Emergency Edition: Burning the Midnight Oil

“The Dhamma is so central to this culture, and [yet] not understood by the people who write about this place in the media from overseas. So all those sorts of things get reported from a vacuum of understanding about how incredibly important it is, for this whole culture.”So says Daw Viranani, an American Buddhist nun based in Chan Myay Myaing Monastery in northern Yangon. We were able to talk with her just before a nationwide Internet black-out hit the country. Since the military coup on February 1st, Myanmar has been one of the trending topics and major stories across news networks and social media platforms. And yet, as Daw Viranani points out, the core Buddhist practice animating much of the country’s spiritual life is barely mentioned in foreign reporting, let alone understood. In this interview, we address the current situation, but avoid the usual angles of analyzing politics, history, or biographies of the major players. Instead, Daw Viranani brings a Buddhist perspective to bear on the current events. She shares the teachings that resonate with her in this difficult moment, and talks of the power of practicing mettā-bhavana, or loving-kindness meditation, and radiating these good wishes to all beings—even those we have difficult feelings towards.A note about our mission here at Insight Myanmar Podcast. While it usually takes us several weeks at minimum to produce an episode, we feel that the current moment demands a faster turn-around, and we managed to release this episode after just 36 hours. However, this can be challenging for a primarily volunteer organization, especially one with limited funds. We hope to continue bringing interviews on this topic with Buddhist practitioners, teachers, and scholars, but we need your support to do so. If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

6 Feb 20211h 19min

Antonio Costanzo and his team may never solve all the mysteries of the life of the great Italian monk U Lokanatha, but they are certainly trying!Even the little we know of U Lokanatha’s spiritual resume puts him in rarefied air. A forerunner of the Buddhist modernist movement, he took up a meditation practice before it was commonplace and was one of the first to talk extensively about the connection between scientific thought and the Buddha’s teachings. His life intersected with many of the great figures of his day, and just to name a few: General Aung San considered abandoning the nationalist struggle to ordain under him; the President of Sri Lanka considered him a close friend; Ambedkar relied on his advice before bringing several million Indians into Buddhism; U Lokanatha attempted to convert both the Pope and Mussolini to Buddhism; he was close to such Buddhist luminaries as the Pāḷi scholar de Lorenzo and Sun Lun Sayadaw and Webu Sayadaw; and his teachings and meditation practice may have influenced Sayagyi U Ba Khin and S.N. Goenka.And yet despite all this, somehow U Lokanatha managed to practically disappear from the historical record within a half century (during a time of mass media to boot), his name almost lost to contemporary generations of Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners and scholars alike. But Antonio and his team have something to say about this, and in this episode, he explains how he came on to take on this research project, and what contemporary meditators can learn about this inspiring figure.Please note that this episode was produced before the February 1st coup that took place in Myanmar. We hope to bring upcoming shows responding to this event by conducting interviews with Dhamma practitioners based in Myanmar. Please consider supporting our effort with a donation. We can be found on PayPal, CashApp, Venmo, Go Fund Me, and other platforms by searching "Insight Myanmar," and also accept credit cards on our website.

2 Feb 20211h 8min

“And then there was a particular moment in the meditation where it was almost as if awareness separated out from the rest of the objects of consciousness.” So begins David Sudar on sharing about one of his most powerful meditation experiences, which occurred during one sitting at Shwe Oo Min Monastery in Yangon.David describes how in this transformational moment, he was able to maintain a clear awareness even as the process of thinking continued, and that this was the first moment he was able to observe his thoughts and feelings without becoming entangled in them. As he goes on to say, “I was just like, oh my goodness, this is what I get fooled by, these tingling sensations throughout the body, these piercing sensations, these impulses. And now, it was so obvious that all of that was optional, that wasn't a ‘given’ in my experience, that I would have to get entangled, or identified, or grasp on to things.”The talk unfolds with David describing this experience in further detail, as well as what conditions led it to arise and how his meditation practice and spiritual awakening unfolded after that moment of insight.We then go on to discuss a wide range of topics, including the personality and methodology of Sayadaw U Tejaniya, the evolution of mindfulness training across traditions, the role of thinking in formal practice, and the prevalence of the Mahasi technique in Myanmar.If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

24 Jan 20211h 21min

Today’s episode explores a journey from the fashion runway to the meditation hall. An actress, model, and beauty queen, Luissa Burton discusses the circuitous route that ultimately brought her to meditation practice in Myanmar.Luissa’s career trajectory did not follow the conventional narrative of the fashion industry. From childhood, she was stricken with two serious skin conditions, eczema and psoriasis, and struggled with eating disorders throughout her modeling career. Luissa certainly has a unique perspective from which to reflect on her struggles and celebrity. Today she is helping reinvent what it means to be a social influencer in the 21st century, advocating for young people to focus more on self-love and inner acceptance instead of distorting their personality and body image in a quest to become popular or conform to society’s messaging. An inner focus on healthy living and non-harm to all beings ultimately led Luissa to meditation, which was further motivated after passing through a “dark night of the soul.” Following an inner voice compelling her to come to Myanmar, she enrolled in a ten-day course in the tradition of S. N. Goenka at Dhamma Joti, and then followed up the retreat with an eco-tour around the country.The talk covers a number of key topics, including the contrast between being a dedicated meditator and a famous international fashion model, the definition of “beauty” in contemporary Western society, and how meditation practice disrupts a dualistic understanding.If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

15 Jan 20212h 19min

What place does engagement in social justice issues have, if any, within vipassana meditation centers in the tradition of S.N. Goenka? That is question Clyde Ford is asking, and is at the heart of a training session he led for teachers and students at Dhamma Kunja, a vipassana center in Washington state.In addition to being a corporate trainer on racial justice, Clyde is himself a dedicated vipassana meditator in the Goenka tradition. He is also a software engineer, a chiropractor, a psychotherapist, an environmentalist, a 12-time, award-winning author, and currently a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. He has appeared on Oprah and NPR, among other shows, to share his expertise.In this episode, Clyde shares what led to his ground-breaking training at Dhamma Kunja, and what topics he covered in the session. We talk about spiritual bypass, past attempts at targeting courses for African American communities being blocked by the US leadership, proactive outreach opportunities to communities of color, ensuring that vipassana centers are more inclusive, the appointment of Black teachers, and finding a balance between spiritual practice and worldly affairs.This fascinating discussion provides an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at how one North American vipassana center in the tradition of S.N. Goenka is exploring ways to transition into greater sensitivity in the second decade of the 21st century.If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

6 Jan 20211h 55min

This is the second episode in our series exploring Filipino meditators affected by the Dhamma of the Golden Land. Here, we tell the story of just one Filipino meditator: Raymond Riveria, or Mon for short.Mon was attracted to martial arts, but being raised Catholic, he was initially skeptical of Asian forms of religious practice. His first formal practice came in the form of Christian meditation, and he was then intrigued by the secular framing of the vipassana organization in the tradition of S.N. Goenka.Mon took a course, and was hooked, going on to sit so many subsequent courses that he speculates he might have been the most experienced Filipino meditator in this tradition at the time. His growing interest led him to visit other monasteries, however, which through a misunderstanding earned him a ban from attending any other courses in the Goenka tradition.Disappointed, Mon looked for a silver lining, and found it in the form of constructing his own personal pilgrimage to Myanmar. There, he visited six different monasteries and meditation centers: Mogok, Thabarwa, Sun Lun, Chan Myay Myaing, Shwe Oo Min, and the International Meditation Center. Sharing insight and personal experience, Mon traces his journey into these different spiritual traditions, highlighting the strengths of each teaching.At a time of pandemic when so many of us are locked down and unable to go outside, let alone travel, join us on a virtual pilgrimage through the different meditative traditions of the Golden Land!If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

27 Dec 20201h 23min

Myanmar is the dream destination for so many meditators and spiritual seekers, and this was certainly the case for Sebastien Le Normand. A published author and French yogi in the tradition of S.N. Goenka living in Canada, Sebastien long wished to visit sites related to this lineage of teachers, and he made his dream a reality by planning a personal pilgrimage in 2016. He was so moved by the experience that he returned twice more, once ordaining temporarily as a monk in the Sagaing Hills. In our discussion, he talks about his experiences and reflections of being a meditator in Buddhist Burma, and staying for extended periods at monasteries.After the talk, Melissa Coats joins Zach Hessler to reflect upon Sebastien’s interview. They discuss their own itinerant lifestyle as meditators and temporary monastics, and reflect upon the opportunities that Myanmar has provided to so many Western spiritual seekers following their own Hero’s Journeys.Whether you are an accomplished traveler yourself or just an armchair adventurer, strap yourself in for this spiritual adventure tale, as we lead you through a virtual tour of Buddhist Burma!If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

18 Dec 20201h 46min

The Buddha’s teachings of liberation were not meant only for prosperous and stable times, but also for when things are uncertain, or even perilous. Perhaps no moment in recent years has tested the mission of contemporary meditation centers and monasteries as much as this ongoing coronavirus pandemic, when just the basic act of gathering together poses a serious health risk.In this episode, we check in with three American-based monasteries and meditation centers with some connection to Burmese traditions, to hear how they have responded to these unprecedented times. Each speaker has years under their belt as a spiritual teacher, and they discuss how they worked to ensure that the Buddha’s timeless teachings of liberation remain practical and relevant. They explain how their respective centers each found their own unique way to adapt to the pandemic and continue to serve its meditator community.We first check in with Sean Feit Oakes, an Editor and Community Dharma Leader at Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Next up is Ayya Soma, an Italian monastic and co-founder of Empty Cloud Monastery in West Orange, New Jersey. Finally we speak with to Dick Delanoy, an Assistant Teacher at Dhamma Patapa, a vipassana center in Jesup, Georgia, in the tradition of S.N. Goenka.If you would like to support our mission, we welcome your contribution. You may give by searching “Insight Myanmar” on PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, Go Fund Me, and Patreon, as well as via Credit Card at www.insightmyanmar.org/donation.

8 Dec 20202h 6min