San Lwin - About a man who believed in and worshipped the Three Jewels

Fourth printing new idea order

The book "Three Jewels" was divided into four volumes and published several times in the past, but the following difficulties were encountered unexpectedly. These difficulties were that after the first volume was printed and published, when the remaining volumes were printed and published, the first volume was sold out, so those who had to buy the remaining volumes were disappointed; the publisher had to print and publish one volume after another, which made it more difficult for the publisher; and the reader had difficulty obtaining the complete volume due to the split headers; because the book "Three Jewels" was published in small volumes, it did not become a solid book on the bookshelf; some people who could not buy it and borrowed it from the owner would not return it after reading the first volume, and would only return the money, so those who had the remaining volumes were left with a sense of unwholesomeness and sorrow, etc.

Some wealthy and devoted friends of the Dhamma, after purchasing and donating about fifty volumes of the “Three Jewels,” came to the author and told him that they wanted to buy more but could not afford to buy more volumes.

Myint Chan U Aung, a great friend of Dhamma, bought the first volume of “Three Jewels” (100) and donated them to his friends. However, he had to wait a long time for the remaining volumes to be available.

My friend U Myat Tun, director of the Pakkar Water Bottle Company, repeatedly told me to release the next “Three Jewels” as a single volume.

One day, while the Monle Dhamma Camp was being held, the fifth-degree Dhamma Sariya Chan Aye Sayadaw personally came to the author’s residence and said, “Daka, if you publish the Three Jewels this time, I urge you to publish them in a single, neat and tidy volume so that they will be respected by the people and the elders.” Now, the time has come for the publication of the “Three Jewels” for the sixth time. I (the author, San Lwin) have also arrived at the feet of the great Sayadaw (Adhisaramthi) in the small village of Wet Thakin on the eastern shore of Inle Lake, far from the worldly wealth and comforts, as a monk seeking only the Dhamma that will free us from the bondage of samsara. The second part of the life of San Lwin, who wanted to become a true Buddhist and sought the Dhamma, has been planned to be written as the fifth to eighth volumes of the second part of the “Three Jewels” No. (2), and therefore, the first to fourth volumes published now have been published as a single volume under the title “Three Jewels” First Part No. (1) and are published in a neat and dignified manner.

kind regards

Author - San Lwin (Ashin Adisaramthi)

Wat Thakin School, Inle Lake

Research Officer, Department of Religious Affairs

Introduction by U Han Htay

Life experience is something that everyone has. If we can form our own life perspective based on life experience, that experience becomes a valuable life value. This concept will be evident in this book.

When the experience of real life becomes a thought, it becomes a lesson for life, a guide for life. Those thoughts indicate what to do and what to avoid in life. Then, for humans, it becomes clear that the path of life they have to walk is the path that leads to the Noble Truth. This idea will also be revealed in this book.

Real life experiences are sometimes ordinary. Sometimes they are extraordinary. Even when they are extraordinary, they are more interesting than fiction. As interesting as they are, they also have profound and broad meanings.

The Buddha's life experiences, such as the Pitaka, the Nipa, the Apadana, the Thera, the Thera, and the Dhammapada, are all examples of the Dhamma that can bring many benefits to all people of all ages. In these stories, the Buddha spoke both good and bad. He did not exaggerate in order to make people think too much. He did not exaggerate. He did not hide his fear of being thought too small. He spoke boldly about the nature as it is.

It is true. It is also true that honest, kind-hearted, courageous, and courageous writers should write openly about their life experiences, whether they have been wrong or right, and what is right should be written as it is.

A good writer should not seek the admiration of the audience.

It is also important not to underestimate them. It is clear that the Attapati literature such as Pi Moe Ning's Pi Moe Ning, Maha Swe's Maha Swe, Shwe U Daung's Life History, Ashin Adiswamsa's Attapati, Dagontara's Dagontara, and Thawta Swe's Life in General are bold and honest writings. This spirit will also be clearly seen in this book.

The simple Attakapatti texts mentioned above show a humanistic character. The subject matter is also interesting. The writers are also skilled writers, but they are quite standard. However, in the ancient Attakapatti literature, the philosophical view of life and logical thinking and analysis of the phenomena of the world (vibhajja) are only mentioned in a small part, and the emphasis is on experiences.

The desire to read a book that philosophically examines life and seeks the truth of the world, a book that explores the essence of life, had been growing in my heart since I read Bhataran Ratser's book, The Essence of Life. I can say that this desire has now been fulfilled.

San Lwin, in his essay titled “About a Man Who Believed in and Worshipped the Three Jewels,” presents many philosophical views and thoughts on life in a wonderfully unique and brilliant way, so much so that he can say that his longing has been fulfilled.

There is a reason why this paper is unique and outstanding. The reason is that San Lwin describes his life experiences in a straightforward, unashamed manner, and this paper is like a true, full-length paper, with one line, one paragraph, and one paragraph.

In fact, San Lwin was a person who had studied philosophy for many years under the guidance of great teachers at the university, and he himself was a philosopher and writer. In this book, he clearly and boldly describes many ideas and philosophies that have emerged in the world, as well as many of his own ideas (philosophy). This book is like a book of ideas, in a way.

This document resembles a novel because San Lwin did not just use his brain to write this letter, but also wrote it in a way that conveyed the feelings of his heart.

He had to give and take this letter with great value, through his closeness to life, through various sacrifices and various sacrifices, so I believe that the uniqueness and value of this letter are also very high, and I believe that everyone who reads it will surely think the same way. I dare say so.

It is evident in this letter that San Lwin writes about his life in general with a very honest and open mind. He is a seeker of the meaning of life. He is a seeker of the truth of life. He is a seeker of the value of life. He is a seeker of the goal of life. I would also like to say that he is a seeker of the actions that will lead to the goal of life, and then he does them.

During his search, he also abandoned his traditional beliefs and worship. Although he had his own ideology, he was a person who gave up when he saw the error of that ideology. In his journey to seek the truth, he had to leave his parents and relatives. He had to leave his beloved, who was close to his heart. He had to leave his marriage. He had to leave his position and wealth. He had to leave his opportunities. He had to leave his status. Therefore, I think San Lwin is a brave person in giving up. He is not afraid to give up everything when faced with the issue of freedom of mind and being free from prejudice and doubts, and being able to live a clear mind. I don't know if it is a special feature of San Lwin that is different from others. It is possible that people who pray and want perfection are brave in giving up.

San Lwin was a person who searched for the logic of the universe, the logic of the universe, the logic of the universe, and the logic of the universe throughout his life. He was always searching for the truest and best “Dhamma”, and he was familiar with various ideologies. He had interacted with them. However, these various ideologies could not dominate his heart. This could be because of the natural logic (philosophy) he had learned. What is more remarkable is that he was very close to Buddhism in his past lives and worked for the religion. Because there is no such life, it is very difficult for him to overcome such difficult and lofty ideological walls one by one and strive to reach the goal of Buddhism. This work is indeed a very risky work. This is also reflected in this biography.

I feel like San Lwin wrote this letter with both his heart and his brain.

This attitude is evident in his discussions with his professors, teachers, and monks, and in his descriptions of how he became interested in the “strange and miraculous” things he encountered in the practice of meditation, and how he began to follow the sectarian ideology and practices as if they were real, and how he eventually came to see that these strange things and the false saviors were devoid of substance. The descriptions of how a layman finds fault before he finds the Dhamma are like trying out the noble path.

For others, there are only things to be aware of. This letter will also give them that awareness of life.

San Lwin describes how those who seek the noble truth lose their primary focus and put secondary issues first, and how the reasons for this arise, which is interesting because he presents it based on his own experience. It is not surprising that San Lwin pursued the path of siddhi and mahiddhi powers as if they were strange. Even the venerable Sun Lun Gu Monastery teacher, the Buddha, repeatedly warned his disciples, “The paths of siddhi and iddhi, the worldly knowledge, are very attractive. I am very lucky and intelligent, so I have been able to abandon that world. If I do not abandon it, I will drown.” This paper shows that San Lwin was also lucky and intelligent, and was able to escape from those two paths. In fact, the essence of Theravada Buddhism is not a saviorism. It is a “self-reliance” philosophy. I don't know if it can be said that the Myanmar translations of the Pitaka and the Dipani books of Leti Sayadaw saved San Lwin. It is a great joy that he got back on the right path in time.

And I also think that San Lwin's life is similar to the life in the sermons that I heard the monk say when I met with the Italian monk U Lokana Hta. (That monk was a person who converted from Roman Catholicism to Buddhism.)

The monk said, “Daka, a king’s son, when his father dies and he automatically becomes king, does not know the value of being a king, nor does he know how great the duties of a king are. Similarly, Daka, those who have become Buddhists since birth do not understand the value of the Three Jewels, the value and power of the Three Jewels. A man who has become a king from a poor man knows the value of being a king better. When he sees for himself how great the values ​​he has cultivated in life, such as faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, he no longer wants to be foolish. Only he knows how much he has suffered, lost, and given up. Therefore, every time he venerates the Three Jewels, he feels joy. Similarly, Daka, everyone who has converted from another religion to a Theravada Buddhist is like a person who has become a millionaire from a poor man. "I feel it," he said.

Yes. Compared to most traditional Buddhists, there is no doubt that those who have abandoned other religious beliefs and come to Buddhism know the value of Buddhism better. Most Buddhists, instead of believing in and worshiping the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, are interested in matters of power, identity, and mystery. Here, I am reminded of the teachings of the Venerable Khanti Sayadaw, who said, “Do not speak strangely in the Dhamma, and do not speak harshly.” In fact, it should be understood that a simple mind (amayavi asaththo) is a powerful and courageous mind. When I read this letter, I understood that.

I have read this book over and over again in my life.

Therefore, I would like to offer some suggestions on how to approach and handle this book.

The first approach is to approach this book as a comprehensive document that presents the author’s life experiences and views with a sincere and open mind. In this study, he presents his life views as he knows them, and the reader may agree or disagree with them, so there is reason to tolerate differences. San Lwin does not present the views he wants to present out of egotism, but rather tries to present them through the reading of books. Here, San Lwin does not claim that his views are always correct. It can also be noted that he always leaves it open to others to express their views if they are more logical or more correct.

The second approach is to examine San Lwin's thoughts, which express philosophical views based on life experiences. By looking at his views, we mean examining his level of awareness, his wisdom, and his level of maturity.