Episode #51: Home Is Where the Heart Is
You are listening to the second episode in our ongoing series, titled “Love Letters to Myanmar.”
Those who have been following our podcast’s journey are aware that before February 1st, our shows were designed to mainly showcase the themes of meditation, spirituality, and Buddhist study related to Myanmar. Following the coup, however, our platform has been transformed to respond to the current state of emergency that has gripped the country, to help convey the reality of what is happening in Myanmar. The topics we have been covering, and the stories that our guests have so vulnerably been sharing, are admittedly heavy. It is critical that our platform be able to bear this weight as we support and amplify those voices who want the world to know their reality.
However, as important as it is to bear witness, hearing repeated tales of inhumanity, cruelty, and loss can take a toll on one’s emotional and mental well-being. We hope that this new series can provide a kind of counterbalance to our recent run of episodes.
In this show and the ones that follow, guests will share their warmest memories and anecdotes, discuss what life lessons they have learned from their time there, and talk about the role that the country and culture has played in their lives. We will be checking in with meditators, teachers, scholars, aid workers, exiles, diplomats, celebrities, and others to showcase how widely Myanmar’s influences have touched people from such a wide range of backgrounds. We also want to be clear that this new series is not in any way intended, nor should it be seen, as an escape from the current circumstances in Myanmar… especially for those of us now listening from places of freedom and safety! It is to help re-ground us all in why we care so much about this country in the first place. We hope these shows can aid us in keeping our hearts firmly rooted in the Golden Land, while also providing a sense of renewed energy and purpose as we face the latest developments.
This second episode in “Love Letters to Myanmar,” is called “Home is Where the Heart Is,” and is a mirror image of the first. The initial program showcased the stories of three non-Burmese who were deeply impacted by their time in the country. In this one, we hear from three Burmese who left their homes at a young age in order to settle in foreign countries with their families.
First up is Yi Mon, a Chinese-Burmese woman whose family departed for Japan when she was 17 years old and ended up working as a well-known radio announcer, before eventually moving onto to New York in 2015. Back when she was still a girl, Yi Mon attended meditation and Buddhist study courses during the summer. It was quite difficult and she did not like it at first, but eventually she came to appreciate the teachings, so much so that she decided to temporarily ordain as a nun. This deeper practice period would later prove to be of great help in adjusting to the very different culture in Japan. Regarding the recent protests, Yi Mon says they have rekindled old memories in recalling the excitement and fear from the 1988 movement; in particular, she remembers her parents cautioning her to never discuss politics. Then she notes her realization after she moved abroad, that Japanese and American police were not feared as they were in Myanmar, where such institutions are seen as taking away, rather than protecting basic human rights. Looking at the protests today, Yi Mon is inspired by how brave many are being even while staying committed to nonviolence, which she sees as directly related to mettā, or loving kindness.
Next up is Paing, who was raised in a middle-class family that relocated to Norway when he was 16 years old. Growing up in Myanmar, he was especially influenced by the teachings of the Five Precepts, which he found to be a powerful code, especially when followed by all the members of a community. Similarly, he appreciated the frequent contact with monks and elders. However, the move to Norway severed that social and cultural interconnectedness, leaving him with a feeling of being isolated. Still, the Five Precepts continued to exert a strong influence on him, along with a deep appreciation for karma, which has shaped his life even as he physically lives away from a Buddhist community. Regarding the current protests, Paing is inspired by the nobility of the people’s resistance. He believes that some day, their names should be carved into walls and sung about in ballads.
Finally, we hear from Lily, a Chinese-Burmese woman from Kayah State. Lily grew up in a small village near the Thai border, but spent only five years there before moving onto the United States. So her early memories are a patchwork of scattered images, like neighborhood dogs, the lush verdant countryside, the presence of an extended family, and the village classroom where kids of all ages attended together. As one can imagine, suddenly landing in South Philly was more than a little culture shock! It took Lily some time to adjust to a way of life that she found more competitive, and much faster paced. She returned to Myanmar 27 years later to visit family. There, she re-entered a world that was still somewhat closed, and lacked the sounds of modern life that she had grown so accustomed to—at that time, even cell phones were still uncommon in Myanmar. Reflecting on the circumstances that continue to unfold in her land of birth, Lily appreciates the freedom and safety of her new home in America, and hopes that the Burmese can experience this soon. Towards those ends, she offers meditative advice for those now living through this terror: to take 5-10 minutes daily and visualize what freedom from fear can actually feel like.
It can be very challenging to move to a new country as a child, where one has to learn a new language and figure out how to navigate a new culture. And then even more so, to look back at one’s land of birth and see it in agony. Our three guests today help us understand what it feels like to face those challenges. We hope you are moved and inspired by their stories.