What Wonderful People
by S.N. Goenka
U Chan Htoon
Before coming in contact with the Buddha, S±riputta met Assaji, one of the first five disciples of the Buddha. It was from this saintly person that he first heard the benevolent words of pure Dhamma:
Ye Dhamm± hetuppabhav±
tesa½ hetu½ Tath±gato ±ha,
Tesa½ ca yo nirodho
eva½ v±d² mah±samaºo.
Those phenomena which arise due to some cause, that cause has been explained by the Buddha.
And also its cessation.
Such is the teaching of the Great Monk (Ascetic).
With these words arose the wisdom of anicca (impermanence) at the depth of S±riputta's mind. He thereupon attained the stage of sot±panna (stream-enterer).
With this direction from Assaji, S±riputta went to the Buddha to take refuge, and accomplished all that has to be accomplished in this life. Although he attained the status of Dhamma Sen±pati (Commander-in-Chief of Dhamma), S±riputta always remembered Ven. Assajit with a feeling of deep gratitude. He paid respects to him mentally everyday.
There can be no comparison with those great arahants (liberated beings) of the Buddha's day; yet I can never forget my feeling of gratitude towards U Chan Htoon, the ex-Judge of the Supreme Court of the Union of Burma. It was he who pointed me in the direction of the late Sayagyi U Ba Khin, from whom I received the wonderful path of liberation.
I had known U Chan Htoon since the days when he was the Attorney General of Burma. In time, we became very close friends. He became Judge of the Supreme Court and General Secretary of the Buddha S±sana Council, as well as President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists. It was while he was General Secretary of the Buddha S±sana Council that the meritorious, historical Chaµµha Saªg±yana (Sixth Synod) was held. In those days, I had the opportunity to render him some small services related to this work. I also had the wonderful opportunity of coming into contact with many very high, respected monks of the country.
At that time, I was a victim of unbearable outbreaks of migraine. Every fortnight, severe migraine attacks would strike, and no medicine could help me. The doctors started giving me morphine injections. Then a fear arose that I might become a morphine addict. The best doctors in Burma had no cure, so I decided to visit some Western countries in search of a treatment to at least break my dependency on morphine.
I went to Switzerland, Germany, England, America, and Japan for these treatments. U Chan Htoon had friends in the Burmese embassies of each of these countries - either the ambassador or the first secretary or the military attache. He gave me letters of introduction to these people. U Chan Htoon was really worried about my incurable disease. His friends gave me very good assistance. They arranged prompt appointments with the best doctors in each of the countries.
After being treated for many months, I returned home with neither improvement nor relief. Freedom from the disease of migraine was far away. I could not even get rid of morphine, as no other painkiller tried on me would work. I was greatly disappointed and depressed.
At that time, U Chan Htoon suggested that I meet U Ba Khin and take a ten-day Vipassana course with him. He was very confident that I would be benefited. He said, "The Lord Buddha gave a path to come out of all the miseries of countless lives. Why not give a trial to this path? Quite possibly you may get relieved from your physical misery."
What followed is now history. It gave a new direction to my life. What a wonderful new turn to the life, what a pleasant turn, what a benevolent turn! The curse of migraine headaches turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
The company of a good friend is always beneficial, and a good friend is one who inspires and helps one to take the path of true Dhamma. In this way, U Chan Htoon was my good friend, my true friend. I always remember him with a feeling of deep gratitude for having pointed out to me the path of true Dhamma. I always feel so pleased to share my merits of Dhamma-d³ta (work of spreading Dhamma) with him.
The Bhikkhu Saªgha of Myanmar
The Buddha experienced the peace of nibb±na (the ultimate reality) within himself, and throughout his life he kept teaching people the technique to experience this peace themselves. He had totally purified his own mind, and was teaching people how to do that themselves. Naturally Buddha was a peace-loving person, a purity-loving person.
He did not like noise, nor filth. This is why in the temples of Buddha and the vih±ras (monasteries) of the monks, so much importance is given to silence and cleanliness, even today.
I grew up in Mandalay, the old capital of Burma. During my childhood and adolescence I visited many temples of Buddha, and a few vih±ras (monasteries), where I would feel greatly inspired. In some other temples, I encountered such a great din, such clutter. In contrast, the peace and cleanliness of the Buddhist temples was very attractive to me.
In those days, in the early morning before sunrise, I would see lines of saffron-clad monks walking along the street for their morning alms round. Viewing this scene, great respect and devotion arose within me. All the bhikkhus (monks) walked in complete silence (tuºh² bh±vo), with eyes downcast (okkhitta cakkhu), walking with measured steps (p±da alolupa). They appeared to me to be the perfect personification of peace.
The devoted Burmese householders knew very well that this was the time for the bhikkhus to go out for alms. The housewives would rise very early to prepare food for them, and wait respectfully at the gates of their houses for their silent arrival. The monks would approach with downcast eyes, without speaking a single word. They would accept the alms from the householders, keeping their eyes downcast the entire time. Then they would move further. They did not utter a word to beg for their alms.
In comparison to this shining example, we observe so much crying and beseeching by the begging mendicants, and so much greediness and quarrelling among the priests. The priests display such unwholesome efforts, trying to forcefully procure d±na (donation) by any method. At times they praise the householder's generosity to the skies; and if this method proves unsuccessful, they denounce the donor's miserliness. As if generosity can be aroused by such insults. What a great difference between the two scenes!
The rules of the Vinaya (guidelines of conduct for the monks) were laid down by the Buddha 2,500 years ago, and are still being scrupulously followed in our time. A sensible person will naturally develop a feeling of respect towards these monks, witnessing the ideal peace, serenity and modesty in their behaviour. Their beneficent examples made a deep impression on my young mind which continues to be there, even today.
The Service of the Bhikkhu Saªgha to Society
The five fingers of our hands are never alike. In a flock of sheep, there are always a few black ones. But the Bhikkhu Saªgha (order of monks) of Myanmar generally lives a life of morality. It is true that most of them do not practise the technique of Vipassana meditation. Nevertheless, a large number of them have a deep knowledge of the scriptures, and nearly everyone lives a moral life. There are about 200,000 monks in a population of four million in Myanmar, but this large number is not a burden to the country. The usefulness of the monks to the society is unquestionable.
In every village there is a monastery in which one or more monks reside, living on alms given very respectfully by the local villagers. The monks not only give religious instruction to the villagers, but other mundane teachings as well, such as instruction in reading, writing and mathematics to the children of the village. This is the reason why virtually the entire population of Myanmar is literate, except for a few hill tribes where the teaching of Buddha did not penetrate. The credit for this goes to the monks who serve the villages so selflessly. This was one reason why a feeling of great respect arose within me towards the Sangha.
In my teenage years I saw how these monks were also leaders in other social services. In those days, Gandhiji's movement in India was encouraging the use of locally-made products. This impulse swept the country like a tidal wave, and tens of thousands of people in villages across India began spinning their own kh±di (home-spun cotton) and weaving their own fabrics, rather than using fabric imported from Britain. Burma was also influenced by this sentiment, and the social service-minded monks were the leaders of this movement.
In those days the women of Burma wore blouses made from cotton organdy manufactured in Manchester, England. This was harmful in two ways. The policy of importing all of this cotton into the country had devastated the local weaving industry and helped to impoverish the country. In addition, the very fine imported cloth was transparent, and it was improper in this strict Buddhist culture for women to wear such revealing clothing. Unfortunately, this had become the fashion and little else was available, since there was no locally-made product to compete with it. The Burmese women stopped using organdy because the monks championed the cause of reviving homespun cotton. Seeing their combined spiritual and social service to the nation, tremendous devotion and respect towards the monks developed in me, even at a tender age.
Bhikkhu Uttama
During my childhood, there was a famous Burmese monk named Bhikkhu Uttama. He had gone to live in India, where he played a very important role in the national freedom and social movements there. Burma and India were of course one country then, under British colonial rule. At one time Bhikkhu Uttama was the president of the All India Hindu Mah±sabh± (Congress). He was a source of inspiration and encouragement to the other monks in Burma who wanted to follow India's lead in movements like the production of kh±di cloth.
At that time I was in primary school, and this venerable monk visited Mandalay while touring Burma. A public observance was held at our school. Our teacher, Paº¹ita Kalyan Dutt Dube, was a Hindi poet as well as a teacher, and he composed a poem in praise of Bhikkhu Uttama for the occasion. This poem was taught to me and five or six students of the same age, and we sang the words of the song at the public gathering. I still remember the last few words:
"As you are Uttama (Great),
similarly make us uttama."
Our teacher gave a short speech honouring Bhikkhu Uttama, describing his great services to the nation. This had a great impact on my young mind. This was yet another reason why I was attracted to the Burmese Bhikkhu Saªgha at a young age.
Contact with Members of the Bhikkhu Saªgha
After Burma gained independence in 1948, I had many occasions to have contact with the Bhikkhu Saªgha. For example, I was fortunate in meeting Ven. Ananda Kosalyayana and Bhikkhu Jagdish Kashyapa. They were two important Indian bhikkhus who initiated the work of helping people to understand the Buddha's teaching once again in India. They did the first translations into Hindi of Aªguttara Nik±ya and Sa½yutta Nik±ya. Whenever they visited Burma, they would often stay at my Mogul Street residence. Even if they stayed elsewhere, they always gave me the opportunity to invite them to my home for meals. Through them I met some of the leading monks in Rangoon. Then in 1954-56 during the Chaµµha Saªg±yana (Sixth Recitation of the Buddha's teachings), I came in contact with many more monks through my friend U Chan Htoon and other Burmese friends.
During the pre-war days, when I was living in Mandalay, I had seen the Buddhav±ºi - words of the Buddha which had been inscribed on marble slabs during the fifth Saªg±yana under the auspices of King Min Don Min. But in those days I had no knowledge of the subject whatsoever, and therefore it did not make any impression on me. It was only during the sixth Saªg±yana that I came to understand that the compilation of the words of the Buddha's teachings, and the commentaries and subcommentaries, were such a vast literature. This was a very pleasant surprise to me. A much greater surprise was to learn that this huge literature had been preserved in its pristine purity for ongoing centuries without any alteration - not only in Burma, but also in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. This realization generated a further feeling of immense gratitude and devotion in me towards the Bhikkhu Saªgha. The Buddha's words are compiled in three divisions. This is why the scriptures of the Buddha are called Tipiµaka (three baskets, or containers). They contain the Sutta-piµaka (the basket of discourses), the Vinaya-piµaka (the basket of the rules for the monks), and the Abhidhamma-piµaka (the basket of sublime theoretical teachings). One branch of the Sangha memorizes the entire literature of the Sutta-piµaka from generation to generation. This branch is called Suttadhara. Similarly, the other branches are called Vinayadhara and Abhidhammadhara.
Through the ages there were a number of very intelligent individual bhikkhus who had memorized, and could recite, all the three Piµakas. They were called Tipiµakadhara. In postwar Burma there were three such Tipiµakadharas. One of these monks was living in Mingun Monastery near my birthplace in Mandalay, on the other bank of the Irawaddy River. I remember going to Mingun on one occasion to pay respects to this venerable monk. I was astounded by the magnitude of his intellect. Currently he occupies the exalted position of Raµµhaguru (spiritual teacher of the nation).
I was also greatly influenced by Ven. Mah±thera U Thithila, who had lived in England for many years. He is extremely competent in explaining the most intricate points of Dhamma in very simple English. When I first became interested in the Buddha's teaching, I had tried to read the P±li texts in English translation; but I was not proficient in English, and the language of the P±li Text Society translations was too difficult for me. The Burmese translations were also too technical for my understanding in that language. I knew so little about the theory of Dhamma, and there was very little material about Dhamma available in my own language - Hindi - at that time. This monk helped me to understand Dhamma in English in simple terms, and I am so grateful to him for that.
Venerable Mah±thera U Janak±bhivansa
and Mah±paº¹ita Rahula Sankrityayana
I also met the Ven. Mah±thera U Janak±bhivansa who lived in a monastery in Amarapura near Mandalay. I was highly influenced not only by his great intellect, but also by his simplicity, humility and capacity for hard work. He has written scores of books on Dhamma in simple Burmese. The entire nation of Myanmar has great respect for him. What I saw was that he did not have even a trace of ego. I observed not one iota of intellectual pride. I found him to be the incarnation of simplicity, honesty and egolessness.
He had the habit of writing all of his articles while standing at a tall desk, like a lectern. I saw him at this desk working in this way, writing in a big register book. He had a large cabinet full of reference books, but his memory and intellect were so powerful, it is said that he hardly used them.
He reminded me of the famous Indian bhikkhu Mah±paº¹ita Rahula Sankrityayana, who later on voluntarily disrobed (i.e., resumed the life of a householder). He was a top literary figure in India and President of the All India Peasant Organization. He was a master linguist, a Sanskrit and P±li scholar and the first to translate the D²gha Nik±ya (the Long Discourses of the Buddha) into Hindi. For me it was like ambrosia to be able to read Buddha's words in my own tongue.
He was a voluminous writer on many subjects, producing over a hundred scholarly books. He did all of his writing lying down on the floor! He would write for hours in this manner, lying on his stomach. It is said that he wouldn't write well sitting up. He used to come to my house in Rangoon quite often, and I felt very close to him.
After meeting Sayagyi and coming into contact with Vipassana, I was fortunate to meet quite a few leading bhikkhus of Burma, such as Masoyein Sayadaw of Mandalay, Chauthagyi Sayadaw of Rangoon and Kan U Sayadaw of Bahan. Their saintly behaviour influenced me greatly.
Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw
In 1990, when I returned to my motherland, the Dhamma land of Myanmar after an interval of twenty-one years, it was a very pleasant surprise to discover that my son was living in a house which is close to Thathana Yeikta, the meditation centre of the late Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. While I was staying there, early in the morning just before dawn, I would see a line of about one hundred fifty monks, coming out of the meditation centre and walking in front of my son's house. I was overwhelmed to behold such an inspiring sight once again. Each morning my daughter-in-law had prepared some food for the monks. As I put a portion in the begging bowl of each bhikkhu, my whole mind and body was filled with a feeling of great rapture.
Each monk stopped for only ten or fifteen seconds in front of a house, just to give the devoted householder the opportunity to gain the merits of saªghad±na (giving donation to the order of monks) by placing some food in the begging bowls. Then they continued to walk in silence with eyes downcast.
What more pleasing meritorious deed could there be than to give the first morning food to a diligent meditator who was moving with awareness in every step? Even now as I recall it, my entire being, mind and matter, starts vibrating with happiness. The sight of this line of exemplary recluses seems to contradict the words of Saint Kabir:
As there cannot be sacks of rubies,
There cannot be flocks of swans;
There cannot be packs of lions.
Similarly, there cannot be a group
of saints walking together.
Those who remain all the time extroverted, rolling in the pleasures of talking and intellectualizing, are not true saints. A saint is one who remains engaged in meditation all the time.
It is indeed very rare to find a large number of recluses engaged in continuous meditation for long periods. Even if they exist, it is a rare event to see them. And even if one encounters them, it is a rare opportunity to offer them their first food of the day. All these rare opportunities were available to me, and therefore I became suffused with joy.
In earlier days, I was very attracted to Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw himself. The Buddha S±sana Council and its chairman, U Chan Htoon, used to invite people from different parts of the world to come to meditate at the Thathana Yeikta monastery where Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw was the master teacher. When Indians came and stayed there for extended periods, I would often go there to offer them Indian vegetarian food. U Chan Htoon would sometimes telephone, asking me to bring fruit and other dishes for the Indians. But before offering food to the meditators, I would take advantage of the opportunity to offer a portion to Mahasi Sayadaw. In this way I came to know him, and he would often take the time to speak with me about Dhamma and my practice. He knew very well that I was a close disciple of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, and at first I had a small fear that the venerable Sayadaw might suggest to me that I come and meditate with him. Some of my friends had insisted that I should do this, but I felt so satisfied with the practice I had learned from Sayagyi that I knew there was no point in going to another teacher. But, if Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw himself were to suggest it, I would have been put in a very embarrassing position.
In our conversations we discussed how I was practising, and he always had very practical advice and encouragement for me. He said that what I was doing was correct and urged me to continue until I reached the final goal. He never once hinted that I should try his technique. This only increased my respect for this great bhikkhu.
Usually he did not go to the houses of laymen to take food; instead, people brought food to his monastery. Once, very hesitantly, I requested him to please visit my house and take a meal there. With a smile he agreed to come. He came with three of his close disciples and we served them food. On this occasion he had a long discussion with me about what I was practising, and he expressed not one word against the way Sayagyi had taught me. In fact, he expressed a deep appreciation for this method of teaching. He never held a sectarian view of the practice of meditation, and my respect for him grew with continued contact.
Mah±thera Webu Sayadaw
The greatest impact of the Bhikkhu Saªgha, at the deepest level of my heart, occurred when I came into contact with Mah±thera Webu (Vipula) Sayadaw. Sayagyi had a very strong connection with this saintly monk. The Sayadaw visited his centre in Rangoon several times.
Besides seeing him, listening to him and paying respect to him at the International Meditation Centre, I was fortunate to have visited his centre in upper Burma, with Sayagyi and some other of his students. As we reached his centre, the venerable Sayadaw had just finished his meal, and I was surprised to see him sitting beside a water tap at the side of a small lane, cleaning his begging bowl. He had hundreds of disciples around him who would happily have performed such services for him, but he did not allow others to do his chores. He always swept his own room, washed his own clothes, etc., with perfect humility.
He took us to the room in his own residence where usually no outsiders were allowed to visit, and there he talked with us.
The glow and the peace on his benevolent face, his heart-catching smile, and the calm and pleasant atmosphere around him would be a source of attraction to any person, not just a Vipassana meditator.
My gratitude and respect for all the venerable Saªgha was crowned with the respect I felt for this arahant, Ven. Webu Sayadaw.
For progressing in Vipassana meditation, a student must keep knowing anicca as continuously as possible. The Buddha's advice to monks is that they should try to maintain the awareness of anicca, dukkha or anatt± in all postures... Continuous awareness of anicca, and so of dukkha and anatt±, is the secret of success.
The last words of the Buddha just before he breathed his last and passed away into Mah± Parinibb±na were: "Decay (or anicca) is inherent in all component things. Work out your own salvation with diligence."
This is in fact the essence of all his teachings during the forty-five years of his ministry. If you will keep up the awareness of the anicca that is inherent in all component things, you are sure to reach the goal in the course of time.
- Sayagyi U Ba Khin