Dear Gunnar,

I think you have carried my message beyond its intention. I did not
intend to link Asoka or any other historical person to be a
cakkavatti. There also isn't any discussion to nominate the monks to
any award.

It is true that Myanmar is not constitutionally Buddhist, but it is
still by and large culturally Buddhist. The cakkavatti is an ideal,
something for any Buddhist political leader to work towards. I am not
arguing for despotism but democracy.

I am also not aware of any part of Asian culture which supports
tyranny, if you could enlighten us.

metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Gunnar G�llmo wrote:

> The brutal treatment of its people by the Myanmar
> government does not befit good old Asian traditions.
> Asian culture balks at tyranny.

Well well well - Buddhist culture does, but Asian
culture in general? I think the history of Asia is
much more complicated than that; despotism can be
found there as well as in other continents. (Many
Europeans, blind for the failings of their own region,
have thought it even an Asian specialty and talken
about "Oriental Despotism".)