Namo Buddhaya Santisukham
THE BUDDHIST MISSIONARY CLASSIC TRADITION.
Soon after His Supreme Enlightenment, the Buddha contemplated that His intrirrsic Compassion towards the myriad helpless beings had just begun. He had to set the Wheel of Truth ( Dhamma Cakka) in motion, spreading the message of the Deathless (Amata ),a noble task beyond the scope of any Deva or Brahma, for the welfare and happiness of all.
The Buddha, also known as the Master of the Three worlds, preached the first sermon to a group of five monks, all of whom attained enlightenment and became Arahats. Soon after, He did the same to Yasa, son of Sujata, (a rich lady who offered milk-rice just before the enlightenment of the Buddha), as well as his fifty-four friends, who all became Arahats together with Yasa, after tasting the ambrosial food of immortalily fed by the Buddha,
Being Omniscient, the Buddha knew that propagation of His new-found Truth was no problem but He needed enough proficient and dedicated disciples to continue disseminating His teachings accordingly. So with His sixty Arahat disciples, He started the world's first-ever, the Buddhist Classic Missionary and exhorted them with these famous words:
"Go Ye Forth, O Bhikkhus, for the benefit of many, for the
happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the
welfare, the benefit, the happiness of gods and men!
Go not any two together, O Bhikkhus, proclaim ye the Doctrine,
that is Excellent in the Beginning, Excellent in the Middle and Excellent in the End."
Now, after twenty-five centuries past, almost alone and brilliant as the Morning Star among the many lesser twinkles, distinctive and outstanding appears in bold relief, the glorious son of the Buddha as a disciple in the Myanmar Sangha, Leader of the Buddhist Missionary, the Most Venerable Bhaddanta U PANNA VAMSA Aggamahapandita, Aggamahasaddhammajotikadhaja. Augmented by an excellent track record of thirty years exemplary success experience in foreign missionary and temple construction including development and general welfare.
Venerable Sayadaw U Panna vamsa (Chief
Abbot)
Agga Maha Pandita, Agga Maha Saddhama Jotikadhaja
Among the special distinctions are the successes in reconstructions and developing the Buddhist monasteries in Penang, Singapore and Los Angeles all of which promoted him as the undisputed international Buddhist missionary leader not only in his Myanmar homeland but also in the various foreign lands.
The Sayadaw is a remarkable person and has the special instinct to brave and overcome all odds in the face of adversity. Establishing the international status of the Penang Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, founded by early Burmese Buddhist missionaries nearly two hundred years ago and using this as his base, the Sayadaw continues to expand his Buddhist activities to other countries as well,
His other fascinating achievements included the founding of a Buddhist monastery in Sydney, Australia, the purchasing of a two-acre land in Chicago for the setting up of a monastery on it as well and in 1990 he built a monastery in Toronto, Canada. Beside these, he also repaired and renovated the old dilapidated temples in Colombo and Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. However there are still some more Buddhist projects to come. Among these projects are new monasteries in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and in Indonesia.
For the Sayadaw, establishing new Buddhist monasteries abroad is no longer a problem. The practical problem facing him is how to ensure the smooth functioning of these new and old monasteries overseas ( as institutional centres of study and practice ). There is a dwindling pool of Buddhist monks with the suitable calibre and properly qualified to be stationed at these alien centres to carry out their religious duties successfully. Therefore there is this imminent necessity to produce a fresh crop of dedicated and qualified Buddhist monks and nuns with missionary enthusiasm to supplement the present dilapidated pool of monks available.
It is therefore the Sayadaw's aspiration to set up a new wave of Missionary monk enthusiasts to be duly trained in the new training centre of the academy in his homeland. This new training centre is to be known as the Maha Santisukha Buddha Sasana Academy.
This institution is to serve as the base and Headquarters for Buddhist monks and nuns who will thereafter work at the various Buddhist monastic missionaries in the various foreign countries. The Sayadaw will be in charge and be personally involved in training the Buddhist monks and nuns trainees in the practical aspect of foreign missions, with the rapport of the qualified teachers, dedicated to this noble cause. The secular candidates will be taught to be proficient in the local education of the land. After graduating they will be then posted to the respective countries where they will be conversant with the local culture and traditions. This is aimed at being able to convey to the people the message of the Buddha in their own mother tongue. In addition, the trainees will be skilled in modern methods of organisation and missionary work.
To fulfill this lofty aspiration, the new Sasana Training Centre of the institution is now under construction with the staunch support of the state, as well as the generous donations from the public, at home and abroad. The building, the brain-child of the Sayadaw, consists of ten storeys, complete with the latest state of the art technologies, in keeping with today's science and technological advancement.
This concise brochure is a clarion call to every Buddhist to take this rare opportunity of becoming donors of the new monastic wonder, as well as the sponsors of the foreign Dhamma missionary. Your generosity be it little or much and in whatever form, certainly goes a long way towards ensuring the stability and progress of the Buddha Sasana, both here and abroad. Your unstinted participation will not only help to promote but also enhance the magnificence of the noble cause.
May all those who have contributed and assisted the Buddha Sasana Training Centre of the institution, in one way or another, receive the Noble Blessing and share in the Glory and Happiness of attaining the Ultimate Bliss - Nibbana!
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!
(April, 2000)
