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Putting Compassion into Action
By KYAW ZWA MOE
JULY, 2008 - VOLUME 16 NO.7
(Page 3 of 3)
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“When King Anawrahta (1044-77) was gone, his empire collapsed. After King Alaungpaya (1760-64) died, the same thing happened again,” he said, noting example after example of the same pattern in Burmese history.
The democratic opposition is also in danger of falling victim to this trap, he added. “Look at the National League for Democracy. Without Aung San Suu Kyi, it could just disappear.”
Instead of leading the country towards democracy, the leaders of the movement have succumbed to the Burmese propensity to go their own way rather than compromise, he said.
“The pro-democracy movement has disintegrated into thousands of small groups since 1988, because pro-democracy groups have not been able to find a common ground. That is one of the fundamental reasons we Burmese are suffering today.”
By teaching people to see the bigger picture, religious leaders can repair some of the damage done by the blind pursuit of self-interest. But they can only achieve this if they reach out from their churches, temples and mosques to work together for the sake of the people, the monk said.
In Burma, a further obstacle to this vision of a social movement guided by religious principles is the ruling regime’s distrust of any form of organized activism. But Sitagu Sayadaw remained cautiously hopeful.
“If the government understands that religious leaders are working for the welfare of the country, it will allow them to work together. But if they think those religious groups will attack or criticize the government, it will not.
“And then we will never have harmony,” he said.
The democratic opposition is also in danger of falling victim to this trap, he added. “Look at the National League for Democracy. Without Aung San Suu Kyi, it could just disappear.”
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| Sitagu Sayadaw hands out instant noodless to cyclone refugees in the Irrawaddy delta. |
“The pro-democracy movement has disintegrated into thousands of small groups since 1988, because pro-democracy groups have not been able to find a common ground. That is one of the fundamental reasons we Burmese are suffering today.”
By teaching people to see the bigger picture, religious leaders can repair some of the damage done by the blind pursuit of self-interest. But they can only achieve this if they reach out from their churches, temples and mosques to work together for the sake of the people, the monk said.
In Burma, a further obstacle to this vision of a social movement guided by religious principles is the ruling regime’s distrust of any form of organized activism. But Sitagu Sayadaw remained cautiously hopeful.
“If the government understands that religious leaders are working for the welfare of the country, it will allow them to work together. But if they think those religious groups will attack or criticize the government, it will not.
“And then we will never have harmony,” he said.
Irrawaddy correspondents Aung Thet Wine and Kyi Wai contributed to this article from Rangoon.
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