A Burmese Meditation Lineage

“[This Burmese nun] showed me how to walk. She showed me how to eat, how to bow. It wasn't didactic; it was gentle. And it was really beautiful. She was walking slowly in front of me. Who showed her how to walk that way? Who showed that person how to walk that way? This feeling, it goes all the way back to the Buddha.”

Rose Metro's novel, "Have Fun in Burma," revolves around Adela Frost, a young woman who becomes fascinated with Burma and plans to volunteer in a monastery there. Set against the backdrop of violence against the Rohingya people, the story blends coming-of-age elements with Adela's journey as a young white woman in an unfamiliar culture. Rose, an academic with extensive knowledge of Burma, chose fiction to explore the multifaceted aspects of the recent conflict, aiming to invite readers to consider multiple perspectives. She also addresses colonial representations of Burma in literature and the challenges of cross-cultural communication. Through the characters' interactions and misunderstandings, the narrative highlights the complexities of the Rohingya crisis and the limitations of one's conditioning and perspective. The integration of meditation into Adela's journey reflects Rose's desire to combine different perspectives and explore the balance between compassion and equanimity in the face of suffering.

Rose Metro's quote from our podcast discussion beautifully captures the essence of the teaching lineages in Myanmar, as she experienced with her own time in the country. The encounter with the Burmese nun, who demonstrated walking, eating, and bowing without didactic instruction, evoked a sense of awe and a realization of the profound lineage of wisdom. The question of who taught her, and who taught her teacher, echoes through time, ultimately tracing back to the Buddha himself, as Rose percieves. Myanmar has a rich tradition of transmitting teachings orally and experientially, passing down practices and insights from one generation to the next. This chain of transmission carries the essence of the Dharma, embodying the wisdom and compassion of countless practitioners throughout history.