Me and the Mawlid

 Me and the Mawlid

Once upon a time, in a large red two-story house in front of the Chinese cemetery on Myara Kone Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township, a man named Khalifa U Than Win—a leader in the "Silsila" (lineage/succession)—held a Mawlid ceremony with his followers, the "Murids."

In the backyard, others were busy cooking massive pots of "Kheer," a sweet milk rice porridge. That day, the ceremony was incredibly crowded. I suspect it was because a "Khalifa Arab Saheb" from Dubai had arrived in Yangon and was invited to the event, drawing in crowds who were eager to catch a glimpse of an Arab visitor.

At the time, I was staying temporarily at my grandmother’s house on 130th Street. I was curious to see the Arab guest, and—if I’m being completely honest—I was also hoping to be one of the lucky few to find a gold ring hidden inside the Kheer, as was the tradition at these gatherings.

During the final part of the recitation, I noticed Khalifa U Than Win reciting a specific "Wazifa" (a spiritual invocation) himself. After the ceremony concluded, I was sitting right next to the Arab Saheb eating my Kheer when he turned to Khalifa U Than Win and asked:

"Who wrote that last passage you just recited?"

When Khalifa U Than Win explained, "That is the Wazifa poem my father, the great Khalifa Saheb—who passed away 30 years ago—gave me when he appointed me as a Khalifa," the Arab Saheb asked:

"Don't you have a bamboo grove in your backyard?"

U Than Win and everyone nearby were stunned. The Arab Saheb continued, "In that grove, there is a bamboo stump with three large joints. Go and cut it open with your own hands..."

The Arab Saheb eventually returned to his country. Later, I heard that when Khalifa U Than Win finally cut open that bamboo stump with a machete, he discovered a hidden stash of gold coins inside.

I took away a personal lesson from that experience: "Don't just recite every Arabic text you find, assuming it’s a spiritual Wazifa. It could very well be a note left behind by your parents indicating where they hid their gold."

What I mean to say is that when you read something, it is much more beneficial if you actually understand what you are reading.

Agga (A little creative thought, a lesson to share)

"الأَمْسُ لَيْسَ اليَوْمَ، وَاليَوْمُ لَيْسَ الأَمْسَ، وَذَلِكَ اليَوْمُ الَّذِي سَبَقَ الأَمْسَ لَيْسَ هُوَ الأَمْسَ. وَالأَمْسُ لَيْسَ هُوَ اليَوْمَ الَّذِي يَلِي الغَدَ."