Yo, sit down and let me inform ya a Tale bout The most wild and revered dudes inside the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u under no circumstances heard about him, u most likely livin below a rock while in the Kayin Condition or sumthin. This guy was much more than just a monk in the saffron robe; he was similar to a pressure of nature, a true-lifetime legend who altered The complete vibe in the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the center and soul in the Myaing Gyi Ngu space. Born from the late 40s, I feel, but Actually, his age didnt subject lead to he had that aged-soul energy from the start. He wasnt about that extravagant metropolis lifetime in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle gentleman. He liked the mountains, the trees, and buildin factors. And when I say buildin, I necessarily mean buildin. He had this obsession with pagodas. Everywhere he went, BAM—another pagoda. White ones, gold kinds, significant ones, compact types. It had been like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. Men and women say he developed hundreds. Can u envision? Most of us cant even complete a LEGO set, and this monk is out in this article constructin monuments in the midst of a war zone.
Talking of war, thats where factors get authentic messy and serious exciting. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin within a temple chanting all day. He was deep while in the politics on the Karen people today. Back again inside the 90s, items were being heated concerning the KNU and the gov. Thuzana, he decided to split and shaped the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Military. Now, a monk leadin a military Appears crazy, proper? Like, fully in opposition to The foundations. But for his followers, he was protectin the religion. He manufactured his soldiers end eatin meat. Yeah, a complete army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore self-control. He wanted a "pure" land where by people today lived because of the Dhamma, or a minimum of his version of it.
But hey, dont Assume he was just some navy guy. His followers, man, they worshipped the ground he walked on. They named him "Sayadaw," which suggests Good Teacher, plus they intended it. He had this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see Countless people today livin there only to be in close proximity to him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It had been like slightly utopia he carved out from the chaos. Although the surface environment was lookin at him sideways explanation for the conflict, towards the locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I try to remember hearin tales bout how he’d just walk into harmful locations and nobody would contact him. He click here had that "metta" (loving-kindness) electric power, Or possibly persons were being just afraid of his spiritual mojo. He passed away in 2018 inside a medical center in Bangkok, and male, the funeral was huge. Like, Countless people cryin, monks all over the place, an actual unfortunate working day for your Burmese Buddhist Neighborhood. Even now, his legacy is everywhere. U see his encounter on posters in tiny tea stores or stickers on vans drivin from the mud in Kayin Condition.
He was a complex dude, needless to say. Some individuals say he was a peacemaker, some say he brought on extra problems. But u cant deny his affect. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to build it on this planet, one brick and one particular vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his daily life his way, raw and unfiltered, just like the jungle he termed property. Respect for the aged person, U Thuzana. He was definitely among A form, an actual OG with the Theravāda tradition.