Czech monk U Sarana has shared the following story as to why he wished to become a monk in Burma:
"I found that Theravada is rather more original than the other ‘sects’, so I just needed to find out where I have to go to live as a Theravada monk. I simply took an Encyclopedia and searched the term Buddhisms whereby I saw the list of Buddhist countries, and first was Sri Lanka. Later on I met other Czech Buddhists who old me about Czech Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, so adding [to] the unrest in the Golden Land I was sure that Sri Lanka was the place where I wanted to spend the rest of my life (I was 18). When I was 20 I went to Sri Lanka and there I even searched information of ways how to get Sri Lankan citizenship. After a year I moved to a village monastery where [there] was a Burmese monk (he also attended the university). But he was so different from other monks I’ve ever met before. He’d never get angry with me even when I was bad to him. He’d never think of revenge or wish me anything wrong. He cared about my satisfaction and whatever (even slightest) difficulty I had, he really did his best to help. Whenever visitors had to come, we stopped all other work and prepare some delicious food just before the visitors arrived, so that they can eat just when they come. [And he] had around 25 years (vassa) of monkhood! A great Sayadaw when in Burma… I was truly realizing his position and his behaviour. The way [these Burmese monks] carried out their duties, their knowledge of Dhamma and Vinaya, their attitude towards other beings, their patience and self-sacrifice, their humbleness and effort to emphasize in different situations of other people, endless effort to help those who suffer—I had never seen a human like that! In my sight their behavior and attitude to life’n’problems were simply superb. And seeing them so, I decided not only to get my full ordination in Burma, but also to spend my life right there. Now, having spent some six moths in Burma, I can just jump so happy with my decision. Burmese people are truly wonderful. I can’t imagine better environment, people, culture, and historical basis for ardent monastic practice than in Burma. Here, I’m absolutely satisfied."
