Skip to main content

Breaking the Maya of Life



Simply because

You’ve seen only the mirages

In that vast desert,

It doesn’t mean there is no water

On this parched earth.


Rare as they may seem

There are sanctuaries called ‘oasis’

In the midst of such a wasteland 

Where clean, cool water awaits

Some fortunate traveller. 


Only that

You have to make it.

Please walk on, says the Spring,

‘til you get to the fertile land of love.

And sing a song like a bell ring.


October 13, 2020 (11:45pm)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Spirit Worship in Myanmar

MYANMAR is a country with a population of more than 50 million people, and the majority of them are Buddhists. Whoever visits this country will stare in surprise at its numerous pagodas and Buddha statues covered in gold leaf and glittering in the light – for which the country is known as the   Golden   Land . With Theravada school of Buddhism as its principal religion and world’s other major religions recognised as well, the country is also home to a vast number of people who, whatever their religious affiliation may be, believe in and worship spirits known as   nats . Who or what are these spirits and why do people worship them? And how long has this tradition existed? In essence,   Myanmar ’s   nat   beliefs may not be much different from any other sort of animism in the world, and may have existed long before Buddhism was accepted. But while animist religions in many other cultures focus on the worship of nature spirits,   Myanmar ’s   nats   are historical or legendary figures who

Human rights abuse in Burma and the role of Buddhist nationalism

Myanmar is taking significant strides towards political and economic liberalization after decades of military dictatorship, yet a series of violent attacks against Muslims is shaking confidence in the country. Surprisingly, Buddhist monks support much of the violence. Buddhism is widely perceived as a fundamentally peaceful religion. Thus, it has been a shock for many to see Buddhist monks in Myanmar (also known as Burma) take a prominent role in violence against the country’s minority Muslims . After all, it was less than a decade ago: in 2007 when tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and other anti-government protesters peacefully assembled on the streets of big Burmese cities in defiance of the Burmese generals. More recently, the world watched with astonishment and hope as Myanmar began to gradually emerge from decades of military dictatorship following elections in 2010 and 2012 . Yet the rise of right-wing religious nationalism is posing a serious obstacle to the country’s democr

Burma Past and Present: Same and Different

The last week of August 2002 was an unusually rainy week. Even after 20 years, I remember that because I spent that week in what was the most hostile, violent and stressful place in my life. Up to now, I can revisit the fear I felt— fear of losing a future, of never seeing my beloved ones again.  Photo: Burma Campaign UK I was a third-year engineering student at that time. The final exam was drawing near, and that one evening of late August, I was studying while Mom and others were busy preparing for her 50th birthday treat the next morning.  At about 11 pm, three men in plainclothes came, searched my study room, and took me away. “National Bureau of Intelligence,” they said to my family, without giving their names and ranks or showing their IDs. “We have a few questions for him.”  “We’ll send him back soon,” they told my family, “Do not make any complaint to any entity.” But I understood that in Burma, also known as Myanmar, a country under military rule for decades, a person taken aw