Turning the Alms Bowl Over

“Even a simple action like turning the alms bowls upside down, which was a possibility to do during the monks’ uprising in 2007, is now an act for which you could get in prison or even killed.”

Bhikkhuni Vimala's statement highlights the gravity of the situation in Myanmar, where expressing any form of dissent against the military regime can result in severe repercussions, including imprisonment and even loss of life. By launching an international campaign encouraging monastics abroad to overturn their alms bowls, Vimala aimed to provide a platform for these monastics to express their opposition to the actions of the military junta while protecting their fellow Burmese monastics from potential harm. This was important to her, as a Buddhist nun who had spent formative years learning meditation in Myanmar.

The act of overturning the alms bowl holds symbolic significance within the Buddhist monastic tradition. The alms bowl is seen as a sacred vessel used by monastics to collect food offered by lay supporters. It represents the reliance on the generosity of the community and the interdependence between monastics and laypeople.

Therefore, in the context of Vimala's campaign, the overturned alms bowl serves as a powerful statement of disagreement and disapproval. It symbolizes the monastics' rejection of the actions of the group of lay supporters who have violated ethical principles or committed acts contrary to Buddhist teachings. By overturning their alms bowls, monastics express their solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their opposition to the military coup.

The international campaign initiated by Vimala gained significant traction when prominent monastics such as Bhikkhu Analayo and Bhikkhu Bodhi joined in by sending images of themselves with overturned alms bowls. This act of solidarity demonstrated the unity of the monastic community in their support for the people of Myanmar and their collective stance against injustice.

By engaging in such compassionate and proactive actions, monastics embody the principles of Engaged Buddhism, which emphasizes the integration of spiritual practice with active involvement in addressing societal issues and promoting social justice. Bhikkhuni Vimala believes that practitioners should cultivate inner wisdom through insight practice, but they should also extend their compassion to others and take action to alleviate suffering.

Vimala's campaign not only aimed to raise awareness about the situation in Myanmar but also served as a call to action for individuals around the world to support the Burmese people and their struggle for justice and freedom. Through these collective efforts, Vimala sought to ensure that the teachings of the Buddha continue to live on by actively engaging in compassionate actions and helping those in need.