Question: you mean we have to stay in the building only, not even go on the road?

“If you go out of the compound of the center, the villagers will report it. In the future it will be like that: not going outside of the center, because we should stay away from public areas. The main road is not only used by us but also for the villagers. We should be careful in public areas. Maybe in the future, it will be stricter and you will have to stay only inside the building because from 10 to 20 April, during the water festival, the government announced not to go outside; only to stay home to avoid the virus. This is starting on 10th April. It is serious. There are enough reasons for not going out. It is better to stay only in your room.

I will go alms round tomorrow and the next day. If we know what you need, one of you can follow with us and stay in the car and when you find something suitable for the group in the alms you can take it so you don’t need to buy from the market. We receive a lot. Besides, when you go outside you should be careful to wear the mask if you are dealing with strangers. It is important because the situation becomes more and more serious and dangerous; if you are not wearing the mask they may think you are not safe. People here have strong attachments to the law and regulations also; now the government tells to stay at home and stay by yourself; no ceremony and no gathering. Because it is repeated again and again, people believe that it is safe to stay home but not safe to go out. By staying outside people will believe you are not safe; by staying together with the others, people will believe you are not safe from the virus. So they may make problems to you; because of what they believe. Everyone takes it seriously to be free from the virus, therefore if you are not doing like them you won’t be convenient to them. Now there are more reminders to wear the mask as well, especially outside. You must wear a mask to protect yourself and protect the others. So chose one person to follow me and take the things for your group tomorrow morning.”

Question: We appreciate a lot what you do for us; I wonder how can you provide the food for everyone now if you cannot go out for alms round anymore?

“There are regular donations to this center in twenty quarters around Yangon division. They donate each one once a week. Because we opened the center full-time and accept anyone giving free food and accommodation and medicine; we have been doing it for over twelve years continuously so more and more people believe it is possible to do good deeds without limits regularly. In this way they want to do good deeds as much as they can. When they have a chance to donate food to the center they invited us to collect food. Some donors take it very seriously because we have been doing good deeds continuously without limits. We are serious about not closing the center, so also they are serious about not stopping regular donation to the center. Some donors are willing to provide food for the center even when there is no chance for us to go outside, they will collect the food by themselves and send it to the center. If we can go out with one or two monks and some volunteers by car we will collect the food regularly and bring it back to the center. They don’t want to stop providing food to us because we also don’t want to stop opening the center and feeding, providing accommodations to neediest people in this country. We are able to actually do good deeds therefore they are actually trying to do good deeds like us; this is cooperation.

It is the same for international volunteers. As long as there are international volunteers here in this center, the center will survive for a long time. If this center survive for long time there will also be international volunteers. This is cause and effects; working together all the time. In this way, both can be stronger in doing good deeds; we both can get the good result we wish. Even if we cannot find the way how to make the center survive, many other people will be trying to solve this problem for sure. In this way, we can survive anyway surely.”

Question: Thank you for your efforts. I don’t know what I can do for all now, but I am practicing loving-kindness meditation (Metta meditation). What do you think about it?

“That is good. If you are serious in that loving-kindness meditation you can do it. You are free. Everyone is free to do what one is willing to do. There is freedom here in this center. It is good. Do it for yourself and also we are willing to support you; many people will support you if they know about your activity of doing good deeds; you just need to be dutiful in your practice. Before Thabarwa Center opened, I had not much chance to do good deeds freely. This is why I couldn’t give others the chance to do good deeds freely. Only when I opened the center in 2007, (45 street center) and in 2008 (Thanlyin center), I became free to do good deeds and can give the others freedom to do good deeds freely. This is why I can learn a lot in the center; people are free to think, to speak and to do. In this way, we can learn a lot by practicing. Not by thinking. Thinking without practice makes many mistakes. Doing good deeds practically can save from many mistakes concerning with doing good deeds. In this way Thabarwa center developed very quickly, because there is freedom here. Besides, the power of relying on doing good deeds is stronger in this center. Doing good deeds or Dhamma protects us, fulfill our needs. Doing good deeds freely with mindfulness and detachment is everything for us. Now international volunteers became dangerous for most of the local people here, this is a problem you are facing now. If you are able to do good deeds seriously by using the method of doing-only you can overcome the difficulties for sure.”