From Myanmar to the World: Part 1 – Caves To Pagodas

Author: Marta Van Patten
Publisher: Pariyatti Publishing
Publication Date: 2020
Product Type: MP4 Video
Language: English

Long ago, after receiving guidance from the Buddha, meditators would withdraw to practice in the solitude of a forest or a cave. Fast forward to the 1950s, when Burmese meditation master Sayagyi U Ba Khin was planning his ideal meditation center in Yangon. Inspired by some ancient structures in India, he chose a design featuring concentric rings of meditation “caves,” sheltered under the soaring structure of a golden Burmese zedi, or pagoda. This is the story of how Sayagyi U Ba Khin’s design was re-created first in India by his disciple, S.N. Goenka, and decades later in locations all over the world. For a meditation tradition that claims to have nothing to do with organized religion, some questioned the seemingly religious architecture. But are the pagodas merely decorative, or is there a practical function, something meditators can actually experience and benefit from?

This one-hour film follows a few Westerners among the thousands, who traveled the world in the early 1970s, “looking for something.” It’s the story of those hippies and seekers who discovered India, S.N. Goenka and the priceless gift of Dhamma. It’s also the story of a remarkable man who brought Vipassana meditation to the world. And finally, it’s a heartfelt tribute to the land and people of India.