Having been born in Lashio, in the Shan state of northern Myanmar, Master Hsin Tao aspires to preserve the ancient Buddhist culture of the area and encourages spiritual practitioners from around the world to visit. In 2002, Master Hsin Tao began to build a fully equipped meditation center, the Dhamma Wun-tha Kyaung, next to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The center was completed in 2006, and the “eye-opening ceremony” was held in 2007. Since then, the center has been organizing pilgrimages, offerings to the Saṅgha, and retreats, and also provides assistance to poor children in the area.
Moreover, the Global Family of Love and Peace (GFLP) is establishing an international eco-farm at Naung Moon near Lashio, in northern Myanmar’s Shan state. The project plans to utilize environmentally friendly agricultural practices to enhance the local quality of life, provide an opportunity for impoverished local farmers to engage in right-livelihood, and provide children with practical education and vocational training. The Naung Moon Farm project stresses practicality, character building, and self-sufficiency. After four years of planning, the GFLP now has an overall plan for a program which integrates education and organic farming.
Escaping from poverty
With the support of an international “seed plan,” the first planting began in 2006, and the site has alreadybeen transformed from wasteland into thriving farmland. The development plan for the Naung Moon Farm is to utilize organic farming techniques in the cultivation of high-value crops such as corn, citronella, and Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides), in the process creating local jobs and promoting sustainable development.
All along, the GFLP has been closely cooperating with international consultants and local development specialists to formulate a long-term development plan aimed to satisfy local needs, with special emphasis on the needs of local children. Part of the farm’s proceeds will be used to assist orphans and fund a variety of educational programs designed to promote self-sufficiency and pride in the local culture.
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