သီတဂူသို႕ အမွတ္တရေပးစာမ်ား

Shwe Dagon Replica in Historical Perspective
Acharya S. N. Goenka

Twenty-six centuries ago the Buddha set in motion the wheel of Dhamma. His benevolent message spread far and wide. It brought happiness and joy; peace and harmony wherever it went. The practical, pragmatic, universal, result-oriented nature of his teaching giving result here-and-now endeared it to the people of different countries and backgrounds; of different caste and creed. The Buddha showed the way to eradicate the universal malady of suffering at its root level by purifying the mind. It went to neighbouring South Asian countries and as well as to Southeast Asia and East Asia. It also spread upto Greece towards the west.

While it spread in various forms and was lost in different parts of the world, five countries, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos preserved the Pali Tipitaka, Pariyatti—the words of the Buddha in pure form while Myanmar maintained a tradition of teacher-disciple who kept the practical aspect of the Buddha’s teaching in its pure form for millennia. Ledi Sayadaw, Webu Sayadaw, Saya Thetgyi and Sayagyi U Ba Khin are some of the shining stars in this illustrious tradition. These great teachers set the stage for revival of the Buddha Dhamma around the world.

This was essential because while the teaching of the Buddha flourished in many countries around the world, it slowly declined in India within a few centuries after his passing away. Soon it was lost totally. For more than a millennium there was total darkness in India. Once the Buddha’s teaching was lost, many misconceptions about the Buddha started taking root in the Indian psyche. He was represented to be an incarnation of a mythical god and his teachings to be just a modification of earlier teaching. He was even blamed for the division and weakening of the country. The teaching that brings happiness here and yonder started being labelled as pessimistic.

It was against this background that I started my Dhamma messenger mission in India. There was a belief in Myanmar that 25 centuries after the Buddha, his teaching would return to India and from there spread round the world. My teacher, the great master of Vipassana meditation, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, had a strong volition that the Buddha’s teaching should be returned from Myanmar back to India—Myanmar owed a debt of gratitude to India from where it originally received the jewel of Dhamma.  Sayagyi was sure that Dhamma would spread round the world from India. I was able to fulfil the vision of my teacher.

I was successful in bringing the light of the Dhamma to India and to the rest of the world. Today the Buddha’s teaching is benefitting the humanity all over the world. His rational, practical, pragmatic and scientific teaching appeals to the modern man.

Who would not derive joyous satisfaction from the spread of Dhamma around the world? But let us not forget how darkness fell over most a large part of the world, most of all over India, for many long centuries. I feel fortunate that I was successful. How could I do it? The answer is simple. I could do it because of Myanmar, my motherland.

Myanmar is my motherland. I was born there. It is not my motherland just because I was born there but because I received the gift of Dhamma in that golden land. Thus Myanmar is also my spiritual motherland. I was born twice in Myanmar. The second birth is more important because I came in contact with the benevolent teaching of the Buddha.

The Shwe Dagon Pagoda is the most visible symbol of the Buddha Dhamma in Myanmar. It stands tall and reaches into the skies of Myanmar to remind people there of their heritage. And when a replica is made of the Shwe Dagon outside of Myanmar, it reminds people of that country of the great debt of gratitude they owe to Myanmar for preserving the Dhamma.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda is such a replica in Mumbai. The Global Vipassana Pagoda pioneered what seems to be becoming a tradition! I am happy that there is a Shwe Dagon Replica in Indonesia. The Shwe Dagon Replica will serve some of the purposes that the Global Vipassana Pagoda serves. It will be a beacon of Dhamma. It will help to spread the Buddha’s teaching in Indonesia.

The world is grateful to Myanmar for preserving the jewel of Dhamma. Just as the people of Myanmar built cetiyas in the shape of Sanchi stupa when the teaching originally went to Myanmar from India; now that the Dhamma is going to various parts of the world, monuments are being built in the shape of Shwe Dagon Pagoda as a token of gratitude and respect to Myanmar.

The Shwe Dagon Replica will tell the people of Indonesia that the Buddha teaches concord and harmony; that the Buddha’s teaching sets out not to conquer people but to bring happiness to people; that the teaching is universal; that the practical aspect of the teaching—Vipassana meditation—is acceptable to everyone and can be practised by everyone irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion, nationality and race.

Indonesia is one of the biggest countries in the world. The Shwe Dagon Replica in Indonesia will serve the spiritual need of many faithful there and will extend a benign invitation to others.

A replica of the magnificent Shwe Dagon pagoda in Yangon will remind the people of Indonesia for centuries to come that when the teaching was lost all over the world, Myanmar had preserved it. It will also reassure the world that now Indonesia will play its part in preserving the teaching of the Buddha in its purity for the benefit of the entire mankind.

I can close my eyes and imagine the golden splendor of the Shwe Dagon Replica. My heart delights and gladdens in having replicas of the most famous monument of Myanmar in various other parts of the world.

Let the Shwe Dagon Replica serve the country of Indonesia just as the original monument has been doing in my motherland of Myanmar.

May all beings be happy, peaceful and liberated!

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