{"id":8037,"date":"2026-10-12T06:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T06:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=8037"},"modified":"2026-10-12T06:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T06:33:06","slug":"bring-the-buddha-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2026\/10\/12\/bring-the-buddha-back\/","title":{"rendered":"“Bring the Buddha Back”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Bring the Buddha Back: A Poetic Lament on the State of Contemporary Buddhism”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Poem I Dare Not Write<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you disagree, slap me across the face.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found this poem on Facebook. I pay my respects to the unknown author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring the Buddha Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I returned from Kapilavatthu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten long years of searching ended with a simple truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Att\u0101 hi attano n\u0101tho”<\/strong> “One is one’s own refuge.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

II<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A dead volcano, with nothing but bubbling mud, is now called a sacred dragon shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People pour milk into the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People bow before pools of mud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To witness it is embarrassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

III<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Snakes kept in iron cages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish confined in ponds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fenced-in rabbits and deer,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monkeys tied with ropes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many temples today look less like places of spiritual liberation and more like breeding farms or zoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

IV<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Through all three seasons of the year,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundraisers and donation campaigns never cease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some even operate Buddhism like a commercial franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Buddha was never a product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha cherished silence and tranquility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet full-moon and new-moon festivals are filled with orchestras, stage performers, and committees seeking revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If shame still exists, one could die from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

V<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Temple grounds have become parking lots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monastic halls have become guesthouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wedding halls stand inside temple compounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many followers now turn their faces toward dollars rather than toward the Noble Eightfold Path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

VI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Buddha’s simple truths<\/p>\n\n\n\n

are divided into camps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ledi, Mahasi, Mogok,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and countless others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People search for Dhamma through sectarian disputes and ideological battles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dhamma has been transformed into a weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

VII<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From livelihoods to political power,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

people exploit religion as a stepping stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet discovering oneself is the truest way to repay the Buddha’s kindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living according to his teachings,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that alone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

is genuine propagation of the Sasana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

VIII<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Still,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

there is no point in despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From what is broken,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

let us repair whatever we can,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and step by step<\/p>\n\n\n\n

move closer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to the Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Attributed to: Mhaw Nat Pyo)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Editorial Interpretation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The poem’s central complaint is that modern Buddhism is increasingly affected by four trends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Commercialization of Religion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The author criticizes the transformation of temples and festivals into sources of revenue generation, where fundraising activities sometimes overshadow spiritual practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This criticism echoes concerns raised by many Buddhist scholars regarding the commodification of religious activities in modern Buddhist societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Ritual Over Reflection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The poem contrasts popular devotional practices with the Buddha’s emphasis on personal effort and inner transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phrase:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Att\u0101 hi attano n\u0101tho”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

comes from the Dhammapada and is commonly translated as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“The self is one’s own protector (or refuge).”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The verse emphasizes personal responsibility rather than dependence on external rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Sectarianism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The references to Ledi<\/strong>, Mahasi<\/strong>, and Mogok<\/strong> point to influential Myanmar meditation traditions associated with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n