Losing To Gain
Commanding rose
with letter-formed thorns
for the unjust;
you sacrifice much
that your scent may rise
on home soil.
Sad, strong blooming
behind high walls,
beauty unseen;
each falling petal
is heard free,
flower free, Burma rose.
Where there is no justice there can be no secure peace....
That just laws which uphold human rights are the necessary foundations of peace and security would be denied only by closed minds which interpret peace as the silence of all opposition and security as the assurance of their own power. The Burmese associate peace and security with coolness and shade:
The shade of a tree is cool indeed
The shade of parents is cooler
The shade of teachers is cooler still
The shade of the ruler is yet more cool
But coolest of all is the shade of the Buddha's teachings.
Thus to provide the people with the protective coolness of peace and security, rulers must observe the teachings of the Buddha. Central to these teachings are the concepts of truth, righteousness and loving kindness. It is government based on these very qualities that the people of Burma are seeking in their struggle for democracy.
from In Quest of Democracy by Aung San Suu Kyi
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