Customs, Ceremonies and Festivals By Ma Thanegi
MAKING MERIT The three main practices of a Buddhist – Dhana meaning charity, Sila meaning purity of though and Bawana meaning meditating to achieve conscious awareness – in combination lead to Nirvana the End of Suffering of life cycles, but charity without sincerity is worthless. However it is the easiest to practice and it has become a reflexive action in daily life. SOON KYWAY Buddhist celebrations, apart from weddings and spirit festivals, are centred on breakfast or lunch called Soon Kyway offered to members of the Sangha, the Buddhist Order of monks and nuns. Afterwards the abbot or a senior monk will give a sermon. SHIN PYU Every Buddhist boy can enter the Order as a novice from the time he can
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clearly recite the verse of application to the time he is 19, when he is eligible to become a monk. His father, uncles or older brothers can become monks, all of them for a few days or as long as they wish. If the Shin Pyu (novitiation) ceremony is a lavish affair with hundreds of guests, his sister will most likely have her ears pierced at the same time but without any involvement from the monks. OBEISANCE CEREMONY For all religions in Myanmar, respecting older people is a tradition. The Buddhists hold annual obeisance ceremonies of kneeing and bowing in front of all the elderly in the neighbourhood, rich or poor, with gifts for each person. The obeisance ceremony with gifts is also held for mentors such as older writers and artists and for teachers from kindergarten upwards, for as long as the teachers are alive.
Pix: Myo Swe Than
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