A Donation Made at the Mahavihara Dhamma-Vinaya University

 

By Maung Maung Aye

 

I AM a member of a monthly alms-donation association. Our association makes dona­tions at monasteries and Buddhist universities on the first Sunday of every month. We intentionally donate only on Sundays because most of the members are govern­ment and company employees who are off duty on that day.

 

On a Sunday two years ago, we made an alms-donation to the monks from the Mahāvihāra Dhamma-Vinaya University locat­ed on the fringe of Poedawnagon village near Hmawby. That morn­ing, the venue for those who were to donate the alms was the home of a member in Kaba Aye. Two mini-buses were parked in front of the home that morning. All the members had already taken their seats in the buses by 9 am. The buses set off from the venue at 9:05 am. They inched along the Kaba Aye Pagoda Road and Pyay Road. When it came to 9:15 am, we reached the Khayaybin junction. As many cars and buses massed at the traffic, our buses were held up for some minutes.

 

After we had passed this junc­tion, traffic became lighter. So, our buses geared up the speed and scud along the Pyay Road. The Kyaikkalei and the Kyaikkalo pagodas, and the main Hlawga power-supply station were passed quickly. When we got to Shansu, we saw lonely bus stops stand­ing on rises on the roadside with forlorn wooded lands far in the background. At 9:30 am, our buses came to the Htaukkyant junction and followed the Pyay Road. In no time, we came in sight of the entrance to the Hlawga sanctu­ary park. We advanced along the Pyay Road and arrived at the Nyaunghnapin junction at 9:45 am. Our buses directed the course into Nyaunghnapin road, having veered from Pyay Road. After fol­lowing Nyaunghnapin Road for a few minutes, our buses turned onto a road leading northwards. It was lined with green trees on one side, but as the other side of the road was being extended, the trees on that side were already felled. However, the road was sur­rounded on both sides by wide plains and presented itself as a pleasant one. The plain on the left side was covered with fields of paddy and wild grass studded with clumps of trees in some places, with the Gyophyu pipe laid in the north-south alignment at the far end. The plain on the right was a landscape checkered by fields of paddy and wild grass and planta­tions of rosella and lady's fingers. The outlines of tree-clumps be­yond the fields could be traced against the sky.

 

Then, our buses pulled into Yethoe village. We saw shop-hous­es on both sides of the village; some shops tucked away in the downstairs of two-storeyed hous­es. The village is said to be inhab­ited by different ethnic peoples, especially the Bamar and the Kay­in. We caught a glimpse of some monasteries at the edge of the village. When we got out of the village, we again saw wide paddy fields and vegetable plantations on both sides of the road. We passed Shangon and Thayatnyobin vil­lages. These villages took on the appearance of developing ones, with new monasteries and pago­das, mini-stores, primary schools, garment-factories, mango-planta­tions, flower-gardens, restaurants, resort-farms and houses within wide compounds. At 10 am sharp, we got right in front of the main gate to the Mahavihara monas­tery. On the entry, we noticed that the precincts were sheltered by green trees. The trees in full fo­liage gave coolness and peace.

 

On the right side, two one-sto­reyed buildings were seen. We followed the covered passage-way leading eastwards. Some young monks and novices were walking back to their quarters from the classes with books in their arms, crossing the passageway. They all were wearing robes properly with their eyes cast down. Even the youngest novices, aged about four or five years, did not lift their eyes. It is learnt that the Mahavihara monastery is a Vinaya-oriented one and that over 1,300 monks and novices at this monastery are for­bidden from holding money, mo­bile phones and other electronic devices which can arouse sensual desire. We espied a three-storeyed building under construction in a clearing in the forest on the left side of the passage-way. It is known that the precincts of the monastery cover a total area of 300 acres, half of which is covered with wooded areas and the other half scattered with facilities and amenities of the university and the Pariyatti learning centre. Soon after we had passed the Pariyatti learning centre, we reached the Mahavihara Dhamma-Vinaya University. We were ushered by Saya Zin Lin Oo, Head of the Ad­ministration Department, into his office, where we donated money which would incur the expenses of the alms for a day and for three sets of Kathina robes. At 10:30 am, we donated alms to the monks who came in a file. I offered to take documentary photos of the members donating alms to the monks.

 

Soon, the monks went straight to the refectory and seated them­selves on the floor with their alms-bowls placed in front and partook of the alms-meal serene­ly. No dish-bowl, no table and no plate were not used. After having alms-meal, the monks retired to their monasteries. We lunched on vegetables and cooked rice. Then, we sat chatting over the green tea 15 minutes later, a senior monk, on behalf of Mahavihara Sayadaw, delivered to us a discourse on ela­tion over the donation. Short as the discourse was, it was noteworthy. We learnt from it that there must be donations, offerings, and the donor's confidence in the donee to accomplish a donation. It was heard that Mahavihara Sayadaw was then meditating seriously, tak­ing up abode at a small hermitage in a forest about a twenty-minute walk from the university and that he came out to the university only on Uposatha days to give admoni­tion to the monks and novices from the university and the Pariyatti leaning centre. After listening to the discourse, we felt satisfied with ourselves and at peace in mind.

 

Afterwards, I, together with some members, visited the three-storeyed Maha Kavinanda Sima (Ordination Hall), which was a ten-minute walk from the uni­versity buildings. On the way to that ordination hall, we saw some one-storeyed student hostels on the left of the laterite-dirt road we took. When we got to the ordina­tion hall, we went up to the sec­ond floor, where there was a wide assembly hall. There, we found a gilded, seated Buddha image in Bhumiphassamudra bearing a trace of a smile on the lips. After worshipping it, I made for a win­dow and looked down. I espied a woodland tract stretching some miles to the north and a large cashew forest where Mahavihara Sayadaw sojourned alone to the east. I was bewitched by this nat­ural scenic view. We spent some minutes there enjoying the natural beauty offered by the neighbour­ing areas of the ordination hall. Then we, with the refreshed mind and the gleeful heart, returned to the university building where our buses were awaiting us to make our home-bound journey.

 

To conclude, it is found that the monks from this university followed the Vinaya rules strictly and devoted most of their time to the study of Buddhist scriptures (Pariyatti) and practices of med­itation (Patipatti). Moreover, the neighbouring areas of the uni­versity were very beautiful. Thus, my heart was filled with peace, happiness and serenity. At the same time, I felt that I got a lot of merit from the alms donation to the virtuous monks. So, I decided to provide the Four Requisites to the monks from this university as much as I could.