TONE TONE AND FRIENDS II

ToneToneJune 10, 20105min881

Tone Tone’s friends continue their discussion.

Friend: By the way, let me present this Azusa Flyer.

Friend: What about it?

Friend: Here is a picture of a Banyan Tree.

Friend: Yes, I see it.

Friend: Do you see the description in green below?

Friend: Yes. It says, “Ssu Thaung Pyait.” or  in English, “Azusa’s Wish Fulfilling Bodhi Tree.”

Friend: Wow!

Friend: It sure will attract many people. Everyone wants his or her wish fulfilled!

Friend: Many jobless people, nowadays. Many lovelorn teens. Many exam candidates. Many rich people want their businesses to prosper. You name it! Endless wishes!

Friend: Pretty soon, they all will stampede to Azusa! They will ask favors from this Tree!

Friend: The Tree will be besieged by swarms of people all beseeching something. The Tree will have a huge headache and may grow bald even! LOL!

Friend: Well, that’s the idea. People flocking to Azusa, all self propelled on their own steam!

Friend: It claims that the Tree can FULLY grant your wishes. Some sort of GUARANTEE. How nice! Your dream will surely come true.

Another Friend: I have heard of “Ssu thaung pyit” Pagoda or Buddha. I have heard of “Oo Shin Gyi” Spirit or  “Yoke Ka Soe,” the Guardian spirit, residing in trees, and granting wishes. But, I have never heard of a Tree granting wishes.

Yet another Friend: Yes, Don’t be naive. Think! A tree is supposed to be lifeless. It’s not a Sentient being! How can it hear or understand anybody’s wishes, in the first place? How can a lifeless object grant anything?

Friend: Yes, come to think of it! Even Aladdin’s genie is more credible. He is alive but lives in a lamp. He jumps out every time you rub the lamp.

Friend: It seems like “Ba Gyi Aung nyar tare,” a hoax! No tangible proof at all on this wish fulfilling claim.

Friend: Really! Why would anyone pull a hoax?

Friend: The jobless, the lovelorn, and the millionaire wannabe’s, why play a hoax on them? I feel sorry for them.

Friend: I don’t know. Probably, the monk wants more Temple attendees. The more attendees, hopefully the more Nawa Kama personal moneys, I suppose.

Friend: Maybe, this tree can become a cash cow, a regular cash inflow, who knows? Notice worship accessories like joss sticks are even supplied at the place.

Friend: You have a point there. But isn’t it true that a monk cannot claim super normal powers when it’s not true? Also, even if he has such powers, he cannot tell other people about them.

Friend: You are right! This claim is a serious defrocking offense, one of four cardinal sins. They cannot be remedied.

Friend: But, here, the monk is not claiming that he has such powers. He is off the hook. He only claims it for his Tree in Azusa.

Friend: Whatever you want to say, it’s almost like he is claiming such powers by saying that Azusa Temple possesses such a so called magical Tree. “R tu tu and R nu nu. R yar gyi and Kalar gyi”!

Friend: The monk never claims that the Tree has such magical powers, before. Why, only now? Why, all of a sudden?

Friend: Naive and desperate people might fall for this, but not me!

Friend: Is Buddhism all about worshipping a Bodhi Banyan Tree and asking for blessings from the tree? No need to study, understand and practice Buddha’s teachings? Is this “preaching the Dhamma” by a “learned” monk and a short cut to Nirvana?

What do you think?

One comment

  • Kyaemon

    June 10, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Tone Tone.

    Thank you and your friends for the discussions. They are illuminating and entertaining.

    Lord Buddha said to not believe any one, including Buddha himself, but to critique everything carefully. I feel the idea of an inanimate Tree, fulfilling everybody’s earthly wishes, is rather OUTLANDISH!

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