Yo, sit down and allow me to explain to ya a story bout Probably the most wild and revered dudes inside the Burmese Theravāda scene. We talkin bout U Thuzana Sayadaw. If u never heard about him, u possibly livin under a rock in the Kayin Condition or sumthin. This dude was additional than simply a monk inside a saffron robe; he was just like a drive of nature, an actual-lifestyle legend who adjusted The entire vibe of the borderlands.
U Thuzana, he was the guts and soul of the Myaing Gyi Ngu space. Born in the late 40s, I feel, but Truthfully, his age didnt make any difference induce he had that outdated-soul Electrical power from the beginning. He wasnt about that extravagant town daily life in Yangon. Nah, he was a jungle man. He liked the mountains, the trees, and buildin things. And when I say buildin, I necessarily mean buildin. He experienced this obsession with pagodas. All over the place he went, BAM—One more pagoda. White ones, gold kinds, huge types, little ones. It was like he was tryin to pin the earth down with holiness. People say he built hundreds. Can u consider? The majority of us cant even complete a LEGO set, and this monk is out listed here constructin monuments in the midst of a war zone.
Speaking of war, thats wherever things get authentic messy and actual appealing. U Thuzana wasnt just sittin in a temple chanting all day long. He was deep during the politics in the Karen individuals. Back while in the 90s, issues ended up heated between the KNU along with the gov. Thuzana, he made a decision to break up and shaped the DKBA—the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. Now, a monk leadin an army sounds nuts, proper? Like, absolutely against The principles. But for his followers, he was protectin the religion. He created his troopers cease eatin meat. Yeah, a complete army of vegetarians! That’s legit some hardcore discipline. He needed a "pure" land where people lived through the Dhamma, or at the very least his Model of it.
But hey, dont think he was just some army guy. His followers, guy, they worshipped the bottom he walked on. They termed him "Sayadaw," meaning Terrific Instructor, and they meant it. He experienced this aura. If u went to Myaing Gyi Ngu, u would see Countless persons livin there just to be in the vicinity of him. No booze, no meat, just pure devotion. It was like a bit utopia he carved out on the chaos. Although the outside entire world was lookin at him sideways reason for the conflict, to your locals, he was there daddy, there protector, there saint.
I don't forget hearin tales bout how he’d just wander into perilous locations and no-one would touch him. He had that "metta" (loving-kindness) electric power, or maybe folks were just terrified of his spiritual mojo. He passed absent in 2018 within a hospital in Bangkok, and gentleman, the funeral was enormous. Like, 1000s of persons cryin, monks all over the place, a true unhappy working day for your Burmese Buddhist Group. Even now, his legacy is everywhere you go. U see his face on posters in tiny tea outlets or stickers on trucks drivin throughout the mud in Kayin State.
He was a fancy here dude, needless to say. Lots of people say he was a peacemaker, some say he caused more issues. But u cant deny his impression. He wasnt just talkin bout Nirvana; he was tryin to construct it on the planet, one brick and one vegetarian soldier at any given time. He lived his existence his way, raw and unfiltered, just like the jungle he referred to as residence. Regard to your outdated man, U Thuzana. He was actually certainly one of a kind, an actual OG from the Theravāda tradition.