Myanmar youth devour religious books amid hazy future
By Nattha Keenapan
YANGON, YANGON, Oct. 17, Kyodo - As the sun rises behind the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, hundreds of devoutly Buddhist locals gather to pray and meditate. Elsewhere in Yangon, the sound of prayer echoes in monasteries situated along the capital's lush and clean roads.
Such daily scenes and the proliferation of Buddhist temples across Myanmar make it clear why the country has been dubbed the ''Land of Pagodas.''
Over the centuries, Buddhism and monks have played important roles in Myanmar and the country's rich Buddhist culture has been deeply absorbed into the minds of the majority of its people. It should thus come as no surprise that bestsellers in most of Yangon's bookstores are religious books, though it may surprise some that most of the buyers are youngsters.
Under the surface of Buddhist tranquillity, however, worries lurk in many people's minds and their future is vague.
Myanmar has been ruled since 1962 by the military, which has refused to hand over power to the victor of the 1990 general elections -- Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy -- which won 80% of parliamentary seats.
Universities and colleges have been closed down intermittently since 1962 due to periodic uprisings against the military regime, and for almost seven years following a 1988 bloody uprising they were completely shut down.
Since reopening, they have been relocated to remote areas, and students have been made to sign papers vowing they will not engage in dissident activities. While schools are back in session, hundreds of thousands of students have slipped through the educational gap, failing to return to their studies.
The economy suffered severely under the 26 years of socialist mismanagement and has yet to fully recover. Prices of major consumer goods have soared 25 times since 1988. Foreign investors have hesitated to come due to the government's inconsistent economic and trade policies and Western sanctions imposed over the junta's alleged violations of human rights.
''Everybody is going ahead, and we stand still. We still do not have Internet access and other facilities. We are not being provided with enough information,'' said a 25-year-old graduate student who asked not to be named for fear of the authorities.''Whenever we meet people from abroad, like young people in the same age group, we can get depressed comparing our opportunities, our knowledge and ourselves. We're so far behind and we cannot do anything about it,'' the student said.
While youngsters in other troubled parts of the world may find respite from their worries through entertainment in nightclubs and other fun, there are few such diversions in Myanmar for those without means, a situation that has led many youth to seek solace in religious books.
A 54-year-old Burmese Buddhist monk, Sayadaw U Jotika, has in recent years become one of the most popular monks among Myanmar youth, with his books becoming bestsellers in most local bookstores.
A 27-year-old civil servant, Zin Zin, not her real name, who grew up in a devoutly good Buddhist family, said she started reading Jotika's books three years ago and found them to be a source of healing for her stress and frustration. ''It's true that the general situation in Myanmar makes me read this kind of book, let alone our own personal problems,'' she said.
She said the books taught her to prepare and cope with stress and depression in daily life, while they also taught her to pick up the habit of being mindful and trying to understand her own mind and the imperfection of herself and others.
''Stay calm. Wait. Be patient. Do whatever is possible at the moment. Nothing lasts forever. Things will change, possibly for the better, if you stay clear and calm,'' Jotika said in one of his books, following Buddha's teaching that everything is impermanent, including life, and that one should be with the present.
Zin Zin said Jotika's books are commonly given as presents. ''We buy them as presents for others and they spread around, like a multiplier effect. Young people here find a better way to solve their problems compared to youths in other countries who may go out to nightclubs. We can't afford that. It's a different way of solving problems,'' she said.
Jotika, however, views himself as an ordinary person rather than a monk although he has been ordained since the age of 27. ''I don't want people to just blindly follow my idea or my discussion because I don't think of myself as a preacher. I'm just a human being,'' he said. ''I understand that what most people feel and look for is what I've felt and been looking for all my life. What people really want is courage, confidence and spiritual strength, not money or fame,'' he said.
Jotika agreed that youth these days are facing difficulties with their own stress and social problems linked together. He urges his readers to try to understand the problems and find good solutions to heal society.
''I don't encourage anyone to be violent. It will give a negative answer and cause more problems. We need a strong, peaceful and loving mind with deep understanding and real courage to take responsibility and to find solutions for social problems,'' he said.''Don't act with anger, calm down,'' Jotika told a group of lay disciples who sought his advice.