“On this day, over a hundred people from this center will go and stay in other Thabarwa Center at least one month in April. April may be the most serious time for the virus in this country, because the weather is really hot so there will be problems for the mental patients. There is the Water Festival, therefore there will be drunk people, fights, car accidents… It happens every year. This year because of the virus, the festival will not be in most of the places. But that is still not a good time, bad things are doing at that time. Many bad things will occur during the Water Festival so we need to be careful about that. Besides many new people will come for the retreat then, we need to prepare for that. But if the virus is serious at that time, most people may not come to the center. Only for those who believe in Dhamma, in doing good deeds will come to meditate. Some will ordain because nothing to do at home. There are many people in this center that’s why their relatives their friends may come to the center.

Practicing meditation is the greatest good deeds of all. That’s why we need to prepare for those who dare to come to the center to practice meditation. But we also need to be safe that’s why the newcomers may stay together and may not be dealing with the sick people from this center. But that is our preparation for the retreat, it is for both: Burmese and foreigners. The building is about four stories, they can stay in separate rooms and they can practice meditation. We will try to solve this problem by practicing meditation also.

We plan like this because the virus is now more serious in this country Now the country is closed, no one can come to the center from tonight. In this way the government will try to find out the patient of the virus. People from this country can go out but may not come back. This is a Buddhist country so some people here really believe in the Buddha, Dhamma, Shanga. They will not believe in medicine, science but really believe in Buddha, Dhamma and Shanga. They want to continue to do good deeds. That’s why I managed to open meditation retreats for those who want to take risks. But that is not taking the risk. That is the best we can do. That is really safe. We cannot be in danger. We can be free from the disease because of relying on the Buddha, Dhamma and Shanga. Science cannot solve all the problems but Dhamma can solve all of the problems for sure.

Lay people in the society will be working with the created time: second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year, life… but for the meditators we have to work with every present moment. We need to be mindful all the time. So this working power is limitless. This is beyond the limit. This is unusual for the people in the society. With the right understanding, we have been doing good deeds all the time. We are taking care of the mind rather than the body, or money, medicine… just using the power of the mind. Science cannot fully understand the mind, but if we meditate we can understand about the mind, we can use the power of the mind. The mind is the key to everything. If we can change our minds, our life will change for sure.

The present condition of this country is no more serious by the other country that’s why we are able to do good deeds freely. But if the condition of the country serious we will not be free. Here in this center, we are helping, sharing, caring, cooperating all the time. We are not killing; we are not steeling; we don’t destroy the belongings of the other; we don’t destroy the life of the others; we are not making the people to be sick, to die; we are solving the problems of sickness and death. Therefore we don’t need to worry to be sick, to die… This is cause and effect. Because of doing like this, even in this condition we don’t need to worry. Even the poor and sick people, their mind is free, not much worry, not like the patient at the hospital and at home. Because they are cooperating with us, they are supporting doing good deeds as much as they can. That’s why they are ready for everything. Only the newcomers may not be like this. The longer they stay the better quality of their mind.

We are not relying on material. We are relying on Dhamma of doing good deeds at the present moment. That’s why we can be long-life, we can be healthy. This is the best protection we are doing now. That’s why we don’t need much nurse aide, we can survive by ourselves. What we are doing is here that changes this place and the minds of people here. That’s why there are many mistakes about the material, not clean, not enough volunteers but we can survive, we can endure, not many complaints. Most of the people here can endure because of relying on doing good deeds and keeping present all the time. We don’t need security, we are safe by ourselves.

If we see from the side of the material, not complete. But if we receive from the side of the mind, it is complete in this center. So no need to worry. By keeping present all the time we are safe. This is not to grasp, just to use only. Most of the people in this country are not much skillful to obey laws and regulations. That’s why they have difficulties to have disciplines. They may not understand what to do, how to do. Because they are not much familiar with the theory of disciplines but they can survive by themselves. But they believe in cause and effect, they believe in doing good deeds. That’s why they are doing good deeds concerned with Buddha, Dhamma and Shange as much as they can. In this way they are safe.

People of this center represent the basic people of the country. They are not skillful with laws and regulations. That’s why it is difficult to obey the disciplines. It will take time but it is possible. Because there are many small villages in this country: no school, no clinics, no library, no electricity… They cannot read and write. That’s why it’s difficult to deal with them. We are opening Thabarwa centers for those kinds of people in the country. We have to fulfill everything for them. Most of the meditation centers may not emphasize on those underestimated people. That’s why we have to use our own way, we can not copy the other organizations, we have to solve the problem by ourselves. We become skillful to do like this. That’s why, we will try to obey the disciplines but difficult to obey fully about this virus problem. Besides not much need to do like this also. But we are trying to change this center to use the power of the disciplines. In former years, we’ve been using the power of doing good deeds freely. We want to be safe, that’s why we continue doing good deeds as much as we can, in this way we are safe. We are not solving the problem directly. What we are doing is good. That’s why we will continue doing good deeds to solve all the problems concerned with finance, education, health care like this. We believe we can be safe by doing good deeds – this is the best medicine. In this way, we can be safe.

I experience with the patient all the time most of them are given up by the doctor. But I try to change their mind. You are doing good deeds that’s why you can be what you want. You are taking Dhamma medicine, good deeds medicine. This is the best and no side effect.”