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Annex 3

(The Writer - Myint Swe)

(An Extract From 23-6-72 The Workers Daily Newspaper)

Kushinagar Saradawgree U Chandramani, who has tried very hard to rebuild and promote Buddhism in India, has laid his head in Indian soil on 8-5-72.

The last King of Myanmar, King Thibaw, who had similarly tried to replant the seed of Buddha Sasana in India, also laid his head in India fifty-six years ago.

Although both Kushinagar Saradaw and King Thibaw had stayed and spent time in India, they did not live near one another, and were separated by land and water. However, these two dignitaries met by chance sixty-four years ago. Because it was a chance meeting, Kushinagar Saradawgree recorded it in his diary, a diary that was noteworthy and very interesting. An extract of it is as follows:

"It was at about 6 pm. on 25 April, we went to the King's residential palace as informed and pre-arranged by the King's Minister. Lined up to greet us on each side of the road in a military fashion were the King's palace guards wearing red uniforms, holding a pennant in each hand, and wearing a hat with a peacock insignia. As it had been so many years since we had seen such a display of the Burmese King's bearers in uniform, complete with peacock insignia, we were not able to admire it; instead, we became very sad and utterly speechless. As we quietly entered the King's palace, a high-ranking officer from the reception line came out to first respectfully greet Kushinagar Saradaw and asked to follow him. As we came to the residential gate, Saradaw saw our noble King Thibaw with both his palms up in the venerating posture; his face, however, showed that he was a very unhappy and discontented man. When they came face-to-face the King was in tears and all those in the room were also in tears. In a very sad and pitiful voice the King humbly invited Saradaw to enter; they went into a very well decorated room and took their seats. The Minister introduced the King to the visitors together with their names and addresses.

The King asked: "The gentleman called Dhammapala; is he a Bhikkhu, a Samanera or an Anagarika?"
Kushinagar Saradaw: "Neither a Bhikku, a Samanera nor an Anagarika, my devotee".
King Thibaw: "If not so, how am I to know him?"

Kushinagar Saradaw: "One who does not observe eight precepts nor ten precepts; however, he abstains from wrong bodily actions and wrong speech; he is one who tries very hard to see that Buddha Dhamma is widely spread out".

King Thibaw: "That is good".

"Dhammapala: Kushinagar wishes to tell you why we have come".
King's Minister: "Please tell us Venerable Sir".

First, Kushinagar Saradaw took the opportunity to explain why Dhammapala had established the Maha Bodhi Society and its aims and objectives. Saradaw then explained about the "Rest House", the building that King Min Don had built and the reason for the crisis that developed, and the court case that followed. Saradaw then said, "I clearly wish to know who built that house?"

King Thibaw then told them that Nyaungwun Scribe Mahaminnhla Thinkharya and parry went on a mission to Maha Bodhi in Buddha Gaya. He indicated the day, the month and the year that the party had the building constructed, and donated it on behalf of King Min Don. King Thibaw remarked that the present Hindu Guru Mahant might not know the true story and hence the argument and the crisis that had arisen.

As remarked by King Thibaw, it was a very important fact that the Mahant, the adversary of Dhammapala, was not the Mahant who lived in the days of King Min Don. That Mahant was the eleventh "Haymanarayan Guru" Mahant who looked after the Maha Bodhi building from 1867 till 1891. The adversary Mahant was the twelfth Mahant, the "Trishargardayar Guru" who succeeded from 1891 to 1935.

King Thibaw continued: "I have to live here and it is most difficult for me to meet any Bhikkhu. I am really so pleased to have met you, Saradaws".

Kushinagar Saradaw replied: "For the sake of Buddha Sasana, we have come to meet you in this city of Ratanagiri; it was a great pleasure to have met with you and to have had a very friendly talk".
After learning about exact details of the `Kuthodaw Rest House' from King Thibaw and since the purpose of the travel had been achieved, Kushinagar Saradaw and Anagarika Dhammapala said good-bye and left the King's residential palace in Ratanagiri. King Thibaw himself, with both palms upturned as a mark of respect, accompanied them to the departure gates and very sadly remained there.