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Updated: June 25, 2025
Every man's acts and thoughts are his own affair, think the Burmans; each man is free to go his own way, to think his own thoughts, to act his own acts, as long as he does not too much annoy his neighbours. Each man is responsible for himself and for himself alone, and there is no need for him to try and be guardian also to his fellows.
When I showed off one or two little tricks with stones, or buttons, or bits of string, the Burmans were sure I was a real wizard, and looked up to me, so they did, and then the birds and animals being so friendly I was always so much at my ease with them, and the childher they said I cast spells!"
With their gay colours, the white steamer, and the gleam of brass-work, you have a subject for a picture after the style of Van Beers if there was only time! I just make a modest grab at it with an inky pen. Burmans come streaming along the yellow sandy shore in rainbow tints, and two of our soldiers in khaki, almost invisible but for the boots and red necks, sweat along the loose sand with them.
Therefore the inherent courage of the Burmans could have no assistance from their faith in any way, but the very contrary: it fought against them. There is no flexibility in Buddhism. It is a law, and nothing can change it. Laws are for ever and for ever, and there are no exceptions to them. The law of the Buddha is against war war of any kind at all and there can be no exception.
The two Burmans made three journeys before nightfall and returned, each time, with large baskets of fruit, grain, and rice. On the following morning, they went into the town and bought six of the largest sized water skins such as are carried for the use of the troops in India, one on each side of a bullock. As soon as they returned with these, they started for the temple.
Burmans' and Shans, male and female, clothed in coloured silk and satin, the women decked with flowers and jewellery, all smoking and jabbering in their strange monosyllabic tongue; solid, well-set-up Germans parading in couples; rollicking sailors; Chinamen; Malays in great numbers; stately Sikhs and the inevitable Babu filled the scene.
For five miles we followed the lane in the grass, and passed two Burmans, midway, carrying fruit; they dodged into the reed stems and let us pass and laughingly admitted they were afraid. Here and there we came to a place where we could see over the top of the savannah for a mile or two and expected to spot deer or elephant in the park-like scenery, till we remembered the depth of the grass. Col.
They have fought, but they have never fought in the name of their faith. They have never been able to prostitute its teachings to their own wants. Whatever the Burmans have done, they have kept their faith pure. When they have offended against the laws of the Buddha they have done so openly. Their souls are guiltless of hypocrisy for whatever that may avail them.
At Bhamo the river broadens into a lake again, something like what it is between Saigang and Mandalay beautiful enough to travel a long way to see. There is a little desert of sand between the water's edge and Bhamo, across it were trekking in single file Burmans, Shans, and Chinese, to and from our steamer with lines of ponies, with bales of merchandise on their pack saddles.
When Stanley and Meinik had again examined the obstacle, the latter retired; and the Burmans, one by one, came up and looked at it. "What do you think of it?" Stanley asked them. "It would be dangerous to touch it, my lord," one of them said. "If only one stone moved out from its place, it would be death to us all.
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