A month at the Phaung Daw Oo School
Myanmar is famous for a few things; it's golden pagodas and temples, the hot and humid weather, but mainly as the worlds most generous people for the last 3 years according to the World Giving Index (they were second the year before that). Its a remarkable feat considering the average income is equivalent to $6000 USD per annum, the next 3 most generous countries the USA, Australia and New Zealand have average incomes that exceed Myanmar by at least six to one. From what I've seen they are a very generous nation. Using my own index - the stray dog (SDi); looking for the mangy, the nearly dead, the skin and bone wrecks of dogs you often see abroad, there aren’t any here. Most dogs are pretty healthy, people go out of their way to feed them and yes there’s lots of them. And it’s the same for less fortunate people. That’s not to say there is no poverty, there is plenty of it. But there’s a very visible culture of sharing at play. Buddhism seems to be more a way of life, a culture over simply a religion. It’s deeply ingrained in the ethos of the place, everyone follows it, somehow the people really do “love thy neighbour”. Part of it must be the monastic system, there are half a million monks in Myanmar (1% of the population), all Buddhist males are expected to serve as novice monks, twice – a two year period in their teens and again in the twenties. As a monk, you have nothing except robes and sandals, you relay on the community to feed and support you. In return you provide help and guidance back. All I can say is it works even though the economy is not stellar. 100 years ago, Myanmar then Burma was considered the strongest Asian Tiger economy. Its was expected it would lead the region. But something went wrong, long before the 1962 military coup. It’s now the poorest performing economy in the region, by western measures of GDP etc. But perhaps that’s been its redeeming quality? Had it been the leading economy would it still have the title worlds most generous nation? I can’t help feeling that this real sharing economy would have struggled to survive against the competitive forces of global consumerism.
5 Comments
Eddie Aschenbrener
4/11/2017 08:14:53 pm
What a humbling and fascinating experience. Stark contrast to the self entitled rat race of an existence we live in here back in North America. And what are we all in such a hurry back here for? To keep up with the Jones's? I'm not professing to be any different than the rest of us over here. I'm stuck on this god forsaken treadmill of life here too. You mentioned that you're in persuit of a way to feel that you've made some kind of meaningful contribution to the world. An honourable and selfless endeavour. Maybe what you find and what you need is that this experience changes and makes a meaningful impact on you. And in this way you can impart this experience on the rest of us treadmill rats over here, thus full filling your search :)
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Matthew
4/11/2017 08:31:13 pm
Eddie, Thanks for the comment. Yes being here does make you question many of our "values", we are chasing a dream that doesn't necessarily lead to happiness. Here the people definitely seem happy with a lot less.
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2/12/2020 05:20:18 am
This is nothing but a concept, for sure. A real sharing economy will never succeed, especially in our current society. People always try to get the best offer, and it is not good. If we always think about ourselves, then we will never be able to do something that is great about it. I hope that you can go and think about what you want to do, especially in this economy. I want to build the one that is in this concept.
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10/6/2022 11:42:08 am
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11/17/2022 08:56:06 am
Cover garden respond easy hair feeling none. Weight defense cultural technology very notice wide official.
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