Thabarwa Centre - Part 2

About Thabarwa Centre

(Part - 2)

 

 

The Natural Vihara Of Natural Law At Thabarwa

Thabarwa is a sanctuary where it is encompassed with morally wholesome merit making.

It is where many sermons on truth (sacca)  are continuously delivered.   

Thabarwa is where the infirm, the invalid, the old, the sufferers, the yogis continuously seek inner peace of mind through insight meditation (Vipassana).

It is where all types of medicines (western and indigenous) and Dhamma sermons, medical science and technology, medical practitioners,  all types of scholars and intellectuals, continually practice virtues of merit and morality.

It is where solutions and answers are contemplated and discovered on many unsolvable complex mundane matters, even extended into the most intricate, sensitive and delicate ones by means of charity (dana), morality (sila), and contemplation (bhavana).

What You Must Observe At Thabarwa

You must know the truth. You must amend the wrong.

You must be free from grasping, craving, attachment.

You must dare to renounce craving.

You must not grasp at anything due to what is happening.

You must not waver by saying that we are worldly beings. In the ups and downs of life we will meet the good, the bad and the ugly. You should not find such excuse to grasp at craving.

You must endeavour to strive for complete fulfillment for the benefit of mankind.

 

Thabarwa Centre - Part 1

About Thabarwa Centre

(Part - 1)

Located in Thanlyin Pagoda Hill (Syriam), Myanmar, Thabarwa Centre is established with unlimited access for general benefit and is fulfilling the most crucial needs continually, persistently, dedicatedly, one by one. 

Thabarwa Centre opens 24 hours a day, seven days a week without recess.  It is the sanctuary which is fulfilling the requirements of the multitude and the world (loka) round-the-clock without attachment and craving such as: oh it is the world, oh it is the worldly people, oh it is for self benefit, oh it is for general benefit, oh it is for the lokadhamma good and bad.

 

You need not pay for food and lodging. There is no restriction whatsoever on age, health condition, nationality, race, religion, social class etc.

 

In as much as there is no binding restrictions in the Sanctuary, it will be necessary on your part, to renounce all self imposed restriction with free will. Only then you may walk on the path of Pure Perfection (parami).

Who Are We?

Thabarwa Centre is the sanctuary for persons from all regions of Myanmar who seek refuge for care and attention and desire to practice meditation. 

It is the sanctuary for aged persons, the sick, the infirm, the blind, the deaf, the disabled, psychiatric and mental cases, the homeless and helpless. 

It is the sanctuary without discrimination as to number, system, accommodation, time, race, religion, age etc. 

It is the sanctuary which trains the yogis to enhance the power for renunciation, the power for sacrifice, the power for true understanding, and the power for performing merits (kusala).

 

 

It is the sanctuary which researches, writes, delivers and distributes    teachings, lectures and sermons continually to enhance understanding and intuitive capability.  

It is the sanctuary where charity is continually contemplated, benefits accrued from charity (kusala)  are fulfilled, applied, tested and proven.  

It is the sanctuary where charity is permitted to be fulfilled without restraint and with total freedom. 

It is the sanctuary where the fruition of good deed and bad deeds are being tested and trained without any attachments.   

 

 

It is the sanctuary to resolve completely and in totality, issues and problems arising out of insatiable work, insatiable talk, insatiable eating, insatiable expectation, and insatiable madness.  

It is the sanctuary where craving over I, self (atta), you, him, her, man, woman, living beings are overwhelming. It is the sanctuary where release from such craving is effectively applied.  

It is the sanctuary where difficulties and inconveniences can be converted into beneficial application as an opportunity.

 

Last but not least, it is a sanctuary where training is given to assimilate inequalities into harmonized unity.

To be continued.....

My True Experience About Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

My True Experience About

Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

 By

Htar Yi Win

 

I am a niece of Major-General Ne Win, Military Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. I am a yogi disciple of Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara, meditating in the Thabarwa Centre under the guidance of Sayadaw. I also offer my voluntary humanitarian services to look after the residents who come to take refuge in the Centre. My name is Daw Htar Yi Win.

I am a Buddhist by tradition. My father was an Officer in the Defence Services. He was an elder brother of Major-General Ne Win. When he went out on front line duty in the battlefields, my mother used to pray in the shrine room for his safety and safe return home. She also taught me to pray for my father and recite parittas and mantras.  We used to visit the monasteries and offer donations to the presiding Sayadaws and monks.  We also observe the precepts of morality and fasting. When my father was transferred to many towns in the course of his duty assignments we all followed him. In that way we gained general knowledge. We also had opportunities to pay respect to many venerable sayadaws and monks in different towns. 

 

Frankly speaking I had no strong devotion to Buddhism. I did not know much about the teachings of Lord Buddha or Dhammas. I was only an ordinary Buddhist by tradition, not by devoted belief. We all experienced the ups and downs of life. When we are faced with difficulties we went to meditate in the Dhamma centres to find relief from troubles.

 

One day during the Thingyan festival (Water festival) one of my friends asked me whether I was interested in meditation practice. She told me that she knew one very learned and disciplined Sayadaw worthy of veneration and respect. I consented to her proposal and she took me to visit Sayadaw U Ottamasara in Thanlyin. At that time it was just a casual meeting with no strong impression of Sayadaw’s virtues and accomplishments.
 

 

It was one summer time. Yangon city was reeling under extreme heat.  By chance while I was shopping in town I saw Sayadaw and monks going on alms rounds from one street to another under the bright burning sun. All monks walked barefooted. Sayadaw was enduring such hot weather to find alms and donation to feed more than one thousand yogis who took shelter in his Thabarwa Centre. Very pitiably those yogis were old, infirm and sick, and abandoned by their relatives. I could imagine the selfless compassion of the Sayadaw by his good deeds in taking care of the food, shelter and clothing for these unfortunate people in old age. Thus my feeling of respect and devotion for Sayadaw and his missionary spirit grew instantly from that moment.

Later I frequently visited Thabarwa Centre in Thanlyin to pay respects to Sayadaw. I listened to his Sacca Dhamma teaching sermons. I entered into meditation under his guidance. I volunteered to help the old residents in many ways. With such close contacts I came to personally observe the respectable quality and compassion of Sayadaw. He was indeed endowed with morality, virtue and wisdom. He has foresight and supreme vision. His devotion to Lord Buddha and Dhamma teachings was unquestionable and absolute. His efforts to take care of the unfortunate old persons, his sympathy and accomplishments are truly commendable which cannot be fulfilled by any other ordinary person except himself with conviction and dedication.
 

In his daily practice Sayadaw guided through sermons and practical meditation to bring relief to people suffering from the evil influences of greed, anger, delusion, wrongful craving, wrong and heretical beliefs . Sayadaw showed his disciples and yogis to follow the right way ultimately realizing nibbana, end of all suffering. He guided terminally ill people to find true dhamma in their dying moments. He gives refuge to all people, old and young, the sick and the healthy, good and evil equally without discrimination. He feeds them, gives them shelter and clothing, take care of their health and guides them to follow the teachings of Dhamma  to bring peace of mind.

Sayadaw is young in age and also young in monkhood. But he has accomplished humanitarian deeds which no one can do so. I have never come across such a truly admirable monk like Sayadaw in my life.  Thabarwa Centre’s reputation has spread to the whole country (shores of Myanmar) and abroad. Many poor and needy and sick old people come to seek refuge in large numbers and is overcrowded.  Many donors donate generously for the poor and needy, with full confidence in Sayadaw’s honesty and humanitarian work. New buildings are built to accommodate the increasing crowd.
 

I am always trying to follow Sayadaw’s instructions and his admirable examples. I pray that many holy monks may appear to help the poor and needy people as Sayadaw is doing now.