Mettadana - History
The MettaDana Project was begun in 1995 by Steven Smith, in consultation with Sayadaw U Lakkhana, Abbot of Kyaswa Monastery. The initial goal was to give back to the culture that had given him such a wealth of wisdom via the teachings of the Buddha. Over time that giving back has included building hospitals and schools in Wachet Village. It has also included humanitarian relief after the devastating effects of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and support for Burmese refugees in Thailand.
MettaDana primarily operates from Kyaswa Monastery, founded in the 14th century and located in a remote northern area of the Sagaing Hills. The monastery is built on several levels cut into limestone hills rising from the banks of the Irrawadi River. The highest levels overlook the river east to Mandalay and the Shan Plateau beyond. In addition to practicing and transmitting the Buddha's teachings, monasteries in Burma have a long tradition of helping surrounding communities with some of the basic needs of life. The lay community both supports and is supported by the monastery in an interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship founded on “metta”- loving kindness, and “dana”- generosity. Kyaswa Monastery is firmly within this noble tradition.
Nearby lies the ancient village of Wachet, which in the 14th century was designated by the king as the food preparation center for the growing numbers of monks and nuns seeking solitude and inspiration in the Sagaing Hills. In fact, the village name derives from the Burmese words for "food preparation." Now the village has 500 houses and 3000 people, and the monastery is actively involved in improving health and educational conditions.
Sayadaw U Lakkhana, a renowned meditation teacher and founder of the Wachet Jivitadana Sangha Hospital adjacent to the monastery. MDP's efforts in the Sagaing Hills — the Wachet Village School, the Wachet Jivitadana Sangha Hospital, and support of the Thit Seint, Susitarama, and Shwebo Nunneries — would not be possible without Sayadaw's participation and guidance.
On December 26, 2004 a massive tsunami swept large coastal swaths of the Indian Ocean from an earthquake in Sumatra, including the Andaman coast along southern Thailand. Steven Smith was on his way to Golden Buddha Island where he had been teaching vipassana and metta retreats at the time and had the good fortune to meet Htoo Chit, Executive Director of the Foundation for Education and Development. Htoo Chit is a seasoned organizer for refugees and he had come south from a Burmese refugee camp where he lived along the Thai/Burma border. He quickly set up an aid organization to meet the immediate needs of 30,000 Burmese migrant workers, providing water, food, clothes, and shelter. Soon after, he set up a learning center for children in the coastal village of Kuraburi. Here began the MettaDana Project's relationship with Htoo Chit's organization — and a long friendship.
Htoo Chit's work, and our partnership with his, has continued with tsunami victims and the children's learning centers. It also has evolved to include aid for migrant Burmese refugees fleeing not only the cyclone aftermath but also the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks. Trafficking in women and young children has swelled to crisis proportions precipitated by natural disasters and dire poverty levels.