It's Monday and that means another post containing my impressions of my
Sunday journey to exotic places to learn about the various cultures and
religions around the world. Yesterday my Mystic Lands "journey" took me to
Myanmar, also known as Burma.
The program's actual title is Myanmar: Triumph of the Spirit, and
appropriately begins with a brief look at the political and military oppression
of the people there. Democracy has been suppressed and the people - of whom it
is reported are 85% Buddhist - are considered one of the most spiritually
infused cultures on earth.
The widespread practice of Theravada Buddhism, combined with traditional
nat worship (the belief and worship of human-like supernatural deities that
supposedly much predate their Lord Buddha), is given credit for the resiliency
of this people who live under difficult and often inhumane conditions, in a
country with rich but underdeveloped resources.
As one would expect, there is a bit of history about Siddhartha Guatama,
commonly called simply the Buddha, and the history of his teachings. One of the
more interesting legends mentioned concerns Buddha's image in the Maha Muni
shrine, which allegedly was cast under orders of King Sanda Thuriya when Buddha
visited there in 554 BC. The photo of this image above was taken from Wikipedia.
I think it's stunning.
The practices of Burmese Buddhism, the various shrines and temples
scattered throughout the land and built over many centuries, and the ancient
traditions which are still observed in simple but meaning-rich ways make up the
balance.
This is a gorgeous country and this program highlights that beauty. It is a
sad thing that a better form of government and recognition of basic human rights
haven't yet been obtained. A key quote, haunting though it is, from this
program:
If this reclusive nation is to find its way in the future, it
will succeed on the glory of its past and the will of its
people.
May these people soon find the triumph they deserve.
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