During the Sixth Buddhist Sa³gæyanæ (1954-56), the so-called Myanmar Satipa¥¥hænæ Method spread to Thailand and Ceylon. It was not because it was a Myanmar invention but because it was in Myanmar that this meditation was revived noticeable ever since the beginning of the twentieth century. After I had a course of intensive training under the personal guidance of the Most Venerable Mingun Jetavana Sayædaw at his Thaton Meditation Centre, I began to impart his teaching to my close relatives at my home-village, Seikkhun, near Shwebo, and also to my pupils at Taung-waing-glay Kyaung, Mawlamyaing, where I resided. When the Second World War broke out, I had to return to my home-village, where I continued giving meditation instructions to monks and lay persons alike. I found time there to write two volumes on Vipassanæ Meditation, the first dealing with doctrinal matters and the second with practical aspects, namely: practical insight meditation and the progress of insight. I also translated into Myanmar Mahæ Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta, with copious notes based on the Pæ¹i Canon, Commentaries and Sub-Commentaries. Soon after my return, after the war, to Mawlamyaing, Myanmar regained her independence. (January 4, 1948) At the request of the then Prime Minister U Nu and Sir U Thwin, President of the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization, I came to Yangon in the month of November 1949 to teach Satipa¥¥hæna Method. Starting with Thathana Yeiktha, Yangon, there are now its branches all over the country. Beginning with 25 yogøs, there are now many thousands practising the method throughout the year. They have benefited by this method, the method taught by the Kamma¥¥hænæcariyas, who had a course of training here. This is, however, not the place to dwell at length on the progress made in the period of 26 years. As I have said, the so-called Myanmar Satipa¥¥hæna method spread to Ceylon during the Sixth Sa³gæyanæ. “Lessons of Practical Basic Exercises in Satipa¥¥hæna Vipassanæ Meditation” by Mahæsø Sayædaw was published at the request of the Lanka Vipassanæ Society, by the Lanka Bauddha Mendalaya in the year 1955. A Meditation Centre was opened at Kanduboda near Colombo. Scurrilous attacks were made by the Ven. Kassapa Thera and the Ven. Soma Thera of Vajirama, Colombo. Their articles and a few others were published in a booklet form by one Mr. Henry Herlis, in the year 1957. As advised by me, the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization, of which the Prime Minister U Nu was a leading member, chose to ignore the scurrilous attacks, but took steps to send Kamma¥¥hænæcariyas, one after another, to Ceylon. In course of time the violent opposition passed off. In the year 1966, it was brought to our notice that the Ven. Kheminda of vajirama, Colombo, wrote an article in “World Buddhism”, the International Buddhist Magazine, published in Ceylon, criticising my view that “Momentary concentration is included in Access Concentration” which I explained briefly in “The Progress of Insight”, being a treatise on Satipa¥¥hæna meditation, written in Pæ¹i by me and translated into English by Ña¼aponika Thera, the author of “The Heart of Buddhist Meditation”. The Ven. Ña¼aponika Thera sent us a copy of July, 1966 issue of the magazine in which the article appeared. I passed it on to the late Ven. Sayædaw U Ñænuttra, Agga Mahæ Pa¼ðita, residing then at Jambudipa Hall, near the Sacred Cave where the Sixth Sa³gæyanæ was held. He wrote a Rejoinder, which was published in that magazine, in two installments. The Ven. Kheminda wrote a Reply to the Rejoinder which was published in the same magazine, in several installments. The Ven. Sayædaw U Ñænuttra wrote a Rebuttal of the reply to the Rejoinder, which was also published therein, in several installments. The whole series took nearly three years. I must mention that the Ven. Sayædaw U Ñænuttra was ably assisted by the Ven. Janakæbhivaµsa, a Kamma¥¥hænæcariya of this meditation centre, and Myanaung U Tin, the then vice-President (later the President, and now a Næyaka) of Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization. In our country two critics appeared, one a layman and another a monk. The later is Syriaµ Tawya Sayædaw P.K. U Tilokañæ¼a, who wrote a book (over 800 pages), sparing nobody, not even the Most Venerable Ledø Sayædaw in his criticisms. I wrote an Explanatory Note, which was published as an Appendix to some of my publications. Incidentally, mention may be made that I have written and published well over 30 books, including Myanmar translations of the Ven. Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga (Vols. I to IV) and Myanmar translations of the Ven. Dhammapæla’s Paramatthama³jþsara or Mahæ ¿økæ (Vols I to IV). It was brought to our notice in the month of January, 1977, that Lama Govinda has criticised our Satipa¥¥hæna meditation method in his book: “Creative meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness”. A photostat of Chapter 5 of that book was sent to me by Mr. Christopher Farny of Chicago, U.S.A. I passed it on to Myanaung U Tin, who wrote a reply to his criticisms and sent it to Mr. Farny. While he was preparing the reply he received another letter from Mr. Farny, with three enclosures: the comments on Lama Govinda’s criticism by four Dhamma-friends of his, who evidently have been practising our Satipa¥¥hæna meditation method. Myanaung U Tin, who has been helping me in my foreign mission work for more than ten years, is of the opinion, and I agree with him, that it is now right time to publish all these papers in a book form, I must assign the task of printing and publishing the book to the Executive Committee of the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization. I would like to say, in conclusion, that I had seen all these Rejoinders, Rebuttals and Replies before they were sent out, and I have hardly anything to add to or detract from them. My blessings go to all concerned. I must avail myself of this opportunity to place on record my great appreciation, with a deep sense of gratitude, of the services of the Ven. Ña¼aponika Thera, who has spared no pains to spread the Satipa¥¥hæna meditation method to the whole world.
Mahæsø Sayædaw In the Foreword, the Venerable Mahæsø Sayædaw states: “Myanaung U Tin, who has been helping me in my foreign mission work for more than ten years, is of the opinion, and I agree with him, that it is now the right time to publish all these papers in a book form.” The Sayædawgyø and I are of about the same age, septuagenarians, and it is incumbent upon us to keep the Kamma¥¥hænæ cariyas and the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization informed of the criticisms made through misapprehension in some cases, and through malice in others. The Mahæsø Sayædaw always advises us to be tolerant, forgiving and patient. He obeys, and enjoins upon us to obey, the dictum of the Buddha: Aviruddhan viruddhesu, attadan desu nibbutan, sadanesu anadanaµ, taµ ahaµ brumi Brahmanaµ-He who is friendly amongst the hostile, who is peaceful amongst the violent, who is unattached amongst the attached, him I call a Brahman. The Replies, Rejoinders and Rebuttals contained in this book bear testimony to the fact that we had met the criticisms in an objective manner, with the sole aim of clearing away the misapprehensions and prejudices. They speak for themselves, and the contents thereof, we believe, would be of use to those who come after us for meeting criticisms and adverse comments relating not only to the Satipa¥¥hæna Vipassanæ method, as taught by the Mahæsø Sayædaw, but also to allied subjects. The Sayædawgyi’s explanatory notes have been published as appendices to some of his books, and they are ready for use for the same purpose, as well as for the detailed study. Now, mention may be made briefly of the critics: The Ven. Kassapa Thera, the Ven. Soma thera and the Ven. Kheminda Thera. The Ven. Kassapa Thera was formerly Dr Cassius A. Pereira, L.R.C.P. (London), M.R.C.P. (England). As a doctor he was first in the government service, and then became a private general practitioner for about forty years. Later in life he became a monk, and he was in his seventy-fifth year when he, evidently urged by an ardent desire to protect the sæsanæ, made scurrilous attacks on the Mahæsø Sayædaw and the Satipa¥¥hæna meditation method taught by him. The Ven. Soma Thera said of him thus: “As a champion of the Theravada, the pristine teaching of the Blessed One, he has wielded his mighty pen with wonderful effect, scattered the enemies of the true teaching, and made the pure word of the August Teacher of the world shine with enhanced splendour and glory.” The Ven. Soma thera, formerly Victor Emmamual Perera Pulle, and the Ven. Kheminda Thera, formerly G.S. Prelis, received their higher ordination on November 6, 1936, with the Ven. Pandava Mahæ Thera of Taung-waing-gyi Shwegyin Kyaung Taik, Mawlamyaing, as teacher. During their short stay, they came to hear of the Venerable Narada Thera, also known as Jetavana Sayædaw. They visited the Sayædaw at Thaton. The Ven. Kheminda Thera wrote thus: “His method was strictly in accordance with the Satipa¥¥hæna Suttas of the Døgha and Majjhima Nikæya and their commentaries.” The Ven. Soma Thera died early in 1960. It was said of him by an old boon friend of his thus: “Meditation, study, teaching the Dhamma, canonical research and his own trials and tribulations in the process produced a vast transformation in Soma Thera. The elan and impulsiveness of the layman turned into serene calm. The combative debater of yesteryear became the sedate teacher and friendly adviser ........” The Ven. Kheminda Thera was a very close friend of the Ven. Soma Thera as laymen as well as monks. They were the co-translators of Vimuttimagga (The Path of Freedom) from Japanese into English with Rev. N. R. M. Ehara of Nagasaki, Japan. The Ven. Kheminda Thera wrote in his Preface to the English translation of the Vimuttimagga, when it was published after the death of his co-translators: “This was a fitting occasion to pay a tribute to the memory of the two senior co-translators of the Vimuttimagga, the Reverend N. R. M. Ehara and the Venerable Soma Mahæ Thera ....it will be seen that this work was taken up due to sheer force of circumstances and not because of special qualification on my part ... inexpert as I am in scholarly pursuits there is bound to be many a lack in my portion of this work....” We attribute no malicious motives to the Ven. Kassapa Thera and the Ven. Soma Thera, but we very much regret that they allowed themselves to be carried away by excessive zeal and pugnacity. The Ven. Kheminda is clearly of a mild disposition and modest nature. We believe that he has been convinced by what the Ven. Sayædaw U Ñænuttra had explained most carefully and patiently in reply to his articles. We have the gratification of having read, with much benefit, a number of books written by the three Venerables, who, we believe, would be remembered by the English-speaking readers for a long time. Regarding Lama Govinda, we have nothing much to say except that we are given to understand he was formerly a Theravæda monk. If so, we cannot help but wonder why and when he became a Lama. We feel that he was labouring under a misapprehension when he criticised the so-called Myanmar Satipa¥¥hæna method. Had he practised it with faith and ardour he would not have advanced adverse views. His criticisms have been met and we hope he would now see the method in a new light. Our grateful thanks are due to all those who took great pains to make this publication a success: Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization and Buddha Sæsana Council Press.
Myanaung U Tin
|
