By Maha Bandula a pseudonym of Dr Ko Ko Gyi in Burma Digest | Adapted and Edited for MMNN<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once upon a time<\/strong>, in a land called Shwe Bama Paradise<\/strong>, there lived an old puppet maker named Ah Ba Aung<\/strong>. Wise and kind, he was deeply respected for his craftsmanship and understanding of life. His only son, Mg Tat<\/strong>, was intelligent but arrogant \u2014 a young man who believed he knew everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, Mg Tat decided to travel abroad in search of wealth and glory. Before his departure, Ah Ba Aung handed him four of his most treasured puppets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUse them wisely,\u201d his father warned. \u201cEach serves a purpose, but only when guided by wisdom and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n On the first night of his journey, alone and anxious, Mg Tat mockingly asked the Nat puppet if it was safe to sleep under a tree. To his astonishment, the Nat came to life and advised him to inspect the surroundings. Upon doing so, Mg Tat noticed fresh tiger tracks and quickly climbed the tree. Later that night, the tiger returned. The Nat had saved his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next day, Mg Tat saw a long caravan and greedily asked the Be Loo<\/strong> how he could get rich quickly. The ogre came to life and taught him a cruel lesson: \u201cMight is right.\u201d<\/em> Mg Tat, with Be Loo’s help, robbed the entire caravan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the spoils was a young woman \u2014 a princess<\/strong>, traveling with her father, the deposed King Lu Du<\/strong>. Mg Tat fell in love with her, but she resisted. Still intoxicated by power, Mg Tat abducted her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confused about what to do next, he turned to the Zaw Gyi<\/strong>, who showed him secrets of the earth \u2014 maps of mineral riches, fertile lands, and shortcuts to wealth. Mg Tat soon became fabulously rich. But despite his affluence, the princess remained distant, her heart locked away from her captor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, she escaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither the Be Loo<\/strong> nor the Zaw Gyi<\/strong> could help. Only then did Mg Tat remember the two puppets he had neglected: the Nat<\/strong>, who had once saved his life, and the Holy Monk<\/strong>, whom he had never consulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These two finally spoke. They reminded him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPower and wealth alone do not bring happiness. Physical possession cannot earn love. True joy comes from a pure heart and good deeds.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Mg Tat, ashamed and repentant, returned to a life of kindness and generosity. Through his good works, he encountered the princess and her father once again. He apologized sincerely, returned their possessions, and begged forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing Mg Tat\u2019s transformation, King Lu Du appointed him as a trusted advisor. Eventually, even the princess grew to admire him. Their marriage was legal and consensual. Mg Tat became Ein Shei Min<\/strong> \u2014 the Regent \u2014 and later ascended as king of Shwe Bama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They ruled justly and happily ever after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Mg Tat \/ Myanmar Tatmadaw<\/strong>: To the Ogres \/ Coup Generals<\/strong>: To the Zaw Gyis \/ Foreign Supporters<\/strong>: To the People of Burma (Lu Du)<\/strong>: \u201cSearch and strike the nearest enemy.\u201d Let us hope Myanmar writes its own happy ending \u2014 not through might, but through wisdom, compassion, and unity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Maha Bandula a pseudonym of Dr Ko Ko Gyi in Burma Digest | Adapted and Edited for MMNN Once upon a time, in a land called Shwe Bama Paradise, there lived an old puppet maker named Ah Ba Aung. Wise and kind, he was deeply respected for his craftsmanship and understanding of life. His […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6,16],"tags":[115],"class_list":["post-1902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-history","category-opinion","tag-myanmar-folk-tale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1902"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1904,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902\/revisions\/1904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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The Journey Begins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Turning Point<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nZat Paung Khan (Epilogue): A Tale Within a Tale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nLessons from the Tale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nReflections and Warnings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Open your eyes. Remember the teachings of your founding father, General Aung San. Do not blindly follow the cruel commands of ogres like Than Shwe. Earn back the love of your people through good deeds, not intimidation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your selfish actions have disgraced the Tatmadaw and alienated it from the people. Repent. Return the power stolen from the people and the National League for Democracy (NLD)<\/strong>. A path to redemption still exists. One day, your soldiers may win back trust \u2014 if you pursue peace and justice like your ASEAN neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stop arming and funding tyranny. Do not trade principles for profit. Stand with the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be brave. Be patient. Continue the Spring Revolution with courage. Remember the words of General Aung San:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
In today\u2019s world, that may mean confronting injustice wherever it appears \u2014 even if it’s in uniform.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u201cWhat one possesses is not important; how one uses it, is everything.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n