Burma Pilgrimage #2, Day 11
The following excerpt was written by an American yogi about the pilgrimage in Burma. The first pilgrimage has ended, and the second one has just begun! To read about the previous day, go here. To read about the first pilgrimage group's experience on their own time in Ingyinbin, see here.
You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.
You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.
"How many special sites does one have the fortune of going to?
After a morning group sit in the place where Webu Sayadaw passed into parinibbana, Joah led the group on a tour of the patipatti side of the monastery. The pariyatti side had been a monastery before the arrival of Webu Sayadaw, but after his arrival the, patipatti side began and flourished.
Back in the hey day, multiple cities in Burma had given dana for the construction of buildings on the patipatti compound. Most of these are a shell of their former self. The kutis that remain, we are told, are not kept up, and the large dorm in which we are staying was covered in a thick layer of dust.
There's a few people working on painting the old Dhamma hall, which is somewhat reassuring, until one tries to go down the steps to the cells and finds the place completely flooded with stagnant water. So is the rise and fall of all things...
Yet, not all is grim. There still are remarkable places on site that time and dust and disrepair cannot dull. The hall where we do our group sits. The bodhi tree where Webu Sayadaw deposited Sayagi U Ba Khin's hair after he took robes. And the kuti facing the lake of victory, where the Sayadaw broke all the fetters.
The mosquitoes, snakes, bats, dust, and
loudspeakers that blare all night long are no match for the strength of vibrations that still remain in this very special place. If anything, they remind of the fragility of existence.
Keep working, pilgrim, keep working...
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The pariyatti side is still a busy working monastery. After partaking in Sangha dana, we had the opportunity sit and meditate with both Buddha relics and those of Webu Sayadaw. We then went on a tour of the pariyatti side. Some of the highlights of the afternoon included paying respects at the Sima halls where Webu ordained as a novice, then as a full monastic, sitting under the bodhi tree Webu Sayadaw planted, and meditating at the pagoda where, according to Burmese custom, the placenta from Webu's birth was buried. The latter, although not kept in the best shape, was quite a supportive place to sit.
Despite the neglect, there's still remarkable beauty - the flowering tree that serves as a refuge for butterflies, the lone bell on the old umbrella top that still chimes in the wind, the chanting that carries across the arid, dusty landscape, the devotion of a poor village.
The rate at which things change here is remarkable - within the span of a few minutes, one can feel nausea, malaise, dizziness, arise and completely resolve.
When you peel back the desolate and dusty facade, the strength in Ingyinbin is real and raw. Not for the faint of heart, but so incredibly instructive..."
To read on to the next day see here...
After a morning group sit in the place where Webu Sayadaw passed into parinibbana, Joah led the group on a tour of the patipatti side of the monastery. The pariyatti side had been a monastery before the arrival of Webu Sayadaw, but after his arrival the, patipatti side began and flourished.
Back in the hey day, multiple cities in Burma had given dana for the construction of buildings on the patipatti compound. Most of these are a shell of their former self. The kutis that remain, we are told, are not kept up, and the large dorm in which we are staying was covered in a thick layer of dust.
The site where Sayagyi U Ba Khin and U Ko Lay were ordained in 1965 |
There's a few people working on painting the old Dhamma hall, which is somewhat reassuring, until one tries to go down the steps to the cells and finds the place completely flooded with stagnant water. So is the rise and fall of all things...
The main Dhamma Hall has just been given a new coat of paint |
Yet, not all is grim. There still are remarkable places on site that time and dust and disrepair cannot dull. The hall where we do our group sits. The bodhi tree where Webu Sayadaw deposited Sayagi U Ba Khin's hair after he took robes. And the kuti facing the lake of victory, where the Sayadaw broke all the fetters.
The mosquitoes, snakes, bats, dust, and
loudspeakers that blare all night long are no match for the strength of vibrations that still remain in this very special place. If anything, they remind of the fragility of existence.
Keep working, pilgrim, keep working...
***********
***********
The pariyatti side is still a busy working monastery. After partaking in Sangha dana, we had the opportunity sit and meditate with both Buddha relics and those of Webu Sayadaw. We then went on a tour of the pariyatti side. Some of the highlights of the afternoon included paying respects at the Sima halls where Webu ordained as a novice, then as a full monastic, sitting under the bodhi tree Webu Sayadaw planted, and meditating at the pagoda where, according to Burmese custom, the placenta from Webu's birth was buried. The latter, although not kept in the best shape, was quite a supportive place to sit.
A view of the monks' quarters at the Pariyatti side |
Despite the neglect, there's still remarkable beauty - the flowering tree that serves as a refuge for butterflies, the lone bell on the old umbrella top that still chimes in the wind, the chanting that carries across the arid, dusty landscape, the devotion of a poor village.
The rate at which things change here is remarkable - within the span of a few minutes, one can feel nausea, malaise, dizziness, arise and completely resolve.
When you peel back the desolate and dusty facade, the strength in Ingyinbin is real and raw. Not for the faint of heart, but so incredibly instructive..."
To read on to the next day see here...