A Buddhist Monk Learns the Truth
Ashin Kovida's journey towards supporting democracy and human rights is a compelling tale of personal transformation and the power of knowledge, which he shared on a recent podcast episode. Growing up in a remote village in Burma, he initially followed the traditional path of monastic life. However, his curiosity led him to secretly study English, introducing him to Western political concepts like democracy and human rights, which he initially viewed with skepticism due to their foreign origins. His perspective shifted when an educated monk helped him see the importance of these ideas, and his exposure to foreign media and literature, including Aung San Suu Kyi's "Freedom From Fear," solidified his commitment to democratic values. Drawing from Buddhist teachings, he realized the fundamental importance of government respecting the will of the people, a principle the military junta in Burma failed to uphold. Ashin Kovida's advocacy for democracy eventually put him in danger, prompting him to seek refuge in Switzerland. He continued his advocacy from abroad, highlighting the need for change within the Burmese monastic education system to include a broader curriculum and encourage critical thinking. He believes that this evolution is essential to making Buddhism more relevant to diverse populations and ensuring the continued relevance of its teachings. Throughout his journey, Ashin Kovida's commitment to truth, democracy, and human rights has remained steadfast, embodying the essence of Buddhist principles and inspiring others to stand up for these ideals as well.
“I didn’t support, I didn’t like Aung San Suu Kyi at that time! Because I was influenced by the state-run military [propaganda].”
“When I started learning English, I was just interested in learning English language; that's it. But fortunately, I met some well-informed, well-educated monks, who were really open minded. And I had an opportunity to talk with them about politics. I didn't believe. I didn't support, I didn't like Aung San Suu Kyi at that time! Because I was influenced by the state media, which is called the ‘New Light of Myanmar;’ the state-run military printed all this stuff. So, all the times they blamed Aung San Suu Kyi.
I talked about it with the monks. I told him, ‘Venerable Sir, I can't understand Aung San Suu Kyi. All the time she talks about democracy and human rights, but the people do not understand what democracy means, what democracy is, what human rights are. If she really wants to establish democracy and human rights in Burma, she should educate the people about human rights and democracy.’
Then that monk explained to me, ‘Well, I want to tell you a saying. It is that ‘If you don't have any opportunity, your ability doesn't count!’ He said, ‘You have to think if Aung San Suu Kyi has had any opportunity to educate the people. You have to ask yourself.’ He enlightened me, so I just started thinking about it. Of course, I had heard about human rights also, from the radio, the BBC Burmese program and the VOA Voice of America Burmese program. I listened quite often at that time.
And at the same time, I received many tourists at my English class. I asked their help, if they could bring a book, which is called Freedom from Fear, by Aung San Suu Kyi. And they said, ‘Oh, it can be very dangerous to bring that book, especially at the airport and immigration. They might not allow them, because they have to show everything. At that, I told them, ‘Just replace the covers with [those of] other books. And then inside of the books, if you have any photos of Aung San Suu Kyi, just tear them out. Because the officers at the airport, they can't read English.’ So, that way they could smuggle out the books.
So, I have read Aung San Suu Kyi’s book, Freedom from Fear. That also enlightened me about democracy, and linking, connecting with the Buddha's teaching. And really, that helped me to appreciate her heart, her books, and understanding human rights and democracy, linking, connecting with Buddhism.”