I'm Krista Tippett.

Today we'll explore the inner world of Burmese history, spirituality, and politics.

The crisis that began there in September has pitted a military regime against monks and

monasteries.

Yet even the ruling generals are patrons of these monasteries, 89% of the population

is Buddhist, and an estimated 3% of Burmese males are monks at any given time.

What they've tried to do is they've tried to morally rearm their society, you could say,

and do this without the government.

The government has had to follow, which is why they've had to engage in this discourse

of virtuous legitimacy in Buddhist terms.

This is speaking of faith, stay with us.

I'm Krista Tippett.

In September, shaven heads and robes of orange and crimson filled the streets of Rangoon,

as Buddhist monks marched in defiance of one of the world's most repressive regimes.

This hour we'll explore the inner world of Burmese history, spirituality, and politics.

What the side of those monks meant to the Burmese people themselves, how religion and

military rule are intertwined, and how Buddhism remains a force in and beyond the current

crisis.

From American public media, this is speaking of faith, public radio's conversation about

religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas.

Today, Burma, Buddhism, and power.

Buddhism has been at the heart of Burmese culture and government for centuries.

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