Shadows of Discipline: Reconciling Myanmar’s Cultural Legacy of Corporal Punishment with Buddhist Compassion

 

November 22

By Khin Maung Myint

 

Corporal punishment remains deeply ingrained in the social fabric of Myanmar, extending beyond the confines of schools and institutions into the heart of family life. It has become so normalized that talking down to children, scolding harshly, or displaying aggression within domestic spaces are often regarded as legitimate means of enforcing discipline. This behavioural pattern, passed down through generations, reflects not only a mode of correction but also a deeply rooted cultural attitude towards authority and obedience.

 

Historically, such tendencies may trace back to the hierarchical traditions of the monarchical eras, when social order depended heavily on unquestioning submission to authority. Kings and courtiers ruled through command and control, instilling in the populace a profound respect for power and punishment. The residue of that hierarchical thinking continues to shape interpersonal relationships, particularly within families and institutions, where elders and superiors are expected to assert dominance rather than foster dialogue.

 

Paradoxically, this tradition of punitive discipline stands in direct contrast to the Buddhist ethos that permeates Myanmar’s spiritual and moral consciousness. Buddhism, the faith of the majority, teaches Metta (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), and Ahimsa (non-violence). The Dhammapada explicitly denounces anger and cruelty, urging self-control and compassion even towards those who cause harm. The persistence of harsh disciplinary practices thus represents a striking cultural dissonance – a gap between professed moral ideals and lived social behaviours.

 

Yet, the importance lies not in tracing the historical origins of this contradiction but in envisioning how Myanmar can move beyond it. To reconcile tradition with moral evolution, the nation must nurture a new understanding of discipline – one grounded not in fear and domination but in empathy, mutual respect, and emotional literacy. Families, educators, and community leaders must collectively redefine strength not as the capacity to inflict pain, but as the ability to guide with patience and understanding.

 

Cultural transformation of this kind cannot occur overnight. It demands an honest reckoning with the past and a willingness to unlearn inherited norms. As Myanmar continues to navigate its complex social and political transitions, abandoning the habitual use of corporal punishment could symbolize more than behavioural reform – it could mark a moral awakening. To replace the rod with reason and the shout with compassion would be to embody, at last, the spirit of the Dhamma that has long guided the nation’s conscience.

 

Bibliography

• Dhammapada. Trans. Eknath Easwaran. Nilgiri Press, 2007.

• Galtung, Johan. Cultural Violence. Journal of Peace Research, 27 (3), 1990, pp 291–305.

• Houtman, Gustaaf Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics: Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, 1999.

• Kyaw Yin Hlaing. “Understanding the Political Culture of Myanmar.” Asian Survey, Vol 48, No 6, 2008, pp 883–906.

• Mya Than Tint. Buddhism and Society in Myanmar. Yangon University Press, 2010.