Yo, sit down and allow me to convey to ya a Tale bout Probably the most wild and revered dudes during the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u never heard of him, u most likely livin under a rock within the Kayin Point out or sumthin. This male was far more than simply a monk inside a saffron robe; he was like a power of character, an actual-everyday living legend who modified the whole vibe on the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the heart and soul of your Myaing Gyi Ngu region. Born in the late 40s, I feel, but Truthfully, his age didnt subject result in he experienced that previous-soul Strength from the beginning. He wasnt about that fancy metropolis existence in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle male. He beloved the mountains, the trees, and buildin matters. And After i say buildin, I necessarily mean buildin. He had this obsession with pagodas. Almost everywhere he went, BAM—An additional pagoda. White ones, gold ones, large kinds, compact types. It was like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. Men and women say he created hundreds. Can u picture? Many of us cant even finish a LEGO established, and this monk is out right here constructin monuments in the course of a war zone.
Speaking of war, thats in which factors get real messy and serious interesting. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin within a temple chanting all day. He was deep during the politics of your Karen people today. Again from the 90s, things have been heated amongst the KNU as well as the gov. Thuzana, he chose to break up and fashioned the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. Now, a monk leadin an army sounds insane, proper? Like, absolutely towards the rules. But for his followers, he was protectin the faith. He built his troopers cease eatin meat. Yeah, an entire army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore self-control. He required a "pure" land where people read more today lived from the Dhamma, or no less than his Variation of it.
But hey, dont Imagine he was just a few armed forces guy. His followers, guy, they worshipped the ground he walked on. They termed him "Sayadaw," which means Terrific Trainer, and they meant it. He had this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see 1000s of folks livin there only to be near him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It absolutely was like somewhat utopia he carved out from the chaos. Even though the skin planet was lookin at him sideways reason behind the conflict, towards the locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I bear in mind hearin stories bout how he’d just wander into risky sites and nobody would contact him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) electric power, Or even individuals had been just frightened of his spiritual mojo. He handed away in 2018 in the healthcare facility in Bangkok, and person, the funeral was substantial. Like, A large number of people today cryin, monks everywhere you go, a true unfortunate day for that Burmese Buddhist Neighborhood. Even now, his legacy is in all places. U see his experience on posters in very little tea retailers or stickers on vehicles drivin throughout the mud in Kayin State.
He was a posh dude, needless to say. Some individuals say he was a peacemaker, some say he caused more trouble. But u cant deny his effect. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to make it on this planet, a single brick and one vegetarian soldier at a time. He lived his everyday living his way, raw and unfiltered, much like the jungle he referred to as dwelling. Regard to the aged man, U Thuzana. He was actually one among a kind, an actual OG in the Theravāda custom.