Letter from Burma: Links (By Aung San Suu Kyi) June 01, 2013(Mainichi Japan) I think I mentioned the Burmese expression "water drops" in one of my previous letters. This refers to the water that is poured drop by drop into a bowl by Buddhists who have performed an act of merit. Usually during this ritual a monk delivers a sermon on the benefits of wholesome deeds, and when the sermon comes to an end, all who are in a position to hear are exhorted to partake of the merit earned. The correct response to this exhortation is to recite the word "sadu" ("well done") thrice. Later, the water is poured into the ground as an invocation to the earth to bear witness to the deed that was done. All those who responded to the invitation to share the merit acquired are deemed to be linked to one another by a karmic bond, which is euphemistically termed "water drops." This bond will bring them together again in the course of samsara, the cycle of existence. When time and chance bring together persons or peoples, we say that we are bound together by water drops. When I visited Japan last month, I thought often that between the Japanese people and myself there must be very many water drops, or in other words, strong karmic bonds. I spent only nine months in Japan 27 years ago, yet I did not feel myself to be a stranger. I felt as though I were back in a familiar place. The day of our arrival, we found that the part of Tokyo where our hotel was situated was perfectly clean, which was no surprise, but we were astonished to find that it was also almost entirely devoid of human presence in the streets. We joked a little about the efficiency with which the city had been tidied up. We were told that this emptiness was because it was a Saturday, and many city dwellers had gone away for the weekend. We had been warned when we were planning our visit to Japan that the best of the cherry blossoms would be gone by mid-April, but we still hoped that we might be able to glimpse the short lived beauty of the sakura. There were a few trees with fragile blossoms clinging on, but it was obvious that the time of "ohana-mi" was over. There was a possibility, however, that Kyoto, where we were to spend our second day, would have more cherry blossoms to offer. Indeed, we were not disappointed. We spent the second night of our stay in Japan at the home of my friends, Noriko and Sadayoshi Ohtsu, in a little town on a hillside overlooking Lake Biwa. As night came on, the place fell into deep quiet, and we decided to go for a walk along the empty streets. Apart from the security personnel who had been detailed to look after me, we only came across two or three of the neighbors. The lovely surprise was that we found a few cherry trees that were still thickly covered with blossoms. In spite of the fact that it was already dark, my personal assistant Dr. Tin Mar Aung and I had ourselves photographed under the sakura in typical touristy fashion. Moreover, we decided that we would have to come back the next morning to record the beauty of the flowers more clearly. There are some things that can never be viewed without emotion, however, no matter how many times we may have seen them in the past. Cherry trees in full flower are one of those rarities of the earth. Our visit to Kyoto was a mix of the old and the new. We went to look at a micro-hydro electric project, because the provision of renewable energy with the least negative impact on the environment is one of the urgent requirements of our country. We also went to an old temple, which had been retained by the same family for the last 500 years. There, we had a traditional Japanese meal. One of the joys of my visit was rediscovering the pleasures of Japanese food, both the elegant, highly refined cuisine as well as the common, everyday fare. We went to the Nishiki market in Kyoto, mainly to buy the kind of snacks I remember eating all those years ago. The short time I spent at the market made me feel I was back in my own country. The shopkeepers, as well as the customers, treated me with the kind of familiarity with which people in Burma treat me: as though I belonged to them. The generosity with which the shopkeepers gave us extras was also reminiscent of Burmese practice. A very kind shop owner actually made me a free gift of a set of chopstick rests that I wanted to buy. One of the most heartwarming experiences of my visit to Japan was the warmth with which young people expressed their support for what I am trying to achieve in my country. There has been much said and written about the effects of economic affluence on the young; often the impression given is that most of them are blase and bored. It is in the light of such criticism that the enthusiasm young Japanese demonstrated for the cause of democracy in Burma becomes particularly precious. I would like many young people from Japan to come to my country, to get to know how we live, and to help us as we endeavor to better our lives. It would be of great support to us, and at the same time, it will make them more appreciative of the achievements of their own country. It will, furthermore, strengthen the karmic bonds that link our two peoples.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:32:21 +0000
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