Myanmar and Theravada Buddhism

Despite being grievously cumbered with visits to Buddhist temples my first two days in Myanmar--first in Yangon and then in Bagan--I was still moved by the very real devotion of so many people in Myanmar to their Buddhist faith. (Seriously, dear tour designer, for non-devotees, a guided tour of two different Buddhist temples in one day is plenty; four in one day is mind-numbing, and ten in two days--no matter how small a temple might be--is a mini hell whatever someone's religious persuasion might be!) Almost ninety percent of Myanmar's population practices Theravada Buddhism, and that practice informs the way each day unfolds and, as with religion in general, influences architecture and art. Western civilization tends to connote Buddhism with peace and acceptance, but when any religion is used to sanctify social, political and/or economic power wrangling, it is never holy. Sadly, some in Myanmar have done and still do just that, attempting to cloak or justify evil acts with false connections to Buddhism. However, I am not celebrating them. I am celebrating all of those I observed or met or had the chance to share a time and space where our lives overlapped.

Religions through the ages have always had an impact on the arts: what to create and what to treasure. The lay of the land in Myanmar is shaped and designed by Buddhism.

In Yangon, Shwedagon.

In Bagan.

In Mandalay we visited a Buddhist monastery--a Mandalay highlight for me, by the way--and arrived just as the novices and monks were gathering for their noon-day meal. Monks eat only twice a day: very early in the morning and just before noon. They do not partake of any more food after noon. All their food is donated and prepared by others who, as part of their devotion, provide substance, time, and service to the monks. In Myanmar, all male Buddhists are expected to spend a certain period of time as a monk. At age eighteen, a male can choose to become a monk for life. Our guide in Mandalay confessed that when his family sent him to the monastery to serve his time as a monk at the age of eight, he only lasted a week. He was just too hungry! For him, only two meals failed to constitute a suitable living arrangement.

Monks wear wine-colored robes; nuns wear pink and orange. Both monks and nuns shave their heads. Visible everywhere, monks and nuns participate in the daily rituals and routines of everyday life in an integral way. For me it was both beautiful and humbling to watch.