A Monastic Driver

“I am remorseful! I will never insult you ever again, but I only have a bundle of grass for offering.”

While this cartoon takes aim at those nationalist monks cozying next to the military and enjoying the luxury and privilege of those elite donors, I would suggest it is quite unfair to the many monks and nuns who have been ardently supporting the democracy movement in Myanmar, in big ways and small. Not only are some monastics risking their very lives to protect vulnerable populations, but many are going without proper food and other requisites as they do not wish to burden the lay population that now are struggling in so many ways themselves. Some monasteries have even begun giving away their own food to local communities, as they realize the need there exceeds even the meager supplies they have in their compound.

Even beyond this, I wonder if JMP is aware of how many monasteries and even meditation centers have virtually been transformed into refugee centers and IDP camps for entire villages which have been burned down, or how local monks are now working together in the Sagaing Division to share resources with those most impacted.

While JMP's biting social and religious commentary is valuable for its pointed criticism of Buddhist monks who have lost their way and are now using their robes as a cover to act with a kind of impunity, it is unfortunate his depictions are coming to blanket the entire Sangha, and ignoring the courageous contributions and sacrifices of so many monks and nuns now in Myanmar.