I am not a pacifist. I am not especially or pointedly religious, rather a combination of Unitarianism and a healthy respect for Judaic traditions, Quakers, Bishop Tutu, Berrigans, ArchBishops Romero, Bernardhin and a few others who are genuine holy people exemplify my respect for religious life.
However, the inspiration and moral force of the Buddhist monks in Burma who express the desire of humanity to be left in peace and allowed to live and to resist oppression thru force of positive example has my admiration.
This is the antithesis of being afraid, of having lack of courage and being cowed into the ordinary where any decent impulse is suppressed(more).
and internalized as if its expression is dangerous. We have fear and anxiety in America. We have few examples of public moral courage.
I have no idea how this current struggle and demonstration of an unflinching defiance of tyranny is going to work out. But the existence of threats, of power of batons and machine guns and bombs and napalm is not enough to turn these people away from their mission.
A monk has basically a robe, a bowl, not much else. He has discipline and the desire to lead an ascetic, purposeful life. Or, just to live a holy life.
But how can these monks live as privileged sorts, wander about, enjoy the communal religious life, beg for alms, go to festivities when the people they are depending on to provide this cannot be free, cannot afford them either?
It is painfully apparent that the Burmese people are so stressed and hemmed in that even the monks cannot have a reasonable life and watch the suffering of these people. They cannot in conscience expect to be fed and supported from people whose lives are at the breaking point and cannot even feed themselves anymore.
So they are now marching and demanding a fair shake and an end to unjust and repressive dictates from the regime. the threats, the fire hoses the beatings, none of that stops them.
I don't know if there is any equivalent here but the core of their belief is that it is just and necessary and what else happens doesn't matter.
The power of a just cause is always greater than the power of injustice attempted to suppress it. It may take time, but these are Buddhists and they have outlasted many sorts of small minded people over the thousands of years their beliefs have been a system.