N 87      A Meaningful Donation

My sister in law had asked me some time ago to donate solar plates to give light to a Palaung monastery in a village called Hsai Moun. It is 14 miles before reaching Kunhing and I had promised to do so.

As I was going to Kunhing for the opening ceremony of the Sukhitarone Dhammaryone I decided to fulfil my promise during the trip. So I went to buy the solar plate and the electrical things that will be needed to light the monastery with the help of the electrical engineer of our company.

The next day we all went to Kunhing and on the day after that , while we were busy with the opening ceremony the engineer with his helper went back to Hsai Moun and did the installing of the solar plate and did the wiring needed.

The 8^th of February was the day of entertainment guests and as I had some free time I was taken to Hsai Moun by my sister in law and her political party  friends to see how the solar was done and to do the offering personally to the monks of the monastery.

Only then did  I came to know  why they had asked me to donate solar at this particular monastery . It was during the campaign period of 2015 that they had come to this monastery to do some campaigning and as night was fallen, and there was no source of light it was very dark. That was the reason they asked me to donate light at this place.

As for me to light a dark place, to feed hungry people, to donate where it is needed are great things to do, because these donations will make the recipient benefit instantly . So even if the number of monks at this monastery is small and they seems not learned much , I felt that one gap was filled and it made me satisfied and pleased to make this small donation.

Some village elders and some children came to see the light and they told us that they were very pleased to have light for the monastery. After some time I asked them to take us to see one of their houses which I heard many times that they are long with many families living together and  with a fireplace for each family.

So one village elder took us to a house which was not far from the monastery. When we got off from our car and entered the compound we first saw a long stilted house built with wood and  tin  roofing.Then I noticed a car and a trawler in a shed and some wood planks which were left in the sun to dry. They have some plans to build a new house I thought . And I also saw a lavatory in one corner of the compound. Hmmn….some kind of progress.

Then we climbed up the ladder and I walked to the far end of the house where the light was coming in, looking around the house. I noticed that there were 4 fireplaces and also 4 altars . So there are 4 families living in this house which is dark and black with smoke and soot which were trapped in this house for a long time.

Then we sat down at the nearest fireplace with some elders . We enquired about their livelihood and was sorry to hear that the price of corn , that they are growing had fallen and so life was not so good. But were pleased when we heard that they are sending some of their children to school.

The Palaungs in our district are so ignorant with little or no development at all. They are living in their own style of one century or more ago with only a little progress. They are not up to the standard of today in housing, food, clothing, hygiene, etc;

But I don’t mean all Palaungs. Palaungs of Northern Shan State are well off and developed. I wish there will be volunteers who will educate them and open their eyes that their lives will become better.

8^th March 2017