Myanmar Earthquake Relief Jouney: A Record from the Thai Plum Village Sangha

Dear friends on the path,

Breathe as one body, as part of Plum Village community in Asia and the long term relationship with MCU and IBSC, Thai Plum Village Sangha would like to humbly ask for your support the reconstruction of the Ma Soe Yein Monastery in Myanmar, which suffered severe destruction after the earthquake on Mar 28.

This monastery is the home and practice center for 2,800 Buddhist monastics which some of them currently study at IBSC.

As we are aware that the rain retreat is approaching, we would like to invite you all to join hands with us in the donation for reconstruction to help the monastics to have sufficient condition to maintain their practice.

Alongside this crucial need for rebuilding, there was an immediate call for medical supplies. Thanks to your generous hearts, five monastics from the Thai Plum Village Sangha were able to personally deliver these necessities starting on Thursday, April 24th.

The following is a record of that journey to offer relief, written by Br. Nhat Niem, one of the monastics who participated in this compassionate journey. April 19, 2025. Dr. Suthida Suwanvecho and Dr. Chorthip Nartsupha Phattanasri representing the Sangha offered medicines and medical supplies to Br. Chan Troi Ky Ngo, a Dharma Teacher from Thai Plum Village. He will deliver these necessities to the medical facilities in Mandalay, the city that suffered heavy damage from the earthquake occurred on March 28, 2025.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the donation of 262,180 Baht enable us to have enough funds to acquire medicines and medical supplies that monastics from Thai Plum Village could bring to Myanmar. Therefore we would like to end the donations through the doctors’ bank account.

April 23, 2025.

We have gathered all these medical supplies, carefully and respectfully organized and packed them with heartfelt intention in every action we took, with the wish that these supplies will reach the people of Myanmar who are in need. This reminds us of our dear teacher, who once carefully wrapped each packet of medicine to send to victims of the war in Vietnam.

He captured this in his poem:

'Poetry in every line of writing

Poetry in every lid

discreetly nurturing Love.' April 25, 2025

At 3:00 AM, we departed from Yangon for Taunggyi, a city in Shan State. The area surrounding Taunggyi was also heavily affected by the earthquake. Although the estimated travel time was 9 hours, the numerous security checkpoints extended our journey to 15 hours.

Upon arrival, we delivered medicine and medical supplied funded by donations from our kind Thai Plum village community and friends with some support from Bumrungrad International hospital to Khaing Myitta Hospital in Taunggyi.

In recent times, Khaing Myitta Hospital has been actively organizing medical relief efforts for communities in nearby areas impacted by the earthquake. In the Innlay Lake region near Taunggyi, many houses collapsed, forcing residents to live outdoors. Many suffered injuries, including broken bones and open wounds, and faced extremely unsanitary living conditions. Consequently, local hospitals are in urgent need of medicines and medical supplies to treat the affected population.

The hospital will distribute the donated supplies to those in need and has also requested our assistance in supporting patients who are unable to afford medical expenses. April 26, 2025

At 3 PM, we arrived in Mandalay after a long journey of 264 kilometers from Taunggyi, much of it winding through rugged mountain passes. Mandalay was one of the two cities most severely affected by the powerful earthquake that struck at the end of March. As we entered the city, the first scenes that greeted us were of collapsed houses and temples. People were still busy clearing away the rubble left in the earthquake’s wake.

Following the guidance of a local guide, our group traveled to a village that had been devastated. Many families had lost everything and were forced to sleep outdoors under the scorching midday heat of 40 degrees Celsius. We met a mother who had watched helplessly as her daughter was struck and killed by falling bricks. A husband mourned the loss of his wife, who had died while trying to save her own mother. A woman who had lost her husband burst into tears upon receiving a small donation of charity. A man who had lost his entire family sat in silent despair, his will to live seemingly extinguished.

Their losses were beyond repair. All we could offer was our presence, and a listening heart to share in their immense suffering.

After leaving the village, we visited Masoyen Monastery, home to around 3,000 monks. The monastery’s major buildings had completely collapsed, and others, although still standing, were declared unsafe and marked for demolition. We made a donation of 8000 usd to support the monastery’s reconstruction efforts, along with an additional 2,000 usd to assist with the monks’ living expenses. We hope the monastery will soon be restored, continuing its role as a sanctuary for nurturing the spiritual path of Buddha’s followers.

Tonight was particularly memorable, as we experienced a small part of the hardship endured by the earthquake victims: sleeping outdoors without electricity, enduring the sweltering 32-degree heat, and waking in the middle of the night to two tremors, measuring 4.0 and 3.2 on the Richter scale.

April 27, 2025 – Final Day of the Relief Suffering Trip in Myanmar

We departed early this morning for Mandalay Hospital, where nearly 50 earthquake victims remain hospitalized. Most have suffered broken arms or legs, severe burns, or even the loss of limbs. Some of the very young novice monks and nuns, unable to endure the pain, would cry themselves into unconsciousness. Depending on each individual’s situation, we offered donations ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 kyats (approximately 10 to 30 USD)

After leaving the hospital, we continued our journey to Sagaing — the second epicenter of the earthquake and home to many of Myanmar’s most renowned monasteries. As soon as we crossed Sagaing Bridge, the devastation before us was unlike anything we had seen in Mandalay. Although the destruction in Mandalay had seemed overwhelming, it was incomparable to the scene here. Roads and bridges were destroyed, electricity and water supplies had been cut off, and the monasteries suffered equally grave damage.

We traveled into the Sagaing mountain range, where around 200 nunneries are located, each sheltering dozens of nuns. Most monasteries still lack the resources to begin reconstruction. Here, we offered a total of 7,000 USD, along with mindfulness songs for the baby nuns.

Guided by the nuns, we visited Tha Kya Di Tar, the largest Buddhist academy in the region, known for training some of Myanmar’s most outstanding young nuns. Heartbreakingly, none of the academy's buildings remained usable. The headmistress, the deputy headmistress, and seven other nuns lost their lives in the earthquake. We donated the remaining 3,000 USD to the academy — a small amount compared to the enormous cost of even dismantling a collapsed building.

Following this, we visited Sagaing Hospital, where we delivered half of our remaining medical supplies and provided gifts to the victims there.

Crossing the broken Doke Hta Wadi Bridge, we reached three Muslim villages that had been split by deep seismic cracks. Many villagers had died when the Mosque ceilings collapsed during the earthquake. According to local officials, two of these villages had not yet received any aid. We provided each family with 100,000 kyats (approximately 25 USD), a sum that could sustain them for about a week.

Over the past four days, the five of us have strived to use every hour we have to bring the heartfelt support and compassion of sanghas near and far to the earthquake victims. We have also worked to share the most accurate and up-to-date information. Yet, we understand deeply that overcoming the vast destruction will require many more hands and countless compassionate hearts. We earnestly pray for the blessings of the Triple Gem — the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha — upon the people of Myanmar.

Summary of Areas in Urgent Need of Further Support:

• Tha Kya Di Tar Buddhist Academy (demolishing damaged buildings then reconstruction)

• Nunneries in the Sagaing Mountain Range (shelter)

• Villages near Doke Hta Wadi Bridge (buying clean water, hygiene)

Finally, as a farewell, another earthquake — a 4.4 magnitude — hit Mandalay at around 10:30 PM.

We returned safely to the monastery at 1 a.m. on April 29. Though the total donation of 25,000 USD may not seem like a large amount, but without the support, blessings, and permission of the Monastic Dharma Teacher Council, the contribution of the fourfold Sangha, it would have been impossible to bring to the earthquake victims.