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Around the world in 2000,
via Asia and Madagascar.
Shwedagon (Myanmar )
Bec2004-09-18 17:35:07
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Shwedagon
I had been here once in 1973 so I kept my second visit to the legendary Shwedagon Pagoda for the end, just before leaving for India.
According to the legend, the original stupa on this site would have been built during the Buddha's lifetime in the sixth century B.C. Such an irrational idea only adds to the magic this holy place holds for believers.
Magic or not, the Shwedagon complex is impressive and beautiful. The main stupa, that rises 98 meters above its base, is surrounded by a forest of some 60 small ones and by an equal number of shrines, pavilions and temples on a 5.6 hectare (14 acre), marble paved platform.
The purpose of building, improving, beautifying and visiting Shwedagon is, like all other Therevada Buddhist holy places, to acquire merit to compensate for bad actions in the past (bad karma), in order to increase one's chances of being born again in better rather than poorer circumstances in a future life. Nat worship is more immediately practical as they are believed to be specialized in the services they grant in exchange of prayer somewhat like the various saints of the Catholic religion are; St-Anthony of Padua helps to find lost objects, St-Jude assists in lost causes, etc.
There are a dozen shrines like this one around the main stupa where the faithful gain merit by pouring water on a small Buddha to refresh it from the heat of the sun. They can also pour water over an animal totem figure to be granted the benefits dispensed by that specific totem. Here, a lady is pouring her cupful on an elephant figure; I don't know what payoff she expects, maybe memory?
The area around the star, known as the "Wish Fulfilling Place" attracts a lot of people who might not get their wishes but who at least get the hope of obtaining them.
The man on the left below sitting in the lotus position was staring directly into the sun. I passed by a couple of times over a period
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See photographs from:
Burma (Myanmar) Gallery
