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Sayagyi’s Invitation to Webu Sayadaw

In June 1953, Sayagyi U Ba Khin and Mother Sayamagyi mentally invited the Venerable Webu Sayadaw to come and dwell at the IMC for seven days. Then, Sayagyi sent U Boon Shein, a close disciple, to Kyauksai to make a formal invitation to Ven. Webu Sayadaw. Sayagyi did not give U Boon Shein a formal letter of invitation for the Sayadaw. “Just say that I sent you,” Sayagyi said and gave him instructions concerning the invitation.

U Boon Shein’s first stop was at a friend’s house in Mandalay. “So, it’s the great U Boon Shein,” his friend said in greeting him. “What brings you to Upper Burma so unexpectedly?”

“My teacher has sent me here on a special mission,” U Boon Shein replied. “I came on the first available plane. Can you get me a car, my friend?”

“Who is your teacher? And just what is your special mission?” his friend asked.

“My teacher is Sayagyi U Ba Khin, the Accountant General,” U Boon Shein replied. “A group of us in the Accountant General’s Office have set up a Vipassanā Association and opened a meditation centre. We’ve built a pagoda there. The Accountant General is the teacher at the centre; that’s why we call him ‘Sayagyi’ (revered teacher). He has asked me to invite Ven. Webu Sayadaw to come to Yangon, so I have to go to Kyauksai.”

“You must be mad, U Boon Shein,” his friend said. “Ven. Webu Sayadaw doesn’t even come to Mandalay. What makes you think he’d go as far away as Yangon? He never leaves his monastery. He never accepts invitations.”

“My dear fellow,” U Boon Shein said, “I don’t know anything about all that. It doesn’t concern me. My duty is to simply go to the Sayadaw and convey the message my teacher gave me. The Sayadaw can tell me himself whether he will accept the invitation to come to Yangon or not. Please just arrange for me to have a car to go to Kyauksai as quickly as possible!”

The car was arranged and U Boon Shein approached Ven. Webu Sayadaw around lunch time. In those days, the Sayadaw was not surrounded by crowds of people making offerings when he had his meals — there were only two lay nuns, three or four lay women, and two attendants present. The lay disciples and the attendants, named U Kyaung and Bo Tun, served the Sayadaw every day.

“I have come with a message from Sayagyi U Ba Khin, venerable sir,” U Boon Shein told Ven. Webu Sayadaw. The Sayadaw looked up from his bowl, glanced at U Boon Shein, and said, “Yes, yes,” then continued his meal. When U Boon Shein looked at the Sayadaw’s face, he had the impression the Sayadaw was saying, “Yes, I knew you were coming. Wait for a moment.” U Boon Shein waited humbly.

After finishing his meal, Ven. Webu Sayadaw glanced at U Boon Shein. “Have you come all the way from Yangon, lay disciple?” he asked.

“That is correct, sir. I was sent by the great lay disciple U Ba Khin.”

“The great lay disciple U Ba Khin?”

“Yes, sir. He is the great disciple who came to Webu to pay respects to you before the war. That was in the month of Wagaung in 1302 (1941). Because of your instructions to him, he has been teaching meditation and spreading the Dhamma ever since. After the war, U Ba Khin became Accountant General of Burma and has settled down in Yangon. He teaches meditation to his subordinates in a meditation room in his office. There are also some foreigners who practise meditation under his guidance and who have become Buddhists.”

“It is delightful to hear that he is sharing the Dhamma he obtained through his unwavering effort in the practice,” Ven. Webu Sayadaw said.

“Yes, sir. Accountant General U Ba Khin founded the Vipassanā Research Association in 1951 together with some of his office workers. He has been studying their meditation experiences in a scientific manner. He has compiled a small booklet of his findings entitled The Basic Study of the Buddha’s Teachings and Their Correct Application, and he wishes to submit it to you for your approval. Thanks to your loving kindness and encouragement, he was able to found the Vipassanā Association on the new-moon day of Kason in 1951, and all the employees of the Accountant General’s Office were given permis­sion to join. These office workers’ families also wanted to join, so the space in the shrine room at the office was too small. As a result, we bought a plot of land on Inya Myaing Road. A meditation centre was opened there on the new-moon day of Kason in 1952, and Sayagyi is teaching at the new centre. He has built a Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti on a small hill at the centre, and his main concern now is teaching the Dhamma to foreigners.”

Ven. Webu Sayadaw looked at U Boon Shein with loving kindness as he gave this explanation without asking any questions. Then U Boon Shein conveyed Sayagyi U Ba Khin’s message. “There is a pagoda at the centre now,” he said, “with eight meditation cells. We have also built living quarters for you to live in. Sayagyi has sent me to you to humbly request that out of compassion for us you travel to Yangon to bless the Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti, which was built about a year ago.”

The two attendants and the ladies looked at U Boon Shein and the Sayadaw doubtfully when he said this, but U Boon Shein continued, “I have a special message from Sayagyi U Ba Khin to convey to you, sir: The people of Kyauksai, Shwebo, and Khin U are able to pay respects to the qualities of sīla, samādhi, and paññā as embodied by the venerable Sayadaw, but there are many people in other parts of Burma who cannot easily obtain an opportunity to pay respects to the Sayadaw. Your pāramīs are very powerful and your ability to teach is very great. The places where people have received this Teaching from you are very few. Venerable sir, the great disciple U Ba Khin requests that you leave your monasteries and that, with your great loving kind­ness (mettā) and compassion (karuṇā), you tour the country in order to dispense the cooling Dhamma to all the people of Burma. He says that now is a good time for the Sayadaw to do so.”

U Boon Shein had finished his short speech. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief and waited for the Sayadaw’s reply. Everyone in the little bamboo hut was silent.

“When do you want us to come to Yangon?” the Sayadaw’s voice broke the silence.

“Whenever you wish, sir,” U Boon Shein answered with a trembling voice.

“Well, I don’t think we can leave tomorrow,” Ven. Webu Sayadaw said, “so it will have to be day after tomorrow. Does it suit you if we come day after tomorrow?”

U Boon Shein was so happy he could hardly speak. “It … it is suitable, sir,” he said. “I’ll inform Yangon immediately so that every­thing can be made ready.”

The Sayadaw sent Bo Tun to fetch two monks, U Ñāṇa and U Sumana. When they arrived, he said, “We are going to Yangon to instruct the disciples there. Arrange everything for the journey with this lay disciple. We will go with six monks and two attendants.”

The two monks were so surprised they could scarcely believe their ears. They went outside and asked U Boon Shein to explain. Then they conferred on the arrangements for the trip to Yangon. The date was Friday, July 3, 1953. They agreed that the trip would be made by train on Sunday, July 5th. U Boon Shein went back into the Sayadaw’s hut to pay respects and to inform him of the arrangements.

“The Sayadaw and his disciples will travel by train to Yangon on Sunday,” he said. “Please inform your disciple of any special require­ments for your stay in Yangon.”

“Just ask the great disciple in Yangon to provide toilet facilities in accordance with the Vinaya rules for the monks,” Ven. Webu Sayadaw said. “There’s nothing else we need.”

U Boon Shein went back to Mandalay and headed straight for the telephone exchange in order to call Yangon. As the Accountant General’s Office was one of the most important government depart­ments, U Boon Shein was able to speak to Sayagyi and convey the good news to him in no time. He then went to his friend’s office to tell him what had happened. His friend was very surprised. U Boon Shein waited in his friend’s office to hear from Sayagyi. Within an hour, he was told that everything had been arranged. Tickets had been bought and places booked on the train for the monks, the lay disciples, and U Boon Shein.