Yo, sit back and let me inform ya a story bout The most wild and revered dudes during the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u hardly ever heard about him, u in all probability livin underneath a rock inside the Kayin State or sumthin. This man was additional than simply a monk in the saffron robe; he was like a power of nature, an actual-everyday living legend who changed The complete vibe on the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the guts and soul from the Myaing Gyi Ngu space. Born in the late 40s, I feel, but honestly, his age didnt matter bring about he experienced that aged-soul Electrical power from the beginning. He wasnt about that extravagant town everyday living in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle guy. He liked the mountains, the trees, and buildin things. And when I say buildin, I necessarily mean buildin. He had this obsession with pagodas. All over the place he went, BAM—A different pagoda. White kinds, gold kinds, significant types, smaller kinds. It had been like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. Men and women say he built hundreds. Can u picture? The majority of us cant even complete a LEGO established, which monk is out listed here constructin monuments in the middle of a war zone.
Talking of war, thats exactly where matters get actual messy and serious interesting. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin in a very temple chanting all day long. He was deep from the politics from the Karen folks. Again while in the 90s, points ended up heated between the KNU along with the gov. Thuzana, he decided to break up and fashioned the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Military. Now, a monk leadin an army Seems mad, proper? Like, absolutely versus The foundations. But for his followers, he was protectin the faith. He built his soldiers cease eatin meat. Yeah, an entire Military of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore self-discipline. He wished a "pure" land exactly where people today lived from the Dhamma, or no less than his Variation of it.
But hey, dont think he was just a few armed forces male. His followers, man, they worshipped the bottom he walked on. They referred to as him "Sayadaw," which implies Excellent Instructor, plus they intended it. He had this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see A huge number of people today livin there only to be close to him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It was like somewhat utopia he carved out of your chaos. Regardless of whether the outside earth was lookin at him sideways explanation for the conflict, into the locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I remember hearin tales bout how he’d just wander into dangerous places and no-one would touch him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) energy, Or possibly folks had been just afraid of his spiritual mojo. He handed absent in 2018 in a medical center in Bangkok, and guy, the funeral was large. Like, A huge number of men and women cryin, monks everywhere, a real sad working day with the Burmese Buddhist Neighborhood. Even now, his legacy is all over the place. U see his encounter on posters in minimal tea retailers or stickers on vehicles website drivin in the mud in Kayin Point out.
He was a complex dude, of course. A lot of people say he was a peacemaker, some say he triggered extra trouble. But u cant deny his affect. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to make it on the planet, one particular brick and one vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his everyday living his way, raw and unfiltered, just like the jungle he identified as residence. Respect towards the old man, U Thuzana. He was definitely one among A sort, a true OG on the Theravāda custom.