Hope is a prayer

Hope is a prayer.

I hope that you are having a nice day today.

Depending on where you live:

I hope that you are able to appreciate your freedom.
I hope that you had many good conversations about life and politics, openly and without fear of being overheard.
I hope that you did not have to worry about the army raiding your village and taking your children today.
I hope that you are not missing friends and relatives who marched at a recent demonstration.
I hope that you read a newspaper that represented differing views.
I hope that you were able to consider who you would vote for in your next election.

If any of that is true for you then I know you do not live in Burma.

Please take a moment and hope that this will be true in Burma too.

Thank you and blessings,
Patrick

Stop Child Labor and Child Soldiers

When I was a monk in Burma I was able, with great difficulty, to travel to back areas normally never seen by foreigners. I personally witnessed child slave labor camps. Imagine your kids being removed from your famliy at eight or ten years old. They are taken to road works and forced to crush large boulders into gravel while armed soldiers lurk from nearby shaded spots.

This is really happening.

Here is a news report:

By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Myanmar is filling the ranks of its depleted armed forces with children as young as 10 and may try to capture even more boys after the recent crackdown on pro-democracy protests, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

The former Burma is so desperate to replenish its army after desertions and attrition that children are bought and sold by military recruiters. They are beaten and held as virtual prisoners while the government denies it is happening, the report said.
end

What can you do:

Put your Christmas shopping dollars to work by supporting organizations that are able to organize, lobby, and provide support.

Two such organizations are the US Campaign for Burma (http://www.uscampaignforburma.org)
and
www.Avaaz.org

Chevron pumping Burmese gas

Readers - Good News, Here is a simple way for you to help the people of Burma.
Stop buying Chevron gas.
Chevron is pumping natural gas on behalf of the Burmese military because it has a grandfather clause exemption from boycotting regulations.
Chevron, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Chevron, You were my favorite source of gas. No More!!!
Readers stop buying Chevron gas until this is corrected. 

Every time you DON”T buy Chevron gas you have helped the people of Burma. Send a message with your purchasing dollars.

Public opinion does influence even military forces like the one that is ruling Burma at this time.
Because of the international public outcry the Burmese military has allowed Aung San Suu Kyi to meet with some of her party representatives for the first time in years.
This is due to the influence of all our voices. This is a small concession and the trap and the trick would be if we thought this was enough and then turned our heads to more convenient directions.

One leverage point for continued public pressure will be through the governments and businesses that are engaging with the Burmese Military. The five countries in particular that seem to be the closest and doing business with Burma are China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
According to Joel Brinkley in an San Francisco Chronicle article, India recently said that Burma was a, “close and friendly neighbor,” and signed a three year deal with Burma for energy exploration.

People of India, please let your government know that this is not acceptable.

Be compassionate, be responsible!

The Burmese military's view of People's Desires

Here is a photo I took of a billboard that is posted on a busy street in Yangoon, Burma.

It is telling the people what their desires are.

In case the photo is difficult to read here is what it says:

People's Desires
1) Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges, holding negative views.
2) Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and progress of the nation.
3) Oppose foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the State.
4) Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy.

Take a moment and really get what it would be like to live in a country in which you are controlled by military force and this sign represents the value system of that force.

Try to understand the fear and greed that run such a military.

Try to understand what it is like to live in such conditions knowing that you can be crushed just for speaking what the military would consider a, "negative view."

Now if you will indulge my belief that we can all make a difference from afar.

Picture in your mind those very same soldiers and imagine a light of love and divine wisdom washing over them unconditionally.
Imagine that light carrying Meta, loving kindness, to those very soldiers.
Imagine them feeling safe, loved, and open hearted to each other and the people all around.
Imagine in that unfamiliar feeling of love and safety that same soldier receives a Divine Wisdom that informs him that he will be alright without his gun.
Imagine him releasing his fear and embracing the whole and kindheartedness of his own Divine Wisdom.
Imagine him reaching his hand out to the people nearby and crying out for forgiveness.
Imagine those people granting his request for forgiveness and embracing that soldier in love and compassion.
Imagine a wave of compassion moving through Burma like a tsunami of forgiveness washing away the fear that had up till now run the soldiers life.
Imagine all the soldiers dropping their weapons.
Imagine the small group of generals that presently run the country not having an army to enforce their will.
Imagine a time of healing decades of abuse.
and now imagine your heart energy reaching out from where you are to the beautiful people of Burma, holding them - NOW!

Thank you,
Patrick
www.AwakenedWisdom.com

By VOA News
"Heavily armed forces guarded the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas on an important Buddhist holiday Friday, when monks end a period of monastic retreat.

Also Friday, the party of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the government has released at least 70 more people detained in the military's violent crackdown on protesters."

It is encouraging that some talks are taking place between Aung San Suu Kyi, the UN and the Burmese military.
It is essential that we all keep our attention on this situation.

The appearance of peace in Burma is not a true reflection of the condition of the people but rather a result of having soldiers posted everywhere.

When I was there recently I was informed that any gathering for any reason larger than 5 people is technically illegal.

When was the last time you gathered with more than 5 people.
What if you had to be concerned that you were breaking the law just because of that.

I want us all to remember that this military used violent force against Burmese monks and laypeople that were engaged in Peaceful protests. We all saw the pictures of the military shooting into crowds of unarmed citizens.
Any governing body that will not allow people to speak out, that uses weapons and violence against the people, and that is run by greed for profit is essentially evil.

When I was there I personally met some high ranking military officers that had been educated in the west. I could see that they were essentially good people that I believe given the chance would do the right thing.
What these officers need is an opportunity to switch allegiance from the small group of corrupt generals to the people.

At this time the biggest fear that runs the rank and file military is reprisals against family members.

There must be some way to create a condition, a tipping point of the will, so that the military can set down their weapons.

Imagine what would be possible if on the same day, same hour, all soldiers simply put their weapons away and walked through the streets side by side with monks and laypeople demanding that a democratic election would be held.

Remember that there is no outside force that is threatening this country. The enemy, as far as the military is concerned, are the citizens who held a legal election twenty years ago only to have it overruled.

Well I can dream can't I?

Military is twisting the plot

The latest reports from Burma are indicating that the protests have been silenced for the time being. It has also been reported that the military continues arresting people that were involved in the protests.
To add insult to injury families in some areas are being forced to march in pro-military rallies, in front of government owned tv cameras, and if they refuse they are threatened with arrest or fines.
The internet remains one important source of news coming out of Burma. There are many reports of the military entering homes and inspecting computers to see if they have been used to send emails.
We must keep up our pressure on all local politicians so that they in turn use their power to pressure the Burmese Junta.
This is a very important time for us to take a stand for an end to this violent regime.

imagine this...(Why you should care)

Imagine a country where the ones who rule it are insensitive to the voice of the citizens.
Imagine a country in which the leaders presume to know what is good for the people and run secret agendas.
Imagine that your leaders isolate themselves from public appearances and gatherings.
Imagine that the media colludes and is manipulated and controlled by the leaders and joins in providing misinformation.
Imagine that the military keeps it's soldiers longer than they want, past their promised terms.
Imagine that people can be gathered up in the middle of the night and there is no accountability for what happens to them.
Imagine that these people are tortured and imprisoned without due process.
Imagine that any resistance to the above is called unpatriotic and shameful.
Imagine that those that will support the leaders are rewarded with privilege, money, and power.
Imagine that companies that profit from the existing system control the supply of goods.
Imagine that the awarding of lucrative contracts is given to those companies who work to keep the existing and corrupt system alive.
Imagine that an inconceivably large amount of money just disappears.
Imagine that those who stick their head up and say this is wrong are punished in many creative ways.

Imagine that I am talking about Burma.

Sound to close for comfort?

Think this couldn’t happen to you?

Coming soon to a land near you?

Or already here.

How you can help

How can you help:

1) Keep talking about this with your friends and family. Awakeness counts!
2) Reach out to your local politicians and get them to do something.
3) Find organizations that are already doing this work and support them.
Here are two examples:

www.Avaaz.org
From their website,
avaaz.org is a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face.


And

The US Campaign for Burma
http://uscampaignforburma.org

From their website:
The United States Campaign for Burma is a U.S.-based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. Through public education, leadership development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, national and international levels, USCB works to empower Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma and raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations committed by Burma’s military regime.


Thank you,
Patrick

Coming soon to a land near you?

Or already here.

Aung San Suu Kyi, an honorary Canadian citizen.

The CBC in Canada is reporting the following story with regards to Aung San Suu Kyi:

From the CBC website:
"Parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a motion to designate Burma's democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi, an honorary Canadian citizen.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented the motion in the House of Commons, calling her a "symbol of the desire of the Burmese people for political freedom."
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been held under house arrest in Burma — also known as Myanmar — for the past 18 years by the military junta governing the impoverished southeast Asian country.
"All Canadians know that what is happening in Burma is an attack on the values we hold dear … and an attack on the values of civilization itself," Harper said, following a standing ovation."

Effectively I am not sure how this helps Burma in the short run but I am very glad none the less that this has happened.

Almost everyone I speak to is frustrated by the sense of helplessness about being able to help.

By the way, where is the money that these corrupt Burmese generals are syphoning off of the Burmese people.
Shouldn't we be able to trace that somewhere and freeze it. That would get their attention. As the old saying goes, "Follow the money!"

The amounts of money that must have been gathered after all these years of corruption must be huge and I doubt that they are keeping it in Burmese banks.

Somewhere out there is a banker who knows were this money is.

Well at the very least I just want to encourage you all to keep sharing information, keep talking about it and praying.

Somewhere out there is a solution.

Coming soon to a land near you?

Or already here.

Burma needs us now!

I am creating this blog specifically to support the people of Burma in their struggle to become free of one of the worst and most oppressive regimes that exists on the planet.
Please don't turn away.
I know it is hard to keep hearing about a situation that seems so far away on every level and yet that is exactly what allows a predicament such as this to carry on.

Your attention to this does make a difference!

Why do I care:

1) Because I live a life of privilege in a Western world and I can care because I am not struggling every day to put food on my table and so I care because I can.

2) I know that all beings on this planet are connected through the great web of life as relations and some of our relations need help.

3) I had a most extraordinary life experience that led me from my comfortable western life to South East Asia and on to a Buddhist monastery in Burma. My intention of meditating for a few days became a much longer, deeper, higher, and multi-dimensional journey that included me ordaining and becoming a Buddhist monk.
I was guided into a world filled with generosity, compassion, deep mystery, and respect. Such is the land of Burma and it's people.

4) I have personally met with Aung San Suu Kyi, the noble prize laureate and I can assure you that she and all those brave and lesser known beings that are part of the struggle for freedom are pure in their hearts and intentions and so we must support them.

Stay tuned for more,
Patrick