Beyond a spiritual calling: the Saffron revolution.

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When the Myanmar (also referred to as Burma) government raised the price of gasoline for its already poor population, it triggered a series of events that would bring Myanmar and its Buddhist monks to the forefront of world events. Peaceful protests about the price of gas turned contentious, sparking countrywide outrage and action. Buddhist monks, seemingly unaffected by gas prices, confronted the military regime and inspired a renewed call for democracy. The country's nearly half-million unarmed monks brought an equally-sized military to a standstill, albeit briefly. With strong public support, the monks have courageously and definitively defied the regime; their organizational capacity is a force the military fears.

A cultural and religious hallmark of Myanmar is its long and rich history with Buddhism; Myanmar has the highest concentration of practicing Buddhists in a single country. Many Burmese enter an order at one point in their lives, either as a child to receive free education or as a lifelong vocation. There is typically a monastery in every village and the monks are viewed as the community's spiritual leaders. The people's intimate relationship with their community's order gives the monasteries a prominent role in society. In return for the spiritual duties the monks provide, communities give donations in the form of food and clothing. Monks are completely reliant on these donations as they are forbidden to handle cash. If a monk refuses a gift, he is inflicting the highest form of punishment in Buddhism. Given their centrality in Burmese society, the monks' recent protest with their down-turned bowls--signifying their refusal of donations from the military regime--was a powerful message.

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Since 1962, Myanmar has been controlled by a military regime that has been labeled as one of the most oppressive in the world. It has been charged by the United...

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