Letter from Burma (No. 50) by Aung San Suu Kyi

Mainichi Daily News, Monday, November 25, 1996

SPIRITUAL REPRIEVE FROM AUTHORITARIAN RULE: "Respite"

Letter from Burma (No. 50) by Aung San Suu Kyi

Those who have to face persistent political persecution become highly politicized. Our lives take on a rhythm different from those who, on waking up in the morning do not need to wonder who might have been arrested during the night and what further acts of blatant injustice might be committed against our people later during the day. Our antennae become highly sensitive to vibrations barely noticed by those whose everyday existence is removed from political struggle. But still, our lives are not all politics, we have our personal concerns, our intellectual and cultural interests and our spiritual aspirations. The spiritual dimension becomes particularly important in a struggle in which deeply held convictions and strength of mind are the chief weapons against armed repression.

The majority of the people of Burma are Buddhists and it is traditional for us to gather together on religious occasions to renew our spiritual strength and our ties of friendship. The National League for Democracy, like many other organizations in the country, tries to observe major religious festivals. But it is not always easy. The authorities accuse us of using religion for political purposes, perhaps because this is what they themselves are doing, or perhaps because they cannot recognize the multidimensional nature of man as a social being. Our right to freedom of worship has become threatened by the desire of the authorities to curtail the activities of our party. This was made particularly obvious in a supplication addressed by the Minister for Religious Affairs to the abbot members of the State /sangha/ (community of Buddhist monks) organization on Sept. 29, 1996.

This supplication accused the NLD of infiltrating its party members into various levels of the sangha with a view to creating misunderstandings between the government and the sangha. It also accused the NLD of instructing its members to enter the religious order to promote the cause of their party and to commit subversive acts. (Somewhat baffling statement, that one. It is difficult to see how committing acts of subversion could promote the cause of the NLD.) Therefore sangha organizations had been "instructed to contact and cooperate with the relevant state/division, township and ward authorities and take protective measures against dangers to religion." In other words action should be taken to prevent members of the NLD from entering the ranks of the sangha.

It is customary for Burmese Buddhist boys to spend some time as novices in a monastery that they might learn the basic tenets of Buddhism and bring merit to their parents who are responsible for arranging their ordination. In addition, many Burmese men when they have passed the age of 20 enter the religious order again for varying periods of time as fully ordained monks. The supplication of the Minister of Religious Affairs to the state sangha organization seemed to be aimed at curtailing the right of members of the NLD to pursue the traditional religious practice. If the authorities truly believe in the accusations leveled against our party in the supplication, they must indeed be out of touch with reality.

But amidst the morass of political repression, intimidation, officially organized acts of anarchy and interference in our right of worship, we gained a brief respite from worldly concerns in the celebration of /kathina/. This ceremony takes place after the end of the rainy season retreat and lasts for one month, from the first day of the waning moon of /Thadingyut/ (this day fell on Oct. 28 this year) until the full moon day of /Tazaungdine/ (Nov. 25). Participation in the kathina ceremony, of which the major feature is the offering of new robes, relieves monks of the disciplinary rules to some extent and therefore those donors who arrange the ceremony gain merit.

The NLD made an offering of kathina robes at the Panditarama Monastery this year. It was good to gather to perform a common act of merit. It was good to listen to the discourse of Sayadaw U Pandita, to ponder over his words of wisdom and to reflect on the meaning of the ceremony. We Burmese believe that those who perform good deeds together will meet again through the cycle of existence, bonded by shared merit. It was good to think that if I am to continue to tread the cycle of existence I shall be doing so in the company of those who have proved to be the truest of friends and companions. Many of us attending the ceremony came together eight years ago to commit ourselves to the cause of democracy and human rights and we have remained together in the face of intense adversity. There were also many missing faces, the ones who had died, the ones who were in prison. It was sad to think of them. But still, it was good to be able to take time off from the political routine, to enjoy a small, precious spiritual respite.

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(This article is one of a yearlong series of letters. The Japanese translation appears in the Mainichi Shimbun the same day, or the previous day in some areas.)