Transcript: Episode #135: Following the Dhamma (Bonus Short)
Following is the full transcript for the interview with Tamara Edwards, which was released on November 29, 2022. This transcript was made possible by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and has not been checked by any human reader. Because of this, many of the words may not be accurate in this text. This is particularly true of speakers who have a stronger accent, as AI will make more mistakes interpreting and transcribing their words. For that reason, this transcript should not be cited in any article or document without checking the timestamp to confirm the exact words that the guest has really said.
00:02
Mon, GERD, je and Durham and Mila honeymoon of the shirt, say 100. Say see.
Host 00:21
Before we get into today's show, I just want to add a quick reminder that any donation given to our nonprofit better Burma will be shared directly with those in Myanmar who need it most. Any and all donations makes such a difference right now. Go to insight myanmar.org/donation If you would like to contribute, or stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear more options with that, let's get
00:43
the monkey gone to the moon mama de la really really, really,
Host 01:27
really good day, today Yeah. And I'm pleased to be talking to Tamara Edwards, she is the center manager at Dhammapada. That's in that's a passionate center in the Glinka tradition in Hobart, Tasmania in Australia. And we met in Australia, as well as Myanmar and have a chance to reflect on some of the experiences, going to meditate and be in some of them and ASIC environments in Myanmar. So Tamara, thanks so much for joining us here.
Tamara Edwards 02:24
Thank you, Joanna. It's a really a pleasure to be speaking with you again.
Host 02:29
Yeah, so some hard times right now in Myanmar, obviously, we're all following them closely. But the nature of this conversation is to balance some of that heaviness and reflect on some of the warmth or memories and the appreciation, the gratitude that so many of us have of spending time in the country as well as the influences of the country. So can you give us a bit about your background and how you got into the passionate meditation and how that eventually brought you the Myanmar?
Tamara Edwards 03:02
Huh, yeah, sure. Well, it's not a very exciting story. I think the person it was just like, for many people, I guess, something that I was just destined to do. But I'd never done any prayer, meditation at all, and never imagined myself to do so. And I ended up traveling in India in the late 90s. And not to not necessarily on a spiritual quest. But ended up meeting a woman from New Zealand. They're actually her has remained a very close friend of mine to this day. And she had just come off, of course, it was New Year's Eve, and we were staying in a hotel in Gujarat. And she'd just come off a course at Mandalay and told me then, for the first time about the customer, and serendipitous ly enough, we continue to meet up in random places on our travels. And I finally ended up staying with her in Nepal. Her husband was going off to do his first course in Katmandu, and I suddenly decided there and then that I needed to go off and do that course as well. But unfortunately, my travel plans had already been made. And I was to fly back to India before the course ended. So I ended up spending the two weeks there with her learning more about the customer and feeling very strongly that it was something I needed to do. And she said, Oh, well, look, don't worry. There's centers in Australia and you'll find one in Melbourne. So I returned home and ended up doing my first course in a dumber loca in Melbourne, and haven't looked back.
Host 04:37
Oh, that's great. What years was that? That you were in India and then took your first course.
Tamara Edwards 04:42
I well, I was I met this friend in about 1998 and didn't end up taking my first course a few inches a few years later in 2001.
Host 04:54
That was my first course as well. July to Japan. Yeah. And I was I was I was living in Japan and I, I also was alternating between do I take it in Japan? Or do I take an India because I was just taking my first trip to India. I had a six week break from school because I was teaching at the time. So I ended up taking of those six weeks, I took the first two weeks taking a course dama Babu in outside of Kyoto, Japan. And then as soon as that course ended then flew to India for the first time and then had the following four weeks in India with that quite a quite quite a change transformation that was that was bringing me there after that first experience. So
Tamara Edwards 05:37
lately Yes, India preview personal and post for Pastor are two very different experiences,
Host 05:42
I'm sure and I never knew it. Because I knew it. Literally days after production. Yeah. And and I should I should meant I should correct myself, I think I referred you as the center manager currently just to correct that you're the center teacher at at the passionate center in Tasmania. Going on with your story and just jumping to your from your first course I assume you can become more actively involved and, and are taking more courses and be involved in the community. Fast forward to when you decided to go to Myanmar. And what what drove you to want to go there and your first impressions upon landing and starting to spend some time in the country?
Tamara Edwards 06:28
Yeah, well, this very nearly went to Myanmar in 2006. I'd been long term serving at Dharma Gary in Mumbai in India. And it was known amongst meditators there that going to choose sons had connections with the with being able to connect meditators with visas to Myanmar. And so I very nearly spontaneously applied for a visa to go to Myanmar. However, my original plans after leaving Dharma Giri were to do the actual body Yatra throughout India, and so I decided to keep to my plans very reluctantly, I had a very strong pull then to want to go to Myanmar for obvious reasons. But I did end up doing the archer instead. And then it wasn't the another six years later, and my husband and I had been living in New Zealand for some time. And we've taken both of us two years off the Dharma long term service, lifestyle, to earn some more money in his hometown in New Zealand. And we ended up getting quite involved with the community and felt that we strayed somewhat from our true path. And decided at that point that we wanted to return to full time Dharma setting and serving and thought, well, the best way to do that would be to finally fulfill both of our dreams and go and set a long course in Burma. So we first traveled together to to Burma in late 2012 to set a 30 day course that dumb and needy.
Host 08:13
Right, so your first experience of being in Burma was was being whisked into a 30 day course. And then did you after the course did you have much time to explore the country?
Tamara Edwards 08:23
Well, actually, we joined the last Yatra that the the Pastner Yatra that they held in Burma before going could you died. So we went straight to diamond jati in Yangon and, and set off on the Yatra from there, you know, attended a few venues in Yangon with going qiji. And of course, that was the year before he died. So it was there was some of his last public appearances which were very inspiring. Yeah, so then set off on the yatra. And I guess this is the interesting part because we joined the archer, we left Yangon, the archer went up into the far north Mandalay and, of course, all the respective areas related to our tradition. And we were at the lady Sayadaw monastery and Manjula, and Jamie and I decided at that point that we wanted to leave the Yatra and go to engine Ben. We'd heard some things about engine Ben, but we didn't know an awful lot about it just that it was, of course the weather Seattle monastery and decided that that's where we needed to be. So we did that. We're very grateful we did because we've continued to return to India and have been for the following five, five trips we made to Myanmar after that.
Host 09:49
That's great. I think our paths were criss crossing and even if we didn't know it, i i was i was a Chi Minh Monastery at the time during that Yatra but I came into the city to See his talk and National Theatre and and then also went down to South East Village when they were visiting there. Yeah. And was his present there and then But the really interesting thing is that I'd have to check the dates. I don't remember exactly when it was. But it was right around that time that I ended up in engine Vin with with a Wagga friend is, and this what's now become kind of like an infamous, I would call it an amateur documentary of WebU say it's kind of an accidental documentary was was made there and that that was where we. And that's actually the thing that set off on everything I've been doing since kind of accidentally we were at we were at engine been around that time. And somehow Mandela had been given a scanner. And we had no idea why he had it. He didn't really know why he had it. But we thought, well, let's scan all these old pictures, these archival pictures of what we've said and just be able to preserve them in some way and share them with with communities outside. And that scanning project turned into like, Well, why don't we make a slideshow instead of a, you know, just just putting them in a file. And then the slideshow became well, why don't we can put we have this chanting, we have this bit of discourse we have here's an archival like World War Two footage from Burma that fits in with, you know, the events we're trying to tell. And it became this kind of six week. I would call it amateur documentary that, that that started everything I've done since then. So so just kind of criss crossing your timeline. So anyway, I don't mean to take the spot spotlight you. You're on your pilgrimage, and you you veer off the pilgrimage to your you're drawn to engine bin. And so what was that experience? Like? What it how did how did you feel coming to the monastery? And how did you spend your time there?
Tamara Edwards 11:48
It was incredible, really, from beginning to end, we didn't even really know how to get there, we'd been told if we go to went to swepco, we'd be able to get a taxi, motorcycle taxi out to engine bin because apparently, then that was the only way to get there. And we ended up meeting a an absolutely delightful young local meant when we arrived at the hotel there. And he quickly established that we were the passenger meditators and he'd only just self taught himself enough English to have, you know, a reasonable conversation with us and and then of course offered to take us out. He he had my husband on the back of his motorbike and he got his wife to put me on the back of her motorbike. And they took us took us out to India and Ben and introduced us to a mandala and our friendship. You know, has has remained with that young men to this day, I don't know if you know, coup call Choccy I think so we arrived at engine Ben and Mitch Mandela. And of course, as everyone knows, he completely welcomed and embraced us into his monastery there. And we were only able to stay for three days. They were they were the first of very many, you know, amazing days, with our time, our time attention been with Mandela.
Host 13:12
And of all the places you went to in Myanmar and not not just the normal tourist places, but places that are that are steeped in meditation history and some of the great setas and meditation teachers have been engine Ben was one that not just pulled you to want to come but when you were actually there, it seemed to even fulfill you and give you more than even what you're anticipating. So what was it specifically about about that site that that that you found so compelling? And so, so powerful to want to come back and keep spending time?
Tamara Edwards 13:43
Yeah, well, I have to say that it was the potty potty monastery, of course. You know, being within the grounds of the party party monastery, I always said and say to this day, felt like the most peaceful place on Earth, which of course, you know, many would find hard to believe in the current clients. But stepping inside that monastery, we would spend obviously many hours a day meditating in Weber's car doors cootie and it just I guess, whether it was simply the presence of past our hump, having lived there, but you know, I said used to say to my husband all the time, my goodness, if you know there were anywhere I could spend the rest of my days it would be here so it was just a fear feeling that was is very hard to describe, but I'm sure anyone who's been there will know that feeling. And of course, we developed a very close relationship with Amanda over the times to so we would always stay with him and that spend our days in the potty potty grounds, meditating.
Host 14:54
Right, and I think that also just really speaks to the generosity of spirit, just the those two examples a microcosm of that the the the young man in the Schweber hotel that personally has a stranger's personally takes you to this room monastery and then Mandela initially again, as a stranger, just welcoming you with open arms and caring for you and just just a display of how how welcoming and inviting and really unconditional giving you find, especially as a meditator and going there.
Tamara Edwards 15:25
Well, mandala always said to us that he felt that it was his mission to welcome Western meditators to his monastery because of course, the web of Sayadaw had given the prophecy that you know, busloads of Western tourists would would come in the future. And so he foresaw our arrival and many other meditators. And of course, as the years progressed, many more meditators continued to come to the monastery. And he saw that as a fulfillment of the web settles prophecy.
Host 15:58
Yeah, of course, it's it's been great seeing that on the map more and more actually, for the meditators guide book we wrote, we went and tracked down the seat, probably most most probably the first western meditator that visited engine bin, and put it on the map. I mean, aside from a few that were there, during what was say, this time, and that was Luke Matthews, a teacher in Canada. And he told me in quite a bit of detail, the that they had some vague understanding of where it was, and just the trials and tribulations of actually getting there is such an adventure, you know, so, so, so difficult. And so, whatever kind of difficulties we all have in trying to get there and track it down. You know, it's just funny looking back on the recent history of, of when it was truly off the map. And really, it was almost like a mythology, almost like, you know, it's somewhere around this axe, but I have no idea where and I don't know who to ask, and I don't know how to get there. And, and then once he found it and started sharing, do a few more people and a few more people, and it got a bit more firmly on the map for all of us.
Tamara Edwards 17:01
Yeah. Although I know now, you know, when you enter canoe and start to travel towards sentient being, you see that, that pagoda spire in the distance rising up through the palm trees, and you know, it's a very prominent landmark.
Host 17:20
Yes, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And so then in your time, you keep going back to Myanmar, you keep going back to this very remote village that most Burmese have probably never heard of, let alone Ben to, and spending more and more time there. And eventually you make a decision on one visit to ordain as a nun. So tell us a bit about that.
Tamara Edwards 17:42
Yes, of course. So, as an assistant teacher at that time, in the tradition of going concern, persona, I, I asked my teacher, if it would be okay if I ordained temporarily. And he I was, of course, given permission. And so well, I mean, before, in my early years of a persona, my goal was to ordain, I think I've always had the monastic sense and Kira, so to speak. And then of course, I ended up becoming, you know, marrying my husband. And that I guess the seed of monasticism has always been there. So it just felt so right to fulfill that aspiration with a mandala at the ancient been monastery. And the first I actually ordained twice the first time was for three weeks. And then a couple of years later, it was for five weeks. So just for short stints but they were truly truly amazing, amazing times.
Host 18:57
And how did you find differences between doing the meditation as doing the practice as a nun wearing robes and Myanmar versus being a lay practitioner? Was there a difference in those two con when you're contrasting these two different experiences?
Tamara Edwards 19:14
Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, even though meditators in Myanmar meditator, yogi's and Myanmar, supported and highly respected by the local Burmese people, I mean, there's a significant difference between being a tourist in Myanmar and being a yogi and Myanmar alone. You're recognized as such and supported greatly by the people for practicing meditation. But then to take robes was a whole new level altogether. Because I found that as meditators as lay meditators, you know, we're aiming to develop our practice to be able to develop wisdom towards ultimate reality, rather so much as apparent reality. And then I found as a nun, that it was almost expected that we live into the ultimate reality, you know, the, the monastic tradition in Myanmar that, you know, the monastics are not considered as well termed as people. They're their noble ones, and they're treated. They're treated to support them to live into that ultimate reality, the ultimate reality of the NATA and Nietzsche. And so I felt that that expectancy almost not to identify myself in the apparent reality rather, in the ultimate reality. It strengthened my scope of practice, I mean, we have that opportunity when we sit long courses, in the last 10 days, of course, and long courses in the capacitor tradition. And I would still say that setting long courses in the past or tradition is definitely for me, you know, the ultimate way to live into that ultimate reality, because still as a nun, of course, you know, you have your, your daily responsibilities. But nonetheless, it was a profound inner experience, a very personal experience, I guess that is hard to describe.
Host 21:28
Right, and that's looking at like contrasting the the actual experiences of meditation just sitting down on the cushion, wearing one set of clothing versus another. And the way that actually impacts the practice zooming out a little bit and looking at the wider scope of, of the environments, you came from the compassionate Center, which is a more of a, which is a lay organization and more geared towards towards lay life. And I would say modern life as well. Although it's obviously predicated on not just monastic culture, but specifically Burmese monastic culture, I would, I would say where it came out of, and you went from being apart more of the lay organization and that culture, to a Burmese monastic environment, and then back again, and you actually went back and forth and back and forth several times. So what what did you find in that journey, going back and forth from one to the other, where the Dhamma is present. And both the ultimate goal is really the same, the method for practicing and the the, the, the ideology, and the, the the same set of beliefs are there. And yet, there's also very extraordinary differences between them as well and how they're constructed. So being able to go back and forth and both and be be somewhat comfortable, I imagine in both as well, in terms of integrating but but integrating in different ways. What did you find is those those differences and similarities between those two sets of environments?
Tamara Edwards 22:53
Yeah, well, I guess primarily as, you know, as a, as a wife, my husband was incredibly supportive. He was actually my copier, you know, because I took the 10 precepts not to handle money as well. So, you know, he was doing that side of things for me and supported me greatly in the role. I mean, of course, obviously, because it was a temporary, we had both spoken. It was interesting to note, actually, that after that first trip, in 2012, we had both carefully considered ordaining prior to returning home, and we returned back to New Zealand. And it was at that point that the center teacher there actually asked us to become ETS. So our life very, very, nearly took a completely different paths, path. But we felt that it was our, you know, it was our role, I guess, in this life to to serve the Dharma in the way that we have since together as ATS. And that it's that this is the time to, to help propagate and spread Dharma in this way. And that perhaps we you know, do both have, you know, have had lifetimes as monastics, but in this life, we were to come together and, and serve in this capacity together. And so after my second ordination, I felt like I'd done what I needed to do. Since, since disrobing after the second ordinate ordination. I knew then that I wouldn't be doing it again in this life that that had I'd fulfilled some need within me that needed to be fulfilled and and very happily closed that that experience in my life
Host 24:51
right. And looking at the actual the, the, the places themselves that you can say the the culture the Organizations of going from a lay meditation center to a Burmese monastic environment. How would you contrast like the similar the similarities between them and the differences and the adjustments that had to be made and moving back and forth?
Tamara Edwards 25:11
Yeah, not at all, I would say actually, because, you know, burnoose monasteries are very accommodating. And at least the ones we stayed in, were quite happy for us to practice as we liked when we liked, you know, we were free to come and go and do our own thing. We certainly didn't take teachings from the Seattle's there. And so we would basically keep the course time to daily timetable while we were staying at monasteries, and, and meditate and take meals at the usual times because monastic mealtimes pretty pretty much the same as, as course meal times. So because we'd been spending? Well, you know, the following years, we continued to live our entire life serving centers full time, we actually didn't have our own householders life. So to speak. Outside of the center, we moved from center to center around New Zealand and Australia and basically sat and served long term. So the two environments were very similar. And it didn't take much adapting at all for us, because we continue to just do the same thing at the monasteries that we would normally do at a center anyway.
Host 26:27
Yeah, that's great. Coming from that monastic experience, and the overall experience in Myanmar as a meditator, and then going back into the blink of a passionate tradition, were there specific lessons or things that you learned or gained from Myanmar that you found yourself applying or, or acting out naturally, that that you can you can look at as before you came to Myanmar, even even as a meditator, you weren't quite grasping it, or, or internalizing it to the same depth. And then, after you had those experiences became more a part of your, your practice or your life.
Tamara Edwards 27:04
I think just being truly inspired and truly grateful for the lineage of teachers, and to really, it, it was very enriching, engaging with the saddles, that that we spent time with, I think it was, you know, on the one hand, they got to learn more about what it meant, for a Western meditator in that going, could you tradition to be in Burma, equally as much as it was for us to learn deeply where our tradition had had come from? But overall, you know, I can speak for my husband, Jamie as well, we, we just felt like we knew me, and it didn't seem like a foreign place to us. To be honest, you know, we felt completely at home there. We felt completely familiar with, with both monastics and lay life in Myanmar, and other than taking the inspiration that we gain from spending time there back to the west and back to life in centers in the West. You know, it only enriched our experience.
Host 28:20
Right? Is there any particular anecdote or experience that stands out from your time in Myanmar that you might like to share here? Well, I'm sure a lot.
Tamara Edwards 28:34
I have to say that, I think one of the highlights, I was in robes at the time to actually and we had developed a friendship with Agha we set long courses with him or at least 145 day course with him in Burma. And we, it was on our one of our last trips. I think it was actually our last trip to Myanmar. And we contacted each other to find out where he was and how he was. And he was spending time on his six month retreat down in the south of Myanmar, south of Delaware. And we'd never gone into, you know, the, the far south of Burma and he invited he invited us down to the monastery where he was spending his retreat down there. A true forest monastery. So we traveled took a 15 horrendous 15 hour bus ride from Yangon down to where he was staying and ended up spending. About two weeks down there. He had his own cootie in the in the forest and he there were two empty cooties there. So Jamie stayed in one and I stayed in another and we had to walk half an hour I think 20 minutes half an hour through the forest down to the monastery to collect our cell phone Each day and walk back up into the forest. And we, we all set a Sati Putana self course there together in our respective cooties. And as I say I was in in robes at the time. And I have to say that's probably, you know, one of the most beautiful things that that we've, we've done in Burma.
Host 30:23
That's that's beautiful imagery that you present of, of down there. And I also haven't been there. But I was aware when he went in he regaled me with all sorts of stories from his experiences as well. But what, aside from how you've already described it, and that the the evocative imagery, what what made it stand out so profoundly among all the other experiences you had what what was so special about that particular memory in that particular self course?
Tamara Edwards 30:52
I think it was the isolation and the, the opportunity to really practice as a forest monastic. Because as I say, as a monastic in some of the bigger monasteries, it was a very social affair, to be honest, you know, I mean, even though we weren't meditating so many hours a day we hadn't, we were still speaking and integrating with people. And of course, that was expected, you know, so. And of course, there were always other meditators coming and going. And it was a, it was a very social affair, but the experience down there was full immersion into forest monasticism, you know, we were, I was completely isolated in my cootie, as, as alga and Jamie were, you know, we, there was no electricity, there was no running water, we had to collect our own water from the river. And that sense of isolation, for me, personally, is just having to really, really, you know, I always feel like I'm just kind of having a go at, at things in other monasteries, but there's always the distractions and so forth, as strong as that underlying energy is in those monasteries, but this was, this was a true, although short, short, but true forest, living experience. And, and of course, we were setting yourself close. So there was silence and absolutely no interaction with others, and also being in robes and having, you know, we would walk walk down in a, you know, walk down in a line together, Agha first and then me and Jamie behind and silently collect arms, I'd never had the opportunity before to collect arms, of course, as an as a nun at the other monasteries, we would join mealtimes with everyone else, and sit down and talk and then carry on. But you know, this way, I was actually receiving arms in and, you know, taking them back to the coup de to eat in silence. And so that was an experience like, none other. Of course, you know, once again, the sitting courses in the capacitor tradition and, and particularly long courses give you that opportunity entirely, but I got that plus robes.
Host 33:24
Right and also in in a forest on your own. So this is really harkening back to the actual days of the Buddha where you know, it's very hard to live like this today. But you're you're actually modeling the life there. That's not all that different from from how you hear in some of those early stories of from, of the Buddha's own life and his teaching
Tamara Edwards 33:48
hours, entirely. In fact, there was one experience, the middle of one night, where I work to the strangest sound, I can't describe it, I still don't know what it was, it was not an animal. And it was not a person. But it was a very strange wailing sound. And I was a nerve to the point where I almost thought about running and grabbing my husband in the Cody a few 100 meters away, however, I decided to sit in and play the ticket Putana. But I mentioned and of course, The Sound died away and the feeling of being threatened in any way died with that too. And I mentioned that, you know, and I was grateful for that experience, because I mentioned that, you know, the the monks of old meditating and forests would have had to have encountered those sorts of experiences all the time.
Host 34:40
It's really amazing to have those living experiences, especially when you have a knowledge of some of the stories it reminds me of, many years ago when I was at cog center and sitting a self chorus by myself and I was I was alone in the center at night, just sitting and I think I was hearing something scattering around Then I assumed it was a rat or a mouse and was getting a bit unnerved as you know the how close the sound was and where it was coming in, and if it would come to me. And because I had been reading some of stategies biography and history, I recall the story of where at that very same place in that very same building an episode where say Apogee was sitting. And as, as one knows that center, and as one knows just Burmese architecture in general, and how houses are built that you have, the floor of many of the huts can be several feet off the ground. And, and or you could even have like a floor and then below the floor, you have some rafters below that. And so as he's sitting, he looks down under his cross legs and through the rafters of the floor, and he sees this giant snake that's curled up, and immediately has this fear of being bitten by the snake, but then has this realization of wisdom coming with it, that whatever, whatever kind of fear or terror or or danger that the snake could possibly give by biting was in no way comparable to the fear and the danger of all the past lifetimes and all of samsara and the danger of samsara and, and, and the sense of Sam Vega will walk in him Sam Vega being this kind of falling away of the decision disinterest in the world, for seeing the what samsara really is, and that had him ardently returned to ascending practice. And so this memory reminded me that in this very same place where I'm getting concerned about rats or mice, there's a snake under say, Apogee, you know, in this very same building where I am now 100 years ago, and just that bringing that story to mind, just made this kind of firmer resolution. And I think that, that kind of, I don't know if you can call it adventure Dhamma, or real life, dharma or just just something, you know, the meditation centers are wonderful in the kind of focus and isolation they provide. But to be able to have that training, and then go and apply it in a more dynamic situation, where where things happen, that are unusual or unexpected. That can just be a whole different experience in on the spiritual path of meditation, for sure.
Tamara Edwards 37:25
Absolutely, yeah. You know, as you say, the comfort of a meditation center provides a lot of security. Whereas you know, when you're out there in the jungle, there's other other things that strengthen your practice as well.
Host 37:41
Yeah, yeah. So moving on to looking at the past year, of course, the coup that happened last year, the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, and it's just been so devastating for Burmese everywhere for friends of the country for expats who've lived there, and certainly for the meditator practitioner community, including those who have lived there, those who have visited there, and even those that have never even been but are just beneficiaries of, of a Burmese lineage like Blanca or like so many others to, to realize this, this devastation going on in a country that has just given so much. What's been your feeling? How have you been following the events going on and responding and how have you been working with it?
Tamara Edwards 38:30
Well, when it first happened I was almost obsessed with what was going on. I felt like it was a way of perhaps, I guess, like all of us, I felt so helpless, you know that there was absolutely nothing we could do. But I couldn't I couldn't turn away from it. And so I was watching everything that happened there and even you know, the horrifying footage that was coming out of it because I felt like it was a responsibility to it. It was just Yeah, I guess a way of escaping the feeling of helplessness. But I became so devastated and truly so distraught that I actually had to pull back from doing that. And yeah, I guess reach out to the expat Burmese that friends that that I have living in Australia and abroad and trying to support them in any way. But really, overall, just a sense of absolute. I mean, you can imagine the gamut of emotions. We've all felt them. But you know, still to this day, I feel such a sense of helplessness, I guess.
Host 39:49
You Yeah. And it's really even in this conversation. It's such a contrast to go from these beautiful warm lessons that are not just nestled in non violence but are nestled in the ultimate peace and liberation and non harm to all beings to go from that kind of conversation to a to looking at just horrors of possible genocides and crimes against humanity and of this is happening. And this is all happening in the same place to the same people kind of defy imagination in a way.
Tamara Edwards 40:20
It does. Exactly, yeah.
Host 40:24
So as the time has gone on, and there was this initial shock, how, and you mentioned falling news very carefully, and then having to pull back a bit how have you learned to live without? Or how have you learned to moderate your practice and your engagement? And to find that balance?
Tamara Edwards 40:42
Yeah. Well, you know, I have to sit with those feelings when they occur, of course, and extending the, the merits and the benefits of our own peaceful lives here in Australia, to the people in Burma through metta. Note of not many other ways to really provide support from from so far, but if time and space. I don't think time and space matters so much, you can be very close to people in meditation. And so I tried to extend my support through my practice of metta. And of course, in any other material way that I possibly can.
Host 41:36
Right, I think that's all that, that all of us are trying to do, no matter where our walk of life is. And that's also why I think discussions like this are important, I think equally important is to be informed and bear witness even those very painful things that could could even even bring us some kind of trauma or nightmare even being in a place of safety learning, but just as a responsibility to not turn away. But do I think those stories are important, but equally important are knowing that I think that that Myanmar has always been at least from what I've seen, it's it's run the the risk of being portrayed as this one dimensional place and outside news and coverage. And so I think stories like this really helped to remind just how vibrant and alive and giving so much of the site society is and that it's not just a place where bad things happen. It's so much more.
Tamara Edwards 42:30
Absolutely, absolutely. And you can't really know that unless you've been there.
Host 42:37
Right and not just been there. But but in the case of you and so many others have been exposed to these certain parts of the society that many tourists and expats don't so getting that, that getting that really that much richer and more authentic view of how at least some of the people live. It's a very obviously, there's a lot of ethnicities and religions and cultures that are there. Buddhism is just one of them. But for those that have experienced Bomar Buddhism or other types of Buddhism as a, as a practitioner, that's it's definitely something that stays with one.
Tamara Edwards 43:12
Oh, absolutely.
Host 43:15
Yeah, well, thanks so much for taking the time to join and share these experiences they're really heartwarming and wonderful to keep in mind especially at a time like this.
Tamara Edwards 43:23
Thank you JELA and continue the good work you're doing. You know, it's it's it's a wonderful thing.
43:31
Me Good. Who could eat bush? Donny, thanks
Host 43:45
for joining us for today's episode. Been a small mostly volunteer team. Our production time for a single episode before the coup was sometimes as long as four months from start to finish. While we have worked at decreasing lead time, the fastest we were ever able to manage was just around three weeks. During this current crisis, where even a single day's event can produce that shocking news and urgent needs. We simply don't have this luxury of time. So we've worked around the clock to substantially shorten the length of our production cycle. The turnaround for some episodes now has been just 36 hours. However, we can't accomplish this goal without your support. If you found value in today's episode, and think that others may also benefit from this type of content. Please consider making a donation so that we can continue our mission if you would like to join in our mission to support those in Myanmar who are being impacted by the military coup. We welcome your contribution in any form, currency or transfer method. Your donation will go to support a wide range of humanitarian missions in those local communities who need it most. Donations are directed to such causes as the Civil Disobedience movement CDM families of deceased victims, internally displaced person, IDP camps, food for impoverished communities, military defection campaigns undercover journalists monasteries and nunneries education initiatives, purchasing of protective equipment and medical supplies COVID relief and much more. We also make sure that our donation Fund supports a diverse range of religious and ethnic groups across the country. We invite you to visit our website to learn more about past projects as well as upcoming needs. You can give a general donation or earmark your contribution for a specific activity or project you would like to support. Perhaps even something you heard about in this very episode. All of this humanitarian aid work is carried out by a nonprofit mission that or Burma. The any donation you give on our insight Myanmar website is directed towards this fund. Alternatively, you can also visit the better Burma website better burma.org That's BETTRBURM a.org and donate directly there. In either case, your donation goes to the same cause, and both websites accept credit cards. You can also give via PayPal by going to paypal.me/better Burma. Additionally, we take donations through Patreon Venmo GoFundMe and Cash App. Simply search better Burma on each platform and you'll find our account you can also visit either the Insight Myanmar are better Burma websites for specific links to those respective accounts or email us at info at better burma.org If you'd like to give it another way, please contact us. Thank you so much for your kind consideration and support
46:26
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