THE LITERATURE OF MYANMAR The literature literature of Myanmar, Myanmar, former1y former1y Burma, has a long history history.. The Mayazedi inscription (A.D. 1113) is the earliest extant specimen of Burmese literature. It narrates the eication of the !olen Buha "y a prince an the gift of sla#e$ sla#e$#il #illag lages es to the image, image, ening ening %ith a praye prayerr for the onor onor an his frien friens. s. &#er &#er a thousa thousan n such such eica eicato tory ry inscriptions %ere set up in the next 700 years, containing elo'uent poems an prayers of poetic merit. In the fifteenth century up to the nineteenth century, century, palm$leaf (scratche %ith a stylus) an fole$paper literature "ecame common. uch %ors %ere fille %ith Buhist piety an courtly refinement of language. The authors %ere mons, eucate courtiers, an court poetesses. *rose %ors uring this perio %ere fe%, mostly Buhist scriptures an chronicles of ings. *oetry %as #arie+ there %ere historical "allas, panegyric oes, the pyo (Buhist story in #erse), an the ya-du the ya-du (poems of lo#e or nature). The %riters also use the mixe style or prose an poetry together. together. -xamples of this are the Yagan, a serio$comic epic, an the Myil-Ta the Myil-Ta-za, -za, a letter of an a""ot to the ing. Moem fiction fiction "egan %ith the no#el. An example example is Tet-Pon-gyn, Tet-Pon-gyn, a classical no#el. ith the founing of the /ni#ersity of 0angoon in 12 came an increase in output of Burmese literature. 4oreign literature, especially -nglish %ors, %as transplante. ith inepenence in 156, Burmese has graually replace -nglish as the meium of
The people of Myanmar are peace$lo#ing an har%oring. Most of them li#e in #illages an %or as farmers. This speech of then *rime Minister / 7u ser#es to remin the Myanmar M yanmar people to pursue peace an unity among them. ON THE THREE EVILS 8umanity has "een le astray "y three e#ils $ gree, hatre an ignorance. hether %e are Buhists, 8inus, Muslims, 9hristians, Animists, or Atheists, %e cannot escape the three ine#ita"les+ ol age, isease, an eath. 7o"oy can eny that the fi#e sense o":ects $ pretty sight, elightful soun, fragrant smell, sa#ory taste, an nice touch $ are only fleeting phenomena. They are neither lasting nor permanent. 7or can any"oy eny that property is transitory+ no one can carry a%ay his property after eath. Men ha#e "een chasing these transitory pleasures %ith a ogge tenacity mainly "ecause they hol false #ie%s regaring property. They forget that this life is not e#en one millionth part of the %hirlpool of amsara (the cycles of re"irth), an go on amassing %ealth e#en though it ne#er "rings them full satisfaction. This insatia"le gree for %ealth results in the profit moti#e %hich is not irecte to%ar any utilitarian purpose. &nce upon a time all commoities %ere common property, an e#ery"oy ha a right to use them for his o%n "enefit. But %ith the a#ent of the profit moti#e these commoities "ecame o":ects of exploitation. They "ecame instruments of %ealth an stimulus for gree. This le to the fallo%ing phenomena+ 1. 8uman socie society ty %as split split into t%o classes classes++ 8a#es 8a#es an 8a#e$nots 8a#e$nots.. 2. The 8a#e$not 8a#e$notss ha to epen epen on the 8a#es for for their li#ing, li#ing, an thus thus the e#il e#il system of exploit exploitation ation of one one class "y another emerge. 3. ith ith class exploit exploitation ation,, the poor "ecame "ecame poorer "ecause "ecause they coul coul not get ae'uate ae'uate returns returns for their their %or. They ha to resort to e#il %ays lie stealing, looting, an prostitution. 5. The ;or Buha Buha has taught taught us that there there are four causes causes of eath+ amma, amma, frame of min, %eather %eather,, an foo. /ner the system of class exploitation, ho% can the 8a#e nots en:oy goo foo an protect themsel#es from extremes of %eather< 9an there "e any sense of happiness or contentment for them< 9an e#en a goo amma fa#or one %ho is cheerless< Thus one %ho is "orn into the class of 8a#e$nots is hanicappe in all the a"o#e four factors, an isease is the ine#ita"le result. =. 8o% can the the 8a#e$nots care for eucation eucation %ith their their har struggle struggle for our li#ing< ;ac of eucation eucation "rees an e#er$increasing "an of ignoramuses an Mr. >eros. ?. 8o% can a country country a"ouning a"ouning in ignoramuses ignoramuses an Mr. Mr. >eros e#er e#er progress< It is e#ient that that most of the e#ils in the %orl can "e trace to the a#ent of the profit moti#e. Do you remem"er the legen of the *aaytha"in (the tree of fulfillment) %e hear as chilren< Accoring to the legen, there %as once a time %hen men an %omen coul get %hate#er they %ante from the *aayt *aaytha" ha"in in tree. Ther Theree %as %as no pro" pro"le lem m of foo foo or clot clothe hess or hous housin ing, g, an an ther theree %as %as no crim crime. e. Dise Diseas asee %as %as comparati#ely unno%n. In course of time, ho%e#er, the people fell #ictim to gree an spoile the tree of fulfillment %hich e#entually isappeare. Then a class of people %ho coul not affor to eat %ell, ress %ell, or li#e %ell appeare, an crime "ecame rampant. 7o% I as you to thin of the *aaytha"in as the natural %ealth of our country, "oth a"o#e an uner the groun. If only this natural %ealth is use for the common goo of manin it %ill "e inexhausti"le, "esies satisfying the nees
