“In this situation, it is better to stay in the center. We should go to the hospital only in emergency cases because of not much safety at the hospital. There are many patients and they emphasize the virus, so hospitals are more dangerous than this center.”
Sharing: The people under quarantine, they are not worried, they are comfortable and have everything they need, so they will be patient!
– “Yes! Today is 04/04, the next 2 weeks are important, especially the first week. If we are not careful, many bad things can happen within one week. Now they haven’t closed all the shops, so that’s why some of the people may go here and there. That’s why it is dangerous. It’s hasn’t been the holidays yet. One week later, there will be holidays, so not many activities, most of the shops will be closed so that is better. In this situation, most of the people may not go out for Water Festival for sure, so it is safe for most of the people.
For the one-month retreat for international volunteers, we cannot find a place where you can stay legally. If we inform about the foreigners, most of the places may not allow. But if we stay illegally and something emergency happens unwell, people will try to know how many people who are staying at their place. In this way, they may know the present situation. And if there is the virus, they may try to stop it not to spread to the others. That’s why if we cannot find in other places, we can stay in the Samanera’s place upstairs. You both [groups] can stay here. Now all the Samanera went to another Thabarwa center at Kayan, the whole building is empty and 8 of you can stay together upstairs for 2 weeks or one month by yourselves. That’s safe. Because if something happens, I can arrange. If you are in other places, it is difficult. Most of the people don’t have experiences concerned with the foreigners. If something happens, they don’t know what to do. The ground floor can use for the second group of international volunteers who obey discipline seriously and the upstairs for those who want to practice meditation for 2 weeks or one month continuously. From tomorrow, you should try to clean and start using that building.
Tomorrow I will go alms round in Yangon but only 3 monks in total and some volunteers. For regular alms round, there will be 2 monks and some volunteers also. The local people and volunteers will support the alms round. In this situation, it is better to stay by ourselves, they will stay by themselves. When we are dealing with each other, we should be careful not to be affected by the virus.
For ordination ceremonies, we cannot use the sima hall which is a bit further anymore. They worry when we were there chanting for ordination, so they have stopped us not to use that sima hall for chanting. So in case of need, we can use the sima hall nearby.
More and more people emphasize to stay at their places to stop everything. That’s why we should emphasize meditation. The international volunteers should separate into 2 groups. One group will emphasize on a meditation retreat, the rest may stay here and reduce doing something. Here in this center, we are doing all kinds of good deeds, but we emphasize to be doing-only with mindfulness and detachment. Besides, we have been made many protections for the center; by helping the people in need which are concerned with education, health care, accommodation, food. Because of doing all kinds of good deeds not only for us but also for the others by using the method of doing-only and not doing-only, no need to worry for the center and also for the people here, but we need to be careful not to make serious mistakes in this situation.
We are constructing a pagoda at the beach in Pathein. The villagers from the surrounding areas are volunteering there. That place is just a village with a few people, so it is safe compared with the city.
We continue donating the rice to the village at Hlegu and also animal shelters. We continue donating the rice bags for the refugee camps causes by the battles between the Government ministry and the rebel armed forces. Because of fightings between the soldiers, many people left their village and stayed at a village nearby, so there are over a thousand people in need of food. We have already donated about 60 rice bags, now we will donate about 50. These rice bags are from doing alms round in the Kachin state and Sagaing division.
Tonight, a volunteer from this center will go to Mandalay to pick up a 7 feets Buddha statue which will be done tomorrow. On the way from Mandalay to Thanlyin, the Buddha statue will be paid homage by the local people. This is also doing good deeds in this situation. The Buddha statue will be placed at the new garden Dhamma hall.
We are trying to do good deeds as much as we can. In this difficult situation, many people also are supporting us, but I have to decide to do the most suitable good deeds concerned with this condition. Most of the people will stay at home and do good deeds by themselves. For us, we continue doing good deeds together as much as possible. But I have to be careful not to be affected by the virus. Because of doing like this, we need to be careful, not to reject staying by ourselves at our place. To do good deeds by ourselves and to stay at our place are also necessary at this moment. Therefore, most of the people in this center should stay in their places and do good deeds by themselves. I have been always trying to find the ways of doing good deeds in such situations. Because this country is not much stable most of the time, that’s why if we are waiting for a safe and peaceful time, we will not be able to do like this.”