Yo, sit back and allow me to inform ya a story bout The most wild and revered dudes within the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u never ever heard of him, u in all probability livin beneath a rock inside the Kayin Condition or sumthin. This dude was much more than just a monk inside of a saffron robe; he was just like a drive of nature, a true-life legend who changed the whole vibe on the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the center and soul of your Myaing Gyi Ngu region. Born while in the late 40s, i think, but honestly, his age didnt issue induce he had that outdated-soul Vitality from the start. He wasnt about that fancy town life in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle man. He cherished the mountains, the trees, and buildin items. And when I say buildin, I signify buildin. He experienced this obsession with pagodas. Almost everywhere he went, BAM—A different pagoda. White kinds, gold kinds, massive kinds, smaller kinds. It had been like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. Men and women say he developed hundreds. Can u picture? Most of us cant even complete a LEGO set, and this monk is out here constructin monuments in the midst of a war zone.
Speaking of war, thats wherever matters get actual messy and true intriguing. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin inside of a temple chanting all day. He was deep inside the politics on the Karen folks. Back again in the 90s, points have been heated in between get more info the KNU plus the gov. Thuzana, he decided to break up and fashioned the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Military. Now, a monk leadin a military sounds insane, appropriate? Like, fully in opposition to the rules. But for his followers, he was protectin the religion. He created his troopers halt eatin meat. Yeah, a whole army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore willpower. He wanted a "pure" land exactly where folks lived by the Dhamma, or at least his Variation of it.
But hey, dont think he was just a few military services guy. His followers, man, they worshipped the ground he walked on. They identified as him "Sayadaw," which suggests Excellent Teacher, they usually intended it. He experienced this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see A large number of individuals livin there in order to be near him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It absolutely was like a little utopia he carved out of the chaos. Even though the outside globe was lookin at him sideways reason for the conflict, to your locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I remember hearin tales bout how he’d just wander into harmful spots and nobody would contact him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) electrical power, Or perhaps people were just terrified of his spiritual mojo. He handed absent in 2018 in the healthcare facility in Bangkok, and person, the funeral was large. Like, A huge number of people cryin, monks everywhere you go, an actual sad working day for the Burmese Buddhist community. Even now, his legacy is almost everywhere. U see his facial area on posters in tiny tea shops or stickers on vehicles drivin with the mud in Kayin State.
He was a posh dude, of course. A lot of people say he was a peacemaker, some say he induced additional difficulty. But u cant deny his impression. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to create it on the planet, one brick and 1 vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his everyday living his way, raw and unfiltered, just like the jungle he called residence. Respect to your previous man, U Thuzana. He was actually certainly one of A form, a true OG of your Theravāda tradition.