Buddhist monk Ashin Nyanissara is standing up to the military crackdown in Myanmar by telling stories. 

Shielding himself with allegory, he crisscrosses the country giving lectures that draw on history and legend to remind people that rotten regimes have fallen before. As the generals try to crush the last remnants of resistance, he is cautiously keeping the fire alive.

The story appears in the January 14 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Click here to read why spitting on a hermit is not a good idea.