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Sacred Symbol of Gratitude
 
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Sacred Symbol of Gratitude
- by S. N. Goenka

The magnificent Global Pagoda being built near Mumbai is a sacred symbol of our boundless gratitude–towards Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha; towards Emperor Asoka and his teacher Arahant Mogalliputta Tissa, who held the third and final Synod in India on 326 AD, 218 years after the mahāparinibbāna of the Buddha. Like the previous two Synods, the words of the Buddha were ratified and established again in the authentic form. Along with Vipassana meditation, they sent this authentic literature with Emperor Asoka’s son Arahant Mahinda and daughter Saṅghamittā to Sri Lanka. Similarly, they sent the arahants Soṇa and Uttara to Suvaṇṇabhūmi (Myanmar and Thailand).

What if they had not sent Vipassana and the words of the Buddha outside India? Within fifty years after Emperor Asoka, an unscrupulous commander usurped the throne at the capital of Magadha, Pataliputra, and together with some conspirators started to destroy the teaching of the Buddha and its teachers. They killed most of the teachers who had memorized the entire Tipitaka and almost all Vipassana teachers. Those who survived fled to the neighbouring countries to save their lives. Thus, the original words of the Buddha and Vipassana both became extinct in India.

If Emperor Asoka had not sent the words of the Buddha and Vipassana to the neighbouring countries, they would not have survived anywhere in the whole world. Fortunately, some wise bhikkhus of Sri Lanka and Myanmar as well as of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos preserved the Dhamma literature in its pristine purity through the teacher-student tradition for more than two thousand years. Similarly, meditation teachers preserved the technique of Vipassana in Myanmar until recent times. If they had not done so, the theory and the practice would have been completely lost.

We are grateful to the eminent bhikkhu Ledi Sayadaw, who foresaw that within the next 100 years, the first Buddha Sāsana of 2500 years would come to an end, and at that time, the Saddhamma preserved in Myanmar would return to its country of origin, India, and from there, it would spread throughout the world. He also realized that this important mission could only be fulfilled by a householder.

Therefore, after centuries, the Venerable Ledi Sayadaw opened the door of Vipassana to householders. He taught Saya Thetgyi and established him as the first lay Vipassana teacher in modern times. Saya Thetgyi fulfilled this responsibility with great dignity, skilfulness and competence. He was accepted by many lay people as well as bhikkhus as a lay Vipassana teacher.

Saya Thetgyi taught Vipassana to Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who was also recognized and accepted as an accomplished lay Vipassana teacher. Sayagyi U Ba Khin had complete faith in the traditional belief that on completion of 2500 years of the first Buddha Sāsana, this technique would return to India and from there, it would spread throughout the world. He believed that Myanmar was indebted to India and had to repay this debt. The time had come to return this invaluable technique to the land of its origin.

Nineteen fifty-four was the last year of the first 2500-year Buddha Sāsana and 1955 was the first year of the second 2500-year Buddha Sāsana. Sayagyi U Ba Khin became very happy when an unpolished stone came in contact with him in this year. For fourteen years, by diligent cutting and rubbing, this skilled sculptor transformed this ugly stone into a beautiful statue and adorned it so that it may prove to be a worthy exhibit of this great master’s skill. Sayagyi U Ba Khin was like a philosopher’s stone that had come in contact with a valueless piece of metal, which, by its constant touch was not only transformed into valuable gold but into a valuable philosopher’s stone in the form of his representative.

Sayagyi U Ba Khin needed a Myanmar citizen of Indian origin to repay the debt to India who would go to India and teach Dhamma in Indian languages. The time came for the fruition of his resolve. His Dhamma son devoted himself to fulfil his Dhamma father’s noble wish. Initially, he had great doubts and hesitation about his worthiness and capacity. But he did not have to do anything. All the work was being done by Dhamma, by his Dhamma father. The Dhamma son was simply a medium for this great work. The firm resolve of this great saintly person was bound to be accomplished. Anyone could be the apparent cause for its accomplishment.

At the start of the second Buddha Sāsana, the radiance of Vipassana spread not only in India but throughout the world. What would have happened if Emperor Asoka had not sent Saddhamma outside India, and if the bhikkhu sangha of Myanmar had not preserved it, if the eminent bhikkhu Ledi Sayadaw had not opened the door of this Vipassana technique to lay people? How would it have spread outside of Myanmar? But Vipassana was bound to spread outside. The medium that was needed to accomplish this purpose was chosen.

Infinite gratitude to Ledi Sayadaw as well as to Sayagyi U Ba Khin because their boundless compassion enabled India to regain its invaluable technique and paved the way for the people of the whole world to learn Vipassana. Therefore, all the people who have spread the technique of Vipassana outside India in the past nearly four decades are filled with feelings of infinite gratitude for Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

The Global Pagoda that is being built is a sacred symbol of the gratitude of all of us.

It will also be a sacred symbol of gratitude of all those who have received Vipassana and will receive it in the future during the present Buddha Sāsana. This huge Pagoda will endure as a sacred symbol for more than a thousand years. That is why instead of cement or concrete, the Global Pagoda is being built with stones based on the ancient architectural style of India. The first part of the Pagoda encloses a hall with 20-feet thick walls, with 280-feet diameter and 90 feet height unsupported by any pillars. This is itself a wonder in the entire world. It is a shining example of Indian architecture. When the construction of this 320-feet high glorious Pagoda is completed, it will be evoke much more wonder and admiration.

However, the Global Pagoda is not merely an architectural wonder. It will contain a wonderful exhibition about Vipassana, the ancient meditation technique of India. Understanding their responsibility, all present and future Vipassana meditators will complete this vast inspirational work for the benefit of the people of the world. For centuries to come, they will gain the merits of the spread of Vipassana in the entire world. This will shed light on the infinite benevolence of Emperor Asoka and Arahant Moggaliputta Tissa to Bhadant Ledi Sayadaw, lay teacher Saya Thetgyi and my revered teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin not only in India but the entire world.

The construction of the first one-third of the Global Pagoda was far from easy. Beyond measure are the merits of those enthusiastic servers who worked untiringly day and night to complete it. Similarly, inspired by the memory of the infinite benevolence of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, the merits of those people throughout the world who donated the huge amount of money required for its construction, according to their capacity ranging from the price of one stone to hundreds, thousands, lakhs or crores of rupees is immeasurable, incalculable, invaluable.

There is an ancient belief that whenever the construction of a pagoda is started, it should be completed, particularly a Pagoda in which the sacred relics of the Buddha will be enshrined. This Pagoda will proclaim our boundless gratitude towards our great benefactor Sayagyi U Ba Khin. For hundreds and thousand of years to come, the people of India and the entire world will remember the great saint from Myanmar whose sole strong Dhamma desire was that the technique of Vipassana, which had been preserved in Myanmar for thousands of years, should return to India and benefit India and the entire world. This Pagoda dedicated to him will inspire innumerable people towards Dhamma. The merits acquired by any assistance given for its construction will be truly priceless, invaluable.

Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṃ — May all beings be happy!

S. N. Goenka,
Wayfarer on the path of Dhamma


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