မန္ဟံသာ: April 2008

History is the blood of Nation; a nation without a history can not stand like a man without blood can not be alive. Therefore, a history should not be forgotten by its people and it should be remembered all the time. Knowing histories let us realize who we are, where we come from and what a nation is. I don’t think it is wrong to say that histories are as important as our blood just like water to fish.

This time I want to mention about Mi Ta La Htaw’s amazing story. Her story had been already written and mentioned in some history books. You may have read and heard about her. She is one of the bravest and the most pious Mon maiden in Buddhism. Although she had passed away for a long time, her braveness, glory and name are still living in history. She should be remembered and honoured by Mon of nowadays as well as Mon in the future, our next generations. This is the main purpose to write and tell her story again in the future of Mon magazine.

Her maiden name was Bhadradevi. Now she is well-known and being called as Mi Ta La Htaw. At the time of her life was the time when king Tissa ruled the land of Pegu (Hongsarwatoi) A.D in the years 1043-57. He was a heretic king of Pegu. He made no obeisance to Buddha and never listened to the Dhamma (The Law). He honoured and worshiped the Brahmans. He threw down the images of Buddha into Ditches and marshes.

At that time, Mi Ta La Htaw was a certain merchant’s daughter who believed in the true religion. She was a village maiden. Since she was ten years old. (from her tenth year up) she went out with her parents to listen to Dhamma (The Law). She continually heard the Dhamma talks. She had exceeding great joy in the three gems. Everyday she recited the three names of refuge carefully. The time when she was in her first youth was the time when the king cast down the images of Buddha. At that time, she went down to bathe. By chance she thrust her hand against an image of Buddha.and then she drew it up. It glistened with gold. She asked her old slave women who had cased the image to be cast away. They answered her that the king followed the words of false teachers. Verily he was the one who caused the images of Buddha to be cast away.

“Whoever greets and honours or bows before Buddha at the Pagodas, the king will kill him or her” Thus said the slave women. When she heard their words, she said bravely like this, “I obey the three gems and I can endure death. At first wash the image clean and set them up at a pagoda.” she herself and her slave women washed it and set it up at a pagoda. As she was setting up the image, these things were told to the king. And then the king sent his men to call her. She said to the king’s men, “let me abide here before the image”. After saying that, she made haste to wash every image of Buddha as many as she found there and set every one of them up. After a time, the king sent more men. When the maiden, Mi Ta La Htaw, came before the king , she told him what she had done. But he listened to her with anger and commanded his men to take her to the elephant which might trample her to death. And then she did something gentle to soften the king, the elephants and the elephant-men and she continually said,” I take refuge in the lord” and she called on the three names of refuge(Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha ). The elephant dared not tread on her but he roared with his voice. The elephant- men could not make him run at her. Many many times they brought other elephants, but no elephant dared not tread on her.
So the king’s men told the king in fear. When the king heard these things; he told his men to cover her with straw for the funeral pyre. But the maiden caused gentleness to work again and she called on the three names of refuge. The king’s men stirred themselves to burn her, yet she wasn’t burned. Therefore, they were in fear and told the king about her amazing and extra ordinary powers which she gain from the triple gems. Thus said the king “ Bring her here .” They brought her to the king and he said, “O maiden! When I see the image of Buddha, your teacher, can fly up into heaven, then I let you live. But if there are about seven images or eight images of Buddha can not fly up, I will have you cut into seven pieces”.

And he had her led to the foot of the ditch and she prayed on like this, “O image of the lord of bliss! I, your hand maiden, set up your images. Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are lord everywhere. As the three gems are lord everywhere, so may eight images of Buddha fly up into the king’ s hall’’ in the twinkling of an eye, there flew eight images up in to heaven and flew towards the king’ s hall.The maiden, Mi Ta La Htaw, returned and pointed them out to the king. The king and his many men saw the images of Buddha flying up, it was a wander far and wide.

Then said the maiden, “O earthly King ! Buddha, my teacher, is gone to nirvana. You have been able to see only his images fly up into heaven in his stead. You have followed false teachers and called them better. Let your people see them fly up.” Then the king commanded his teachers to fly. But the wrong teachers could not fly, not even one foot height. And the king drove them away and he caused the maiden, Mi Ta La Htaw, to bathe and he raised her to be his chief queen. The king returned thanks and followed the true religion, Buddhism ever after.

According to Mi Ta La Htaw’s history, one who has a strong will and a strong confidence in the triple gems is safe; no one can harm him or her. If you practise Dhamma (The law) Dhamma protects you back. After reading This true life of Mi Ta la Htaw, I hope every one of you (our readers) can be inspired and can have more devout and piety in Buddhism. With the helps and the powers of the triple gems, Mi Ta la Htaw had ability and a power to be able to convert the king into Buddhism. If you practise Buddhism enough like Mi Ta La Htaw, you are safe and secure everywhere you go.

By Hong Nohn (Pine Ka Mar)
March 20, 2007
(Reference From History of Burma by G.E. Harvey)