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SAFFRON THREADS
The dead ascend
on severed kite strings,
brilliant silken threads,
higher and higher, they rise
above Burma,
above tear gas and bullets,
leaving blood soaked robes
on a weary earth that leans
a little in the rain.
Astral spirits.
Untouchable now,
they are night stars,
they are sparkling diamonds.
Brilliant points of light,
they shine for all of us to
see. They shine.
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In Burma, during the fall of 2007, tens of thousands of Buddhist monks, students and political activists took to the streets to peacefully protest the ruling government’s decision to lift fuel subsidies and raise the price of diesel and petrol as much as 66%. The demonstrations quickly spread throughout the country and lasted for several months.
Known as the Saffron Revolution in reference to the saffron colored robes worn by Buddhist monks who led the demonstrations, the protests were ultimately put down through the use of force by Burma’s military dictatorship. The monks chanted the Metta Sutta for loving kindness during the violent crackdown on the protests, and remained steadfast to their commitment to non-violence in the face of certain harm.
Saffron Threads is a multi-media meditation in honor of the Buddhist monks who were killed during the protests. Shining examples of people who live in alignment with spiritual principles, their strict adherence to non-violence is a message even the most violent regimes cannot silence. It is the message that transcends darkness.
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*The name "Burma" is derived from the Burmese word "Bamar" The name "Burma" has been in use in English since the time of British colonial rule. In 1989, the military government officially changed the name of the country to Myanmar.