"Mystical Buddhist Temples"
This is another place that I never imagined having the opportunity to visit, but I was really happy that I had the good karma to do so! Nestled between Bangladesh and Thailand, Myanmar is an economically poor country which paradoxically has a rich spiritual history. Let me begin at the top and get straight to the point - Schwedagon Temple.
Schwedagon Temple is quite simply one of the most incredible places I have ever been to in my life. It is considered the "national temple" of the predominantly Buddhist country of Myanmar (formerly called Burma), and is located centrally in Yangon (formerly Rangoon). Perched on the top of a hill, it is a very large open air complex in the shape of a circle, having an impressive and huge golden "stupa" (bell shaped monument) as its centerpiece. Schwedagon is a strikingly beautiful place with marble flooring, fascinating architecture and over 80 buildings and temples dedicated to specific purposes.
How did this place come to be? The story goes that two Burmese traders were on a long voyage in India over two thousand years ago when they met the Buddha and instantly recognized his spiritual power and mastery. They offered him some of their wares as gifts, and in return, the Buddha offered them some strands of his own hair. Legend has it that the traders brought the hairs back to Burma, and they are still located there on the site of the stupa. To the Western mind, it might seem a little strange. What value do a few hairs have? In the Eastern way of thinking, any object from a great being such as the Buddha holds incredible spiritual power.
It is amazing to think that the foundation for this magnificent place were those few strands of hair. Our ship was anchored in Yangon for three days, and I spent the better part of two of those days exclusively at Schwedagon Temple - that's how entrancing and fascinating it was to me. The admission fee is $5 US for foreigners, which is quite expensive by local standards. For example, the 20 minute taxi ride from the pier was only $1 US!
Many different things were happening simultaneously during my visit. There was a continuous chant being sung and broadcast all over the complex by the Buddhist monks (of whom I saw at least several hundred on the premises, in addition to many Buddhist nuns); there were many ceremonies involving some type of initiation rites for children; there were fortune tellers, people meditating, and also many people making offerings to statues representing the day of the week of their birth. In Myanmar's Buddhism, in seems there are eight days a week (is that where the Beatles got the idea for the song by the same name?!).
While at Schwedagon temple, a Burmese man approached me saying that he was a schoolteacher and that he wanted to practice his English with me. I consented knowing full well that he would ask for a donation at the end of his "practice" time. Of course he did, but it was well worth it because he was a very knowledgeable man; although at this moment I can't remember anything that he told me!
I also visited another temple in Yangon, this one next to the Yangon river, called Botataung Paya. This one is much smaller and less dramatic than Schwedagon, although a fantastic tour guide named Tin Win Maw, whom I "adopted" (I say adopted because I crashed her tour group) told me that this place has a nice hall for meditation. She was right. There was a breezy open air hall where many people (but no foreign tourists) were praying and meditating. I went in but I didn't let myself fall too deeply into meditation because I had some fear of being in an unknown environment, and it was my first day in Burma.
Botataung Paya also has a golden stupa as it's primary feature, although it's not nearly as large as the one at Schwedagon. The difference is that with this one you can actually go inside. Once inside, you find a bizarre maze-like construction with walls protruding and jutting out in jagged fashion, vaguely reminiscent of some long lost imaginary Asian art deco style. There are shiny blue tiles and mirrors all over the walls, places for offerings, and relics from previous eras on display.
There are also alleged hairs from the Buddha on this site as well. You can walk around the whole circular hallway within a few minutes - however, you might not remember exactly where you came in, because the effect is disorienting. I felt almost as if this place rekindled some very old memory that was buried deep within my consciousness from long ago.
In front of Botataung there were people selling small sparrow-like birds. The reason the birds are being sold is so visitors to the temple can let them go free, as an offering. I believe the idea is that the birds will take your prayers straight to heaven and God. I bought three birds, and judging by the huge smile on the saleswoman's face, she got a good deal for the birds. I started to wonder if the birds were getting a cut of the take! It was a nice feeling to let the birds go free; especially one of them, because he was furiously pecking away at my hand!
The temples were definitely the highlights of my three day visit to Yangon. However, I also visited a fortune teller who was very humbly sitting down the street from Botataung Paya. I came away convinced that this gentleman was the "real deal", and usually I am quite skeptical of such people. He spoke some English and had a great sense of humor, as well as an uncanny knowledge of my personal life. He never asked for more money than the small initial amount agreed upon, and in fact I finally cut off the session because he wanted to keep on talking. He said that 2001 and 2002 will be very good years for me. Yeah!
As you may know, the government of Myanmar is an extremely repressive military regime. It's curious that a place where spirituality is so important could have such an oppresive ruling party. They have outlawed the internet, probably out of a fear of the free exchange of ideas, and obviously they don't have elections. Also, there is a huge sign posted in English in the heart of the tourist district of Yangon, declaring plainly that the government will not tolerate any dissent whatsoever. It says something like the "People's Desire" is to "crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy", and "oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges and holding negative views". Talk about control freaks and power mongers! You definitely want to exercise caution while visiting this country, and you certainly do not want to get in any trouble with the law while visiting Myanmar!
"Mystical Buddhist Temples"