“We received these uniform donations to use for the protection of the virus for nurses or doctors here. We will receive 5 more. The virus is now in Yangon, near Thanlyin. Some people worry about the center because this is crowded with old and sick people. Because of the disconnection, the lock-out of the whole country by the government. Some people want to close factories also. By closing the factories or supermarkets and shops, the virus may not spread much. In this way, people think they can control the virus. For Thabarwa center, we are difficult to make a lock-out. Some people think to close everything at least 2 weeks, especially in Yangon division. It will be effective to control the virus spreading. This is obeying the rules and regulations to be safe.

Tomorrow we will start sending yogis to other Thabarwa centers to have empty buildings for the new volunteers. But if we lock out the center, we cannot accept the new volunteers or meditators, especially foreigners. They may not have many places to stay. We want to solve the problems of foreigners in this country also. Therefore, we are trying to reduce the people here, to be ready for those who are in need of shelter. If we lock out the center, more and more public places will also do. That’s why we should think about it later. Even if we need to lock out the center, we want to do it as late as possible. We need to know the virus updated news all the time. We should learn from other countries also. Many people think there will be an outbreak of the virus in Myanmar. They don’t want it to happen and try to stop that outbreak.

Some foreigners want to stay together with the others here, some want to be alone. Some foreigners don’t want to be here, they want to move to another Thabarwa center. They feel unsafe here. That’s why I have to find a suitable place for the foreigners also, not only for foreigners but also for Myanmar people. I need to empty some buildings for the retreat, intending to prevent us from the virus. Now in the White hospital’s Dhamma hall, newly arrived volunteers are there to stay 2 weeks together, they are happy and satisfied to be there. We need to do like this for the newly arrived volunteers or meditators; that’s why we will start moving the old meditators to the new Thabarwa center. Now we have 2 places, one is in the forest and one is at the monastery, both are in Hlegu. They can accept about 5 to 10 volunteers in each place for at least one month.

There are many people in this center. Some attach in the virus, in the guidance of the doctors… They want to obey the guideline of the professionals. Here in this center, it is difficult to stay by ourselves. That’s why we need to arrange to solve the problem. The problem is in the mind and the virus is in the mind. That’s why we are trying to solve the virus in their mind. We need to use those uniforms because some people feel safe to do like this but there will be side effects. If the villagers see that uniform, they may misunderstand that the patients of the virus are in this center already. But it is not much important, we can explain to those who worry about the volunteers here. Not many volunteers now but many old and sick people here, so we need to be safe. Doing good deeds is the most important now. We should do good deeds for all, for the whole country and the whole world. We are trying to find the solutions to be free from this virus.

Now we are using the school of Good Will village in Thanlyin for the Myanmar workers who came back from the other countries. Not only from Good Will village but also from this area. The village from this area also wants to use the monastic school to watch and see if there is the coronavirus or not, so we need to support food and whatever necessary for those people. For me, I have to teach at that place. We intend to use meditation retreat also to prevent virus, not only by quarantine. Some of the monks or nuns or laypeople will teach there for those who are suspected as infected. They will be separated, not staying together with the others. What we are planning is for the new arrivers to the center and the village. There will be many people, so I will be busy teaching them in this center and also at the village.

Because of this Question and Answer session, I got an idea to use this center for those who have just arrived from their trip. We can accept not only for people from the center but also from the village. The school in the village is not sure to stay for many people; we can use this center to organize a retreat for those who have just arrived at home. Therefore, we don’t need to close the center, we just need to open and then we need to send the old yogis to other centers as soon as possible. So this is preparation, we will be busy to solve this problem. Because in this condition, nurses or doctors are very busy at the hospital. Many patients, normal patients and also patients concerned with the virus. Therefore, we can also cooperate with the hospital at Thanlyin. That is needed to do to volunteer for the medical team.”

“For those who feel safe here, it is OK to stay here. For those who feel unsafe, we may need to arrange in another Thabarwa center. This center is well-known and crowded, that’s why many people worry about us. I practice detachment from the public view because there could be misunderstanding concerned with the public or many people. So I try to be careful of the public view and try to detach by doing good deeds more and more. That’s why I am thinking to do more good deeds in this condition. In this way, we can overcome the difficulties.

The other Thabarwa centers are not big like this, not too long, not much complete. Therefore, there are not many people and not much connection to the others. That’s why it is safe to be attacked by the virus. Here has more connections, too many people so uncontrollable. To control everyone in this center is really difficult. Even if we do it, there will be other side effects. Some people cannot control their mind, they will do what they want. That’s why they are here, they are fine here. We cannot do like this in other places. So if we force them to stay by themselves, not to go out, they may not be able to control their mind. For a few days It is okay, for long-term, may not be okay. There also many private places which have no connection with the villages, with the public. This place is really safe for the virus, not much greeds and angers. Thabarwa centers are different from each other. I create Thabarwa center naturally without grasping to be like this, so there are different places, so different appearances. That’s why I am thinking not only about this problem but also for the future, maybe natural disasters. We prepare for that also, not only for us but also for those who need shelter, food, medicine. Because of the fightings between the armed forces or natural disaster. So by sending it to new Thabarwa centers, we can find more and more places for the future also. So if something happens we need to accept many people here by sending the old people to the new places.

Because maybe the virus is trying to attack our center (laughing), that’s why we need to do good deeds more to protect from the virus. I’m sure the virus may be afraid of meditation, so they may be afraid of meditators also (laughing). Because when we meditate we need to reduce and we need to fight against greed, anger, delusion. The virus is also created by greed, anger, delusion. Even most people are afraid of meditation so much, the virus may be the same. We need to prevent ourselves by doing good deeds more to reduce the greed, anger, delusion of the whole organization and the whole center. The more we do good deeds, the less we will be in danger.”

“When we practice vipassana we need to accept impermanence, suffering, non-self. Most of the people cannot accept that idea. If we accept ourselves as non-self, just impermanence, just nothing, just suffering; the virus may go away (laughing). Because we cannot accept this idea, the virus is afraid of that. We don’t want to be destroyed. They need something, someone to survive the long term. So when we are practicing Vipassana we don’t accept the idea of something, someone. Not something, not someone, nothing, impermanent nature. Many people are really afraid of this idea. The virus is created by people also. So if we stay with this right understanding, we can be safe. The truth can protect us.

Until now, we are still making new pagoda at the beach. Tomorrow at 9 am, the construction group will go there; but I will be here because of arranging sending people to new Thabarwa centers. I may go there later. We are doing good deeds continuously until now. There are also people who are not much afraid of the virus. That’s why we can work together. It is concerned with Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, that’s why they dare to do it. Greed, anger and delusion of the human beings are the cause of the virus. Human beings used to think only for oneself, not much for the others; and also they emphasize only human beings, not much about the other living beings. That’s why they are not keeping precepts such as killing each other and killing the animals, and also destroying the environment. Because of destroying the environment for the benefit of oneself. Breaking precepts like this happen for many years. Once in a hundred years ago, this kind of worldwide virus used to happen. Many people were attacked by the virus and many people have died. It used to happen in the past and It will happen in the future also because of not keeping precepts; destroying the living beings and non-living beings for the benefits of someone or something to be rich. So If we are doing good deeds we are reducing our greed, anger, delusion. We are keeping precepts also. Keeping precepts is the solution to the problems of virus. The more we do good deeds by keeping precepts and practicing meditation, the more we are safe from the virus for sure.

I use this theory to help the sick people. If they are at the hospital or at home, they may not do good deeds, they may not keep precepts, they may not meditate. By staying here at Thabarwa center, they are easy to do good deeds by keeping precepts and practicing meditation. In this way, they can be safe by the virus because of doing good deeds for all and the Truth. This is the correction that is correcting the mistakes in the past. Breaking precepts, not volunteering and not donating are the mistakes we have done in the past. Not practicing meditation is also one of the biggest mistakes. So if we can not correct the mistakes, we are sure to be attacked by the virus. So with this right understanding, we should try to meditate more and more. This is the right theory. If we practice we can believe and if we believe we can practice more.”