Category: Concept

None of my four grandparents were around when I was born. So, I cannot directly relate to them.

“Thar ah chit. Myee ah hnit” goes an old saying.

• Did not know much about the world when I was young
• Modern day kids — whether they are born in Myanmar, USA, or else where — seem to be highly intelligent

• My “Myee Ma” (granddaughter) would say, “I will take care of GP (Grand Pa) a lot. I will help him exercise. Have massage. … I have a doctor’s bag.”
  She is in Fourth Grade.
  Her hobbies include Reading, Writing, Painting, Riding Bike, Singing, Dancing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Taking photos.

• My “Myee Htee” (grandson) understands both the spoken language and the body language (even when he was a toddler).
  When told to “Nann“, he will kiss my cheeks.
  He has a sense of when we are coming [to visit him] or when we are leaving. He will hug and give a flying kiss.
  He is in First Grade.
  His hobbies include Video Games, Kung Fu, Soccer, Swimming, Playing the Piano and Hiking.
  He is athletic : dribble a basketball for 30+ seconds, kick and shoot football, swing a baseball bat, and race with remote control cars.

• Perhaps the same can be said of “Myees” everywhere.
  
• We are somewhat lucky that we don’t have to take care of our “Ah Hnits” 24 by 7.
  
• As one alumni jokingly said, “Myees should just be Myee [tasted]”.

Sayama Toni wrote :

My myees were not around me much, only for visits, but now in their 20s, they care for me in their own way. Myee-ma lay Thitsa got a pay raise recently and ‘ka-dawk-dare’ me with money. She does that now and then. The recent one, I’m saving for grand father’s yearly donation of his death. The myee-yauk-kyar lay, Ye Htut, loves to cook and I used to complain abt my clean kitchen messed up. But, he washes everything and cleans the kitchen. So, I enjoy them in a way. Ye Htut will be here for a couple of months before he returns to college, so I let him do as he pleases.

Good and Bad Habits

• Good habits allow us to perform things in auto-pilot mode.
• Bad habits (e.g. addiction) are easy to develop, but difficult to quit.
  With patience and practice, we can modify and substitute the bad components in the habit with good ones. The triggers may remain the same, but good actions can yield satisfactory results.

My Experience

I spent a lot of time playing the Solitaire Card Games. I received a sense of gratification with the awards : Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Perfect.

I stopped playing Solitaire and spent more time writing and sharing my knowledge and experience via my Posts. I now receive a sense of gratification with the “kind words” by my readers.

Smoking

• My uncle smoke two packs of cigarettes every day.
  He successfully quit smoking partly due to his doctor’s advice and partly due to his determination to live a long, healthy life.
  He lived to his 80s.
  It could have been more if he did not have a fall. There was no immediate signs of danger, but he passed away a few days later.
• My teacher tried to quit smoking. His buddies and students offered him cigarettes to keep them company.
  He also tried the substitution method using Chewing Gums.
  He added one more addiction.
  It would take some time before he kicked both habits.

Habitual Kamma

• Habitual Kamma (e.g. meditating every day) is important.
• U Po Sa would recite “Mora Sutta” (Daung Min Payeik) before going for a daily morning walk along Inya Road with his close friends. Knowing U Po Sa’s habit, the kidnappers waited in the early morning and kidnapped him. U Po Sa got free.
  Some attributed U Po Sa’s release to Habitual Kamma (e.g. recital of the Mora Sutta).

Books

• “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey is a Best Seller.
• Covey also wrote another book on the Eighth Habit.
• “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg is another Best Seller.
  Duhigg points out where to “break” the cycle in a habit.
• Many books are available as e-Book and Audio book.
• If one just wants to have teasers or summaries before buying a book, one can subscribe to Blinkist.com

School

I did not cherish going to school at an early age. It was not fun to use slate.
All that changed when a caring Karen Christian Teacher named “Teacher Kywe” magically transformed me into a dutiful student with an inquiring mind.
I later did well in academics. I won the Collegiate Scholarship in 1963.
I was selected Luyechun (Outstanding Student) from the Rangoon Institute of Technology in the Summer of 1965.

Kha Lay Ah Thinn

Some time back, my cousin sister said, “I still have the paper with the song that you wrote for Kha Lay Ah Thinn.”
When we were young, there was no Internet or TV. The Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS) would broadcast for specified hours in the morning, afternoon, evening and night.
We spend a lot of time outdoors. One hangout was the corner in our uncle’s compound.
Someone came up with the idea that we should form a “Kha Lay Ah Thinn”. I was chosen to be the “Okkahta” (President). I am not a composer, but that did not prevent me from trying out a “Theme Song”. The music and lyrics were not spectacular, but I would have earned a nod for moving out of my comfort zone.
We did not have fund. Our uncles, aunts and elder cousins decided to help with the fund raiser. There was the renowned “Bu Thee Gyaw & Ah Chin”. It may be a sign that I would become an organizer.

Myees

The elder Myee is in Fourth Grade. Her hobbies include Reading, Writing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Music.
The younger Myee is in First Grade. His hobbies include Video Games, Kung Fu, Soccer, Swimming and Music.
They have lots of books, educational kits and toys. They enjoy their weekends by visiting libraries, zoos, play grounds, gyms, and children museums. They like TV, You Tube and taking photos.

Old Receipt

Less than 150 kyats for feeding 25 students at Saya U Myo Win’s farewell.

RUBC in 1948 – 1949

Sixth Buddhist Council Sayadaws

Oldest Pagoda in the USA

Built by U Thilawuntha (Mon Sayadaw, Dat Paung Zon)

Allegheny, New York in the 50’s

Pagan Road Residents in December 1958

Children of RU Sayas (U Wun, U Thein Han, U Myo Min, U Yu Khin)

Sama Duwa Sin Wa Naung

The Coup D’etat in March 1962 detained President Mahn Win Maung.

Sama Duwa had been designated to succeed Mahn Win Maung.

Fire is a good servant but a bad master.

Fire is one of man’s five enemies.

There are several causes of fire. They include :

• failure of power and gas lines
• lightning
• negligence
• hate crimes
• arson

In 2018, three fires occurred in California almost at the same time and caused severe damage. It was a relief to learn that the Burmese in California are not affected by the fires.

Camp Fire devastated Paradise in Northern California and transformed it into Hell.

Smoke from the “worst fire in California” polluted air to cities near and fire. Several people wore masks. The term “worst” refers to the fact that the number of structures (buildings, garages, and barns) destroyed by Camp Fire is a new record.

Some were trapped inside the cars while trying to flee. Some had to leave their cars behind. A few managed to walk to safety.

Fire occurred in two places in Southern California.

• Thousand Oaks had a double tragedy : fire following a senseless mass murder.
• Malibu — home of selected actors and actresses — was also hit by fire.

Believe it or not

Ripley’s “Believe it or not” named U Khanti Kyauksar (inscriptions) of the Fifth Buddhist Council (Synod) held in Mandalay as the “Largest Book” in the world.

Guinness Book of World Records

The Guinness Book of World Records listed Tipitakadara Sayadaw Ashin Vicittathara as having a phenomenal — the best at that time [in 1954].

In the First Buddhist Council, Ashin Upali served as the Reciter of Vinaya (Rules of monastic conduct). Ashin Ananda served as the Reciter of Sutta (Buddha’s Discourses) and Abhidhamma (Ultimate Reality).

In the Sixth Buddhist Council held at KabaAye (World Peace) Pagoda in Rangoon, Burma from 1954 – 1956 Ashin Vicittathara served as the Reciter of Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma. He also recited the selected Commentaries.

Sayadaw could memorize, recall, and give exposition on 8027 pages of the Buddhist Scriptures known as Tipitaka [“Three Baskets”] : Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma at the second to fifth Tipitakadara examinations. He passed with distinction in both oral and written parts.

Sayadaw served as an examiner for the first Tipikadara examination. Sir U Thwin requested Sayadaw to take the examination. The rest is history.

Traffic accidents often result in injury and death.

Types of accidents

• Fender bender
• Multi-car crash
• Head-on collision
• Tumble & roll-over
• Car hitting pedestrians

Causes

Accidents can be caused by

• Roads which are not designed properly
• Roads which are not maintained
• Inclement weather
• Drivers not obeying traffic rules (e.g. texting while driving)
• Sleep deprived drivers
• DUI : Driving under the influence of alcohol
• Road rage
• Engine and mechanical failure
• Vehicles that are not land-worthy
• Unsafe tires
• Medical emergency to the driver (e.g. heart attack)
• Tail gating

Practice

• Many countries employ the “STOP” sign and the letters “STOP” printed on the road. The majority of drivers obey them. The minority are cautioned with citations.
• Automobile associations and the volunteers for Public Safety give refresher courses for “Safe Driving”.
• U Thein Tun Aung (Dennis) gave a seminar in Yangon on “Traffic control (e.g. how to design monitor and synchronize traffic lights).”

• Ripley was a correspondent.
• He created an illustrated column called “Ripley’s Believe it or not“.
• There are “Believe it or not” museums.
  
• U Khanti Kyauk Sar in Kuthodaw Phayar, Mandalay was mentioned as the “Largest Book in the World”.
• They are inscriptions of the Tipitaka (Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma) that were re-affirmed at the Fifth Buddhist Council (Synod).

Guideline

• There was a guide line for reforestation (e.g. for teak).
• Every year, only 1/40th of the teak trees can be cut down for local use and export.
• An equal number of re-planting must be made assuring that the resources will never be depleted.
• Moreover, the quality will not be degraded.

Ignoring the Guideline

• Many years ago, I attended a meeting at the State Timber Corporation.
• Surprised and sad to learn that the reforestation rule was not being followed.
• Due to budget shortage (at that time), more trees were being felled every year.

Loss of trees and Climate Change

• During Cyclone Nargis, many large trees fell.
• According to eye witnesses, large trucks came in to collect the fallen trees [for making furniture?] and left the debris for the locals to clean up.

• Is it possible that the loss of trees (by nature and due to greedy persons) contributed to the climate change (e.g. flooding)?

Paraphrase an old song

“Where have all the teak wood gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the teak wood gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the teak wood gone?
Gone to far away land
When will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?

Dr. Nyan Taw (SPHS63) wrote :

Now gone !

Dr. Nyunt Wai (SPHS63) wrote :

What is forestry department doing now? Could there be a public participation in reforestation?

Most were my classmates at SPHS. Hope they are alive and well.

• Alfred Lunn Maung
• Anthony Lourdes
• Aung Kyee Myint
• A S Soni
• Bernard Taylor
• Bo Kyi
• Bo Ni
• Caesar Yang
• Chu Pu Thein
• Dicky Chan
• Dicky Kywe
• Edmund Ba Thin
• Edward Chow
• Edward Hla Shwe (1)
• Edward Hla Shwe (2)
• Freddie Tun Lwin
• Gallant Leong
• George Leong
• George Stevens
• Han Kan Paw
• Han Nyunt
• Han Thein
• Henry Wong (Than Win)
• Herbert KCL
• Hla Myint
• Hla Saing (Tommy Saing)
• Htyan Lye
• Jerry Hin Hwa
• Jonathan Swamy
• Khin Maung Htay
• Khin Maung Khine
• Khin Maung Kywe
• Khin Maung Lin (Saw Lin)
• Krishnan Lal
• Leslie Tun Yin
• Malcolm Maung Maung
• Maung Maung Thaung
• Maung Maung Thaik
• Michael Oo
• Michael Su
• Nay Lin
• Orlando Thein
• Patrick Das
• Patrick Ni
• Peter Myo
• Peter Pe (Aung Kyaw)
• Richard Lim
• Richard Pe
• Robert Chan
• Robert Kyi (San Maung)
• Robert Myint Win
• Ronnie Hla Maung
• Sammy Bi
• Sean Young
• Sein Nyunt
• Sebastain Law Kee
• Stanley Shwe Gyi (Thein Lwin)
• Sydney Khant
• Teddy Thaung
• Than Htay
• Tin Ni
• Tin Win (1)
• Tin Win (2)
• Tommy Aung
• Tommy Chit Maung
• Tun Tun Aung
• William Mya
• William Win Kywe
• Win Maung