From EKKLESIA:
Buddhist monks are leading nonviolent protests across Burma as opposition to dictatorship and calls for the restoration of democracy increase. They want the Burmese people to pray in their doorways for 15 minutes at 20.00 on Sunday (23 September 2007), Monday and Tuesday. Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has faced harassment and imprisonment, has this weekend greeted the monks who have been demonstrating peacefully against the military junta. Ms Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the last 18 years in detention.
In Mandalay, a monastic centre of Buddhist learning, 10,000 marched peacefully through the Payagyi district. There were also demonstrations on Saturday in the townships of Chauk, Shwebo, Mongwa, Taung Dwin Gyi and Ye Nan Chaung. There were no reports of any violence.
Aung San Suu Kyi's latest period of house arrest began in May 2003. The area around University Avenue where her house is located has been closed to traffic since the wave of protests began. But in what appears to be an unprecedented move, the guards allowed the monks to walk past the home. Witnesses told the BBC that Ms Suu Kyi walked out with two other women and cried as she watched the monks and prayed with them but did not speak.
The leaders of the demonstrations have vowed to continue until the collapse of the military government.
COMMENT: Sorry and all that, I don't want to sound preachy, but there is a message here about sacrificial perseverance that we have to take note of. If we really do love our neighbour then giving up and/or running away is not an option.
~Mad Priest
Namaste
In everyday life, "namaste" is not consciously considered a religious gesture. However, many believe it has a spiritual basis, in recognizing a common divinity within the other person. (WIKI)
The military junta in Burma are making noises about cracking down on the (approximately) 100000 peace protesters. The last time this happened in 1988, at least, 3000 people were murdered by the military.
My friends, what is going down in Burma is the most important thing going down in world at this moment in time. If the bishops in New Orleans do not give a clear indication that gay people are to be regarded exactly the same as straight people in all matters then more gay people will die at the hands of bigots than they would if the Church acknowledged them as co-heirs of the Kingdom. We pray that the bishops will make righteous decisions. However, our prayers today must primarily be for the people of Burma because it is right that we pray for others before ourselves. In doing so the spiritual strength of the monks will become our strength through the transforming power of our common divinity.
Posted by MadPriest
Amen.
***
0 comments:
Post a Comment