Posted by Kyaw Myaing This is a posting I wish to share with you. I saw it in another forum on Asia Observer. < I will answer this question from the point of view of Burmese history and Buddhism. In the world there are all sorts of rulers but I will talk about the ideal ruler. The ideal ruler is a man of "Phone", "Kan" and "Parami". He aspires to rule in accordance with the rulers of ancient times in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha. He practices self-mastery according to the 10 perfections of the Bodhisatts. He may or may not be a Bodhisattha himself but he keeps in his mind the noble qualities of the Buddha, especially the Nine Noble Virtures or "Gonedaw Koe bar" and rules the country accordingly. When there is a crime committed against the King or the people or the Kingdom, he metes out justice in accordance with the law. Even when his own son or daughter breaks the law, the ruler will give punishment. Phone - this is acquired not by guns but by the continued practice of the Ten Perfections for many life times. That is why when you see a man who is a REAL leader, you can feel his "presence". That is phone. It is based on sila which gains the respect of all those around you. From sila you get concentration and from concentration you get wisdom. Kan - Kan comes from Kamma or Karma. It is the law of karma and a person who has done good deeds for his family, for his community, and for his country has this type of Kan. Whatever he says will be implemented as he has practiced the virtue of sila and done good deeds. He will be supported and praised even by the devas (celestial beings). For example, in the case of the Bodhisatt before he became the Buddha, even the branches of the trees bow down to him. This is an example of Kan. (Kan is a Burmese word which came from the Pali word Kamma, the sanskrit version is karma). Parami - this has been explained above. Although a good leader cannot compare himself to the Bodhisatt, he can try to set a good standard for himself by fulfilling the Ten Paramis. It is good for him and the country as he will then become the role model for the whole country. See King Alaungpaya. He believed that he was a Bodhisatt and practised these virtues. This is according to the history books. There are three types of authorities: - authority that comes from the use of weapons. - authority that comes from your character, wisdom and morality. This is phone. - authority that comes from your observance of the laws of the land. Some people think that a ruler can rule a country at the point of a gun. I do not call it ruling. I call it ruling by force which does not last long. Ruling by the consent of the people is the best way of ruling and the members of the armed forces of the country are the protectors of the people and they are carrying the arms given to them by the people to uphold the laws of the land and to see to it that justice is preserved. So it is not the guns that rule the country but law and justice that rule the country. Even the Buddha cannot go against the wishes of the Sangha, even King John cannot go against the wishes of his nobles and had to sign the Magna Carter. (British history). The true king or the ideal ruler uses his military forces to defend the country against foreign enemies and makes sure that the members of his armed forces and police forces do not misuse the power entrusted to them by the people. When he metes out justice, he makes sure that the punishment is in accordance with the crime. In the olden days during the times of the just and noble kings, a person who is given ten lashes by the king get exactly ten lashes, no more no less. If there is no justice, it is believed that the king will suffer in hell many millions of world cycles. (Remember the story of King Temi who did not want to become king because he remembered his past lives in hell.) In essence, power is a sacred trust. In countries where tyrants misuse their power, the people rise up one day and the tyrants usually meet a sorrowful death or have to run away in shame. Remember the lessons of history - the French revolution, Yugoslavia, Pol Pot, Ceaucescu of Romania, Hitler, etc. Remember the saying, "those who rule by the sword die by the sword". Those who rule with truth and justice are remembered for many years after they are dead and gone. So any future leader that hopes to lead Myanmar should know that he/she will need the support of the armed forces to defend the country from external threats and to protect and defend the constitution once it is written and approved by the people's representatives. I am posting this message with malice towards none but to share my opinions about this very important subject. May we have good and just rulers who uphold the law of the land approved by the representatives of the people. Voxpopuli >> Regards, Kyaw Myaing
on 4/7/2002, 9:39 pm
Dear friends,
A Concerned Citizen
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