“One man from Spain, staying at WH hotel flew a drone. The chief monk who control discipline for this area found him with the drone. The monk informed our center as he thought that foreigner was from Thabarwa. But when Ko Aung Kyaw from our center met him, the foreigner said he is not concerned with our center. Besides, that monk informed us about five foreigners from our center who are going outside for running exercise in the early morning. That is also not suitable in this situation. They want us to remind the foreigners here not to go outside, not to go to villages.

Because the villagers here are afraid of the foreigners. There was also a report to that discipline monk that a foreigner from our center went to the village to buy food; so the reporter posted about this on Facebook, also informed for the government on his writing. What they understand is that we cannot control the foreigners here in Thabarwa center. This is why they went out of the center; they all worry there may be the virus in our center because of the foreigners here.

There are also many foreigners in Star City (a condominium and shops complex with limited access build in Thanlyin). People also worry about them but they are just staying in their place. Here in Thabarwa center, there are many foreigners and also many sick and old people, besides, there is the Goodwill village, so people worry if the virus comes to this center that it would spread to the town. They don’t want the virus to arrive here so they take it very seriously about the foreigners should stay strictly inside the center.

You are concerned with us so they remind us. In the post’s comments, many people supported that idea and some others argued. Holding the side of foreigners, some people understand the foreigners have been here volunteering for a long time and it is not much to worry about. But some people agree with the writer that we should not go out of the center; not only for foreigners but also for the local people. The leaders of the villages are responsible for the villagers not to go out, to stay at home unless they have a good reason. If there is no real need to go out they may try to stop those going out. They will take it more seriously about the foreigners because they cannot communicate. They don’t know about you and you don’t know about them. In this situation they may only think in a bad way. I went to alms round in one of Yangon Township so it was reported to the local authority but the authority is reluctant to give us the permit. They won’t give it easily, and they have to send the application here and there because even the government is taking the virus very seriously. The authorized persons are related to government and he doesn’t want to make mistakes so it became difficult even to go alms round with many followers. This is a Buddhist country so many people are believing in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha deeply, this is why they feel safe to deal with Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Therefore some donors are willing to do good deeds as much as possible. Especially they want me to go to alms round. I rarely go alms round because I travel very often in the country and abroad.

Most of the problems in this country are concerned with the mind; misunderstanding, wrong view… This is why I have to solve many of these types of problems. Here in this area, in Thanlyin there is no virus yet but there is the virus in their thoughts so we need to solve this problem which is really happening in the thoughts of some local people here. For them, it is really important. Most of what they think won’t happen for sure but we need to solve the problems in the mind. In the west people emphasize the real conditions but most of the people here want to be safe in their minds. It may not be safe in reality but to be safe in the mind is more important. As it is a Buddhist country most people will emphasize the mind rather than the material or actual world. This is different from westerners so you cannot argue with them. You need to try to use it in the right way, to be using-only. I have to solve this kind of problem all the time, I rely on doing good deeds to solve these problems; it may take time but it works. You are right in your way, so also they are right in their way. But no one is complete. You cannot grasp that you are right and they are wrong; because of grasping one side is the problem between each other. Now you are here in Myanmar, you are dealing with Myanmar people so you must try to know about the good points and weakness of Myanmar people. This is meditation in daily life. When you meditate you may understand Goenka or Mahasi method; this is not complete. You should understand the weaknesses and good points of each method. You must be able to use any method in the right way of using-only, this is real meditation. If you don’t know the truth about meditation you cannot get success, so also if you don’t know the truth about Myanmar people here you won’t be able to solve the problem with local people here. This is a difficult time for the international volunteers here so also it is a great opportunity for you all. They think that you are dangerous so if you can prove that you are safe by staying away from the virus they may believe in the foreigners; if there is the virus among the foreigners here, they will feel more danger from you. There are difficulties so also there are opportunities. If you are united in doing good deeds together to solve the problems with the virus concerned with you that will be the best solution for all international volunteers here. It is the same for Thabarwa center. Because there are many sick and old people and because it is crowded with many volunteers here in the center, some people believe we are really in danger of the virus. If we can prove that we are free from the virus they may not misunderstand anymore. They understand that many different people are staying in the center and that it is really difficult to control this organization. If we can control the center and to keep it free from the virus, we can prove that we are not dangerous; in this way more people will come and stay to volunteer.

You are responsible for yourself and also for the center. Everyone here is responsible for oneself and the center. Thabarwa center Thanlyin already went through many difficulties similar but we could survive until now. Most of the foreigners here are volunteers, not meditators. This is the weakness of the international volunteers. If there are more international meditators you will be more reliable. Many people rely on me and the center because I am a meditator and also I am a volunteer, a meditation teacher. In this way I belong to Dhamma or doing good deeds. They believe in me because of doing all kinds of good deeds, not only volunteering but also meditation and keeping precepts and teaching about the Truth. Many people rely on this center because of doing all kinds of good deeds without limits. In this way, this center is concerned with Dhamma or doing good deeds, this is why they believe in this center because of doing good deeds or Dhamma, not because of the place or the name, not because of the people here but because of the doing good deeds continuously without limits. You can volunteer but need more serious meditation. If there is more meditation than volunteering you will be more reliable for sure. Meditation is the highest of all. There is keeping precepts when you meditate; volunteering is the basis of doing good deeds. Volunteering only is not enough. You are staying here, you are a part of this center especially in volunteering not much in meditation; if there is more volunteering there will be more foreigners and more chances to do good deeds. Meditation is lead by many people in the world. Volunteering is not concerning with many people. More people are needed to learn meditation. We can say more volunteering in meditation than in patient-care or old aged-care.”