Yo, sit back and allow me to inform ya a Tale bout one of the most wild and respected dudes in the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u under no circumstances heard of him, u possibly livin less than a rock from the Kayin Condition or sumthin. This guy was additional than just a monk in a very saffron robe; he was like a force of mother nature, a true-life legend who changed The complete vibe on the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the center and soul with the Myaing Gyi Ngu space. Born within the late 40s, I do think, but Actually, his age didnt make any difference lead to he had that previous-soul Electrical power from the beginning. He wasnt about that fancy city life in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle person. He cherished the mountains, the trees, and buildin things. And when I say buildin, I mean buildin. He experienced this obsession with pagodas. Almost everywhere he went, BAM—An additional pagoda. White kinds, gold ones, massive ones, smaller types. It was like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. People say he built hundreds. Can u envision? The majority of us cant even finish a LEGO set, and this monk is out in this article constructin monuments in the middle of a war zone.
Talking of war, thats wherever points get actual messy and actual fascinating. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin within a temple chanting all day long. He was deep within the politics with the Karen individuals. Back again while in the 90s, items have been heated in between the KNU as well as the gov. Thuzana, he decided to break up and shaped the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. Now, a monk leadin a military Seems crazy, suitable? Like, totally against the rules. But for his followers, he was protectin the religion. He designed his soldiers stop eatin meat. Yeah, an entire army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore discipline. He needed a "pure" here land where by persons lived through the Dhamma, or a minimum of his Variation of it.
But hey, dont Assume he was just some military services guy. His followers, male, they worshipped the ground he walked on. They named him "Sayadaw," which suggests Excellent Instructor, plus they intended it. He experienced this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see Many individuals livin there just to be in the vicinity of him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It absolutely was like slightly utopia he carved out of your chaos. Even when the skin globe was lookin at him sideways reason for the conflict, for the locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I remember hearin tales bout how he’d just wander into risky places and no-one would contact him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) power, Or possibly persons were just scared of his spiritual mojo. He passed absent in 2018 in a very healthcare facility in Bangkok, and person, the funeral was huge. Like, Countless folks cryin, monks in all places, a true unhappy day for the Burmese Buddhist Neighborhood. Even now, his legacy is everywhere you go. U see his confront on posters in tiny tea outlets or stickers on vehicles drivin through the mud in Kayin Point out.
He was a posh dude, obviously. A lot of people say he was a peacemaker, some say he triggered much more issues. But u cant deny his influence. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to develop it in the world, one brick and just one vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his lifetime his way, raw and unfiltered, much like the jungle he named dwelling. Respect to your old gentleman, U Thuzana. He was actually among A sort, a true OG on the Theravāda tradition.