Question: Every day, people of the center are going alms rounds. They are living in the center, and they are meant to be actually at home, and the fact is that all of us are getting in contact with them when you said we should not interact with the outside society, outside of Thabarwa. Other people from the center are being in contact with the local people outside and then they are coming back to most of us. So What do you think about that? How to prevent the virus…prevent from bringing the virus to Thabarwa Thanlyin?

– “Worldly affairs are not safe. There are side effects. Because of working for oneself, for one family, for money, greed, anger and delusion will be stronger in the mind, at that time there will be inconveniences, problems, diseases for sure. I am responsible for many people in this country because I am a Myanmar citizen and besides I am a monk, therefore many Buddhists who rely on dhamma are concerned with me. We are working together, people are responsible for each other; as a monk, I am personally responsible for those who believe Buddha, Dhamma and Shanga. As a Burmese, as a Buddhist, we are responsible for Buddha, Dhamma and Shanga. That’s why we have responsibilities for each other. I have to think not only for me but also for them, not for only people here but for the whole society. So I want them to cooperate with us to do good deeds. Donating food is one easy thing to do in this country. That’s why we go alms collection in Yangon, once a week in every quarter. We have been doing good deeds together for many years, so we believe in each other. They believe us, they know about Thabarwa center because they donate food to us. We also know about the donor. We are dealing with each other to do good deeds together regularly. Here is a full-time center so we need food every day, so we go out to collect food, we go every day to save merits more and more. People donating food are saving merits also because the food is used for old and sick, for all people living here. We’re saving merits, all meditators, all patients, all people living here, all are saving merits in an account. That’s preparing for the future, in case the virus takes over and if there is no connection, no visit, no shop, no job, no money and no food, that could happen.

To solve this problem, we are using food to do good deeds to feed people and animals also. Don’t need to worry about food because we have been working with food for many years. If we didn’t do like this we may have to worry about where to get food. Now we don’t need to think like this, many people are sure to support us when we are in need. Besides, about the other solution, we are practicing fasting or lying meditation so we can endure even if we do not have enough food. In this case, there are two sides, and it is concerning with the government also. If people believing doing good deeds is safe, we can work together, if people don’t believe it, it is dangerous and we can stop. From the side of Thabarwa I can make decisions, but from the side of donors, they cannot decide by themselves, they have to think of their family and are affected by local authorities. It depends on the present conditions. With no rejection, we can continue. I have to do like this all time, the practice makes me understand what to do. Because of collecting food in society, we are doing many good deeds concerned with food, this is really a great job. Because alms round – collecting food for all is the best, nit only for ourselves, that’s why this kind of activity is really great, and will not cause problems for sure. But the belief of people or the public until now about the virus is extremely serious. Because worry or fear there can be a problem. If not much worry we will continue. If more worry or fear we can stop, anyway we can go near here, we can do alms rounds within 15ft village. If we have chances to collect food at their houses, rice bags, vegetables, we can come and collect in one place, with only a few people. We can do it in public with a few people. There are many ways, they can donate and carry to here. This can solve the problem, it is possible. If people cannot come, we can go out. If it is not totally locked down in the city we can go.

This is a public center. That’s why many people are also thinking about this center, so we will try to find the best solution. The mind is the most important if you do good deeds. If you believe it is not safe, it will be not safe, if this appears in your mind. The mind can create both good and bad. We should try to adjust the mind. We are doing good deeds together, we are using our private mind and the mind of the whole center too. Body and mind go together. If we have the chance, we go; if not we don’t. So depends on the present changing situation, we will do good deeds. We don’t need to make decisions from only our side. In this condition, many people want to donate. Yesterday, I went alms rounds in 15 feet village. They went out and donated many things. In this situation, they understand all they are not safe so they’re willing to do good deeds. They believe only doing good deeds can protect them. 750 USD has been collected from those villages with many foods.”

Question: I am just not quite sure that your answer was matching my question. Do you believe the people going out for the alms collection are getting protected from the virus because of the power of doing good deeds?

– “I have been going alms round for 17 years, I am skillful in this way or doing good deeds that’s why I understand a lot about going alms rounds. Most people in Myanmar understand if they were going to die they should do more good deeds. In this current condition what most countries are not safe, some people are willing to do good deeds. That’s also one reason we go to alms collection. In this situation it is not easy to do good deeds, to come here. Everything becomes difficult. That’s why I emphasize to do good deeds, to open the center and to do good deeds as much as we can. In this way, we can understand the result of doing good deeds like this. If we don’t do good deeds like this we cannot understand for sure, only by practice we can understand. Suggestions of physicians, doctors are not the same, they are different. It is difficult to differentiate what is complete, what is right or wrong; if there are two doctors there will be two guidelines, same with engineers. It’s difficult to follow doctors, physicians also. Nothing is sure for society but the Truth, Dhamma, Cause and Effect is sure. That’s why I fully rely on cause and effect, doing good deeds. Not only for me, it’s for all. If I am staying alone, I’m safe for sure. If I am dealing with everyone, it’s not safe.

Since 2007, I have been doing things like this, to experience, I am skillful at team working, not to happen something bad in me and in the other. If your mind is ok, you are safe and vice versa. If you do good deeds, and your mind needs to be stable and pure. This condition is the best protection for all of us. If your mind is not stable, not peaceful, we are not safe. We just need to control the mind, we cannot control other people for sure. In some developed countries, they may control the whole country, here in Myanmar, in Goodwill village, in Thabarwa center Thanlyin is difficult to control everyone, mental patients and many babies in Goodwill village. Protections, masks, hygiene, medicines are not covering for all kinds of people, that’s why we just need to do good deeds also. Laws and regulations cannot protect everyone. Therefore, we just need to do good deeds also.”