September 25, 2007
Nothing Can Prohibit Us
I
arrived at 10:00 am at the Bronze Image, and saw bottles of drinking waters and
packages of lunches. U Kyaw Thu ( a famous activist) was telling beads in front
of a great Buddha Image. I saw around, finding scattering of men there.
It
was terrible hot that day. We’d spent three days under the rains. The sharp
sunshine burnt us. I wondered that some monks might have any sickness after
that day. To be frankly, I was considering about the uprising monk’s voices to
be publicized. For me, I was then weak at that time. I wonder if some important
monks will have such weakness, what shall I do?
A
youth monk came to us and informed,
‘Have
you heard the news last night? The SPDC government is, according to the news,
preparing to deter us, saying monks reciting the Mitta Sutta were not true
monks and disloyal to the Buddhist discipline. The military members told that
they don’t care because the number of the uprising monks are not more than two
percentage of all the monk community.’
General
Myint Maung went to the Superior Monks and told in the news that some monks
walking on the street threw drinking water bottles at the Kyatkhetwine
monastery, crashing two slices of its louvers in Bago Division. That was not
the true manners of Buddhist monks, those monks were just wearing the robes of
monks. And according to the Buddha Dhamma Vinaya, ever a monk committing such
violence meant that it was inclusive of all monks.
Those
aggressive monks must be taken action not by Dhammasak, the power of the
Buddha’s teachings, but by the force of the authority power. He said so, and
how would we prepare for that?
I
had to consider deeply for that. We were accused of inciting the crowd to
violence then. They lied the Superior Monks that our monks were persuading the
people to violence. I guessed that the authority was plotting to make a violent
crackdown as in Pakokku.
I
replied to that young monk,
‘I’ve
heard it. What we must do is to be disciplined with our Vinnya and a peaceful
demonstration with great care. If the military men beat us, we will stand as
our best for that peacefully. If they shoot us with guns, we will face their
bullets. We have nothing to do but determining to sacrifice our live for
freedom, and preparing to face it.’
‘Venerable,
very nice and decent idea it is! I also have such courage for our people’, he
boldly said to me. I felt I had goose flesh to hear that. I was interested in
him.
‘I
think you are younger than me. What’s your name? What class are you
attending?’, I asked.
‘My
name is Ashin Yewada, sir. I’m now attending classes for the course of teacher
ship of Buddhist Scriptures, Dhamasaria, I’m twenty one years old,’ he replied.
‘Young
monk, you are younger than me, but I pay my respect to you,’ I said to him.
He
had a fair complexion, slim body and dark eyebrows. His manner and style of
conversation was very smart. Such smart and educated monks were involving in
the strike; the number must be over thousand. The military junta, however,
accused of us as fake monk and was plotting to make violent crackdown. ‘Those
who will reap what they sow,’ a teaching of the Lord Buddha came into my mind,
and I spread the Mitta Sutta over all beings.
After
our conversation, there was a great crowd in front of the Bronze Image. I saw
the activist Phoe Phyu and Kyaw Thu having finished telling his beads at the
hall. I said to (Ko) Kyaw Thu,
‘it’s
not safe for monks who take no foot wares and umbrella in this weather
condition. Medical care is needed, I think, please be ready oral rehydration
salts for them,’
He
replied me, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.’
There
was a great preparation of offering alms the monks_ a special celebration.
Every man as well as woman along side of the roads was bolding alms package and
a bottle of drinking water to offer the monks going around past through them.
We wore our robes in accordance with the Vinaya to do alarm receiving round and
went on as taught the Lord Buddha for that occasion a well-trained military
parade. Everyone had a chance to offer alms to the disciplined monk who passed
slowly with downcast eyes in mindfulness in front of him or her. I paid a
gratitude for those who implemented that program.
There
was no enough room to take lunch for all monks nearby. Many popular artists
joined in offering alms, showing their support to us. Many monks took their
lunches inconveniently that day, but they said no words.
After
lunch, we had our discussion for the day’s plan. Many organizations, involving
the strike requested us to raise the flags. That day, we allowed the All Burma
Student Union to raise their Fighting Peacock Flag as a respect to their
historic efforts and activities.
The
crowd became dense while we were marching through the main streets and roads of
Yangon, reciting the Mitta Sutta. Then the crowd proclaimed slogans loudly.
‘National reconciliation!’
‘Our cause, Our cause!’
‘Basic needs!’
‘Our cause, Our cause!’
‘Freedom of political prisoners!’
‘Our cause, Our cause!’
‘Myanmar Democracy!’
‘Our cause, Our cause!’
Almost
all people joined the march that day; the crowd became bigger and bigger.
We
saw some men running toward us with stones and bamboo sticks in their hands,
saying rude words aggressively in one of the downtown areas. We got shocked but
I warned with my hand-speaker to be tolerant and take great care not to sway
from our discipline.
We
turned our blind eyes to them, going on our march; they were stunned to do
anything and went back at last. We were then reciting,
‘Let none deceive another
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another…..’
The
intense sun over our clean shaven heads and flame of heat from the roads of
coal tar underneath our bare feet made us putting in a horrible condition. I, however, found no faces of dismay in the
crowd. We were thirsty, and there was no drinking water then, but monks, as I
found them, marching with pleasure. I said ‘Well done!’ many times in my heart.
Uprisings
occurred in more than sixty-five towns across Myanmar, coordinating with our
Inclusive Strike; they made no violent actions but reciting the Mitta Sutta of
the Buddha in the streets. Our demonstration or uprising or strike fully became
a peaceful nation-wide challenge to over two-decade military dictatorship in
Myanmar. The authority knew the momentum of the accumulation. Strikes spread
across the country. They, then, barricaded main roads and streets of cities and
towns to deter the march.
We
then knew no tomorrow. For me, everyone had determination of him/herself to go
on to the march. At least, everyone was
to support to the proceeding demonstration against the oppressive government. I
appreciated the slogans of the crowd. They seemed represent to some meanings of
sufferings of the people.
We
had to consider the impact in this involvement _ for us as well as for the
citizens. I had investigated that everybody around nearly area joined us. Not
as an institution but their accumulation of self-reliance against the military
rule was, for me, a kind of value . We’ve made our breakthrough that day! I
proclaimed myself in my mind thrice:
‘Nothing can prohibit us’
‘Nothing can prohibit us’
‘Nothing can prohibit us’
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