Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

354
Bl^RMESE SKETCHES,
occurrence of the events narrated in the previous chapter,
Maung Po received a message from the abbot to come and
have a chat, as his ideas about religion were very hazy. It
was about 7 a.m. when he received the message. Maung Po
told his mother that against breakfast time he was going to
the Kyaung ; his mother said 'Very well," and he sallied forth.
He found the old priest counting his beads with a face
expressive of calmness and a rigid control of the passions and
the animal instincts. The holy man said : " Well, Maung
Po, you have come at last ; and my young heretic, what have
you got to say ? "
" Lord," Maung Po replied, " I have nothing particular to
say, except that I have no knowledge of the sacred language,
and consequently,
Buddhism."
perhaps, I do not put an implicit faith in
'* What ! " the abbot almost yelled in an irate tone, " what
no implicit faith in Buddhism, the religion of your father,
mother, relatives, and forefathers. Yes, this is the result of
your English education. You want to wear shoes everywhere,
and you scoff at your national faith. I have been dunning into
your father's thick head not to put you in an English school,
and what do I see before me now ? A queer monster of a
being: neither an English Christian nor a Burman Buddhist."
*' But, Lord, allow me to say that, with all my Western
education, 1 am still a Burman at least : my mind might have
changed a little but my sympathies are Burman. Lord, permit
my rudeness in saying that you are confounding the nationality
of a man with the religion he may have adopted."
•' Well, well, I am not arguing about that. Now, young man,
to come to the point, tell me plainly what you, at all, believe
in."
" I believe, Lord, in a God, the Creator of man and the
Supreme Ruler of this Universe."
is no
There *' Creator ! what nonsense you are talking !
creator at all. The so-called creation is regulated by the two
immutable principles of Right and Wrong."
*'
If that be the case. Lord,
came to dwell on this earth.
please let me know how man
"
** Well, listen, young man, to what I am going to say. Man's
first beginning is unknown even to a Buddha. In fact, our
Lord Gotama prohibits our ever thinking on this subject,
which is so difficult and intricate that it has a tendency to
!