A teacher who changed my life

His name was U Kaung Kyaw Tun. Actually, he was not a teacher. He was my uncle, a guard or a guider. Nevertheless, his visions made me to move forward. His teachings with passion made me worth of meanings in my whole life. His home library made me to see wider and broader views not only just in me, but also the outside world. He made a huge difference in my life.

I was a villager who was grown in very remote area of Burma. I arrived at my uncle’s home in the city, in order to study when I was an eighth grader. My uncle had two bookshelves with many books. A couple days later, after I arrived there, I began to read students periodicals, such as Aurora and Teza (Young Leaders) journals under my uncle’s guidance. Teza journal was written in only Burmese and Aurora was printed in both English and Burmese. My uncle always encouraged me to read essays and editorials of those issues. I read them. Eventually, I became a good reader. I also began to know the values of books. I could say that the books were windows to see, feel, learn, know, touch and contact with the other people, other cultures and other places of the world. (Nowadays, computer took over that place.) Gradually, I fall in love with reading, one of the most valuable heritages in my life, which I was given.

In dinner times and on weekends, he often told us about the great leaders and respectful persons in the world history, such as Abraham Lincoln (USA), Mahatma Gandhi (India), General Aung San (Burma), Martha Trisha (Calcutta), Winston Churchill (the United Kingdom), Napoleon (France), Mao Zedom (China). Every time he told about those persons, he also said that ‘You guys also can be anyone of like them; the only thing you need is, your self-belief and passion to follow your dream.’ When we were inspired by knowing about great individuals, their lives, their visions, their contributions in the world history, whether we also become great leaders or not, in the bottom line, it guided us to become good people, with good characters and big dreams.

One day, he told us that to put our school bags, books, shirts at the higher places where we could not reach for easily. Then, when we tried to reach for our things, we were already exercised to become tall persons.

Moreover, he often told the valuable words, such as “if you ignored on learning, this meant you ignored your life because life was full with learning processes.” “Under the word of success, ‘self-discipline’ is on the top.” “With passion, think about the others, help the others, then you will be thanked and helped already in your life.”
Precisely, my uncle who was a teacher, an immigrant officer, a member of city council made me to become a good reader, a young man with self-discipline and big dreams, loving and helping on the others as much as I can.

As a traditional Buddhist, almost every night before I sleep, I worship five greatnesses in my life those are;
- The Buddha
- The Dhamma (the Buddha’s teachings)
- The Sangha (Monks and Priests)
- The Mada & Pida (all my parents, guarders and world leaders)
- The Arsariya (all my teachers).
In my worship, my uncle is always included in both places of my parents and my teachers.

Thank you!