One Buddhist's Response to the Turmoil in Burma
September 2007: This is a report of a personal response to the turmoil in Burma.
Greetings from San
Francisco.
I was deeply moved by the events in Burma this week. There were two images that
wouldn't let me sleep. One was a line of monks in orange robes protesting on
the streets of Burma. The other an empty street littered with flip flops and
streaks of blood. I felt such solidarity with the struggle. Aun San Sui Kyi has
always been a heroine of mine. I felt I needed to get out in the streets myself
as an individual Buddhist, to walk with the Burmese protesters, as an act of
metta, wishing an end of suffering to the monks, the regular folks, and even
the soldiers. So Wednesday afternoon I decided I would do a walking meditation
at rush hour Friday afternoon through San Francisco's financial district from
4:00 to 6:00 pm. A very quiet gesture of non-violence, to draw attention to the
protests in Burma.
I hoped others would join me.
Word spread quickly. The e-maiI I sent out found its way onto a number of local
websites and listserves. Friday morning I was receiving phone calls from
BADA and Channel 2 News. All day Friday friends also kept e-mailing and calling
to say they couldn't make my protest. As I walked to the end of Market Street
at 3:45
I worried I would be all alone. I felt nervous and ridiculous dressed in black
and orange, wearing a FREE BURMA sign pinned to my shirt. But I had to do
something. Even if I did it alone.
Nyut Thanh, the President of BADA met me under the palm trees at The
Embarcadero, and as the clock tower struck 4 we realized it was just us. I told
him my intention and we decided to start. We stood quietly and I grounded
myself, got very still, inhaled lifting my foot "May all beings be
Happy", exhaled ""May all beings be well", steppng half a
footprint "May all beings be free of suffering." I kept the mantra
going, lifted my gaze over the crowd of pedestrians and felt metta radiating
all around us. It took us a half-hour to walk the block.
My friend Lucy appeared and joined, as did Elizabeth, a new friend that day who
was on BADA's listserve. Nyut 's cellphone continued to ring and he spoke to
all the major local TV stations and newspapers.
I felt deeply peaceful and connected in an unusual way with the suit and tie
commuters, the dates on their way to supper, the bike messengers gathering for
the Critical Mass ride, the prostitutes leading their johns into the public
toilet, the German tourists riding the cable cars. Folks veered around us,
turned to take a double look, stopped to take our photos. A street sweeper
satellited us, sweeping the same patch of sidewalk and eyeing us with
curiosity.
We walked for two hours. People noticed. It felt good. Did it make a
difference? Who knows. But I had to do it. May all beings be released from
their suffering.
Keep up-to-date on protests from The Buddhist Peace Fellowship.