·
[C1] The teachings of Buddhism which delve into the various
causes of suffering and greed or lust – the passion for indulging an
intemperate appetite – as the first of the Ten Impurities which stand in the
way of a tranquil, wholesome state of mind. On the other hand, much value is
attached to liberality or generosity, which heads such lists as the Ten
Perfections of the Buddha, the Ten Virtues which should be practised and the
Ten Duties of Kings. This emphasis on liberality should not be regarded as a
facile endorsement of alms-giving based on canny calculation of possible
benefits in the way of worldly prestige or other-worldly rewards. It is a
recognition of the crucial importance of the liberal, generous spirit as an
effective antidote to greed as well as a fount of virtues which engender
happiness and harmony. The late Sayadaw Ashin Janaka Bivamsa of the famous
Mahagandharun monastery at Amarapura taught that liberality without morality
cannot really be pure. An act of charity committed for the sake of earning
praise or prestige or a place in a heavenly abode, he held to be tantamount to
an act of greed. (ASSK 1995:242)
·
[C2] Clearly there is no inherent link between greater
prosperity and greater security and peace – or even the expectation of
greater peace. Both prosperity and peace are necessary for the happiness of
mankind, the one to alleviate suffering, the other to promote tranquillity.
Only policies that place equal importance on both will make a truly richer
world, one in which men can enjoy chantha of the body and of the mind.
The drive for economic progress needs to be tempered with an awareness of the
dangers of greed and selfishness which so easily lead to narrowness and
inhumanity. If peoples and nations cultivate a generous spirit which welcomes
the happiness of others as an enhancement of the happiness of the self, many
seemingly insoluble problems would prove less intractable. (ASSK 1995:246-47)
·
[C4] ‘I set my alarm clock for 4:15,’ she said, describing
for me a typical day under house arrest. ‘But eventually I was used to
getting up at that hour, and I woke up on my own. I tidied myself up: you want
to feel clean and tidy when you meditate. I sat at the foot of my bed, on the
mattress, in the usual position of the half-lotus. I can't manage a full
lotus. I practised what we call insight meditation. I concentrated on my
breathing.’ (Edward Klein in Vanity Fair, Oct 1995, pp 44-53 in
relation to her own account of the period of house arrest.)
·
[C5] The Burmese are early to rise and her day dawned at 4.30 am
local time with an hour of meditation, ‘part of my spiritual strengthening
process. I am very grateful to the Slorc that I was allowed this period in
which to practise my meditation,’ she says, laughing. (Interview with Steve
Weinman, BBC World Services in ‘Patience pragmatism pays off for “The
Lady”.’ Nation, 01.11.1995).
·
[C6] She laughs at the possibility of being re-arrested.
‘Well, I can always go back to the meditation I have been practising all
these years, and let's hope this time at a higher level’ (S. Satyanarayan.
‘Suu Kyi rejects idea there are different types of democracy. Bangkok
Post, 12.09.1995)
·
[C7] Later by the time I got used to it I would get up at 4.30
am, meditated for an hour and listened to the radio for a couple of hours.
There were different stations I listened to, like the BBC World Service, The
VOA and the DVB. So I started the day with a full grasp of what going on in
the world outside. Then I divided up the rest of the day between reading and
doing house work. (ASSK inverview. ‘Democratic movement seem to be
stronger’. The Nation, 02.08.1995)
·
[C8] K: What about the people who were in cells around yours?
WH: As my
solitary confinement went on, I witnessed three out of ten people suffer
severe mental disorders. They were broken. One tried to kill himself by
cutting his wrists, but he was not successful. Another man suffered attacks of
paranoia. Whenever I spoke to him, he assumed that I was insulting him or
injuring him in some way. Often, we had to maintain total silence so as not to
disturb him. If I sang a song, he thought it was intended to harm his life,
whether I sang a sad song or joyous song. He didn't have any belief in
religion; he didn't have any knowledge or experience [of] solitary
confinement. So gradually he went crazy. I could withstand solitary
confinement due to reason, plus meditation. I always tried to occupy my
mind with something sometimes reciting the sutras, sometimes meditating,
sometimes keeping my consciousness on whatever I was doing. I had to change
the methods frequently to keep my mind sane. Sometimes when I went to sleep, I
tried to remember vocabulary from the English language from ‘A to Z,’
assigning words to the letters in alphabetical order, keeping my
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p355/392
mind as a
dictionary. Gradually, I could fall asleep.
LK: Otherwise,
if your mind wasn't focused on something, there was the danger that …
WH: The danger
of angry feelings about the fate I was suffering, the injustice. I was
basically successful in curbing my bad feelings with my meditations.
Since 1982, I had visited a Buddhist monastery annually during the last two
weeks of December. That helped me greatly in dealing with the solitary
confinement …
LK: Can you
describe the first thing you did after you were released?
WH: Right after
I was released, I had to go for a medical check up. After the third year in
the prison, I had suffered high blood pressure, migraines, and a numbness in
my legs because of all my sitting meditation. When I got up, the blood
didn't flow to the left leg; when I exercised, the right side of my body would
sweat, but not the left. Since these were such strange symptoms, I consulted a
neuro-physician. He said I also had spondylosis of the neck, which means the
freezing of vital nerves that control the function of the brain. The stiffness
of these nerves caused the migraines. Even when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was
released I was not feeling well. If I sit on the couch for a half an hour, my
leg still acts up. When I stand up my knees don't always work correctly. I
have to make a great effort to stretch them and walk properly ([my emphasis]
Interview by Leslie Kean with U Win Htein on
9 January 1996, Rangoon. Burma Debate, June-July 1996).).
·
[C9] Just yesterday I was informed that my close friend U Win
Htein, ASSK's personal assistant (imprisoned for the second time in May 1996),
has been moved from Insein Prison in Rangoon, the Hilton in comparison to the
freezing hell realm he is now in 500 miles north of Mandalay. He lives in leg
irons 24 hours a day, pounds rock 14 of those hours, has one meal daily of
uncooked roots in lukewarm water, with no medicines, blankets or clothing. His
wife was allowed one visit and was unable to recognize him. He's severely
sick, extremely weak and probably dying, while most likely being tortured
beyond the daily horrors. U Win Htein is a beautiful man. Fifty-five years
old. Father of five. A devout Buddhist and vipassana meditator with a dharma
heart of gold. (Alan Clements. ‘Independent essay: appeal to western
Buddhists’. BurmaNet News, 30.08.1997).
·
[C10] The truth and value of this Buddhist concept that Hsayadaw
U Pandita took such pains to impress on me became evident during my years of
house arrest. Like many of my Buddhist colleagues, I decided to put my time
under detention to good use by practising meditation. It was not an easy
process. I did not have a teacher and my early attempts were more than a
little frustrating. There were days when I found my failure to discipline my
mind in accordance with prescribed meditation practices so infuriating I felt
I was doing myself more harm than good I think I would have given up for the
advice of a famous Buddhist teacher, that whether or not one wanted to
practise meditation, one should do so for one's own good (ASSK 1997b:9).
·
[C11] In the early morning on the day of my house arrest, a
hundred or so armed military personnel surrounded my house. Why they didn't
immediately enter the compound I don't know, but those extra hours gave my
wife and other family members the time to tear up and flush down the toilet
every NLD document, letter, and address that was in my office. I prepared
myself mentally and emotionally for my arrest by sitting in meditation …
(Tin U in ASSK 1997b:215-16)
·
[C12] Well, it doesn't come easily but remember that I had
already spent five years in solitary prior to my imprisonment by the SLORC.
I can't say
that you ever get used to prison but it is something that one does adjust to.
It depends on the individual. Some break, while others use the isolation and
cruel living standards to their favour. As for me, I never felt the slightest
bit bored throughout the time I languished in prison. Even though I was very
restricted, I had ways to keep my spirit alive. My hut within the prison
compound was completely encircled with barbed wire. I was indoors all the
time. And the wire was a constant reminder of how precious freedom was. Like
in the Buddha's teachings, obstacles can be seen as advantages; the loss of
one's freedom can inspire reflection on the preciousness of freedom. This
filled me with joy.
Also, I knew from my years as a practising monk the benefits
of sati – mindfulness meditation. As you know too, with mindfulness
everything you see, hear, taste, think, and smell becomes simply an
experience, without anything extra placed upon it. Just phenomena.
So in that way
too, the thought of imprisonment, is seen as just a thought. It comes and
goes. And without attachment to it there's no problem. It's just a thought.
That's all.
…
I … observed the eight Buddhist precepts by not taking any food after midday
(ASSK 1997b:217-18).
·
[C13] Just do everything you do with mindfulness and there is no
room in one's mind for negative thoughts. I approached every day in prison as
I did as a monk in the monastery, mindfully. I tried to notice everything that
occurred in my mind and body. In this way I could keep my mind free of
unobstructive emotions that might otherwise upset me. This is basic dhamma.
(Tin U in ASSK 1997b:223)
·
[C14] It is ironic to hear the SLORC renovating and promoting
Pagan as a tourist destination. The well known behaviour of the generals in
renovating and visiting their ‘Wish fulfilling Pagodas’ in a superstitious
attempt to consolidate their power bears a striking resemblance to the
behaviour of the kings who originally built much of Pagan. SLORC would like to
see itself as emulating the harsh ‘golden times’ of those ancient kings.
The irony is that just as Pagan is now ruined memorial of long dead kings and
forgotten empires, so will the SLORC's ‘empire’ crumble and be forgotten.
They would be better off practising vipassana than building up monuments to
their ignorance and impermanence for the world to see. (Myint Nain Oo. Sydney,
Australia. Guest book on the government Internet home page http://www.myanmar.com/guest/
guest.html)
·
[C15] If they have some disease, they should be careful of what
they eat. They must observe do's and don'ts. They should exercise daily. If
they mope around, feeling anxious about the wife, missing the sister-in-law or
mother-in-law or wanting democracy or hoping for amnesty, they can go crazy
and face release warrant or order read to them.
An example:
When we were in prison, we did not have as much freedom as the bad-hat. We
were kept in separate brick cells. Inmates are kept there for security or as a
punishment or for their notoriety. There were inmates who had been in there
for over decades. They got up early. They took exercise in the morning and
evening. They practised meditation. They had regular meals. They
managed to go to sleep at bed time.
They were so
healthy that they could be said to thrive well with prison. The bad-hat must
have died because of destiny, as a retribution. He knew he had a disease. He
took medicines brought in or given at prison. Yet, he was reckless with food
and lazy and sought luxury so it was not strange that he met his fate thus.
There was mumbling to other inmates that he could not sleep well at night. (Byatti.
‘Will merits be shared only when democracy is obtained?’ The Light of
Burma, 15.07.1996)
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p356/392
·
[C16] Although Buddhism is the principal religion, religious
worship is free. Myanmar is one of the few countries remaining that practise
Theravada Buddhism in its purest form; and is presently the centre for the
propagation of this Buddhist sect. Many devotees, converts, religious scholars
from around the globe converge on Myanmar to study, to meditate to don the
robes and worship at the world renowned meditation and teaching
establishments. Many ancient sacred pagodas and shrines exist all over the
country, each with its unique history and legend. Every sacred pagoda has its
day of commemoration, when worship is intermingled with festivities and trade;
this attracts many pilgrims from all walks of life, thus pilgrimage tours are
the main form of local tourism …
In recognition
of its rich heritage in history, culture, traditions and natural beauty,
Myanmar was awarded the ‘Gulliver de la Revelation de L'Anee’ award at the
‘Salon Mondial du Tourisme’ an international tourism fair held in Paris in
April, 1996. Likewise, due recognition was accorded to Myanmar at the I.T.B.
World Tourism Fair held in March 1996. (‘Myanmar – the land and its
people’. IS, 19.08.1997.)
·
[C17] ANNCR: And what about Buddhism. How important is Buddhism
to you ?
ASSK: It is
very important. As I mentioned just now, meditation means a great deal to me
during my years under house arrest. Buddhist meditation, I think is very
important, because it teaches you some awareness and the self discipline.
(Live interview with ASSK on ABC Radio National Australia, AM-729, 06.06.1996,
10:15 p.m.)
·
[C18] AC: How did this repressive ban of generals – SLORC –
emerge from the mystical parenting of an ancient Buddhist culture?
ASSK: Well, one
might as well ask how the Khmer Rouge emerged out of Cambodia. It does not
mean that just because you have a good, caring religion, everybody practises
it. A lot of people give lip-service to their religion. They can recite the
prayers, attend the ceremonies, perform all the rites, but they may not really
absorb anything into their hearts. You must have known people who meditated
not just for days, but for months, even for years, but whose attitudes towards
the world did not substantially change, or whose attitudes never changed … (ASSK
1997b:163).
·
[C19] … In all honesty, I think the SLORC generals should lay
down all their weapons just for ten days and undertake a period of vipassana
meditation practice under a competent Sayadaw [Senior monk]. If their
meditation is developing nicely then I think they should extend this practice
indefinitely. I think the whole country would applaud them for this noble
behaviour. In this way, the meditation practice will automatically reveal to
them, by themselves, without anyone's help, their true inner state of being.
All Burmese will understand this. They can foster metta in this way …
…
it is possible they might change, and then we might be able to see some
redeeming qualities in them. But I still think they should meditate first.
That may hasten the process. People are suffering. (U Tin U in ASSK
1997b:224).
·
[C20] The situation eased sufficiently to enable the government
to breathe freely. Cabinet members meeting in early June heard the prime
minister announce: ‘My friends, I go to the Meditation Centre tomorrow. I
have a vow to keep to attain the thin‑khar‑ru‑pek‑kha
nyan [qKçåRupkðav%\ ]. Until then do
not send for me, even if the whole country is enveloped in flames. If there
are fires, you must put them out yourselves.’
Fortunately,
however, during the period of Thakin Nu's meditation no situation that could
be called alarming arose in any part of the country. Thakin Nu fulfilled his
vow on 20 July (Nu about himself in Nu 1965:195,198-199).
·
[C21] It is at the request of the King himself, who wished to
have a work written on royal discipline and mental culture (B. Bawna,
P. bhavana). The good king noted that, though previous writers wrote on
discipline of royalty, as they have tended to lack deference to and profundity
in the Buddhist truths (B. Dmî, P. dhamma),
these tended to be materialist in orientation, so that following them is like
eating curry without salt by which one can never feel contented. (Nyei‑yá
1917:9‑10).
·
[C22] UTU: Totalitarianism is a system based on fear, terror and
violence. If one lives under such a system long enough one becomes a part of
it, often unknowingly. Fear is insidious. And from fear one easily and most
often unconsciously adapts oneself to fear as a way of life, as a way of
being. As Daw ASSK has said, ‘Fear is a habit’. Of course, as a
practitioner of meditation, I have seen that habits can be broken in any
number of ways. Perhaps the most important way to break the habit of
insincerity is to be in association with sincere people … (ASSK 1997b:228).
·
[C23] ASSK: … I suppose one seeks greatness through taming
one's passions. And isn't there a saying that ‘it is far more difficult to
conquer yourself than to conquer the rest of the world’? So, I think the
taming of one's own passions, in the Buddhist way of thinking, is the chief
way to greatness, no matter what the circumstances may be. For example, a lot
of our people [political prisoners] meditate when they're in prison, partly
because they have the time, and partly because it's a very sensible thing to
do. That is to say that if you have no contact with the outside world, and you
can't do anything for it, then you do what you can with the world inside you
in order to bring it under proper control. (ASSK 1997b:162) (see also [R7])
·
[C24] So I gritted my teeth and kept at it, often rather glumly.
Then my husband gave me a copy of Hsayadaw U Pandita's book, In this very
life: the liberation teachings of the Buddha.
By studying
this book carefully, I learned how to overcome difficulties of meditation and
realise its benefits. I learned how practising meditation led to increased
mindfulness in everyday life, and again and again. I recalled the Hsayadaw's
words on the importance of sati with appreciation and gratitude. (ibid)
·
[C25] ASSK: … I always quote something that Karl Popper said
when he was asked, ‘Do you believe in evil?’ He said, ‘No … but I
believe in stupidity.’ And I think this is very near to the Buddhist
position. I don't think there is a word for ‘evil’ as such, in Buddhism,
is there?
I have not come
across [the concept ‘evil’ in Buddhism the way it exists in Christianity]
either. But of course, we talk of greed, anger and ignorance. That’s
stupidity, isn't it? Ignorance is stupidity. There's also something very
stupid about greed. Greed is very short-sighted. Anger also. And
short-sightedness is stupidity. I've always said that one of my greatest
weaknesses is having a short temper. I tend to get angry quite quickly. This
is a lack of ability to raise yourself above the immediate situation. This is
where I have found that meditation helps – it gives you a sense of awareness
that helps you to observe and control your feelings. This feeling which is so
destructive is all tied up with ignorance. (ASSK 1997b:37)
·
[C26] AC: Was there any period during your detention that you
went into a more intensive period of meditation practice? Say for a few weeks
or months, perhaps longer.
ASSK: No. But
there were times when I did more meditation because I was getting better at
it. I think this is the same with all those who meditate. Once you have
discovered the joys of meditation as it were, you do tend to spend longer
periods at it. (ASSK 1997b:106)
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p357/392
·
[C27] AC: May I ask what were the joys you discovered?
ASSK: The
states I went through are the ones that Sayadaw U Pandita described in his
book, In This Very Life. I'm just like any other meditator – nothing out of
the ordinary. (ASSK 1997b:106; Pandita 1992:269-73).
·
[C28] ASSK: The main reason why I meditate is the satisfaction
that I derive from the knowledge that I am doing what I think I should do,
that is, to try to develop awareness as a step towards understanding anicca
as an experience. I have very ordinary attitudes towards life. If I think
there is something I should do in the name of justice or in the name of love,
then I'll do it. The motivation is its own reward. (ASSK 1997b:60)
·
[C29] ASSK: It has been a help. But I have to go back to my
parents and the way I was brought up and taught. My mother always emphasised
honesty and integrity. It wasn't just that she herself was honest and
incorruptible but she was also upholding my father's values. So it does go
back a lot to nurture. It's not that I didn’t know these things before I
started meditating. Meditation has helped me to uphold the values that I've
always been taught since I was a child. (ASSK 1997b:65)
·
[C30] AC: Did they even bother with a trial? [in relation to U
Kyi Maung's trial]
UKM: Oh, of
course. That's just where the party begins. Everyone was brought to court,
charged and sentenced. Mind you, they don't just go through the motions. They
take their non-judicial system quite seriously. They paraded me before some
brass with seventeen others; all were chained together except me, with
handcuffs no less. In the party were engineers, lawyers, artists – democracy
folds. Then a SLORC superstar witness stood up and said, ‘We raided the NLD
headquarters some time ago and seized this document.’ Ironically, it was an
excerpt from a small booklet outlining the negotiating principles of how to
achieve mutual agreement between opponents. They bungled through a stream of
witnesses – policemen and other MI goons – trustworthy types. By this time
I was getting a bit bored so I asked the judge, ‘Would you allow me to
cross-question them?’ The judge was not the least bit amused. He snarled at
me like I had spit on him. So I sat down and smiled. He asked me, ‘Are you
guilty or not guilty?’ ‘Not guilty,’ I replied. One by one we pleaded
‘Not guilty’. One by one each of us was told to stand up to be sentenced.
One by one the SLORC judge gave us ten years for those lined up in front and
seven years for those behind. Then I was whisked away to my solitary abode to
continue the struggle from within. (ASSK 1997b:178)
·
[C31] Q: What kind of meditation are you practising?
A: I'm using
vipassana, or awareness meditation. It has taught me a sense of awareness.
That's very important. It's what keeps you in check. It keeps you from going
astray. Or when you do, you don't do it again …
Q: What do you
do to relax?
A: I exercise
regularly, about 20 minutes a day, on an exercise machine my husband gave me.
It's for my back actually. During house arrest, I sat sewing and reading too
much and developed back injuries. Now, they no longer trouble me. I also
meditate an hour every day.
Q: Meditation
is extremely difficult.
A: Keep
practising. It's difficult at first. I was so frustrated that I wanted to cry.
I didn't want to go on. But I read the advice of a meditation master, that
meditation is what you must do whether you like it or not. So I gritted my
teeth and did it.
Q: It gets
easier now?
A: It's never
what you call easy. It's never like sitting there doing nothing. It's never
like that. Well, it's not meant to be easy. (Interview with ASSK by Sanitsuda
Ekachai. ‘The Lady of Burma’. The Bangkok Post, 19.06.1998).
·
[C32] The duty of austerity (tapa) enjoins the king to
adopt simple habits, to develop self-control and to practise spiritual
discipline. The self-indulgent ruler who enjoys an extravagant lifestyle and
ignores the spiritual need of austerity was no more acceptable at the time of
the Mahasammata then he would be in Burma today. (ASSK 1991:172)
·
[C33] Meditating develops a sense of awareness and that means
better control of your emotions … By nature I'm a disciplined person so it
became very easy for me to develop a stringent routine. (ASSK in Victor
1998:107-8)
See also [E4],
[J3], [R10], [S7]
·
[D1] Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and
equanimity, Buddhists see as ‘divine’ states of mind which help to
alleviate suffering and to spread happiness among all beings. The greatest
obstacle to these noble emotions is not so much hatred, anger of ill will as
the rigid mental state that comes of a prolonged and unwavering concentration
on narrow self-interest. Hatred, anger or ill will that arises from wrongs
suffered, from misunderstanding or from fear and envy may yet be appeased if
there is sufficient generosity of spirit to permit forbearance, forgiveness
and reconciliation. But it would be impossible to maintain or restore harmony
when contention is rooted in the visceral inability of protagonists to concede
that the other party has an equal claim to justice, sympathy and
consideration. Hardness, selfishness and narrowness belong with greed, just as
kindness, understanding and vision belong with true generosity. (ASSK
1995:242-43)
·
[D2] What does Brahma Vihara mean? It simply means living
together with Brahmas. It can also be interpreted as noble living. There are
four Bhavanas [meditation] which can bring about noble living. (Nu 1983a:40)
(Of these four (loving-kindness, compassion, happiness
and equanimity) Nu was at that time mainly interested in
loving-kindness (P metta bhavana))
·
[D3] ALAN CLEMENTS: Just how far do your Buddhist roots go.
U TIN U: From
the time of my birth my parents were devout Buddhists and they would bring me
to the village monastery quite often. I was, I think, around eight years old
when the abbot taught me the basics about Buddhism. And I still remember how
much he stressed the four brahma viharas – the qualities of
loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. My life began in
the sweet environment of dhamma. (ASSK 1997b:206)
·
[D3] His Majesty's desires – quickly they shall be fulfilled.
When raiding enemies come up to destroy Pagan, and all four castes of people
living there are borne off captive downstream and go to other countries, by
the strength, lift and energy of the king, swiftly shall they ascend upstream
and take their solace in Pagan again. Of those torn from their dear ones, of
those who were sick at heart, by a course of benefits, with water of
compassion, with loving-kindness which is even as a hand, he shall wipe their
tears, he shall wash away their snot. With his right hand rice and bread, with
his left hand ornaments and apparel, he shall give to all his people. Like
children resting in their mother's bosom, so shall the king keep watch over
them and help them. (About Kyanzittha in Luce 1969,1:47-48)
·
[D4] I sincerely hope that she [ASSK] walks on well with loving
kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity, principles taught by the
Buddha, which the majority of the people of Myanmar appreciate.
These
principles are known as the Brahma Viharas, the Divine Abidings and have been
principles the people of Myanmar have
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p358/392
followed for centuries. If Suu Kyi and
the members of SLORC abide by the principle of the Buddha's teachings and
solve their problems, then they will succeed in building a democracy fit for
Myanmar, and peace and stability will be restored to the land. (Rewatta Dhamma)
·
[D5] Also at the interview, Suu Kyi called on the Thai
government to help the Burmese refugees and migrant workers who were in
Thailand.
She said that
while she understood Thailand was facing an economic crisis, she hoped that
Thais, as Buddhists, should be able to demonstrate ‘loving kindness and
compassion.’
‘It is very
easy to be compassionate and kind when things are going well, but it is when
things are not going well for you that your kindness and compassion are really
valuable. If you have a lot to eat, it doesn't matter much if you toss a cake
for somebody, but if you are prepare to share your last bowl of rice with
somebody, that is very kind and compassionate,’ she said.
I don't think
that Thailand is in a state that people are being forced to share their last
bowl of rice with the refugees, so I would like to appeal to the Thai
government to do what they can to alleviate their suffering, and if they
themselves cannot do it, to allow those who are prepared to help the refugees,
such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the NGOs. (Steven
Gan. ‘Burmese Nobel laureate keeps all options open.’ The Nation,
16.021998.)
·
[D6] Engaged Buddhism is active compassion or active metta.
It's not just sitting there passively saying, ‘If feel sorry for them.’ It
means doing something about the situation by bringing whatever relief you can
to those who need it the most, by caring for them, by doing what you can to
help others.
Of course, the
‘sending of loving-kindness’ is very much a part of our Burmese Buddhist
training. But in addition to that we have got to do more to express our metta
and to show our compassion. And there are so many ways of doing it. For
example, when the Buddha tried to stop two sides from fighting each other, he
went out and stood between them. They would have had to injure him first
before they could hurt each other. So he was defending both sides. As well as
protecting others at the sacrifice of his own safety.
In Burma today,
many people are afraid to visit families of political prisoners in case they
too are called in by the authorities and harassed. Now, you could show active
compassion by coming to the families or political prisoners and offering them
practical help and by surrounding them with love, compassion and moral
support. This is what we are encouraging. (ASSK 1997a:18)
·
[D7] AC: What are the most important qualities of Burmese
culture you wish to preserve?
ASSK: The
Buddhist values of loving-kindness and compassion. A respect for education. (ASSK
1997b:56)
·
[D8] We, the working people of the national races of the Union
of Burma believe that man will never be set free from social evils as long as
there persist pernicious economic systems which allow covetous men who are
devoid of kindness and compassion to impose their designs on the
unassuming majority by exploiting human weakness; that only when the
pernicious systems characterised by exploitation of man by man and unjust
pursuit of wealth are brought to an end and a socialist economic system based
on justice is established in the Union of Burma will all the national races be
emancipated from the social ills which flow from man's evil influence and rise
to a happy stage of social development where affluence and human values
flower. (System of Correlation of Man and his Environment) [my
emphasis]
·
[D9] These things are happening because there is not enough
active compassion. There is a very direct link between love and fear. It
reminds me of the biblical quotation, that ‘perfect love casts out fear’.
I've often thought that this is a very Buddhist attitude. ‘Perfect love’
should be metta which is not selfish or attached love. In the Metta
Sutra [a discourse by the Buddha] we have the phrase ‘like a mother
caring for her only child’. That's true metta. A mother's courage to
sacrifice herself comes out of her love for her child. And I think we need a
lot more of this kind of love around the place. (ASSK 1997b:18)
·
[D10] AC: Your colleagues have made it perfectly clear to me
that SLORC's disinterest in talking with you and the NLD is unequivocally
rooted in fear. They've told me that it's their fear of losing power which
translates down into a fear of ‘losing their security – property, wealth,
privilege and status’. They also said that ‘they fear for the safety of
their families’. And at the root of it all is their ‘fear for
retribution’. You continually encourage the powerless in your country to
rise up against the injustices, but may I ask you for your views on SLORC
having the courage to overcome their fears?
ASSK: In order
to overcome your own fears you have to start first by showing compassion to
others. Once you have started treating people with compassion, kindness and
understanding, then your fears dissipate. It's that straightforward. (ASSK
1997b:135)
·
[D11] AC: What is the way to activate that compassion that you
speak of?
ASSK:
Sometimes, of course, it's not by activating compassion that you make people
change. Sometimes people change because they find that there's no other way
possible for their own good. When you take the old government in South Africa,
the Latin-American military dictatorships, and other authoritarian governments
in Eastern Europe, I think they accepted change because they realized that it
was inevitable and it was best for them to go along with it. But what I'm
speaking about is the real change that comes from inside through learning the
value of compassion, justice and love. (ASSK 1997b:136)
·
[D12] Sulak Sivaraksa of Thailand, known as one of Asia's
leading social thinkers, describes the ‘spirit of Buddhist development’ as
one ‘where the inner strength must be cultivated, along with compassion and
loving kindness’. He sees the goals of Buddhist development as ‘equality,
love, freedom and liberation’ and goes on to say that:
…
the means for achieving these lie within the grasp of any community from a
village to a nation – once its members begin the process of reducing
selfishness. To do so, two realisations are necessary: an inner realisation
concerning greed, hatred and delusion, and an outer realisation concerning the
impact these tendencies have on society and the planet …
The qualities
mentioned, both positive and negative, are not exclusive to Buddhist
societies. It can be said that behind the materialism of developed countries
lie greed, hatred and delusion. But there is also much of inner strength,
compassion, loving kindness and strong support for equality and freedom to be
found in these countries. (ASSK 04.01.1998)
·
[D13] Buddhists speak of the four ‘heavenly abodes’ or
divine states of mind: metta(loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita
sympathetic joy) and upekkha (equanimity). A wise colleague once remarked to
me that upekkha is well-nigh impossible for most ordinary beings; therefore we
should concentrate on cultivating loving kindness and compassion, and
sympathetic joy would naturally follow. (ASSK 04.01.98)
·
[D14] Paradise on earth is a concept which is outmoded and few
people believe in it any more. But we can certainly seek to make our planet a
better, happier home for all of us by constructing the heavenly abodes of love
and compassion in our hearts. Beginning with this inner development we can go
on to
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ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p358/392
the development of the external world with courage and wisdom. (ASSK
04.01.98)
·
[D15] Once during my years of house arrest, one of the people
who were – shall we say, ‘taking care of me’? – said in an accusing
tone that I was always ‘on the side of the people’. Yes, I said, that was
so, because I would always stand by those who were weaker; they were the ones
who needed support. But, came the query, what if the weaker side were in the
wrong? In that case, I replied, I would try to correct them with metta. The
only response to this was a somewhat pained smile. But later I asked myself
what one would do if metta did not succeed in correcting those who were weak
but quite patently in the wrong. The conclusion at which I arrived was that
one would have to work at perfecting one's metta because perfect metta cannot
fail.
But then what
about self-sacrifice which demands that one puts others before oneself? The
work of relief and development agencies often involves a certain degree of
self-sacrifice. This is where compassion, the second of the heavenly abodes,
comes in. What causes men and women to leave comfortable homes and give up
lucrative positions to go out to bleak, even devastated lands for the sake of
bringing relief to peoples of an alien race and creed?
The motivating
factor is surely compassion. (ASSK 04.01.1998)
·
[D16] The fruit of successful development projects should be the
greater happiness of the beneficiaries and the reward for those who planned
and implemented the projects should be mudita that rejoices in the good
fortune of others, free from envy or ill will.
Fundamental to
the kind of development that enhances the quality of 1ife is justice. If there
is true loving kindness that regards all beings with equal benevolence, and
there is compassion balanced by wisdom, justice will surely not be lacking.
And it will be the best kind of justice, that which is tempered by gentle
mercy.
There are
peoples in East as in the West who think the worth of a society is measured by
its material wealth and by impressive figures of growth, ignoring the
injustices and the pain that might lie behind them. Then there are those who
believe that development must be measured in terms of human happiness, of
peace within the community and of harmony with the environment. And so we come
back to loving kindness and Compassion. (ASSK 04.01.1998)
·
[D17] His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is surely one of
the leading authorities on, and practitioners of, loving kindness in our world
today. He teaches us that:
…
we are not lacking in terms of the development of science and technology;
still, we lack something here in the heart – real inner warm feeling. A good
heart is needed … The problems human society is facing in terms of economic
development, the crisis of energy, the tension between the poor and rich
nations, and many geopolitical problems can be solved if we understand each
others' fundamental humanity, respect each other's rights, share each other's
problems and sufferings, and then make Joint effort …
Things and
events depend heavily on motivation. A real sense of appreciation of humanity,
compassion and love are the key points. If we develop a good heart, then
whether the field is science, agriculture, or politics, since motivation is so
very important, these will all improve … … (ASSK, 04.01.1998)
·
[D18] We want a better democracy, a fuller democracy with
compassion and loving kindness … We should not ashamed about talking about
loving kindness and compassion in political terms. Values like love and
compassion should be part of politics because justice must always be tempered
by mercy. We prefer the word ‘compassion’. That is warmer and more tender
than ‘mercy’. (ASSK cited in Stewart 1997:118)
·
[D19] At one point during our year together as monks, Tin Oo led
me to a secluded spot on the monastery grounds. ‘I am Burmese and your are
American, he said. ‘But the Buddha's teachings go beyond nationality or
language. I want to see the people of Burma live in a society built on the
higher spiritual values, with human dignity and fairness for all. My belief is
that love and compassion must be the guiding principles of our political
system. I cherish the dream that, before I die, I'll see this vision come
true. (Tin Oo to Alan Clements in Burma: the next killing fields, p 14)
·
[E1] AC: During your two years in the monastery what would you
say that you learned that has had the most lasting influence on you?
UTU: That
through attachment one lives a very shallow fearful life; and the value of metta
or loving-kindness – because we all live to a certain degree with attachment
and this metta eases the journey. (ASSK 1997b:229)
·
[E2] If this seems to you very difficult, please start
practising the Thirty-Eight Blessings [Mangala Sutta] taught by our Buddha.
… For even if politicians fall short of the Sotapañña stage, they can
still be a great help if they follow the ethical principles, or even practice
loving-kindness towards all beings as taught in the Metta Sutta. [If they do
this] the achievement of a Socialist world will not take very long. (Nu quoted
in King 1964:252-56)
·
[E4] As for that
non-violence business, I don't condemn it, but I'm not a Gandhi. If I see the
need for force, I would tackle it head-on without hesitation, if that is the
only means available to me.
I was trained
to fight and if somebody attempted to manhandle you, I wouldn't tuck my tail
between my legs and run away, listening to you scream with my back to you.
That's cowardice. It's despicable. Nor would I sit there in meditation,
trusting that my metta would dissolve the ordeal. I'm no saint. I would
try and defend you. Now I don't like the use of force, but I could never tell
you that I would completely abstain from it. But Gandhi said that too. (U Kyi
Maung in ASSK 1997b:190-91)
·
[E5] ASSK: … Perhaps what they should try to do is to love
themselves better. Not in the selfish sense, but to have metta for
themselves as well as for others. As you put it, if fear is motivated by lack
of trust in oneself, it may indicate that you think there are things about
yourself which are not desirable. I accept that there are things about me, as
for the great majority of us, which are undesirable. But we must try to
overcome these things and improve ourselves. (ASSK1995:19-20)
·
[E6] Maybe they are learning something from our words. Maybe it
is that they feel the metta among the people. Maybe they yearn to have
that metta directed towards them rather than it being forced or coerced
from people. It could be that this metta that is being generated among
the people is having an effect on them. Metta does that you know. Maybe
it is opening them to a new way of treating people, seeing them as human
beings to be honoured and served rather than oppressed and robbed. It could be
that they are moved by the people's courage. People who are not only willing
to defy them but who are also ready and waiting to forgive them. It's all
possible. (Interview with U Kyi Maung in ASSK 1997b:186)
·
[E7] AC: … Do you love your enemy into transformation, or do
you criticise them into that transformation?
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p360/392
ASSK: I think
I've said to you before that I have not got to the stage when I can claim that
I feel metta towards everybody. And I do not think I can claim that I
have these overwhelming waves of metta going out from me towards SLORC.
But it is the truth that I don't feel hostile towards any of them. I would be
very happy to be on friendly terms with them. And I can say with absolute
truth that I have never used abusive terms in speaking about them. I don't
mean just in public but even in private. The strongest things I have said
against them is either that they are very stupid or that they are acting like
fools. (ASSK 1997b:143)
·
[E8] The dream of a society ruled by loving kindness, reason and
justice is a dream as old as civilized man. Does it have to be an impossible
dream? … We are so much in need of a brighter world which will offer
adequate refuge to all its inhabitants. (ASSK 1995:247)
·
[E9] ASSK: We've learned from experience that the metta
approach is misinterpreted by the authorities. they see it as a weakness.
AC: How do they
interpret loving-kindness as a weakness?
ASSK: Well,
let's take it in the political context. During my six years under house
arrest, and while Uncle U Kyi Maung and Uncle U Tin U were in prison, Uncle U
Aung Shwe [the NLD Chairman] tried very hard to keep the NLD together as well
as trying to establish a harmonious relationship with SLORC. He never said
anything to which they could object. During those six years the NLD behaved in
such a gentlemanly way that some people accused it of sheer cowardice and the
lack of will to act. And what was the result? They [SLORC] just came down
heavier and heavier on the NLD.
AC: So there
came a point in the struggle that the metta approach was determined not
as effective as your present approach?
ASSK: We have
not given up the metta approach. Because basically, we are always ready
to work with them on the basis of mutual understanding and goodwill. But that
does not mean that we're going to sit and wait. We believe in action. That's
active metta, doing what is necessary at any certain point. (ASSK
1997b:143-44)
·
[E9] You see, we've got to make metta grow. We've got to
make people see that love is a strong, positive force for the happiness of
oneself, not just for others. A journalist said to me, ‘When you speak to
the people you talk a lot about religion, why is that?’ I said, ‘Because
politics is about people, and you can't separate people from their spiritual
values.’ And he said that he had asked a young student who had come to the
weekend talks about this: ‘Why are they talking about religion?’ The
student replied, ‘Well, that's politics.’
Our people
understand what we are talking about. Some people might think it is either
idealistic or naïve to talk about metta in terms of politics, but to
me it makes a lot of practical good sense. I've always said to the NLD that
we've got to help each other. If people see how much we support each other and
how much happiness we manage to generate among ourselves, in spite of being
surrounded by weapons, threats and repression, they will want to be like us.
They might say, well, there's something in their attitude – we want to be
happy too. (ASSK 1995a:18-19)
·
[E10] ASSK: I think the very first reason why the Burmese people
trusted me was because of their love for my father. They had never doubted his
goodwill towards them. And he had proved with his life that he was ready to
sacrifice himself for them. Because of that they loved him and I think a lot
of that love was transferred to me. So I started off with an advantage – a
ready-made fund of metta on which to build. So you cannot separate the
fact that I'm my father's daughter from the fact that the people and I have
managed to build up solid bonds of metta between us. (ASSK 1997b:21)
·
[E11] ASSK: When I first think of metta, I feel it within
our movement, especially between my colleagues and myself. We work like a
family – we are not just colleagues. We have a real concern and affection
for each other, which is the basis of our relationships. I think this may have
a lot to do with the fact that we have to work under such difficult
conditions. It's only metta that is strong enough to keep together
people who face such repression and who are in danger of being dragged away to
prison at any moment. And the longer we work together the greater our bond of metta
grows. From there these ties of friendship and affection have spread outward
to include the families of colleagues. From there it spreads further, and with
it the feeling of family grows. A family with a love of justice, a love of
freedom, a love of peace and equality … if you are used to giving friendship
and affection it's much easier to give it even to people who may think of
themselves as your enemies. (ASSK 1997b:119)
·
[E12] AC: Daw Suu, when it really comes right down to it, how do
you cope?
ASSK: I think
what really sustains us, is the sense that we are on the side of right, as it
were, to use a very old-fashioned phrase. And the metta between us
keeps us going. (ASSK 1997b:132)
·
[E13] In Buddhist countries an expression of the social
dimensions of Dhamma is the guiding and softening influence which the ordained
Sangha has traditionally exercised over rulers. Where this influence declines,
we see the rulers become ever more cruel and irresponsible, and most of the
Sangha equally irresponsible, preoccupied with ritual, textual studies and
‘individual’ development. No amount of pagoda building or formal respect
for the Sangha can substitute for their mutual responsibility to serve the
people and the Dhamma. (Rewatta Dhamma. Speech delivered to the Asian Leaders
Conference, Seoul, December 1994)
·
[E14] The adversities that we have had to face together have
taught all of us involved in the struggle to build a truly democratic
political system in Burma that there are no gender barriers that cannot be
overcome. The relationship between men and women should, and can be,
characterized not by patronizing behavior or exploitation, but by metta
(that is to say loving kindness), partnership and trust. We need mutual
respect and understanding between men and women, instead of patriarchal
domination and degradation, which are expressions of violence and engender
counter-violence. We can learn from each other and help one another to
moderate the ‘gender weaknesses’ imposed upon us by traditional or
biological factors. (ASSK keynote address on 31 August 1995 to NGO Forum on
Women, Beijing '95)
·
[E15] As U Nu put it about the State Religion: ‘It is perhaps
possible that in some foreign countries their State religion has been
discriminatory and has imposed disabilities on followers of other religions.
This would certainly not occur in Burma because Buddhism does not curtail the
rights of other religions … Buddhism is not a religion which strengthens
itself by persecuting others. Because it has Metta at its basis, it can
establish in strength the principles of Justice, Liberty and Equality and
ensure peace and prosperity to all beings for all times.. The establishment of
Buddhism as the State Religion will in itself make the Union of Burma and
exemplary State to other nations. (‘State Buddhist Religion in Burma.’ Buddhist
News Forum, Rangoon, October 1961; King 1964:262)
·
[E16] Summing up, public servants are to be faithful to the
(c)
ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p361/392
State and fulfil their duties. The Tatmadaw and the People's police force are
to protect the public and repulsed and eliminate all forms of danger faced by
the public and in the process has used weapons similar to those used by the
enemy. With good faith in the goodwill of the Tatmadaw, student youths should
relax in the restful shade of their parents metta. (Wun-tha-nu, Maung.
‘Relax in the restful shade of ‘metta’. The Working People's Daily,
01.10.1988)
·
[E17] The loving kindness and affection placed on her by State
leaders as a real daughter was not reciprocated and the actions and attitude
of the Puppet Princess changed completely at once and her dance steps changed
and the tune also changed. All the audience who had waited in anticipation to
hear and see her display with, original natural sense and concepts and her own
style of Myanmar origin, Myanmar sound and steps, were greatly astonished, fed
up and disgusted when they heard the English band and saw her to the
soap-operas. (Myo Chit. ‘Let's tell the truth’. Myanma Alin,
May-July 1996)
·
[E18] AC: It sounds like fear [of dialogue]. What do you think
this fear is rooted in?
ASSK: When you
really think about it, fear is rooted in insecurity and insecurity is rooted
in lack of metta [loving-kindness]. If there's a lack of metta,
it may be a lack in yourself, or in those around you, so you feel insecure.
And insecurity leads to fear. (ASSK 1997b:4-5)
·
[E19] ASSK: When I first decided to take part in the movement
for democracy, it was more out of a sense of duty than anything else On the
other hand, my sense of duty was very closely linked to my love for my father.
I could not separate it from the love for my country, and therefore, from the
sense of responsibility towards my people. But as time went on, like a lot of
others who've been incarcerated, we have discovered the value of
loving-kindness. We've found that it's one's own feelings of hostility that
generate fear. As I've explained before, I never felt frightened when I was
surrounded by all those hostile troops. That is because I never felt hostility
towards them. This made me realize that there are a number of fundamental
principles common to many religions. As Burmese Buddhists, we put a great
emphasis on metta. It is the same idea as in the biblical quotation:
‘Perfect love casts out fear.’ While I cannot claim to have discovered
‘perfect love’, I think it's a fact that you are not frightened of people
whom you do not hate. Of course, I did get angry occasionally with some of the
things they did, but anger as a passing emotion is quite different from the
feeling of sustained hatred or hostility. (ASSK 1997b:122)
·
[E20] ASSK: I encourage people to focus on deeds, rather than on
people. I was once speaking about Angulimala [a mass murderer at the time of
the Buddha]. I said, even he changed, his deeds were horrendous but the Buddha
himself was able to separate the person from the deed. Once Angulimala had
been made to understand that what he did was wrong and was genuinely
repentant, he set out to follow the right path. And the Buddha was the first
to take him under his wing, as it were. (ASSK 1997b:37)
·
[E21] ASSK: … we, in the NLD, have been given a lot of metta
by the people at large – our supporters. And when you receive so much, you
have to give in return. If you're very much loved, in the right way, then you
cannot help but respond. That does not mean that we're totally free of
negative feelings. And as long as we are not free of them we will be subject
to them. But the goodwill and the metta we've received have done a lot
to push out these feelings from within us. (ASSK 1997b:20-21)
·
[E22] U Tin U: The Buddha has said that good friendship [kalanya
metta] is one of the greatest gifts of life. In our struggle for democracy
in Burma we need more good friends – people who cherish freedom and desire
to help us gain ours. (ASSK 1997b:239)
·
[E23] AC: You often refer to your democracy movement here in
Burma as a ‘revolution of the spirit’ that is rooted in Buddhist
principles. How much, if at all, do you draw upon the wisdom of other
religions in your approach to politics?
ASSK: I have
read books on other religions but I haven't gone into any of them particularly
deeply. But I find that the idea of metta is in every religion. The
Christians say God is love. And when they say, ‘perfect love casts out
fear’, I think at the core of all religions there is this idea of love for
one's fellow human beings. (ASSK 1997b:66)
·
[E24] When I was under house arrest for six years, while
discussing with the people in charge of my security, I was accused of always
taking the side of the people. I said that it was true. I must stand by the
people because they are the weaker. So they asked me, ‘What if the weaker
side was wrong?’ So I replied if the weaker side was wrong, they would
rectify their wrongs with Metta (loving kindness). You must rectify the
wrongs of others with Metta, never by bearing a grudge. (ASSK.
Statement at the closing ceremony of the 9th NLD Congress on 15 October 1997)
·
[E25a] Our League may be a democratic one but we are not an
organization that is unjust or repressive to others. If there are any grudges
that stem from the past between our party members and the people, we will
resolve them. At this time, as I have said, our party is thriving on Metta. We
have no power, we have no weapons. We also don't have much money. There is
also the matter of that eighty thousand dollars … (laughter). What are our
foundations? It is Metta. Rest assured that if we should lose this Metta, the
whole democratic party would disintegrate. Metta is not only to be applied to
those that are connected with you. It should also be applied [to] those who
are against you. Metta means sympathy for others. Not doing unto others what
one does not want done to oneself. It means not obstructing the
responsibilities of those whom one has Metta. It not only means not wanting
harm to befall one's own family, but also not wanting harm to befall the
families of others. So our League does [not] wish to harm anyone. Let me be
frank. We don't even want to harm SLORC. But SLORC also doesn't want to harm
us. Our Congress has come this far because we have managed to reach a degree
of understanding with the authorities. I would like to say from here that I
thank the authorities for making things possible since this morning. We do not
find it a burden to give thanks where thanks are due. Nor is it a burden to
give credit where credit is due. So it is not true that we do not give thanks
or credit where it is due. There will be thanks where thanks is due, credit
where credit is due … so be good. One is never overcautious. This is a
Buddhist philosophy.
We
are not working solely for the benefit of our party. We are not working to
gain power. It is true, we are working for the development of democracy.
Because we believe that it is only a democratic government that could benefit
the country. Let me make it clear that it is not because we want to be the
government. And also because we believe that it is only the people that have
the right to elect a government. That is why we asked that the government be
made up of people that were elected by the people. Not because we want power.
Power only gives stress. Power comes with responsibility and I believe that
anyone who understands that cannot be power-crazy. I know how much
responsibility goes with a democracy. That is why we are not power-crazy
people. We are only an organization that wants to do its utmost for the people
and the country. We are an organization that is free from grudge and puts
Metta to the fore.
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ILCAA 1999 - Gustaaf Houtman. Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics.
ILCAA Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia & Africa Monograph Series
33, Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa,
1999, ISBN 4-87297-748-3, p362/392
(ASSKs statement at the closing ceremony of the 9th NLD
Congress on 15 October 1997)
·
[E25b] AC: How do you work within yourself with democracy as a
vision, democracy as a process, and democracy as a state of mind.
ASSK: When we
visualize a democratic Burma, we do not visualize it in terms of great power
and privileges for the NLD. We see it in terms of less suffering for the
people. We're not starry-eyed about democracy. We don't think of it in terms
of abstract institutions but in terms of what it can do to contribute towards
the happiness and well-being of the people. We want a country where there is
rule of law; where people are secure to the extent that one can be secure in
this world; where they are encouraged and helped to acquire education, to
broaden their horizons; where conditions conducive to ease of mind and body
are fostered. That is why I would say that metta is the core of our
movement – a desire to bring relief to human beings. (ASSK 1997b:134)
·
[E26] He [Aung San] was a soldier who could fight – and fight
well – when he had to fight, but who when the fighting was over could lay
aside his sword without fear and pursue the path of peace. When political
power came into his hands he could say with absolute sincerity and a complete
lack of self-consciousness that we would govern ‘on the basis of loving
kindness and truth.’ (ASSK 1991:191)
·
[E27] The first of the heavenly abodes, metta, loving kindness,
plays a crucial part in the process of human development. While Buddhists
speak of metta, Christians speak of Christian love. Both refer to
disinterested love, a love that seeks to give and to serve, rather than to
take and demand. Inherent in the concept of this kind of love is
understanding, sympathy, forgiveness and courage. A Father Damien or a Mother
Teresa give tender care, for ‘the love of Christ’, to those whom humanity
in general find physically repugnant, because Jesus had shown love and
kindness towards the rejects of society, the lepers and the insane, the sick
and the lame. (ASSK. ‘Heavenly abodes and human development, 11th Pope Paul
VI Memorial Lecture, 3 November 1997, the Royal Institution of Great Britain,
London)
·
[E28] The Lord Buddha too set examples for the practical
application of loving kindness. Once when the Lord Buddha and his cousin
Ananda came across a sick monk lying in his own filth they washed him and
tended him. Then the Lord Buddha called the other monks together, admonished
them, for neglecting their sick brethren and taught them that it was more
important to care for the sick than to tend to him, the Buddha himself. (ASSK
04.01.1998)
·
[E29] Development projects should essentially be humanitarian
labour on varying scales. Whether it is distributing milk powder to
malnourished children or building a mega dam, it should be done with people in
mind, people who need the balm of loving kindness to withstand the rigours of
human existence. Projects undertaken for the sake of upping statistics or for
love of grandiosity or praise, rather than for the love of live human beings
with bodies that can be hurt, minds that can be damaged and hearts that can be
bruised, seldom succeed in fostering the kind of development that enhances the
quality of life. (ASSK 04.01.1998)
·
[E30] His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is surely one of
the leading authorities on, and practitioners of, loving kindness in our world
today. He teaches us that:
…
we are not lacking in terms of the development of science and technology;
still, we lack something here in the heart – real inner warm feeling. A good
heart is needed … The problems human society is facing in terms of economic
development, the crisis of energy, the tension between the poor and rich
nations, and many geopolitical problems can be solved if we understand each
others’ fundamental humanity, respect each other's rights, share each
other's problems and sufferings, and then make Joint effort …
Things and
events depend heavily on motivation. A real sense of appreciation of humanity,
compassion and love are the key points. If we develop a good heart, then
whether the field is science, agriculture, or politics, since motivation is so
very important, these will all improve … … (ASSK 04.01.1998. Heavenly
Abodes And Human Development, 11th Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture)
·
[E31] Only the army is mother,
Only the army
is father,
Don't believe
what the surroundings say,
Whoever tries
to split us, we shall never split
We shall unite
forever (Army Slogan billed all over Burma)
·
[E32] Where there is no justice there can be no secure peace.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that ‘if man is not to
be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny
and oppression’, human rights should be protected by the rule of law. That
just laws which uphold human rights are the necessary foundation of peace and
security would be denied only by closed minds which interpret peace as the
silence of all opposition and security as the assurance of their own power.
The Burmese associate peace and security with the coolness and shade:
-
The shade
of a tree is cool indeed
The shade of parents is cooler
The shade of teachers is cooler still
The shade of the ruler is yet more cool
But the coolest of all is the shade of the Buddha's teachings.
Thus to provide
the people with the protective coolness of peace and security, rulers must
observe the teachings of the Buddha. Central to these teachings are the
concepts of truth, righteousness and loving-kindness. It is government based
on these very qualities that the people of Burma are seeking in their struggle
for democracy. (ASSK 1995:177-78)
·
[E33] Q. What about
loving kindness and your policy of non-violence?
A. As for
loving kindness, that comes to me from my own experiences. In our struggles,
what else do we have? We only have people who support our cause out of a sense
of sympathy, a sense of solidarity. That's loving kindness, feelings for
others. This is what our whole movement is based on. We don't have any
weapons, no money, no rights. The laws in this country are used to crush us.
What can we rely on? How can we keep together? We keep together because we
believe in what we are doing. Some people get burnt out. We have to help each
other keep going. And we cannot do that unless we have some basis of loving
kindness. (Sanitsuda Ekachai. ‘The lady of Burma’. Bangkok Post,
19.06.1998)
See
D. Brahma-vihara
See also [C19],
[C28], [H8], [S5]
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