Blog

by Hla Min

Updated : May 2025

• “Details of my thesis” by Cho Cho Hlaing (Peter’s paternal aunt)
• “Condolences to Win Mar” by U Tin Htoon (Peter’s paternal uncle)
• Birthdays
• Sad News

Cho Cho Hlaing, aunt

See “Peter’s Drawings for Cho Cho Hlaing’s Thesis”

The title of my thesis is “The cultural background of preparing and serving of Burmese Food“

There are 8 chapters starting with Dana, such as offering (Soon Laung De) to a row of SANGHAS, SoonKyway at home.

For each chapter Peter did a wonderful drawing, all together ten drawings which clearly express the text, “ A Picture is Worth A Thoughtful Words”. I gained Credit in my Final Exam and the Professor was very impressed with Peter’s drawings.

U Tin Htoon, uncle

Dear Win Mar, Min Ko, Prudence & Ye Lay,

The sudden and unexpected passing away of your beloved husband and father Dr. Peter Khin Tun on April 13, 2020 sent a wave of grief throughout UK and the world.

Since then tributes have poured in from his Berkshire hospital colleagues and staff, relatives and friends around the world by way of emails, posting on Face Book etc. However, the most valuable and encouraging
words was from Oxford Sayadaw U Dhammasami.

Sayadaw U Dhammasami was in Yangon during that time and sent this addressed to Peter through one of his close devotee. He even instructed the monks at his Oxford monastery to perform Dana for Peter and to share
the good merits. Sayadaw also emailed to Min Ko and Ye Lay expressing his heartfelt sympathy.

Permit me to supplement Sayadaw’s view about Peter. The Buddha said:

“By oneself is evil done, by oneself is one defiled,
By oneself is evil not done, by oneself is one purified.
Both defilement and purity depend on oneself.
No one is purified by another.”

As you all know, the Buddha taught us “The Art of Living”, or “A Way of Life.” And Peter knew it very well since he was a teenager and he practiced accordingly, not only when praying and meditating but while at work or at
home. He discharged his profound duty of a parent as spelt out in the Siṅgālovāda Sutta (Sigālovāda Sutta). In this Sutta Buddha taught the moral conduct of different members of the society to achieve a peaceful
harmonious society. The Buddha described the duties of parents to their children as follows:

1. Restrain their children from evil
2. Encourage them to do good
3. Give them good education or skill for a profession
4. Arrange a suitable marriage and
5. Must hand over their inheritance to them at a proper time.
   Likewise the five duties of children are:
6. Support parents in return (when they have income)
7. Manage affairs on their behalf
8. Maintain the tradition of the family
9. Make oneself worthy of the inheritance
10. Give alms on behalf of the departed parents
    Although such Buddha’s teaching provides human beings to have peace, harmony and happiness in this very life, the main essence is to achieve cessation of Dukkha (generally translated as “suffering” although it is far beyond that) by practicing the “Noble Eightfold Path.” It consist of three parts of moral practice, three parts to
    develop concentration and two parts to achieve wisdom. The practice is known as “Vipassana (Insight) Meditation.” The benefits are – for the purification of mind, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the complete destruction of pain and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana.
    Now that you all have personally experienced the untimely loss of your husband and father, you know very well how difficult it is to overcome sorrow, lamentation, pain and grief. In order to help face the vicissitudes of life it is essential to learn and practice Vipassana meditation.
    
    I strongly wish to recommend visiting the website – https://www.dhamma.org and find the meditation center
    that will be convenient for you, location and time wise. This group teaches Vipassana meditation in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught by S.N. Goenka and his Assistant Teachers worldwide.
    
    I have attached the pdf copy of the book “The Art of Living” by William Hart so that you will have a better understanding of their approach. The book was based on 10—Day Vipassana meditation courses conducted by S.N. Goenka and contain a story and Q & A at the end of every chapter.

In conclusion I wish to share with you the untimely losses in our family before Peter.

1. Our maternal side grandfather at the age of 43.
2. My father at the age of 60.
3. My 2nd brother’s wife at the age of 56.
4. My 2nd sister’s son at the age of 32.
   
   I sincerely hope that this letter of mine will help bring some comfort and solace during these hard times.

Birthdays

• Ye Lay (Peter’s younger son)
• Tin Tin Hlaing (Peter’s cousin)

Sad News

• Daw Nwe (elder sister of Daw Pa Pa Win)
• U Khin Aung Bo, President of MARB

by Hla Min

Updated : May 2025

U Myint Swe (EP74) and Daw San San (EC74) gave us a ride to iNapa Winery to attend the gathering hosted by U Gordon Kaung (M83) and Daw Lillian Kaung (EC83). Thanks to all four of them.

Attendees include

• U Aung Soe Win (Consul General) & family
• U Kai (Myanmar Gazette) & brother
• Saya U Maung Maung (George)
• Saya U Myat Htoo
• U Ko Ko Zin
• U Aung Myint Oo
• U Nyunt Than
• U San Lin
• U Myo Aung
• Spouses
• Daw Mu Mu Khin
• Guests (including historian of Atlas Peak).

U Aung Soe Win presented a Myanmar Flag.

Group photos were taken in front of the flags.

iNapa Wine presented two bottles of Premium Wine:

• one for U Aung Soe Win
• one for CGLA employees.

The event was reported in Myanmar Gazette.

Photos :

• Couple
• Group and Flag
• Couple and Flag
• U Aung Soe Win conversing with NorCal RITAA members