Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, A - PDF eBook

Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, A - PDF eBook This was posted on Google+

A monk practices by rote memory in the learning hall. I call it "The Shouting Room" Take a listen to...

A monk practices by rote memory in the learning hall. I call it “The Shouting Room” Take a listen to what the room sounds like. Here… https://archive.org/details/tmp_3492-TheShoutingRoom-1064581155 I have tried practicing in this room. It his quite intense and yes…probably better progress than doing it quietly alone. Ps. That is just a water bottle..not soda! This was posted on Google+

This is a picture of today's Alms round at the villages surrounding Varanasi Monastery. The rice is ...

This is a picture of today’s Alms round at the villages surrounding Varanasi Monastery. The rice is put into the bowls and the curries are collected separately by the helpers or our young monks. The meals are given to the monks using this food and other supplementary food. It is a Buddhist tradition still active in Myanmar and also a way to support ourselves. This was posted on Google+

This is what I knew and trusted when I invited the Muslims to come to Pa-Auk. I hope that all religions...

This is what I knew and trusted when I invited the Muslims to come to Pa-Auk. I hope that all religions including Buddhists can denounce any violence done in their own name. By doing this, people will stop blaming the masses for a select few who unrighteously claim to represent them. Muslims Around The World Condemn Charlie Hebdo Attack Muslims in France and around the world banded together on Wednesday to strongly condemn the deadliest terror attack the country has seen in the past two decades.

This is how monks or anybody traditionally learns something by rote memory. The monks will usually do...

This is how monks or anybody traditionally learns something by rote memory. The monks will usually do this for eight or nine hours per day. This shot was from Varanasi Monastery in Yangon area. VID_20150108_153256.mp4 This is how monks or anybody traditionally learns something by rote memory. The monks will usually d This was posted on Google+

I can claim personally that meditation improved my academics. I did very poorly in school and SAT. However...

I can claim personally that meditation improved my academics. I did very poorly in school and SAT. However, after I meditated regularly, I graduated university with a 3.54 cumulative GPA at my university. I believe it helped me in the computer field as well. Of course, meditation changed my entire life altogether:-) Meditation transforms roughest San Francisco schools At first glance, Quiet Time - a stress reduction strategy used in several San Francisco middle and high schools, as well as in scattered schools around the Bay Area - looks like something out of the om-chanting 1960s.

Another novice monk at Varanasi Monastery.

Another novice monk at Varanasi Monastery. This was posted on Google+

The Cob Summer House

The Cob Summer House This is a 9 step picture guide to building an tiny cob summer house. This was posted on Google+

A novice monk carries water.

A novice monk carries water. This was posted on Google+

I too had this problem when I flew to the USA on British Airways in 2008, but I have never delayed a...

I too had this problem when I flew to the USA on British Airways in 2008, but I have never delayed a plane for this problem. Actually, it was my monastic friend who was travelling with me who was put next to a woman. Unfortunately, although I made sure a note about seating was inside our reservations, the reservation notes do not get sent up to the plane. I am not sure why special reservation instructions do not get sent to the plane, but that is the policy, and take heed if you are a monk or you send your kid on a plane with fatal food allergies.

I am staying a Varanasi Monastery. It is a monastery that follows the rules closely. There are many ...

I am staying a Varanasi Monastery. It is a monastery that follows the rules closely. There are many adorable little monks here, about 25. There are about 15 adult monks too. This place is a Nepalese monastery with Nepalese immigrants. Some are several generations, but they have still retained their language. Teaching is done in Myanmar language. There are approximately 300,000 Nepalese people living in Myanmar today. The first photo is the planned monastery.

A classic picture of the Pa-Auk novice monks from 2004. The young (and adorable) monks were moved to...

A classic picture of the Pa-Auk novice monks from 2004. The young (and adorable) monks were moved to a center in Mahemyine. It is certainly one of my all time favorite top ten pictures from Pa-Auk. I am currently staying in Yangon at Varanasi learning monastery. There are many young samaneras here. I should snap some pictures before I leave. This was posted on Google+

Otoscope In The Monk's Clinic

Otoscope In The Monk’s Clinic It is always nice to see something that I arranged being used in the clinic as standard equipment. I am sure the donor of the clinic itself feels a hundred times better. Btw: An otoscope is the standard device doctors use to look inside your ears. I have never seen a general practitioner anywhere in Sri Lanka or Myanmar have one of these on his/her desk.

This video was so good, I had to verify it was available on youtube before giving it to friends

This video was so good, I had to verify it was available on youtube before giving it to friends A friend came here with this video predownloaded (as most downloads in Myanmar, with our connection speeds). It is absolutely one of the best videos on Myanmar, but only three minutes and forty-five seconds long :( It is amazing what people can do these days and it feels so 3D too.

The Construction of Mettavihari Female Meditation Hall

The Construction of Mettavihari Female Meditation Hall I normally shrink the size of my posted pictures. However, I left this one as the original so you can play with it. Go ahead and zoom in and move around. The second picture is the finished product. Take note that concrete (the grey stuff) burns the skin on contact. The hall was designed by “Bobby,” who ordained after the project’s completion. He is now known as Venerable Pannyagavesaka almost ten years later.

A classic picture of Pa-Auk

A classic picture of Pa-Auk The details of the photo dates it in 2008, but I think that was just the date of the picture cd because I have seen this made into a vinal poster before I left in 2007. A good chunk of those buildings and kuties were built by a single donor from Canada/China. This was posted on Google+

Oily food anyone? Pa-Auk Foreigners are prepared special foreigner food because the local food often...

Oily food anyone? Pa-Auk Foreigners are prepared special foreigner food because the local food often looks like this. However, unknown to most foreigners, the local monks do not get much curry with their full scoop of rice. The curried oil is often used to flavor the rice (“meal” and “rice” are the same words in parts of Asia). It is similar to flavoring popcorn with butter. However, the Western eating style is to eat the curry as the meal and then the rice, often eaten separately.

I recently saw a usa ten dollar bill! It looks different from 1999.

I recently saw a usa ten dollar bill! It looks different from 1999. This was posted on Google+

A donor as the nuns resceive rice in Pa-Auk Village

A donor as the nuns resceive rice in Pa-Auk Village A few times per year, as part of a tradition, the whole monastery goes to the village to collect raw rice. The monks are assisted by school children who act as helpers since monks are not allowed to touch food that will be used for a later date. The nuns are allowed to collect rice directly. The rice is later relinquished to the monastery.

Here is another picture of alms round in Intakkaw from last year.

Here is another picture of alms round in Intakkaw from last year. This was posted on Google+

Table for One-ness

Table for One-ness My friend fixed up a tree block and made a table and chair from it. Pa-Auk, Myanmar This was posted on Google+

Utopian Avenue

Utopian Avenue When I was seventeen, not long after I started to question life’s purpose, I wrote a song called “Utopian Avenue,” about a place where a road exists with people walking and talking. Where everyone is kind, Where there is no need for money, Where there is no need for weapons, Where there is no need for cold weather jackets, Where there is no need for raincoats, Where there is plenty of water.

Muddy Waters Blues

Muddy Waters Blues Every so often the water tank on the mountain goes empty and the water looks like this! It is only iron oxide but it is a bit freaky especially when it is black color, which it was for a short time. I tried to capture the black, but I was a little late.:-) Maymyo area has calcium carbonate in its water. Nauyana, Sri Lanka has a mountain water spring….

Sunday night we had an English Dhamma-talk with Sayadaw U Kovida. The new FM Transmitters were used ...

Sunday night we had an English Dhamma-talk with Sayadaw U Kovida. The new FM Transmitters were used for simultaneous Vietnamese (102 MHz) and Chinese (101MHz) translations. We also used one transmitter for our weekly “monks’ rules” class for the Vietnamese group. I’m a happy camper! The idea was to have the translators speak quieter so the rest of the group can hear the original English speaker. There is still the noise of two or three translators speaking during the English, but they speak in a normal voice instead of speaking to a crowd of people.

Robe Offering

Robe Offering Last night was the recitation of the rules (patimokkha) for the Uposatha. These days, we get some type of gifts after the meeting. The Thai donors, who are often seen on the daily meal donation board came with a bunch of slippers (flip-flops) and custom made robes from Thailand for Pa-Auk. I would guess that 600 robes were offered last night since they are aware of our numbers.

A Dying Breed

A Dying Breed As Myanmar modernizes and loses its culture, these pony-carts become more rare to see. In 2001, when I first came here, they were common to see. Now, I think I have seen this two or three times in Pa-Auk over the past two years. I remember the American monk who told me about Burma in 1999, when I was just starting my journey, and still in the continental USA.

The Dragon Chair

The Dragon Chair Not many people appreciate this chair like a Westerner would. This was posted on Google+

I just got 1 otoscope and 4 portable FM transmitters that I requested. Transport, as always, was the...

I just got 1 otoscope and 4 portable FM transmitters that I requested. Transport, as always, was the most complicated task! These should help make things easier. I love making great ideas come to life, especially my own ideas! (Merit). Currently, if we want a doctor to look inside our ears, we need to take a half day trip into Mawlamyine city to see an ear (ENT) specialist. The current volunteer doctors on Wednesdays and Sundays simply use a normal flashlight (UK “torch”) to look inside the ear.

Kuti Construction

Kuti Construction Normally, a kuti is a small empty hut. However, these days, at Pa-Auk, many really-really nice kuties are being built. I grabbed this photo when I saw a monk fiddling with pictures of a kuti his family is building for him. This was posted on Google+

Alms Round in Intakkaw

Alms Round in Intakkaw Here is a picture from my Intakkaw trip last year. The girl on the bicycle was actually a kitchen worker for the monastery. She helped prepare breakfast for us and also prepared the food we collected each day, mixed with some subsidized food from the Abbot’s family. She was probably on her way to the local market to get some fresh vegetables to add to our lunch that we were in the process of collecting.

A View Of The Sangha Hospital

A View Of The Sangha Hospital Here are some pictures of the Sangha Hospital Ward on Mawlamyine. The hospital does not smell like a hospital because of the open air design. The last picture is the dining hall. Sangha hospital is a free monk ward. This was posted on Google+

A portrait of two monks and three kidneys. U Pandicca recently left...and then there were two.

A portrait of two monks and three kidneys. U Pandicca recently left…and then there were two. This was posted on Google+

A Sidecar Scooter

A Sidecar Scooter Made in Myanmar. I have seen 10 or more school children ride in one of these during my stay in Intakkaw near Yangon. Taxis can often be a 2 wheeled scooter where you and another ride on the back. You will be hard pressed to find the typical Indian Auto rickshaws in Myanmar. The picture was taken in front of the Sangha Hospital Ward during an out patient visit to the ENT Doctor.

What Halloween is like

What Halloween is like (Alms story inside) Since a good chunk of you are not American, I thought it would be fun to reshare this Halloween picture direct from my hometown in West Hartford, CT. The kids dress up as …. well anything they want, and then they go house to house and ring the doorbells and say “Trick or Treat!” After that, the person at the door is somewhat obligated by culture to give small sized candy bars to the kids.

My friend U Pandicca recently came for a visit next door at Sayadaw U Obhasa's kuti. He will he here...

My friend U Pandicca recently came for a visit next door at Sayadaw U Obhasa’s kuti. He will he here for one week and then return to Yangon for his studies. He has recently returned from India where he and his friend gave a Kidney donations to those in need. Sadhu sadhu sadhu! Sayadaw U Obhasa attracts high-loving-kindness bhikkhus and I am happy to have him as my neighbor :-D

Since Halloween Is Approaching

Since Halloween Is Approaching I thought I would mention that monks often get apples and razor blades when we collect our food at Pau-Auk.:-) This was posted on Google+

Quote on about Apples and Razors and the gullible who listen to the Media

Quote on about Apples and Razors and the gullible who listen to the Media I remember my time as a youth inspecting and eating candy as though it were like I was eating fish with hidden bones. Wikipedia on “Halloween” subtopic “Foods” (2012 edition) … At one time, candy apples were commonly given to children, but the practice rapidly waned in the wake of widespread rumors that some individuals were embedding items like pins and razor blades in the apples.

The Wooden Sounding Block

The Wooden Sounding Block in front of the Sima on top of Cittalapabbata Hill Because there are so many pillars and a rear view photo would either put me off the cliff, or poke my eye out, I have included two pictures to show what the wooden hollow tree drum looks like from two angles. Taken with my tablet. This particular drumming was for the preparation of the Patimokkha meeting (recitation of the rules).

A notice I posted for our guest rice servers

A notice I posted for our guest rice servers (Story Below) Someone asked me how things went with the Muslim guests since I did not make a followup so quickly. If you missed what happened, you can go to my profile and see the previous posts. The whole experience was surely positive for me. I was very happy and my happiness lingered for several days afterwards. Rev. Sa-Id and his group came with a happy faces and left with happy faces.

American Pa-Auk Center?

American Pa-Auk Center? Ven Pa-auk Sayadawkyi recently sent me a letter inviting me to go to America and support the “American Pa-Auk Center” in California, with one-way airfare included. I responded by expressing concerns about the conditions and the Center’s status as a “real” Pa-Auk center. I also have questions about who really “owns” and controls the place too. However, progress has been made. Up until recently, Sayadawkyi was unable to invite monks to the place.

My family shared half the meals for approximately 1200 monks, nuns and yogis for lunch and breakfast...

My family shared half the meals for approximately 1200 monks, nuns and yogis for lunch and breakfast on Oct 8th at Pa-Auk. This was posted on Google+

Mission Success! More later..

Mission Success! More later.. This was posted on Google+

Some wish for peace, I make it happen

Some wish for peace, I make it happen (story below) I just got back from inviting 2 Muslims to serve at the head of the meal line for Tomorrow’s lunch at Pa-Auk. Everyone thought I was crazy and that the Muslims would kill me or at least shout at me as soon as I entered the compound. Instead they sat us down and offered us apples, and fruit juice with a happy and warm welcoming smiles.

Malawmyine Sangha Hospital

Malawmyine Sangha Hospital I went to the hospital for an OPT visit to get my ear checked at the ENT unit. We ate at the Sangha hospital ward which was fairly empty. It is an open air hospital and the place is very clean, quiet and comfortable. I remember when I stayed there in maybe 2003 for suspected malaria. They gave me the medicine for malaria even though I tested negative.

Ven Sayadawkyi's kuti at Pa-Auk Main

Ven Sayadawkyi’s kuti at Pa-Auk Main This was posted on Google+

Humpty Dumpty is back together again

Humpty Dumpty is back together again (And it works too). In Myanmar, cars are often recycled many times over due to the high import taxes and the low salaries. Probably less than $150 to do all of that labour. We still have jeeps from 1950 running around with Toyota engine blocks inside. This was posted on Google+

The Message From Long Ago

The Message From Long Ago I was recently interviewed by Skynet television. The monk in charge of foreigners tracked me down for an interview. I originally refused to climb up the Mountain for an interview at the Bodhi Tree. “Too much trouble. Get another monk.” I said. Then he arranged for an easy location to be interviewed and he even sent a messenger to my kuti to make sure I would come.

The "Beverly Hills" Section of Pa-Auk

The “Beverly Hills” Section of Pa-Auk This is my neighborhood. Over the years, the price of wood had skyrocketed, and concrete kuties have become the new standard. However, that does not stop them from laying teak floors inside. I think teak is quite inexpensive in Myanmar compared to the rest of the world. The same could be said about flowers and mangoes, let alone medicine and treatment. This neighborhood is quite old now and some other kuti donor/builders have really “gone out to town.

Flower Art Served on a Bowl Cover

Flower Art Served on a Bowl Cover The middle flowers go bad within a few hours. It is a good prop for the reflection on impermanence. “Sabbe sankhārā aniccā’ti" This was posted on Google+

Which part is the car? Which part of you is you?

Which part is the car? Which part of you is you? A Buddhist classic to explain “The Self and Not Self Paradox.” The Pa-Auk Garage was working on the Pa-Auk SUV and I could not help myself. This was posted on Google+