Have you ever been in a room where you're the only person who hasn't been in jail? It's an odd feeling, and I highly recommend it.
I had that experience just last week when, in the deceptive comfort of my own bedroom, I sat and discussed Burmese politics with several Buddhist monks and some of their friends. Chief among those in the discussion group was U Pyinya Zawta, who spent 10 years in jail in Burma as a political prisoner. While others chatted about their shared experiences struggling against the tyrannical Burmese government, I felt I didn't have much to add. Luckily, I wasn't called on to speak often; the conversation was in Burmese.
You may be wondering why U Pyinya Zawta would feel the need to hang out at my house. There's a very simple answer to that: He was my houseguest. And if you're now asking, "You had a monk staying at your place?" I would answer, no. I had three monks staying at my place.
U Pyinya Zawta, along with fellow monks U Gawasita and U Tejavanta, came to Duke last week to speak about their struggle for human rights in their homeland of Burma. These monks are exiled national heroes, iconic religious figures and men of deep humility and abiding courage. They are revered by the people for whom they have fought. And they were crashing at my apartment.
Those who know me best would laugh to hear that I was waking up at 6 a.m. to make breakfast for the monks. Needless to say, I relied heavily on Whole Foods. The monks have a morning schedule of waking up at 5 a.m. to meditate; I can't even remember the last time I woke up at 5, for any reason. I was relieved to learn that they do not eat any food in the afternoon; at least I didn't have to worry about dinner.
As it turns out, I shouldn't have worried so much about pleasing the monks; they were overjoyed to be at Duke, and had very simple needs. They especially enjoyed meeting Duke students, which they said gave them hope for the future. Although U Tejavanta did, at one point, confide that his joy at meeting American students was a bittersweet one-it reminded him that many students in his home country were languishing in prisons for exercising their right to free speech.
It's at this point I should explain more specifically why these monks came to Duke. The government of Burma is a dictatorial military junta, which keeps power through fear and brutality. They have done away with free elections, imprisoned and tortured political dissidents and waged an ethnic cleansing campaign against ethnic minorities. Burma's government has the additional infamy of having a military with the most child soldiers in the world.
In September 2007, the Burmese people rose up in a peaceful revolution against this tyrannical government. The protesters were led by 30,000 Buddhist monks, whose distinctive saffron robes gave the Saffron Revolution its name. The entire Burmese society gave forth a collective cry of freedom, a cry that the government drowned out when they set loose the military on their own people.
In the ensuing crackdown, thousands of monks and other societal leaders "disappeared," and U Pyinya Zawta, U Gawasita and U Tejavanta narrowly escaped Burma with their lives. Exiled from their native land, they now work tirelessly for the future of their people.
Which leads me to a quick discussion of karma. As we were preparing the bedsheets for my distinguished guests last week, my Buddhist roommate commented "James, you're going to have great karma after this." When I asked him to elaborate on the concept of karma, his face screwed up in thought. He finally answered, "Karma is the idea that, if you give selflessly, you will receive in return."
In my case, I gave three monks a place to stay and some food to eat, and got the experience of a lifetime in return. Who else can claim that they've kicked it with Burmese monks, or with such distinguished human rights heroes for that matter? I'm no Buddhist, but I would argue that the karmic model works. Take Burma; today, right now, there are a hundred actions you can take to benefit the people of Burma. Google "Free Burma" later, and you'll find that it's easy to assist the Burmese in some small way. Take a moment to give selflessly of yourself, and who knows what you'll receive in return.
James Tager is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Tuesday.
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