Blog

Talk — Karuna, Mudita, Uppekha
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 11, 2021

Four Byamaso Taya
- Metta
  Unbounded Love / Loving Kindness
- Karuna
  Compassion
- Mudita
  Altruistic Joy or Sympathetic Joy
- Uppekkha
  Equanimity
Karuna
- Pali term
- Rendered as Compassion
- One of the four Bhamaso Taya
- Buddha is called “The Compassionate One”
- Mahayana Buddhists emphasize the importance of Compassion
- Sayadaw U Sobhana (GBNF) had four Indonesian siblings as his students.
  Named one of them Karuna.
  She was present at Sayadaw’s Last Journey.
- U Moe Myint (M76) and several alumni are members of the “Karuna Ah Thinn” in Singapore.
  One activitiy is to help the needy for the Last Journey of their loved one.
- We saw an outpouring of Karuna in the relief efforts for Disaster Recovery (e.g. Cyclone Nargis)
Practicing Karuna
- May suffering ones be suffering-free
- And the fear-struck fearless be
- May the grieving shed all grief
- And all beings find relief
Mudita
- Pali term.
- Rendered as Altruistic Joy or Sympathetic Joy
- One of the four Bhamaso Taya
- One should feel joyful when one hears good news about others.
Myanmar Mudita Sar Saung
- Saya U Nyunt Htay (Met73) is Chief Editor
- Contributor : Tekkatho Moe War (U Moe Aung)
Upekkha
- Pali term
- Rendered as Neutral [Feeling]
- Also translated as Equanimity
- One of the four Bhamaso Taya
In a loose usage in Burmese, “Upekkha Shu” means “ignore”. It is not representative of the importance of Upekkha, which provides a balance of life and avoids the two extremes stated in the Dhammacakka Sutta

It is non-trivial to sense Upekkha while practicing Vipassana (Insight) Meditation.

Feelings may be be categorized as
- Pleasant Feeling
- Unpleasant Feeling
- Non-Pleasant and Non-Unpleasant Feeling
Upekkha is synonymous with “Non-Pleasant and Non-Unpleasant Feeling”.

Buddhist Dictionary
August 10, 2025
Hack
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

U Hla Min

In the early days of Computing, a Hack is defined to be a “useful and/or beautiful piece of code.”

Hacker
- Some students, who worked at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computing Laboratories, preferred working on code rather than attending courses.
- They feel proud of their Hacks and are addressed as Hackers.
- Over time, Unethical Hackers emerged.
- Ethical Hackers also rose to defend against the Unethical Hackers.
- Most people do no know or care about the difference between Ethical and Unethical Hackers.
Ethical Hackers
- They try to break the security of computer systems and applications.
- They propose solutions to defend the possible attacks of Unethical Hackers.
- They are known as White Hats.
Unethical Hackers
- They inflict damage to hardware, software and data systems.
- They may steal and sell sensitive information.
- One study says that it is safer and lucrative to be a Criminal Hacker (also referred to as Cracker) than selling drugs (which can lead to imprisonment and death in some countries).
- The underground business for malware (viruses, Trojan horses, …) is valued at multi-billion dollars.
August 10, 2025
Talk — English Study 2
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 23, 2021

U Hla Min

Courses and/or Tests
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- English as a Specialty Language (ESL)
My English Teachers
- I.Sc.(A)
  Daw Khin Kyi Kyi
  Daw Tinsa Maw Naing
- RIT
  Saya Des Rodgers
  Saya U Khin
  Saya U Win Mra
Some Reference Books
- Idioms
- Proverbs
- How to improve your diction
- Rhyming Dictionary
August 10, 2025
Talk — Three
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 15, 2021

U Hla Min

Numerals
- Hindu-Arablic numeral : 3
- Roman numeral : III
Triple Gems
- Buddha (the Enlightened One)
- Dhamma (His Teachings)
- Sangha (Monastic Order)
Tipitaka (Three Baskets)
- Vinaya (Monastic Rules of Conduct)
- Sutta (Discourses)
- Abhidhamma (Ultimate Reality)
Trinity
- Father
- Son
- Holy Spirit
Most well-known Hindu Gods
- Brahma, the Creator
- Vishnu, the Preserver
- Shiva, the Destroyer
Early NASA Projects
- Mercury : carried only one astronaut
- Gemini : carried two astronauts
- Apollo : carried three astronauts
Apollo Crew
- Mission Commander (e.g. Neil Armstrong for Apollo11)
- Command Module Pilot (e.g. Michael Collins for Apollo11)
- Lunar Module Pilot (e.g. Buzz Aldrin for Apollo11)
Apollo Modules
- Service Module
- Command Module
- Lunar Module
Musical Envelope
- Rise (or attack)
- Sustain
- Fall (or decay)
Prime constituents of an atom
- Electron
- Proton
- Neutron
Persuasion Techniques
- Ethos
- Pathos
- Logos
Typical Toastmasters Meeting
- Prepared Speeches
- Table Topics (Impromptu Speeches)
- Evaluation
Three-valued Logic
- Yes
- No
- Do not care
Essay (and most writings)
- Introduction (or Beginning)
- Body
- Conclusion (or Ending)
Medals
- Gold (for first prize)
- Silver (for second prize)
- Bronze (for third prize)
Measurement of Time
- Hour
- Minute
- Second
Angular Measure
- Degree
- Minute
- Second
Academic Degrees
- Bachelor
- Master
- Doctorate
Some School Types
- Primary School
- Middle School
- High School
August 10, 2025
Numbers
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

U Hla Min

Value of a number

Value of a number in positional notation depends upon the Base or Radix.

In the Decimal system (Base Ten), 1001 has a value of a thousand and one.

In the Binary system (Base Two), 1001 has a value of 9.

Folklore
- “One Thousand and One Nights” (also known as Arabian Nights) is from the Arabic Folklore.
- Scheherazade told 1001 stories to defer her death.
Numerical Palindrome
- A palindrome reads the same forward and backward.
- 101, 1001 and 123454321 are numerical Palindromes.
Ramanujan and the Beauty of numbers

Ramanujan was highly interested in Mathematics and ignored other subjects in College.

Ended up as an employee in a post office.
Bold enough to send his handwritten notes to Professor Hardy (Cambridge University), who sponsored him.

Ramanujan later fell gravely ill.
Professor Hardy went to see him in a hospital. He supposedly told Ramanujan that he rode a taxi cab with 1729 on its license.

Ramanujan replied, “That is an interesting number. It is the smallest number that can be represented as the sum of two cubes in two ways.”

1729 = 729 + 1000 = 9*9*9 + 10*10*10

1729 = 1 + 1728 = 1*1*1 + 12*12*12

Ramanujan’s works are still being studied and refined by Mathematicians.
August 10, 2025
RUESU Magazine
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Tekkatho Moe War

From Saya U Moe Aung

Dear Ko Hla Min,

Thanks to Saya U Soe Paing for his great endeavour in visiting the UCL (Universities’ Central Library) numerous times [in January 2012] to gather and record invaluable information relating to RIT (and BOC college of Engineering as well). And thanks to you for archiving all through your emails and keeping all RITians gelled together.

Only when did Saya U Soe Paing mention Engineering Students’ Magazines, that I happen to recall one Engineering Students’ Magazine in which I was part of it. That was in Academic Year 1960-1961. I was still an Electrical Engineering Student at that time (2nd year, or, by the present calling, 4th year). At Rangoon University (Main University) they had a University Students’ Union (in Burmese, Thud Meg-ga is translated as Union), and we had correspondingly an Engineering Students’ Union as well at our Faculty of Engineering at Leik-Khone (Dome), Prome Road.

At that time I met one Ko Hla Tin (Civil) who was my senior and several years older than me, staying at Prome Hall which was adjacent to Leik Khone, only separated by a fence. He was an avid poet (pen name Kay-tu Win Tint, from Taunggoo) and I used to visit his room at Prome Hall to talk about poems and literature during lunch or break times. I also met one senior (can’t recall his name, I think Ko Sein Hlaing) who was the Secretary of the Students’ Union. After some lively discussions, we decided to issue an Engineering Students’ Union Annual Magazine and they made me the Chief Editor. The Magazine consisted of two sections, Burmese and English, of which Saya U Aung Khin (Mech) was the English Editor.

I still have the 1960-61 issue neatly tucked in a cupboard in Yangon.

Now I remember that Ko Sein Hlaing (EE?) is still in Yangon, helping to look after his grand children, but not in good health. Ko Sein Hlaing’s daughter was my daughter’s very close friend since their childhood days. We met once in Singapore about 12 years back.

Dear Ko Hla Min, this is the time to reminisce and be happy about the good old days and try to fly back with whatever time machine we could get hold of. Time really flies and we should realize that our days are numbered.

Publications
- Saya published “Collection of Poems” :
  some books by himself (e.g. Pearl in My Heart) and some with collaborators (e.g. Swel Daw Poems).
- He also published a collection of articles (e.g. Sea of Men & selected articles)
- During one of my visits to Rangoon, he gave me an autographed copy of his book.
Autographed copy

Cover

Musings by Tekkatho Moe War and Maung Sein Win (Padeegone)
August 10, 2025
Holidays and Events
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Some holidays
- have fixed date
- have relative dates
- are designated as Public holidays
- are religious
January
- Jan 1 : New Year’s Day
- Jan 4 : Independence Day in Myanmar
- Martin Luther King’s Day in US
- Occasionally : Lunar New Year
February
- Feb 12 : Union Day
- Feb 13 : Children’s Day (Bogyoke Aung San’s birthday)
- Feb 14 : Valentine’s Day
- US Presidents’ Day
- Occasionally : Lunar New Year
- Occasionally : Full Moon Day of Tabodwe — Htamane Pwe & [Buddha’s] Exhortation Day
March
- Mar 2 : Peasant’s Day was moved from Jan 1 in order to celebrate the Coup D’eat
- Phone Maw Day
- Burma’s Human Rights Day (celebrated by Berkeley)
- Mar 27 : Resistance Day was renamed as Armed Forces Day
- First Day of Spring : Persian New Year
April
- Thingyan : Three or four days of Water Festival
- Myanmar New Year
May
- May 1 : May Day in some countries
- May 5 : Cinco de Mayo
- Mother’s Day in the US
June
- Jun 6 : D Day
- Jun 6 : Ah Loke Thamar Ah Yay Ah Khinn
- Father’s Day in the US
July
- Jul 4 : Independence Day in the US
- Jul 7 : Students’ protest that was brutally crushed
- Jul 8 : Demolition of the Rangoon University Student’s Union
- Jul 19 : Arzani Nay
- Apollo 11 landed in Tranquility Bay on the Moon in July 1969
- My poem “Men on the Moon” was sent to NASA via USIS. A copy was published in the Guardian.
August
- 8-8-88 : start of a long struggle to restore Democracy in Myanmar
- Several birthdays in my extended family
September
- Crushing the hopes of Multi-party Democracy
- Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent
October
- Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent (Thadinkyut)
- “Deepavali” or “Diwali” celebrations are also celebrated around October. It is known as the “Festival of Lights”.
- “Halloween” occurs every year on October 31 with “Trick or
- Treat” by the children and [optional] “Halloween Costume Party” by young and old adults.
November
- Elections in the US (Local races & Resolutions every year, House of Representatives every two years, One third of Senators every two years, President every four years)
- Nov 22 : JFK assassinated (Conspiracy Theory survives)
- Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US
December
- U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khinn : dark day in the history of Burma
- Apollo 8 orbited the Moon in December 1968
- Dec 25 : Christmas
- Dec 31 : New Year’s Eve
Grapevine says that some holy days are preceded by some “fun events”.
- Halloween (October 31) precedes “All Saints Day” (November 1).
- Similarly, “Mardi Gras” (“Fat Tuesday”) falls on the day before “Ash Wednesday” signifying the start of the Lent.
Thingyan Su Paung Ya Han Khan
August 9, 2025
Mining Engineering
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Win Thein Zaw (Min69)

Win Thein Zaw
- Pen name : Wai Lu
- Took Optional Burmese in High School
- Wrote several articles for the 69er Golden Jubilee Magazine
  RIT Thaing Exhibition
  RIT Nicknames
- Spouse (Mu Aye) is a cousin of Ko Win Boh (Robert, EC69, Australia)
- Retired Member of Parliament of Pyitthu Hluttaw
  Oversaw Committees related to Mining and Natural Resources.
- Surprised us at an ad hoc breakfast gathering with Uzin Aung Chaw, Ko Sein Myint, Ko Myint Maung, Ko Win Maung, Ko Shwe, Ko Maung Maung, Ko Myat Soe Lwin …
69ers

Kyaw Tint (Min69)

Kyaw Tint
- Youngest, smartest and most stubborn among the 14 students in Min69.
- Joined the Faculty
- Received Masters from Australia.
- Prisoner of Conscience.
- Wrote an article in the 69er Golden Jubilee magazine.
- GBNF #110
  Passed away in September 2021
Khin Kyaw Nyein (GBNF)

Khin Kyaw Nyein
- RIT Volleyball Selected
- Taught/coached female Volleyball players (e.g. Ma Tin Aye, C73)
- Also good at Soccer, Dobat & Dancing.
- He is GBNF #117
  Passed away in January 2022
Khin Maung Gyi (Min69)
- One of two Khin Maung Gyi in the Class of 69.
- Room mate of Ko Chit Pe (M69, GBNF)
- Still have dark hair (hopefully original)
- Mech KMG (GBNF) passed away in 2021.
Tin Win (Min69)
- Hosted some 69er gatherings.
- He was Honorary Consul for Switzerland.
Min69 (GBNF)
- Aung Naing (Bahadhur) : Aug 14, 2011, #055, GTI Principal (Taunggyi), Yangon
Chit Htun
- Chit Htun : Dec 11, 2011, #058, YIT Lecturer, Yangon
- Chit Swe : early GBNF
- Khin Kyaw Nyein : 2022, #117
- Kyaw Soe : #065
- Kyaw Than : Organizer
- Kyaw Tint : Sep 8, 2021, #110, Saya, Prisoner of Conscience
- Myint Kyi : #047
- Myint Swe : early GBNF
Min70

Zaw Winn (Zinyawgyi)
- Heis an organizer of the Combined 1st BE intake of 64 and 65.
  He is a bilingual writer, poet and translator.
Aung Myint (Thamankyar Ko Myint)

Thamankyar
- He is a member of the A1 Family. He is an actor, composer, vocalist, guitarist and production manager. Sad to note that his younger brother Sai Wunna passed away.
Ko Zaw Winn and friends

Mining Engineering
- The first course was given at the BOC College in 1954.
U Soe Khaw (GBNF)

U Soe Khaw
- Received BS from UC Berkeley and MS from Minnesota School of Mines.
- Served as Part-time lecturer and Head of the newly established Mining Department at BOC College.
- Wrote an article for HMEE project.
- After working for the Ministry of Mines and UN projects, he moved to USA.
- Attended SPZP-2000.
- Saya Allen Htay (GBNF) and Dr. San Lin asked me to join a micro-gathering with Saya U Soe Khaw.
  It started before lunch and ended after dinner.
U Soon Sein (GBNF)
- Received MS from Colorado School of Mines.
- Mawgunwin Third Grade.
- Succeeded U Soe Khaw as Head of Department.
- Retired as Professor.
- Spoke to him before SPZP-2000.
  Per advice from his doctors, he declined the invitation to attend SPZP-2000.
August 9, 2025
Talk — Audio Book
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 27, 2021

Books
- Regular Print
- Large Print
- Braille
- e-Book
- Audio Book
- Special hardware and software to “scan and read” books
Audio Books
- Some may be available from Public Libraries
  Early : CDs
- Some may require “Subscription”
  For downloading
- Some may be offered at Discount in a Bundle
  Podcasts
  Book summaries
  Books
  e.g. Premium Subscription to Blinkist
Listeners’ Heaven

https://www.facebook.com/listenersheaven
- Established in November 2020
- Facebook Group
- Provides “Subscription”
- Offerings
  Win Pe
  Minthuwun
  Zat Kyee Hse Bwe
  Selected Novels
  Overview of selected “hot” topics
August 9, 2025
Olympics
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Origins

Modern Olympics was a revival of the ancient games held every four years at Olympia.

The four year interval is called an Olympiad. The ancient Greeks use Olympiad instead of years when describing dates.

Pierre de Coubertin created the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894.

IOC selects a city or cities to hold the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. The two Olympics are interlaced.

Drama in the Olympics

Summer Olympics has its share of drama.

The 1936 Summer Olympics was held in Berlin and was attended by Adolf Hitler (who promoted the supremacy of the Aryan race). Jesse Owens, a black athlete from the USA, won four Gold medals : 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m relay, and Long Jump.

The drama supposedly occurred in the Long Jump event. Jesse Owens was having some problems in the Long Jump when the German competitor Lang advised him to leave about six inches gap behind the broad to prevent overstepping and getting disqualified. Jesse took the advice, regained his poise and went on to win the Long Jump Gold. (One article stated that Jessie Owens later retracted his story.)

1972 Olympics in Munich saw both good and bad.

Mark Spitz (USA) won seven Gold medals in swimming : 100m & 200m Freestyle, 100m & 200m Butterfly, 4 x 100m Freestyle relay, 4 x 200m Freestyle relay, and 4 x 100 Medley relay. He saved energy by not competing in the trials for selected relay events.

Olga Kolburt (USSR) was awarded a couple of Perfect Ten in Gymnastics.

Eleven Israeli athletes were kidnapped (shown live on TV) and murdered by Black September. Mossad took several years to track down and decimate Black September.

USA boycotted the 1980 Olympics held in Moscow.

USSR retaliated with a boycott of the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles.

Highlights from Summer Olympics
- 1896 Athens (Inaugural Olympics)
- 1900 Paris (first time)
- 1904 St. Louis
- 1908 London (first time)
- 1912 Stockholm
- 1916 (Cancelled due to WWI)
- 1924 Paris (second time)
- 1928 Amsterdam
- 1932 Los Angeles (first time)
- 1936 Berlin (attended by Adolph Hitler)
- 1940 (Cancelled due to WWII)
- 1944 (Cancelled due to WWII)
- 1948 London (second time)
- 1952 Helsinki (e.g. Flying Finn in Track and Field)
- 1956 Melbourne (e.g. Dawn Fraser, female Swimmer)
- 1960 Rome (e.g. Abibi Bikila, barefoot Marathoner)
- 1964 Tokyo (e.g. Japanese female Volleyball)
- 1968 Mexico City (e.g. Long Jump Leap by Bob Beamon)
- 1972 Munich (e.g. Mark Sptiz, swimmer; Black September)
- 1976 Montreal (e.g. Nadia Comancie, gymnast)
- 1980 Moscow (Boycott by USA)
- 1984 Los Angeles (second time; Boycott by USSR)
- 1988 Seoul (e.g. Carl Lewis, sprinter and long jumper)
- 1992 Barcelona (e.g. USA Dream Team for Basketball)
- 1996 Atlanta (e.g. USA, most medals)
- 2000 Sydney (e.g. held in September rather than June or July)
- 2004 Athens (second time)
- 2008 Beijing (e.g. Michael Phelps, swimmer)
- 2012 London (third time)
- 2016 Rio De Janerio (first Olympics held in South America)
- 2020 Tokyo (Postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Olympians

Jesse Owens : Four Golds in 1936 Berlin Olympics (for Track and Field)
Later equaled by Carl Lewis

Mark Spitz : Seven Gold Medals in 1972 Munich Olympics (for Swimming)
Michael Phelps later won Eight Gold Medals

Some Olympians went on to have illustrious careers.

Johnny Weissmuller, swimming champion, gained fame as Tarzan in the movies.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, went on to become Mohammad Ali, three time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

Media Coverage

During my SPHS days, there was no television in Burma. I received a ticket from Brother Austin as a prize to see the “1960 Rome Olympics” documentary at Thamada (President) cinema.

I was in the UK and was fortunate to see the 1972 Munich Olympics on a Color television.
August 9, 2025