LJM Myanmar Aid: From Disaster Relief to Sustainable Ecological Reconstruction
The major earthquake on March 28, 2025, devastated multiple regions in Myanmar, leaving countless households displaced. LJM's relentless efforts over the past months have resulted in the completion and operation of numerous modular homes and reconstructed temples, demonstrating tangible results of international aid. As new structures rose, residents regained stable dwellings, and the light of their faith rekindled. This entire endeavor stemmed from a core instruction of compassion given by the LJM Founding Abbot, Grand Master Hsin Tao, who was born in Myanmar: "LJM goes where there is suffering." This statement became the driving force behind LJM's cross-border compassionate actions, inaugurating a path of spiritual recovery guided by compassion and wisdom.
Compassion and Wisdom: The Highest Guideline for Translating Vows into Action
Upholding the compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Grand Master Hsin Tao has long advocated the concept of "spiritual ecology." In this disaster relief and reconstruction effort, LJM mobilized its followers and international resources and employed Buddhist wisdom to reflect on the suffering and hope of local people. Spanning from emergency relief, medical outreach, and living assistance to the reconstruction of houses and temples, the entire effort embodies the spirit of compassion and wisdom going hand in hand.
Immediately after the disaster, LJM set up tents and distributed porridge in the disaster area, and urgently transported dry food, medicine, and body bags from Taiwan and Thailand. Then, it cooperated with the international non-governmental organization Community Partners International (CPI) to launch medical clinics in the hardest-hit areas and provide living allowances to hundreds of unemployed disaster victims.
Subsequently, in collaboration with the Chung-Hwa International Merits Society of Buddha-puja and Sangha-dana, they jointly surveyed the disaster area, distributed rice and financial aid, and helped 12 temples and 229 households rebuild their basic livelihoods. This act, in addition to generosity, also made the outreach an opportunity for awakening among all sentient beings.
From Compassion to Spiritual Resilience: Witnessing Deep, Layered Strengths for Reconstruction
Entering the "Housing Reconstruction Project" phase, LJM is assisting in batches in Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw, and other areas. Each monastery received a donation of 100 million kyats for the construction of reinforced concrete buildings. The new structures at five monasteries are expected to be completed before the monsoon season next year. Additionally, 43 prefabricated houses were built for the Thilashin (nuns’ community) in Sagaing, and two thatched huts were completed at a monastery in the remote Mingun district of Sagaing to provide accommodation for disaster victims who fled to the monastery.
In addition, LJM collaborated with Fo Guang Shan to assist in the construction of 107 multifunctional modular houses for both monasteries and local residents, meeting the specific needs of monastics. These units are designed for diverse uses, including worship, study, accommodation, and dining. It is anticipated that 50 of these units will be completed by mid-November.
This aid from LJM is both charitable and spiritually educational. Venerable Heng Ming, Deputy Dean of the LJM Maha Kusala Yama Monastery Sramanena Orphan School, Myanmar, mentioned that some nunneries in Mandalay adopted homeless little girls who struggled to survive in tents after the earthquake until the completion of prefabricated houses, providing them with a place to live. The precepts-holding nuns frequently clasped their hands in gratitude. Through reconstruction, local monks and residents witnessed how faith and action intertwined to create resilience, transforming disaster into an opportunity for spiritual growth.
In-Depth Care Surpassing Materials: from Stable Housing to a Settled State of Mind
Venerable Jing Nien, Superintendent of the LJM International Meditation Center in Myanmar (Maha Kusala Yama Monastery), stated that, having overcome numerous difficulties in land acquisition, over a hundred prefabricated houses were built for residents. Constructed primarily of steel, plywood, and aluminum lattice materials, these well-ventilated houses incorporate solar energy, water and utility facilities, and shared kitchen and bathroom spaces, showcasing an integrated spirit of ecological sustainability and humanistic care. These "breathing prefabricated houses" are not only shelters from wind and rain but also spaces where life can breathe anew, embodying LJM's pioneering concept of "spiritual ecology." Future plans include continuing to assist in reconstruction efforts in areas such as Taunggyi.
Venerable Jing Nien said that the residents are steadfast in their faith and show mutual assistance and love. After the disaster, they took the initiative to clean up the temple and rebuild it with bricks and tiles. "The power of their faith enabled them to stand up again from the rubble," which is truly moving. While rebuilding, the LJM team also provided spiritual care for the residents, helping them to move from "having a place to live" to "finding peace of mind." This "peace of mind" is not only about the building structure, but also about finding a sense of belonging on a spiritual level, allowing faith to become a life-sustaining strength.
Spiritual Ecology: A Paradigm of Sustainable Reconstruction on the Global Stage
LJM further donated funds to support the rebuilding of the collapsed Ministry of Religious Affairs building in Naypyidaw, and also provided financing for the restoration of damaged pagodas in the Bago region. This symbolizes LJM's commitment to translating its philosophy of spiritual ecology into tangible evidence of international aid and relief.
When rubble is transformed into homes and suffering into aspiration, LJM, with compassion as its vessel and wisdom as its rudder, navigates its compassionate actions across religions and borders. From the first hot meal after the disaster to every future haven, it assists Myanmar in overcoming the catastrophe, bringing hope for rebirth, setting a practical example of spiritual ecology for the world, and guiding the world to see with the spirit of Buddhism that "true sustainability lies not in buildings, but in an awakened heart."
Compassion and Wisdom: The Highest Guideline for Translating Vows into Action
Upholding the compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Grand Master Hsin Tao has long advocated the concept of "spiritual ecology." In this disaster relief and reconstruction effort, LJM mobilized its followers and international resources and employed Buddhist wisdom to reflect on the suffering and hope of local people. Spanning from emergency relief, medical outreach, and living assistance to the reconstruction of houses and temples, the entire effort embodies the spirit of compassion and wisdom going hand in hand.
Immediately after the disaster, LJM set up tents and distributed porridge in the disaster area, and urgently transported dry food, medicine, and body bags from Taiwan and Thailand. Then, it cooperated with the international non-governmental organization Community Partners International (CPI) to launch medical clinics in the hardest-hit areas and provide living allowances to hundreds of unemployed disaster victims.
Subsequently, in collaboration with the Chung-Hwa International Merits Society of Buddha-puja and Sangha-dana, they jointly surveyed the disaster area, distributed rice and financial aid, and helped 12 temples and 229 households rebuild their basic livelihoods. This act, in addition to generosity, also made the outreach an opportunity for awakening among all sentient beings.
From Compassion to Spiritual Resilience: Witnessing Deep, Layered Strengths for Reconstruction
Entering the "Housing Reconstruction Project" phase, LJM is assisting in batches in Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw, and other areas. Each monastery received a donation of 100 million kyats for the construction of reinforced concrete buildings. The new structures at five monasteries are expected to be completed before the monsoon season next year. Additionally, 43 prefabricated houses were built for the Thilashin (nuns’ community) in Sagaing, and two thatched huts were completed at a monastery in the remote Mingun district of Sagaing to provide accommodation for disaster victims who fled to the monastery.
In addition, LJM collaborated with Fo Guang Shan to assist in the construction of 107 multifunctional modular houses for both monasteries and local residents, meeting the specific needs of monastics. These units are designed for diverse uses, including worship, study, accommodation, and dining. It is anticipated that 50 of these units will be completed by mid-November.
This aid from LJM is both charitable and spiritually educational. Venerable Heng Ming, Deputy Dean of the LJM Maha Kusala Yama Monastery Sramanena Orphan School, Myanmar, mentioned that some nunneries in Mandalay adopted homeless little girls who struggled to survive in tents after the earthquake until the completion of prefabricated houses, providing them with a place to live. The precepts-holding nuns frequently clasped their hands in gratitude. Through reconstruction, local monks and residents witnessed how faith and action intertwined to create resilience, transforming disaster into an opportunity for spiritual growth.
In-Depth Care Surpassing Materials: from Stable Housing to a Settled State of Mind
Venerable Jing Nien, Superintendent of the LJM International Meditation Center in Myanmar (Maha Kusala Yama Monastery), stated that, having overcome numerous difficulties in land acquisition, over a hundred prefabricated houses were built for residents. Constructed primarily of steel, plywood, and aluminum lattice materials, these well-ventilated houses incorporate solar energy, water and utility facilities, and shared kitchen and bathroom spaces, showcasing an integrated spirit of ecological sustainability and humanistic care. These "breathing prefabricated houses" are not only shelters from wind and rain but also spaces where life can breathe anew, embodying LJM's pioneering concept of "spiritual ecology." Future plans include continuing to assist in reconstruction efforts in areas such as Taunggyi.
Venerable Jing Nien said that the residents are steadfast in their faith and show mutual assistance and love. After the disaster, they took the initiative to clean up the temple and rebuild it with bricks and tiles. "The power of their faith enabled them to stand up again from the rubble," which is truly moving. While rebuilding, the LJM team also provided spiritual care for the residents, helping them to move from "having a place to live" to "finding peace of mind." This "peace of mind" is not only about the building structure, but also about finding a sense of belonging on a spiritual level, allowing faith to become a life-sustaining strength.
Spiritual Ecology: A Paradigm of Sustainable Reconstruction on the Global Stage
LJM further donated funds to support the rebuilding of the collapsed Ministry of Religious Affairs building in Naypyidaw, and also provided financing for the restoration of damaged pagodas in the Bago region. This symbolizes LJM's commitment to translating its philosophy of spiritual ecology into tangible evidence of international aid and relief.
When rubble is transformed into homes and suffering into aspiration, LJM, with compassion as its vessel and wisdom as its rudder, navigates its compassionate actions across religions and borders. From the first hot meal after the disaster to every future haven, it assists Myanmar in overcoming the catastrophe, bringing hope for rebirth, setting a practical example of spiritual ecology for the world, and guiding the world to see with the spirit of Buddhism that "true sustainability lies not in buildings, but in an awakened heart."