Burma is Important!

In 1997, four years into my current life as a Buddhist monk, Martin Scorcese's biopic about the Dalai Lama, Kundun, came out and I went with friends from my temple to see it in a Virginia theater. Deep into the film, there's a scene depicting a dream of the just-grown-up Dalai Lama. It begins with a tight shot of the Dalai Lama's face, then it widens and widens and widens until you're begging for it to stop, showing him in helpless despair, surrounded by the bloodied bodies of thousands upon thousands of monks, murdered by the Chinese Red Army. As the shot unfolded, I found myself seized by convulsive sobs which would not abate until the end of the film.

This is the dizzying horror I feel when reading of the latest atrocities committed upon unarmed Buddhist monks, my bravest of brothers, agitating for peaceful change by the military junta in Myanmar.

I'm more than a little ashamed that, as far as I know, there has been no statement of support for the protestors from the Government of Mongolia. But I am grateful to learn that my community in America has gotten organized to voice its opposition. They have set up two websites, one a clearinghouse for information and action items called Buddhist Relief, and a blog entitled By My Hand And Heart Alone. In addition to letter-writing campaigns, etc., they are highlighting a particularly Buddhist protest scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, October 4, from 5-8pm, in front of the Embassy of Myanmar, 2300 S St., NW, in Washington, DC. It's labeled "Meditate for Peace and Democracy in Burma" and I hope as many of you in the area as possible can go. Silent protest in numbers can be very powerful. I only wish I could be a part of it.

To keep up-to-the-minute on all things related to Burma's 'Saffron Revolution,' The Worst Horse is all the way on it with its 'Burma is Important' campaign (the source of the freely-available images used here), and many other useful action tools.

The Tricycle Blog is on it, with a very good roundup of the latest info links here.

And The Buddhist Channel is also on it.

Are you? Please be. Burma is important.

Comments

[Aarlene]

That is a very powerful scene you describe from the movie. I never thought it would be acted out again in real life. How many thousands of years will it take us to stop murdering each other? Or will we ever stop? I weep.

[Carol]

And none of my friends or I believe the "monks had weapons" crap the so-called govt there is handing out. we didn't fall off a turnip truck yesterday....

[Michele]

Tashi Delek Konchog!

Just moved to Atlanta and realized there isn't an organized march/protest set up by anyone. Not sure how I can pull it together but did find this article that inspired me to find a way to bring home the Burmese monks'/citizens' concerns. Please let me know what you think and any suggestions how I can take action in Atlanta. I do feel Chevron/Mr Wade could have some pull and/or us Americans could boycott Chevron, and CCola????? To grand of an idea????

http://investor.chevron.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=66900&p=irol-pressreleaseArticle&ID=149062&highlight=