Voluntary service in the interest of the community is a deep-rooted and ancient Myanmar tradition. It is based on our world view that man cannot exist in splendid isolation unless he is an Arahat( i.e. someone who has attained a state of liberation from mundane life), and that to succeed in life, a human being must strike a balance between what is good for self and what is good for all. Beginning with the basic unit of family it has been ingrained in our philosophy of life that to thrive, both physically and spiritually, each has duties to perform - duties for the various positions or status one occupies in society throughout the span of life as a human being; as child, parent, teacher, monk, citizen or ruler. But added to this is the Myanmar’s innate spirit of generosity and kindliness. The bountiful natural environment of the country may have shaped and conferred this special characteristic on the Myanmar people regardless of whether they be Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Bama, Mon, Rakhine or Shan.
Since the beginning of their history, the Myanmar people have demonstrated this strong community spirit and service. We willingly give of wealth, time and labour for the welfare of the people in community. This community spirit comes to us naturally.
One of the earliest inscriptions found west of a pagoda on the Thet Soe Hill in the vicinity of Bagan and dated as circa 1038 by the Archaeological Department mentions how a citizen, to gain merit had made considerable donations and done good deeds such as building a Vihara, a monastery, for monks.
But the donations listed in the stone inscription includes a reservoir for community use and a drinking water stand for weary and thirsty travelers. Till today, the custom of digging wells, building reservoirs and canals and providing drinking water stands for public use and consumption is included among good deeds. The labour for deeds of merit, such as building pagodas, temples, monasteries, wells, water tanks, roads and rest houses (zayat) for weary travellers to rest, is usually contributed by the people living in the area. The principal donor may provide the necessary cash, but the people generously supply the toil. This is true today as it was in the yesteryears. It is true in large cities as in tiny hamlets. People from all walks of life for instance contributed their labour towards the building of the Maha Wizaya Pagoda, south-east of the Shwedagon Pagoda and towards the Sacred Tooth Relic Pagoda, on Kaba-Aye Pagoda Road in Yangon. These are instances of community service on a large and organized scale and it might be misconstrued as something that happens once in a great while and at the insistence of those in authority. That is not the case; it is a daily phenomena, be it in small villages, towns or cities. Prayer halls and the precincts of pagodas and temples large and small, are swept by volunteers daily. When it is a large and world famous Pagoda like the Shwedagon, there are volunteer associations whose members sweep the pagoda platform and prayer halls in turns. The drinking fountains on the pagoda are cleaned and if a stand holds earthen pots then they are filled with clean cool water daily. Some of the volunteers who work on the Shwedagon Pagoda and other pagodas are office workers who devote their free time to such deeds of merit. Every monastery has volunteer cooks; some are middle-aged ladies who devote their time and labour, gratis. After all the meals have been cooked and served to monks and novices who partake of food only before 12 noon and go on a fast till the next morning, the ladies return home to do their domestic chores and reappear to do their self - appointed tasks at the monastery the next day.
These are services in the name of religion. But the Myanmar people are equally enthusiastic about community welfare. Those who can afford to, donate cash for the construction of public buildings like a library or a school or even a wayside bus shelter. But those who are not well off contribute their labour in such works of construction.
There are many, both men and women, who belong to no organization but who come forward willingly to join in some social welfare work in the villages and wards to which they belong.
So the Myanmar people do not confine their services to religious works only. When there is a feast for a wedding or a name-giving ceremony, especially in the small towns and villages there is no need to hire reception halls or caterers. The younger folks help to put up and decorate the temporary tent and people known to be culinary experts in their community do the cooking of the dishes, in large vats to feed people in the hundreds. This is all free of charge. Then, there are those to do the serving and those to do the washing up. It is a joyful cooperative affair, especially if it is a rural wedding or novitiation and ear-boring ceremony. In small towns, everyone is invited to such occasions and almost everyone lends a hand.
The same services and more are given when there has been a death in some family. It is the custom for groups of young men to keep watch throughout the night. For the entire week, the family does no cooking, there are others to do it for them. The last day of the week in devoted to prayers and the offering of "Hsoon" (a meal) to the monks. The whole ward or village will probably donate cash towards expenses as well as their labour.
There are also the firewatchers and road menders. After the rainy season, in the villages, you may see groups of people armed with hoe, shovel and dah (an all purpose knife) to clear away under growth. If a husband has just died, there are fellow villagers to plough and plant rice or onions or sesame in the widows plot of land without payment, until she can make some other arrangement. In towns, young men of a ward will get together to mend pot holes in the road. In a village, they will help to roof a fellow villager’s hut or house and it is all done with much camaraderie and laughter.
But their generosity does not stop there. They go out of their way to help strangers and people in trouble. Passengers on a bus which has stopped due to some minor trouble will get down and push it cheerfully with much laughter and banter till it starts. And if it fails to start as it sometimes does, they will take another bus without demanding that their fare be returned. If a car driven by a women should break down there are any number of people to help her. One can ask any passerby to help lift heavy boxes and bundles and if you should try to pay them they would be most indignant and hurt. Any foreigner who has visited our country, be he tourist, businessmen or even someone here on official government business can attest to the fact that generally, Myanmars are not grasping people, but those who wish to do the giving.
This has been our national trait and custom since ancient times. The Myanmar people are, by nature, good neighbours both in times of need and joy. One might perhaps think this tradition has declined in the larger towns. But it is not so. Perhaps a very few, who have been brought up in the west and been imbued with western ideas, may look upon all this with jaundiced eyes and call it forced labour. But you only have to see the faces of those at work, to realize that these are people who are happy in service to others and to the community.