A Wish at a Temple of Bagan

We traveled to Bagan on April 15 and stayed there two nights. We went there to pay respects to the Four Sacred Stupas of Buddha's Tooth Relics which were built by King Anawratha over 800 years ago. It is said that any wish made there before noon may be fulfilled. We, Myanmar Buddhists, believe it and have many true stories that the visitors' wishes were fulfilled.

As my gratitude, I took my parents there in the New Year period and I myself made the same specific wish at all four stupas for my country's peace to be restored very soon. Specifically, we also visited an ancient temple called "Htee-lo-Min-lo" meaning "umbrella's wished and King's wished". It is a story of a king in Myanmar's history. The King had five sons and didn't know whom to choose to succeed his throne. Everyone was outstanding in his own respective field and the king couldn't pick which one to make as the next Crown Prince. One day, the king called all his five sons to gather and he explained to them about his fair method to intelligently select the Crown Prince. An umbrella (the throne's symbol) was erected in front of him and the five sons would sit around it. Then, he would make a resolution that the umbrella should bend to the Crown-Prince-to-be once he let it off his hands. All the princes agreed with his method and he did as said. In short, the umbrella bent to the youngest son. This was also the one who the king had secretly hoped for. When the king passed away, the youngest son succeeded his throne. Nowadays, there are some jokes that the perhaps the king made an unseen small effort to push the umbrella towards his most beloved son.

However, from the other perspective, we have to acknowledge that the other sons' noble spirit to approve their father’s decision is praise worthy. Another point of view to consider is the father's resolution. This could truly be a spiritual power of a father who did not want to make any son unhappy and did not prefer the favored selection for his successor. In fact, it seems he did not want to let the people of that time and later people see and criticize him as the father who selected the successor in favor. This would be Sacca (the truth of a father's love). 

In all of the facts, the most important point in this story should not be neglected at all. It was the consent and love of the people towards this son, wishing him to become a successor of the throne, and accepting his rule. People in the country loved him very much and they all were happy when he was selected. For all these interesting reasons, I visited the temple which he built after he succeeded his father's throne. I wished at the temple to gain back the rightful ruler of our country for whom millions of people really wish and have already elected. Wishing for the fulfillment of the desire of my country's people, I appealed to the Sāsana's guardian divines (Catu-mahā Rajika Divines), the temple's guardian divine and the great builder of the temple, the King who succeeded.

One thing to smile about is that I saw a truck of the evils (security forces) just outside of the temple, different from other temples, where I didn't see a single one of them there. And I heard that their chief evil, Min Aung Hlaing, came to this very place, where he put a golden umbrella at the top of this very pagoda, after he grabbed and took over the power of the country from the people's elected government. I could smile only after I came back out of the temple, because I had already made a wish for the country and people whispering to the Buddha, the divines and the passed king. They didn't hear me at all, I'm sure. But, I'm worried if they would restrict all the visitors to enter this temple in the future, taking over it as they own and preventing the wish that will take away their evil chief from his crazy power.

In fact, it seems the evil chief who crazily believes in Yadayās (astrological ways to reverse one's own karma), did not completely understand the real meaning and true story of this temple, which is the people’s respect and admiration of their rightful leader, However, I think it would be "explaining to an ox about how delicious the pancake is" to be explaining to him about the people's love. 

Anyway, I believe in the spiritual power of truthful love, resolution, altruistic efforts, loyalty and envy-free spirits of the ancient people who lived in this majestic land of Bagan, truly following the Buddha's teachings

"Due to these spiritual beauties, 

the land of Bagan is still beautiful, indeed. 

Due to these spiritual beauties 

of the ancient citizens of Bagan, 

the land would have been a majestic Disneyland.

Due to these, Bagan is still a land 

where the spiritual seekers should visit and explore them.

Due to these beauties, 

Bagan is still the heart of humanity. 

Inhumane demons will never understand the truth and beauty of Bagan.

Brutal evils will have never seen 

the hearts of ancient Bagan citizens. 

Probably Bagan land faced some inhumane rulers and disloyal, immoral stories of the egocentric ones in the country. 

Bagan would ever be beautiful and loyal for its founder kind-hearted rulers and their beautiful-spirited people who has heart-to-heart understanding, mutual respect and love."