Yo, sit back and let me convey to ya a story bout The most wild and respected dudes during the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u never ever heard about him, u almost certainly livin underneath a rock in the Kayin Point out or sumthin. This male was additional than just a monk inside of a saffron robe; he was similar to a force of nature, a true-everyday living legend who adjusted The complete vibe of your borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the guts and soul from the Myaing Gyi Ngu spot. Born inside the late 40s, I feel, but Truthfully, his age didnt make any difference induce he experienced that outdated-soul Electricity from the beginning. He wasnt about that fancy city lifestyle in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle man. He liked the mountains, the trees, and buildin factors. And Once i say buildin, I suggest buildin. He experienced this obsession with pagodas. Everywhere he went, BAM—another pagoda. White types, gold types, large kinds, little types. It had been like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. People say he built hundreds. Can u picture? The majority of us cant even end a LEGO established, and this monk is out here constructin monuments in the course of a war zone.
Talking of war, thats the place issues get serious messy and real interesting. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin inside a temple chanting all day. He was deep during the politics of the Karen individuals. Back again in the 90s, matters were being heated concerning the KNU as well as the gov. Thuzana, he made a decision to split and formed the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. Now, a monk leadin a military Appears outrageous, ideal? Like, completely versus The foundations. But for his followers, he was protectin the faith. He built his soldiers stop eatin meat. Yeah, an entire army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore willpower. He needed a "pure" land where people today lived because of the Dhamma, or a minimum of his version of it.
But hey, dont Feel he was just a few armed service man. His followers, person, they worshipped the ground he walked on. They named him "Sayadaw," which means Excellent Trainer, and they meant it. He had this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see 1000s of individuals livin there simply to be in the vicinity of him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It was like slightly utopia he carved out in the chaos. Whether or not the outside planet was lookin at him sideways reason behind the conflict, towards the locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I try to remember hearin stories bout how he’d just wander into dangerous check here places and no-one would touch him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) electric power, Or perhaps people today were being just scared of his spiritual mojo. He handed away in 2018 in the medical center in Bangkok, and male, the funeral was substantial. Like, thousands of people cryin, monks almost everywhere, a true unfortunate day for the Burmese Buddhist Neighborhood. Even now, his legacy is everywhere. U see his experience on posters in very little tea shops or stickers on vans drivin through the mud in Kayin Point out.
He was a posh dude, obviously. A number of people say he was a peacemaker, some say he brought on more hassle. But u cant deny his influence. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to build it in the world, 1 brick and one particular vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his lifetime his way, raw and unfiltered, just like the jungle he known as dwelling. Regard to the outdated person, U Thuzana. He was genuinely one among A sort, an actual OG on the Theravāda custom.