many monasteries and nunneries in different areas of Sagaing Region and Mandalay, especially in these three aspects below:
(1) Pariyatti monasteries where monks and novices are attempting to continue their Buddhist monastic education,
(2) Meditation centers and those solitary monastics who choose to dwell in forestry seclusion, pursuing intensive meditation and seeking total liberation, and
(3) Monastic Education Schools and Parahita Monasteries/Nunneries/ Orphanages where the young novices/nuns and lay-children are provided with not only Buddhist education but also with basic education that is free of charge, in addition to providing accommodation and food as well.
So, in conclusion, for those spiritual practitioners who have benefitted personally from the wealth of Myanmar's generosity and unconditional support on your path, now is the one moment in where you can give back!
1.2. Vision
(A) For the convenient services of the Sanghās (monks, nuns and novices) in their studies (Pariyatti), practices (Paṭipatti) and realization (Paṭivedha) and sharing/spreading (Dhamma Dūta), for a certain period of months during the crisis, without any concerns for their food.
(B) To help solve out the monasteries/nunneries/Parahita orphanages for the increasing number of disrobed monastics/nuns/novices due to the shortage of alms-food.
1.3. Missions
(A) We are working our best to find and reach out to the monasteries/nunneries/orphanages which are in bad need or almost shortage of food, firstly in Sagaing Region and Mandalay Region.
(B) We are working with local monastic supporters from different areas of these regions to reach out to actual needy monastics and nuns, as well the lay-children of different ethnicities who are taking refuge of the Sanghās.