“Only by doing good deeds, we can overcome the difficulties for sure, if not you will not overcome. This is the place to do good deeds so if you rely on doing good deeds you can stay for a long time, you can survive; if not you cannot be sure. Even for us who are local people we are not sure to survive if we are not doing good deeds. Many complaints, many misunderstandings, many wrong views. It is difficult to rely on ourselves. Now Thabarwa center can rely on itself but in the past people couldn’t accept this as a private organization. It had to be a copy of former organizations; people would not allow any new idea or organization. But we rely on doing good deeds this is why the center became a different organization. Everyone should be the same; you should copy one of the systems here. If you wanted to create you won’t be allowed for sure. Now you are foreigner, this is why it is difficult for you to be here; because there are strong attachments to the tradition. But it changed a lot compared to former years. It concern with the time, this is the most dangerous time. We need to be more and more careful. If you came earlier it was better, now you came late.

Even for Myanmar people it is difficult. Even the parents and children won’t accept to be separated. Anyway, we will try our best but you need to be separated from the others and in this way, many people will feel safe, if not they will feel in danger. You know about yourself but others may not know about you. We will try, you can do nothing. We cannot say for sure. What they believe is doing nothing is the best. Staying by yourself is the best, not seeing visitors is the best. Not only for this center but everywhere. In other countries as well. Now we need to separate the international volunteers into two groups because of the situation. One group emphasizes keeping the precepts: not killing, not stealing, no sexual misconduct, not telling lies, no alcohol or drugs. For those who want to emphasize on disciple and on keeping precepts should be in a separate group.

For those who emphasize freedom, who want to do good deeds freely there will be in another building because it is different. But both are necessary. Freedom should be freedom with discipline. Discipline should be discipline with freedom, it should be together but it is difficult at the beginning. Most of the people will choose only one. if they emphasize freedom they will reject discipline; if they emphasize discipline they will reject freedom. Both are opposite so we should separate into two groups and it will be better. it should be doing-only; when we emphasize freedom we should emphasize on being doing only; we should use the freedom to be using only. When we emphasize on keeping precepts or discipline we should keep the precepts to be using only. Using-only should be the same in both groups, in this way both groups can get success. In the long term will appear the third group who emphasize on doing-only, not doing-only; on both freedom and discipline.

It will be the best with fewer side effects. The first group already exists, doing good deeds freely but now we need to establish the second group: doing good deeds with discipline. If the second group can get success, the third group will appear, this is the best one. We should try to get success step by step. Because of attachment on freedom some will do good deeds freely; because of attachment on precepts some will do good deeds by keeping precepts but both are not complete. We should emphasize on using only in both, freedom and discipline. This is the way to know about the truth. To know about the truth from our own experience. People will change from the first to the second or third group. Changing groups is not much important but people are free to participate in one of the groups. But all three groups are essentials to be successful in doing good deeds so we will try to use another building for international volunteers who want to do good deeds by keeping precepts.”