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reminded one another. Even the Tittis knew of how the Buddha enjoyed quiet. Buddhist monks, nuns, and lay people, who call themselves students of the Buddha, should know and follow the Buddha's wishes in carrying out Sâsana affairs.
There are many various "Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies" done with loudspeakers all over the place in Myanmar. Even at the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha, yogis have to listen to those sounds of ones going on nearby.
"If the Buddha were alive would he like these 'Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies'? The Buddha, who cherished quiet, would not like them," Sayadaw often says. "People paying respects to the Buddha over blasting loudspeakers is not in accord with the Buddha's wishes, either."
I'm sure that those who organize "Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies" and pay respects like that would say that they are doing it with the intention of increasing the faith of those who hear. Buddhists, who are students of the Buddha, should think about how much something is in accord with the wishes of the Buddha and do it the way which is in accord with the Buddha's wishes. If those who hear the recitations are really filled with faith by them, then the organizers' intentions will have been realized. Most likely, though, they are not. Have to stay awake listening to that sound rather than having peace and quiet at bedtime most likely does not cultivate faith. There are probably those who find it chaotic, noisy and tiring. It's quite possible that those whose faith is not inspired by these types of things could see them that way. Meditating yogis, as well, would like to mediate in quiet.
That's the kind of experience I imagine that those who have to listen to this stuff could have. I don't mean to say that "Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies" and paying obeisance to the Buddha are not good. It's no good to get in the way of the faith aroused by these things. I find myself wondering if the "Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies" and obeisance were broadcast over loudspeakers in the Jetavanna Monastery where the Buddha lived, and he had heard, whether he would have given the inspiring and gratifying words, "Dear ones, very good, very good, sâdhu, sâdhu", or would they have been expelled with the words, "Be gone, Be gone," as Sâriputta and Moggalâna and their five hundred students were. Students of the Buddha have to think about whether something is in accord with his wishes or not.
If you were to ask the yogis who come from abroad to meditate how they feel about the "Unceasing Paþþhana Chanting Ceremonies" and obeisance, they would probably be able to tell you about the way things are abroad. In their nations if one were to cause this kind of noise disturbance, the neighbors would make a complaint. If they were unsuccessful, they would take the offender to court, they would tell you. People who are not Buddhists value quiet, as well. They don't like interfering with others' freedom. These non-Buddhist come from places many thousands of miles away and spend a great deal of money to come study this satipatthana from Myanmar, our own Buddha-Dhamma. Therefore, we who call ourselves Buddhists should be going all out to help them so that the guidance of the Buddha is established in the hearts of these non-
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