A harmonious completion to donation tasks
We have received a collection of funds from meditators around the world who specified that they wished their donation to go towards feeding monastics, as it has become well documented that there is no longer sufficient food for monks and nuns across many regions of Myanmar. Our local supporter on the ground has finished delivering this dana to a full 30 monasteries and nunneries, and he shares his report here. The following letter details his donation to the first 10 sites where our local team visited.
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21. Asokā-rum Monastery
Due to the request of the abbot of Mahā Ledi Monastery, a monk from his monastery accompanied us all the day to all the monasteries. Once we arrived every monastery, he went off our car, went round the monastery, asked a monk or a novice who was sitting outside of a building or studying beneath a tree, to find out where the abbot was. We saw two novices sitting and studying beneath a tree for their exam at this monastery. When our companion monk asked one of them, they went and informed their senior monk who is their teacher. He came and received in this monastery as the abbot went down to the town.
22. Thidā-rum Monastery
Three novices brought us to the hut where the 86-year old abbot was living. The abbot was suffering from diabetes and hence, he is careful about the food. His lay-attendant told us that the type of rice (that we bought, namely, Mano-thuka rice) is suitable for his health. Anyway, there are 26 monastics currently. The abbot asked the monks to keep teaching. He said that this is helpful to keep teaching and feeding the resident monks and novices for a month.
23. Subhodhā-rum Monastery
This monastery is a 10-year old prestigious Pariyatti monastery which was founded by the nation's well-known Most Venerable Rector Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivamsa, in Monywa. Moreover, he sent his disciple who is the 12th Tipitaka-dhara Sagaing Sayadaw, to reside in this monastery. Sagaing Tipitaka Sayadaw resided here for the last 10 years of his life. He recently passed away last month. We felt missing him as we drove in the monastery campus. It is obvious to see how systematic the monastery is running and how disciplinary the resident monastics are. We met his brother, the current abbot, and he received the donation. At a balcony just outside of his house, we met a young novice who was wearing in a very disciplinary manner and studying.
24. Sāsana Yaung Chyi Monastery
Surprisingly, this monastery is different from all other Pariyatti monasteries. Although most the Pariyatti monasteries have had the decline in the number of student monks, this monastery have kept the same number (220 resident monastics) over the last two years of hardship due to the pandemic and political crises. There are only two monasteries which have kept the same number of student monks: Subhodhā-rum monastery and this monastery.
25. Bodhi Tahtaung Monastery
This monastery has 96 monastics including Five Chief Monks. This is the monastery where the world's second largest Standing Buddha Statue and the world's largest Sitting Buddha are located. This monastery is a typical monastery where the resident monastics can choose any Dhura (task/duty); meditation or Pariyatti. There is a meditation center both for the monks and lay-people while the monks and novices can study Pariyatti as well. This monastery is located in Katakkan South Village 9 mile in the south-east of Monywa.
26. Mohnyin Thambuddhay (Sambuddhe) Monastery
This is the great historical monastery of Mohnyin Sayadaw, the most reverend disciple of Mahā Ledi Sayadaw. He was also one of the greatest Vipassanā meditation teachers of the 19th and 20th Centuries. In this monastery, there are two parts: monastery and nunnery. The monastery has 203 monastics and the nunnery has 120 nuns. We donated the monastery. The abbot of the monastery made a long Dhamma talk for us: from the stage of Dāna to the stage of Vipassana. He urged me to bring his message to the donors of this Dāna, requesting to do meditation every day. Only Vipassanā is the ticket which the meditator can truly rely on. He wished to inspire the donors who are supporting and sponsoring the Sāsana at this hard time, with delights and motivation to meditate.
27. Samboddhi Taw Ya Monastery
This monastery is a forestry monastery where meditation courses and retreats were held before the pandemic. At the moment, the monastery is teaching basics of Pariyatti to the young children from nearby villages who have become novices at this school closure time.
28. Nyein Chan Aye Monastery
The young abbot of this monastery sent his Metta to all the donors and the people of Myanmar and the world. He wishes all human beings to be free from the pandemic and war. It is located next to the Mohnyin Thambuddhay Monastery.
29. Bodhi Taw Ya Monastery
This Pariyatti monastery has 92 monastics (monks and novices) and it has kept the same number of the resident monastics as the same as that before the pandemic.
30. Thet-taw Ya Monastery
This is also a Pariyatti monastery. Due to the travel issues, we did not dare to travel to this monastery and hence, we invited the abbot of this monastery to come and receive the donation in Bodhi Taw Ya Monastery. He sent his two assistant monks and a truck. They received the donation. This monastery has 110 monastics. It also has the same number of the monastics as that before the pandemic.