One of sophisticated modern techniques, web-based-networking, does really well in this time. Via it, all kinds of memorial activities dedicated to Sayadaw U Ottama have been flying throughout the world. Some produce flyers, some photos, some poems, some pieces of notes and so on. Is there a brilliant wonder such as to do fire-work for Sayadaw? RIGHT! We really wanted to but no chance! Anyway, the bird on the hand is definitely worthier: that is – Sangha Dana by serving with our hardly-head-up Rakhine noodle to the entire Sangha in the temple and our friendly, warmly, knowledgably meeting colored with Saydaw’s memorials.
In the wider sense, Sayadaw is widely regarded as a freedom-starter, as a national leader, as one who pushed back invaders to go home and grew No-Fear spirit to people against any Governance body. More, throughout political history, he was the one who first was put in jail as a Buddhist monk for political speech against British Hegemony. So, was he a politician or a nationalist?
Personally for me, neither of them is he but a scholar. I am not going to utilize here some diacritical, academic precise jargon term to describe him. By myself, I feel the term scholar totally enough to refer to him with Buddhistic, Humanistic, nationalistic view. Of course, the term scholar is no more needed to modify, due to having done well before and very easily get in it, but for some reasons with more precise and more penetration into his activities, to re-define that term again will be very fitting, I assume.
A scholar or Buddhist scholar for him as I found his life-long activities is someone who can adjust to balance between Government and Civil society. No necessarily thoroughly looking but from a certain distance, even observing it, well-balance between them will be hardly found out. In the middle of them, nevertheless, honoured scholars in wide range have been always trying to customize fair-balanced-system throughout the history all around the world.
We can proudly say one of them who trying to sort things out in the messy world was Sayadaw, who definitely saw it that throughout the Asia continent, at the time, almost 80% such huge land was governed by invaders: From Europe, predominately British: From Asia, Japanese. Sayadaw’s dislike would be definitely British Hegemony overwhelming to our nation, Myanmar, a Buddhist land with such Buddhist icons: Shwetigone and Mahamuni. Situation would be very serious with long nightmare of fear against British. National characteristic Buddhism or Buddhist education was deteriorating but colony-based- education was growing. Such un-balanced condition couldn’t make such Buddhist scholar, Sayadaw U Ottama, tolerance more. Thus, he started to break out nation-wide-fear against British, by saying this: "Craddock, Get Out!"
Credit: Sayadaw U Ottama : A model of Scholar
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