The Role of Buddhism in the Wake of the Crackdown

By Shah Paung
December 14, 2007

Dhamma sermons are usually attended almost exclusively by elderly people; however, since the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in September, more and more laypersons, especially youths, are turning up at monasteries to listen to Buddhist sermons. Attending dhamma

sermons is now a way for Burmese people to vent their defiance against the military government.

Pilgrims at the famous Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda of Mon State [Photo:AFP]

An ancient Sanskrit word meaning “justice” or “the law of nature,” dhamma is taught by monks to Buddhist devotees at monasteries. Recently, these sermons have become popular events in Burma and a series of dhamma talks is currently being held from December 11 to 15 in South Okkalapa Township in Rangoon.

An eyewitness said that about 1,000 people have been attending the sermons, including many young people. The roads around the monastery have been blocked between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. each night because many people are finishing their work early to attend the sermons. Even former soldiers have been attending.

Sermons on dhamma are being given by well-known monks and abbots such as U Kawthala, Ashin Sundadhika, U Jotika, U Kovida, U Nyanithara and Ashin Say Keinda, who is currently a lecturer at the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University in Rangoon.

In their talks, the monks often recount the words of Lord Buddha, telling their subjects that life is suffering and that, to atone for their sins, those who have committed evil acts would be committed to “ape-nga-ye” (the Buddhist version of “hell”).

“We feel sad about the recent crisis,” a former solider who requested anonymity told The Irrawaddy. “Until now we have felt nothing but pain when we think about [the crackdown on monks].”

He said that since he was a child, he had been taught that soldiers were here to protect the nation, the religion and the language. However, under current circumstances, the government’s actions have completely contradicted that moral.

The ex-soldier served the military for 10 years until 2001 and is now nearly 40. He said that he now works in social welfare and follows religious issues. He estimated that more and more people were listening to dhamma talks since the crackdown because the sermons remind people about the forces of good and evil.

Buddhist monks at the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda [Photo:AFP]

From students at a grade 4 level upward, laypersons are flocking to monasteries and to dhamma talk events, he claimed. Close to 90% of the population of Burma is Buddhist.

He went on to say that dhamma sermon VCDs and tapes were selling well all over the country. The organizers of dhamma events were making the VCDs and tapes by themselves and distributing them quietly. The Burmese military government has banned the distribution of dhamma VCDs and tapes through the country’s censorship board. However, devotees have been making copies and sharing them with others.

Khin Oo, a woman resident in Rangoon, says the dhamma sermons are encouraging and she feels consoled when she listens to them. Often, she says, the sermons involve subtle jokes, indirectly criticizing the military government for oppressing and killing its own people.

She said that the most popular dhamma VCDs were the talks by U Kovida and U Nyanithara, which were recently banned by the authorities.

The title of the U Nyanithara VCD is “The Way of Dumb People,” a pointed criticism of people who believe in astrology and commit evil acts. It is supposedly dedicated to the junta’s leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, who is known to be a strong believer in astrology. A second VCD featuring U Nyanithara is titled “The Ending of the King.”

At his recent dhamma talk in Rangoon U Kovida referred to the Burmese junta as the second “Azartathet.” (Azartathet is an infamous villain who killed his father for power in Buddhist folklore). His sermon also included commentary on the September demonstrations. U Kovida, a Buddhist PhD scholar, is an abbot at Mizzima Gon Yee Monastery in Rangoon’s Thakayta Township.

The Irrawaddy News