Vinaya in contemporary Burmese Buddhist culture

In the 2,500 years since the Buddha lived, his teachings have been exported and implemented in dozens of countries to various extents, and over time cultural customs and conventional practices have become integrated and influenced in the doctrine that this spiritual teacher established. As these Buddhist societies have developed over time, it may be all but inevitable that they begin to take the individual cultural leanings of their respective societies, which over many decades and centuries also begin to affect the basic vinaya (monastic discipline) that the Buddha himself laid down. In some cases these cultural tendencies can loosen up the stricter guidelines that the Buddha mandated, and yet in other cases these cultural practices do the opposite, making a tighter practice than was clearly allowed for. In the Burmese context, an example of the former is the prohibition of the Buddha that monks may never touch money, which an overwhelming number of Burmese monastics do today despite the clear violation. An example of the former is a largely rural, superstitious belief that it is bad karma to walk in the shadow of a monastic, even though no such guideline was ever uttered by the Buddha himself.

This brings us to this rather alarming photo, shared by one concerned reader of this page, in which the center subject, a Burmese woman, took and shared herself. It depicts her grasping the full body of a Buddhist novice (while he peers through a viewfinder) with a joyous expression whose underlying meaning can be interpreted according to the generosity of the viewer. According to the monastic code, any contact that a bhikkhu makes with a female is a clear violation, however in the case of a novice, while physical contact with females are surely not encouraged, it is technically not a violation unless the novice experiences feelings of lust while the contact is being made. So while one cannot say that a clear technical violation is being made as it would depend on the mental state of the novice, it is certainly concerning to see such full-bodied contact not only made at the country's most sacred Buddhist site, but then publicly shared and broadcast to garner hundreds of reactions and comments online.

Comments and captions remark that the photo no more declares a kind of sisterly or maternal care and regard the image as more cute or endearing than harmless. However the Buddha rightly foresaw the dangers that lust could cause on the spiritual path and this is why he gave the guidelines he did, so it is more than a little shocking to see such open physical contact between the genders flaunted and shared so openly, not only at the famous pagoda itself, but also across social media platforms. In other words, this was not just an unexpected act taking place at such a holy site, but also one that was intentionally and publicly broadcast for others to enjoy-- which is why it has been re-shared here after its recent popularity, although with a wholly different commentary.

"Being the Only Meditator in the Monastery"

The following narrative continues the story of a Mexican meditator who has been in Burma for many years. This is the seventh entry, and the beginning post can be found here.

"I had a lot of misunderstandings with Burmese people because of culture differences. One example is how affection is expressed. In Mexico it is seen as wholesome to show our affection to people that we love by hugging and kissing. But in Burmese culture this is very strange behaviour. In Kalaw I had a Burmese language teacher that came to the monastery to support the yogis with food. Every time I was sick she would come and see me, and so I felt a lot of appreciation towards her. My way to express gratitude was to hug and kiss her. However, later on I was told that she felt very strange when I did that, and she did not know what was happening because she had never hugged anyone before. So it was a new experience for her and for me as well. Something that is so common for me, for her is an uncomfortable moment.

Eventually, the rest of the yogis left and I was the only yogi at the monastery in Kalaw. The lay people around were mainly workers and there was just one monk in the monastery. I continued to have interviews every day with him. However, I had some difficulties with one new worker who came to the monastery. He was a boy around 16 that was very curious about foreigners. Nothing extraordinary happened but I needed to ask the main monk to move this kid away from the dorm where I was staying. It was mainly childish games but they did make me feel very uncomfortable because I was the only yogi and single women living in the dorm.

After the monk moved the child from the dorm I needed to establish my practice again cause I was experiencing a lot of Dosa. For other women who come to Myanmar to meditate, I think it is important that they know that generally speaking, Burmese women are never alone. This was also new for me to have to learn, because most of the time I am used to be by myself. I want to share that there is not much to fear because the general population is very kind and mellow, but is important to keep in mind the customs of the country.

Also Myanmar people are in general very curious to meet foreigners because they see them so seldom. Most of the time this is done in a very gentle and naive way, however, is important to have some distance with men because they are not use to see women by themselves. Generally speaking, Myanmar is a very safe place compared to India or Latin America. But is important not to be alone with a Myanmar men because they are not use this interaction.

In my case, they actually put this Burmese boy in the dorm with me because they thought I will be more comfortable with someone in the dorm. This was not true: I was so happy to have free space at that time. I just needed to lock the doors before going to bed and I was fine. Most Burmese women believe that they cannot be by themselves because they are told that they should not so from a young age, so they never experience total solitude. Also, I find that many are afraid of ghosts and darkness. The situation I faced is not so uncommon, that is, where a Burmese man volunteers to stay close to the lady so she can feel protected. If the foreigner lady does not know very well this person, it is better not accept the offer.

After they took the boy out of the dorm the Western monk came again and he helped me to re-establish awareness and Samadhi because I was a little bit agitated. Then I could see that it was mainly a childish game because the boy did not bother me anymore. Thanks to this monk little by little I could understood the Shwe Oo Min method better.

Some others yogis came to the monastery and we were now three yogis with the Western monk there as well. The main Sayadaw of the monastery needed to leave so the the Western monk came to be appointed the head during this time. This monastery and especially this particular time with the other yogis was very significant for the practice for me. I felt comfortable and with good company and guidance. So I could experience how the practice was progressing little by little.

Because the monastery was very free, we could also play with the practice and figure out which was the most skillful way to develop the practice. This freedom was significant for the practice. It gave me confidence that it was working. Confidence in that the practice by itself will give results. The practice does work and is important to gave a good guidance but ultimately the one that is making the job is the yogi. So it is confidence in that the yogi have already all the necessary prerequisites to progress. The practice by itself will allow the yogi to grow. 

The others yogis did not spend the Waso (Rains Retreat) in the monastery. They needed to go for different reasons. So I was the only yogi one more time. Because this time was more than one month been the only yogi, sometimes I struggled a little. At some point I needed some other yogi company. However, this did not stop me from meditating. I tried as much as I could but sometimes the progress was a little bit slow because of the conditions at that moment. I believe I was not fully prepared for the experience. The interviews with the Western monk were useful to balance the practice. And the freedom that the monastery gave to the yogis help me also to don't push to hard when the mind was not completely stable.

After a couple of months one of the yogis that left came back and I could have some company. By that time it was Kathina time. So the main monk of the monastery came back with a lot of yogis from Vietnam. At that point the monastery was full of people. Before Kathina started, the monastery needed to get ready but the workers were doing very little work. Close to the date of Kathina everyone in the monastery was running to finish all the work. It was my first time to be in a Kathina ceremony and I was invited to visit others Kathina events in town. I found it very interesting. The Kathina in our monastery was very small comparing to the Kathina in the big monasteries.

By that time Kalaw was very cold in the mornings and at night. At noontime it was ok, but generally speaking was much cooler than Yangon. Because of that reason I got a cold and I needed to stay there to recover."

"What I Was Missing Was Structure"

The following narrative continues the story of a Mexican meditator who has been in Burma for many years. This is the sixth entry, and the beginning post can be found here.

"After some time in Kalaw a Western monk came and he joined the interviews. I found his instructions incredibly skilful and clear, so I kept asking him many questions about my experiences. He was not sure if he would stay a long time at the monastery so I made sure I asked all my questions! Thanks to this interaction I could understand clearly the method of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. What this Western monk was offering was structure. He was explaining step by step how to meditate with the Shwe Oo Min method.

This kind of well organized explanation I did not find in Shwe Oo Min Yangon. So after this Western monk explained it all I immediately applied the knowledge and I started to progress a lot faster. He explained in detail that there are three yogi jobs, and he emphasized the importance of the Right View. The Right Information was coming a lot more clearly to me. Afterwards I understood why.

I asked many other Western beginners if they could understand correctly all the instructions. The majority of the yogis told me that they were very confused, the instructions were not fully clear and it was very easy to get lost in the practice. But when I asked some Korean yogis if they felt the same they said no. They liked the way U Tejaniya explained. So then I understood it was a matter of culture. I believe that in Asia, the way they teach is very different from the West. In the West it is necessary to have some structure where the student can follow step by step the teaching so she or he don't feel lost. But in Asia this is not the case, because they like the teachings to be very open, free and without strict structure. So because the structure that I was use to was not present, I got what was able to understand at that moment.

This was a very good experience for me cause I realize that the instructions are made and directed for people in Asia, with Asian habits, beliefs, behaviours and so on. So then I learned to adapt the teachings that were clear to me to one way that was more understandable for me. Mixing Western culture and Mexican culture was one thing. And Mexican culture in some aspects is similar to Myanmar, but in others it is radically different! So it was interesting and funny to figure out how to behave and how to understand the teachings and instructions.

I believe is important to recognize that the teachings in Myanmar are saturated by culture. This is completely normal. In some others countries that I had been they still preserve the teachings of Buddha but in a way that is more understandable for that culture in particular. Normally the meaning is the same. The way they perform the rituals it is different a little bit form culture to culture, country to country. So a practitioner that does not belong to any Asian culture, need to learn to read between lines.

For myself, sometimes I needed to dig very deeply to understand the actual meaning and to adapt it in a way that could be more comprehensible for me. The risk in not reading the underlying ideas behind the teachings is that it is easy to pay too much attention to the culture or forms without the meaning. In my little experience I had encountered foreign yogis who appreciated so much the practice that they stopped any sort of critical thinking and investigation. For this reason, they confused what is culture and what is part of nature or reality.

Is easy to pay much attention to the forms of the culture as a way to show gratitude to the great support that Burmese people give to the yogis, but is equally important to see that the teachings by themselves are not part of the culture, they are not part of any culture, is just how reality is. Nature or reality is non-cultural. However, some cultures preserve or emphasize more of the teachings than others. This is nature as well. Nevertheless, a degree of critical thinking should be present not to confuse nature with the culture that preserves the teachings.

This critical thinking, in my experience, is also important to balance. If faith is very strongly present, it is easy to develop blind faith and and little wisdom will arise because investigation is not present, only devotion. This faith can balance the investigation into nature, and the critical thinking in the culture. However, if critical thinking is present too much, doubts can misbalance the practice. Some degree of doubts are needed to keep the mind curious as they investigate if the teachings are true, and ultimately this is resolved by the practice itself. If the yogi practices continuously, it is possible to see that some of the teachings and instructions are really true. Nevertheless, if critical thinking is too strong, the mind can get very confused and Samadhi will be weaker. So it is a matter of learning how to balance. Balance between the beliefs of the culture and the aspects that the yogi can see by her/himself. I myself have experienced this many times and I need to learn to balance these two aspects that are very important for the practice. Getting into the extremes make the practice imbalance. Finding the middle way will allow to practice to grow smoothly."

"Social and cultural differences"

The following narrative continues the story of a Mexican meditator who has been in Burma for many years. This is the second entry, and the beginning post can be found here.

"When I arrived at Shwe Oo Min monastery I did not understand anything. I asked a foreigner Sayalay to tell me the rules and regulations of the monastery but she only told me to keep eight precepts. For me it was very obvious that I should not kill anyone there, I should not steal, lie, take intoxicants and so on. What I did not know was how the monastery operated in the daily basis. I did not know that I needed to line in the women side for breakfast and lunch, how to do cleaning, if it was ok to stay in the room or not, how I should get a sit in the meditation hall etc.

I figured out all this step by step and making a lot of mistakes that sometimes made others a bit upset. For that reason, the beginning of the retreat was not very pleasant and calm, because I was constantly worried about if I would do something wrong. Little by little the intensity of this fear subsided, I watched what other yogis were doing and I tried to imitate them. However, I must say that getting familiar with the rules of the monastery was very confusing and chaotic. Usually I have been informed about the rules when I was going to a new meditation center.

The dress code was also very strange to me. In the others retreats I did, I was dressing in a more conservative style. But at Burmese monasteries the standards were even more conservative than what I was used to. So these clothes I was used to wearing were not suitable here. For me this was shocking, because at the monastery they were constantly asking me to dress more conservatively. However, in my own perspective monks were not dressing very conservative. Their shoulder was uncovered and sometimes it was even possible to see the complete torso. This is something that I’ve never experienced before.

The behaviour among women and men were very new to me as well. It is not encouraged for men and women to spend much time together. For Mexicans especially, such an experience is so weird. In Mexican culture these problems are not present, it is not something that we ever encounter. So for me it brought a lot of tension because I was not fully sure how I should behave. Whatever was very natural and innocent for me according to my own background, in Burmese culture was now considered completely different. But I tried adapted my behaviour to the conditions that were suitable for Myanmar culture.

The relationship between monks and women are so formalized that I found it a bit scary to know how to relate to them. Sometimes I felt they were paying too much attention to something that it was not that important. I also found that a good teacher will have an incredible ethical conduct with his/her students.

Burmese culture is very concerned about right ethical conduct, and tries to avoid as much as possible lustful speech and behaviour, which is very proper for any religious person. However, sometimes it felt that some people were trying so hard to be free from greed that they were developing aversion instead, which is not a solution for the problem. I felt that it was better to give importance to developing a wholesome mind and proper volition in any given interaction.

I experienced something similar when we were asked, later on in the monastery to wear longyi. Before everyone could wear any kind of loose clothes. However, the use of pants in a monastery is something unusual in Myanmar, they asked us to wear longyi. I was told by yogis that this rule came to the monastery because the novices were experiencing lust by seeing how the foreign women dressed, so they decided to change the dress code. For me this was also very new, because in Mexico wearing loose pants is considered to be a particularly conservative and safe clothing choice for women. I think women in the mid 20th century in Mexico were scolded if they did not wear dresses, but our times have changed. I guess it is just different timings for different places."

A Face-to-Face society

Myanmar is very much a “real-time” culture, meaning actual interaction with people in person goes a much longer way than remote coordination. Face to face discussions can often resolve matters fairly quickly, while extensive discussions from a distance may not always be as effective. For this reason, for those wishing to stay at monasteries or make other requests, you will always be best served by presenting yourself in person to the Sayadaw and stating your wishes clearly at this time.

"The Beauty of Burmese Life is Hard to Qualify."

Pilgrims listen to a dhamma talk by monks in Sain Pyin Gyi, the small village where Ledi Sayadaw was born.

The following essay was written by Branden Macie, an American pilgrim who attended the recent Pariyatti pilgrimage in Burma (and is at present moment sitting a Satipattana course at Dhamma Joti!). The original piece can be found on the Living Vipassana website. To read more about the pilgrimages, see here. To learn about current pilgrimage offerings, see here.

"From January 2012 to March 2012 a nickel of wisdom arose in me while serving long-term at Dhamma Patapa in Jesup, Georgia, U.S.A. I was there to strengthen my individual walk in Dhamma and to share my merits with others who came for meditation alongside other meditators who wanted to apply the technique in daily life-like scenarios. At the time of my stay, I jumped into study (pariyatti) to gain a view of the context of Vipassana being taught there at the Center. Zipping through books with the lightning evaluation capacity which comes with strong concentration episodes, the texts chronicling the lineage of the Vipassana tradition appealed to me most.

One particular book which wedged a great impression in me was the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Journal where details unrelated to the teaching of the typical 10-day courses tested and touched my faithful side, enlivening my understanding of this Path. Leaving the center and maintaining the practice for years following that service period, heavy dreams of pilgrimaging within Burma made their eruption into my conscious stream over and over. Then, Burmese folks I’d meet would lift up those dreams further by inviting me to Dhamma related outings, studies unrelated to the language and practice Goenkaji’s teaching.

For the a long while a needle of uncertainty was lodged into my mind about living Dhamma through different techniques and actions than were known to me through the 10-day retreat center’s presentation. I held on so closely, so personally. The conditioning I’d developed was strong and a barrier to outside Dhamma works, events, and representations of ‘Dhamma’ began to form — I felt a bit off the mark even knowing the Buddha’s Liberation Teachings were specific to each individual. The attachment had to be let go of.

Navigating those walls, the concepts, the emotions they arose became easier with continued acceptance that Buddha’s Dhamma can’t only fit one categorization of language and practice. More important the Real Time at each individual’s mental level, efforts, and energies is where Dhamma exists and that’s gladdening.

Therefore, seeing Burma and the way the society has structured itself while noticing my own inner pilgrimage along the way helped me realize the vastness of walking toward liberation — all the efforts one CAN make for others (regardless of tradition). When one’s mind is settled into the heart of Right Intention much can be shared.

The beauty of Burmese life is hard to qualify. Learning of enlightened Arahats, even ones so recently passed away who revealed their attainments through body relics, were Great teachers of the Dhamma in their own special ways for the Burmese locals. The amount of devotion and merit gaining on a daily level in Burma is astoundingly high. One can go from Alms round serving monks to Pagodas for paying respects to Sayadaws and end the evening with a Dhamma talk on the Abidhamma or any of the hundreds of Suttas contained in the Tipitaka.

Pilgrims arrive at Thanboddhay Monastery, established by Mohnyin Sayadaw, a disciple of Ledi Sayadaw. Thousands of Burmese were sheltered here during World War II and learned meditation during this time. When the pilgrims arrived, dozens of Burmese college students were there for meditation and devotion.

The fruit to seeing the wider context of Buddha’s Dhamma is so sweet, so virtuous, so needed and for anyone interested in investigating Burma Dhamma, I would willingly be a contact point once one enters the country.

Here’s a quote by Harold Fielding from Soul of a People to end on:

“To hear of the Buddha from living lips in this country [Burma], which is full of his influence, where the spire of his monastery marks every village, and where every man has at one time or another been his monk, is quite a different thing to reading of him in far countries, under other skies and swayed by other thoughts. To sit in the monastery garden in the dusk, in just such a tropic dusk as He taught in so many years ago, and hearing the yellow-robed monk tell of that life, and repeat His teaching of love, charity, and compassion — eternal love, perfect charity, endless compassion — until the stars come out in the purple sky, and the silver-voiced gongs ring for evening prayers, is a thing never to be forgotten. As you watch the starlight die and the far-off hills fade into the night, as the sounds about you still, and the calm silence of the summer night falls over the whole earth, you know and understand the teacher of the Great Peace as no words can tell you. A sympathy comes to you from the circle of believers, and you believe, too. An influence and an understanding breathes from the nature about you — the same nature that the teacher saw — from the whispering fig-trees and the scented champaks, and the dimly seen statues in the shadows of the shrines, that you can never gain elsewhere. And as the monks tell you the story of that great life, they bring it home to you with reflection and comment that has application to your everyday existence.”

Two pilgrims relax at the base of a pagoda stupa

"There's Something Special About This Land..."

Pilgrims learn about the history of the Sagaing Hills at Kaunghmudaw Pagoda

"There's something special about this land. Even on a busy street in downtown Yangon, in the sweltering heat of midday, there's an ease with which sensations can be felt. Perhaps because the the practice has been maintained, perhaps because of relics, or perhaps it is the way the Dhamma is interwoven into the fabric of Burmese existence - whatever it is, it is a delightful support for those on pilgrimage."

-- American pilgrim on the Pariyatti Yatra. 

Burma Yatra #2, Day 5

The following excerpt was written by an American yogi about the pilgrimage in Burma. The first pilgrimage has ended, and the second one has just begun! To read about the previous day, go here. To read about the first pilgrimage group's experience on their own Day 5, go here. 

You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma yourself.

"Most of today was spent aboard a luxurious motorcoach with plush reclining seats.

We arrived to a one month old hotel, inaugurated by the last pilgrimage group, built by a supporter of Pa Auk Monastery. It's quite a fancy place, with touch screen elevator keys, rooftop pool, etc. The 'light dinner' was a full on vegetarian buffet... Quite a contrast to the much simple monastic settings of yesterday. Anicca...
___________

There's a lot to learn from the Burmese - their generosity, deep faith, kindness towards pilgrims...

There are a couple of things that have been especially touching - the first is how kusala actions (done by anyone) are actively celebrated. It's been a bit odd to do so with dana one gives, but when done with the Burmese frame of mind there's something sweet about it. And spontaneous mudita a t the kusala action of another is a lovely thing.

The other interesting thing has been to see how one's notion of practice shifts. Practice on the cushion, is one form of practice, but 'practice' in its other forms is intimately woven into daily life here. Dana/performing kusala actions is done naturally. Interactions are framed as 'opportunities to gain merit.' Devotion is palpable and visible - from the beautiful pagodas, to well kept monasteries, to methods of paying respect. While one might consider these the 'outer shell,' in context, this is part of it all. To place importance on only one part seems like painting in only one color. It may be the most important color, but the richness of the palette is lost... When performed with the right frame of mind, there seems to be no conflict with doing these and the filling of the parami jars...

We've been learning a bit about Burmese culture."

For Day 6 in Mandalay, read on!

Traditional Burmese customs

In the middle of a one-day meditation course at a 900 year old Sagaing monastery in Burma, pilgrims follow the age-old Burmese customs of monks, yogis, and felines by stretching out and falling into a nap after a hefty lunch.

"Tough Lot, Us"

“Visitors often see things in Myanmar that are totally at odds with what they have read in the international media and they want to understand what’s going on. When meeting people who no doubt have difficult lives, travelers find they are humorous, warm, proud, and dignified, spending what little they have on religious institutions. It is a conundrum, which some inhabitants of wealthy nations can’t understand. Perhaps visitors don’t see that we in Myanmar have an inner core of strength, which doesn’t veer toward aggression but is rooted in the equanimity with which they face reality. We neither give in nor give up: we have the ability, acquired through our religious beliefs, to refuse to let life get us down. Tough lot, us.

One elderly tourist asked me, in all sincerity and bewilderment, how, since the people he saw were obviously poor, could they look so happy? I tried to explain, but I doubt if he understood, the concept that anybody could be happy with such a huge lack of wealth.” 

Defiled on the Ayeyarwaddy, Ma Thanegi

Burmese Dogs: A Bark Worse Than Its Bite

A typical wild dog as found in Burma (Myanmar)

Haun lun thay kwe, lu ma lay: “A dog barking all the time will not bite.”

It is helpful to be attuned to canine behavior in Myanmar, especially as dogs usually know when someone unfamiliar enters their territory. If you happen upon a dog sniffing the ground, cowering its head or wagging its tail, these are all good signs that the animal does not pose any threat. However, a stiffened tail, frozen body posture, and alert eyes and head are all signs of possible aggression, though these are often nothing more than a prelude to a threatening bark. Most dogs in Myanmar don’t want to fight, but feel a need to defend their territory. 

If a dog looks like it might be trouble, you have some options of how to respond. Some yogis will menacingly raise their hand as if they are about to throw something—whether you have an object or not doesn’t matter, as many dogs know from experience what this gesture means. Others will walk on in a steady pace ignoring the dog entirely, making a loud clicking noise with the tongue that many Burmese dogs have been conditioned to understand that this is warning them to back off. Others may simply try for mettā. Whatever you do, it is unwise to show fear or uncertainty. If you are staying somewhere for a while, most often the nearby residents will eventually call the dog back, and after several days the dog will realize you are not an unwelcome intruder, and let you be.

However, many of the dogs in Myanmar are happy enough with their monastery leftovers and not looking for any trouble. Harold Fielding noted this more than one hundred years ago in Soul of a People, when he wrote: “Coming from half-starved, over-driven India, it is a revelation to see the animals in Burma. The village ponies and cattle and dogs in India are enough to make the heart bleed for their sordid misery, but in Burma they are a delight to the eye. They are all fat, every one of them— fat and comfortable and impertinent; even the ownerless dogs are well fed.”

While one may have little fear against actual dog bites, avoiding their bark is a much harder task, as one Burmese proverb illustrates. One says Sin paw ga lu kwe haun, meaning “the dog barks at the man on the elephant,” and refers to exerting effort towards something which is not going to be all that effective.

The Burmese Kadaw

“I cannot think of an English equivalent for the Myanmar word kadaw: it is more than paying respects, or doing obeisance. One raises clasped hands to the forehand and crouches humbly at the feet of the parents, elders and teachers, in the same way one does to worship the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. This is to kadaw—to be humble and reverent, remembering with gratitude all that one owes to parents and teachers, and what is more, desiring to be purged of all the trespasses that might have been committed by word, though or deed. The reverent posture of crouching with clasped hands raised to the forehead should not be mistaken for servility, for it is not something that is forced or compelled. It is a voluntary act of honour to whom honor is due… The custom of kudow is rooted in the Buddhist acceptance of samsara, the round of being born and reborn; all beings, human and all, go round meeting one another in amicable relationships or otherwise; there would be love and kindness, but there could be hate and enmity as well. There are surely wrongful actions committed consciously or unconsciously to one in this present life. When Buddhists do the ceremony of kadaw… they not only pay respect with the gesture of gratitude, but also ask for forgiveness for any wrongful action they might have done in this life and many many lives before.” Khin Myo Chit, Colorful Myanmar

Burmese villagers pay respects to approaching monks on alms rounds

Burmese Dogs: "A Bark Worse Than Its Bite"

The Meditator Guidebook to Burma is in its final stages! As the guide gets closer to publication, we will begin to share excerpts of what yogis may expect... some sneak previews of what is to come. Here is an excerpt from the "Health" chapter as it begins to get laid out:
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A Bark Worse Than Its Bite

Burmese Laundry

The Meditator Guidebook to Burma is in its final stages! As the guide gets closer to publication, we will begin to share excerpts of what yogis may expect... some sneak previews of what is to come. Here is an excerpt from the "Monastic Life" chapter on how to do laundry by hand during a stay at a monastery:
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Most monasteries (along with the majority of rural Burmese homes) do not have laundry machines. In earlier years in Europe and the US, laundry was one of the more important (and time-consuming) household chores, but since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and the advent of automatic washers and dryers in the 1950s, many Westerners have forgotten what it takes to properly clean clothing by hands. The longer one stays at a monastery, the more interested one tends to become in the simpler tasks of life, some of which our modern age has made irrelevant (and thus for many, incapable of accomplishing without the aid of electrical assistance). When it comes to manual washing, foreign yogis employ differing strategies, though for many it involves little more than swishing the fabric in soapy water in imitation of what seems to happen in laundry machines, and then squeezing them out to dry. It is ironic that many Westerners copy the automatic washers, since the first crank-operated laundry machines in the West themselves copied the hand-washing methods at the time, as a built-in lever moved clothing between two ribbed surfaces. These earlier examples point to one key fact: agitation removes dirt (alas, the same cannot be said for meditation).

While gently swishing clothing in water for a few minutes may loosen some dirt, for real cleanliness it is necessary to beat or knead it. In the early days in the West this was done on special rocks called beetling-stones and with wooden mallets known as battling-blocks; in Myanmar today these same items are still used and referred to as a wut shaw kyauk pyar and a wut yite dote, respectively. Most monasteries and villages have a few smoothed rocks or wooded platforms that are used specifically for laundry washing, and keep several wooden mallets that can be used for pounding. It may also be helpful to request a thermos of hot water as this will work to better pry off the dirt.

As for soap, normal detergent can be purchased, or alternatively you can use the local method of mixing in the natural soapy sand (sut pyar) that comes from central Myanmar. Also used is sin chi tone sut pyar, or “elephant dung soap,” locally manufactured lumps of soap so called for their brownish black color and also used for dish-washing.

As for clothes-washing protocol, do not use the sink or bathing areas, as there are usually special buckets around the monastery designated for laundry use. For those not in robes, make sure not to take items intended for monks.

When finished, ask about where it is appropriate to hang your laundry before doing so. Undergarments are not usually hung outside at monasteries or in other public areas, and Burmese will often separate the upper and lower pieces of clothing, since the lower part of the body is considered more dirty. Happy washing!

Two women do laundry at a local water source in Upper Burma

Thanaka

In this excerpt from the book, we pick up an entry from our "Burmese Days" chapter. Following is a short excerpt from the section on "thanaka":
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Original artwork sketched by one of Shwe Lan's artist contributors shows a typical thanaka design on a young Burmese girl

“May May Gyi first put three blots of thanaka on my face, one on the forehead, and the others on each cheek and spread them all over the face. It was a sweet cooling sensation and May May Gyi told me the importance of putting thanaka on my face every morning if I wanted to be a beauty when I grew up.” Khin Myo Chit, Colorful Myanamr

After just a few hours in the country, the first question many visitors want to ask is “what is that yellow paste that people wear on their faces?” The answer is thanaka, a bark that has a similar smell to sandalwood and comes from the thanaka tree (murraya thanaka). It is used both as a skin moisturizer, sun block, whitening cream, and anti-acne cream, and many praise its virtues for keeping the face cool throughout the day. It is also said to tighten the pores and above all else, it smells good. To prepare it for wearing, thanaka is ground on a stone slab (in Burmese, kyauk pyin) and then mixed with pure water, resulting in a creamy paste that comes out a narrow channel surrounding the rim. Some kyauk pyin become treasured family heirlooms, and even become historical items, as in the case of the slab that Queen Raza Datu Kalaya of Taungoo used in the 17th century, which is today on display at Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda Museum in Bago.

Many children like to make swirling and elaborate patterns when applying it on their cheeks in the morning, and many of these designs are actually given names and date back hundreds of years. Burmese sellers in the marketplace will be more than happy to apply a dosage if you’d like to try, and if you do, you’ll be guaranteed a day full of smiles from the Burmese that you meet!

Historically, the earliest reference comes from a 14th century Mon poem, although it is believed that women have used it for over 2000 years. Different kinds of trees are used, and locals have their own preference as to which kind of tree and location they like best, with some buying huge quantities when they are in a place famous for a quality wood. Of note include Sagaing town, Shwebo, and parts of Shan state and Magwe division. There has also been a long-running rivalry between those produced in Shwebo and those in Shinmadaung, with both sides claiming the better quality. When Burmese find themselves in these places, they “then bring back enough logs to build a cabin,” as one Burmese writer quipped. Some fake logs of thanaka do exist, and the way to ensure its authenticity is to take a small taste of it on your tongue: real thanaka should be bitter. Or, for those who just don’t have the time to bother, there are also small containers of the paste pre-prepared.

“[Thanaka is] used by both queen and commoner. It is a thousand year old tradition. The stone implement used to grind thanaka is cut from smooth stone into a circular slab, with a trough along the rim for the paste to flow into. This stone slab rests on four short legs, which in the old days were decorated with classical motifs and scenes carved into the stone in high relief. A short length of the thanaka log is ground, bark side, in a circular motion, with drops of water poured on the stone from time to time.” Ma Thanegi, The Native Tourist

Surviving a Cold Shower

In this excerpt from the book, we pick up an entry from our "Monastic Life" chapter. Following is a short excerpt from the section on bathing:
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Surviving a Cold Shower

Historically in ancient Rome and Victorian England, cold showers were seen as an essential part of an upright life, as warm water bathing was viewed as a sign of decadence and needless luxury. Indeed, even in modern times many Southeast Asians don’t really understand the Western preoccupation with a hot shower. Still, it is a creature comfort that many Western yogis do miss when without, although after some time here this too becomes less important. If you are staying at a monastery with a closed shower area, likely there will be either a giant clay pot or concrete pool from which you can use the plastic scoop to bathe yourself. Make sure to keep this water storage clean and to only lather outside of it. To keep in a traditional spirit, you can also consider using the old-style shampoo that mixes the bark of the tayaw vine with kin pun (acacia) pods, making a gooey substance that keeps the hair smooth and head cool. In any case, if you are not up for being the Spartan, here are some hints that may help:

· You can politely request a little boiling water from the kitchen and mix that into the bucket before you shower, and this may be wise to do if you happen to be sick. Alternatively, if you purchase a plastic bucket and leave it out in the sun, it often will heat up by afternoon.

· If you are in the winter period, make sure to get your shower in before it gets too late in the afternoon, and the temperature begins to dip. Because the water is room temperature, it’s also more likely to be warmer during the day than in the mornings or evenings.

· You can also purchase a scrub or loofah. With these, you can get very clean quite fast with only a minimum of water. If you are traveling, a quick-dry fabric towel is also helpful.

· An American monk recommends that you “wet your head first, and then using your hands, rub the water along your legs, arms, and finally your heart area. Afterwards, you can immerse yourself in the cold water more comfortably.”

· Eventually, learn to appreciate the cold water! As one yogi commented who came to Myanmar from a frigid Colorado winter, “the outdoors temperature is generally so hot for me here (it was 14 degrees Fahrenheit when I left my home) that I have learned to accept and at times actually enjoy cold bucket showers, pouring water from a bucket over my body.”

Local men use the town bathing facilities in the small village of Ingyinbin, in Upper Burma

Shwe Lan Excerpt: Laphet

In this excerpt from the book, we pick up an entry from our FOOD chapter. Following is a short piece about the place of Laphet in Burmese society:
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“Tea is believed by some to be a gift of the gods. It is an essential item in propitiating nats or spirits. It also, along with a quid of betel, forms part and parcel of ceremonial offerings in Buddhist rituals as well as on ceremonial occasions such as weddings, novitiation ceremonies, ear-boring ceremonies. In courts of Myanmar kings, parties to a dispute ate pickled tea together before the judge as a token of having reached settlement. The losing party paid what is known as Kwan-bo, literally 'the price of betel' to the judge. A special officer collected these fees. He was called a Kwan-bo-htein, literally ‘officer in charge of kwan-bo, the old counterpart of court fees.’ ” U Tin U, Myanmar Memorabilia

Pickled Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet): Pickled or fermented tea is arguably the most important dish in Burmese cuisine. No doubt you will encounter it frequently in your travels, as it is a common snack to offer guests.

Although laphet refers only to the pickled green tea leaves, it is almost never served alone. Often presented in a lacquer bowl, laphet comes surrounded by various condiments, including peanuts, toasted sesame, dried shrimp, fried peas, roasted beans, tomatoes, and shredded ginger. Another popular version is laphet mixed with the above condiments, and served like a salad with fresh tomatoes, garlic, chilies and other vegetables. It can also be mixed with rice to give flavor and sustenance.

In the traditional method, after the tea leaves are picked, they are steamed and then mashed by hand on bamboo platforms. The mashed tea is then placed in a large hole in the ground that has been lined with bamboo and fresh tree leaves. After being spread evenly and tamped down hard, a heavy wooden lid is placed on top, with large stones added to increase the weight. Most tea in Myanmar comes from Shan State, to be used for laphet as well as drunk with hot water.

Laphet is sold in bulk in the markets, often with sealed packets of the proper condiments, and is perfect for taking home as a gift or for your own consumption. Though it is fermented, laphet does not have a strong taste, and the fact that it comes drizzled with sesame oil and mixed with salty, crunchy peanuts and peas makes it quite an appealing snack. While laphet can be enjoyed as a tasty snack to share between friends or guests, it is also frequently offered in formal ceremonies. In times past, the parties of a lawsuit would share laphet to symbolize the end of the dispute. Some students favor them when studying late into the night as it is known to be high in caffeine as well. Packets of laphet used to be handed out to announce a couple's betrothal, and served as quasi-wedding invitations. If a man is embarrassed to express himself, sending a tea packet will gently get the message across. As the Burmese saying goes: Lu ma daq thaw ley, leq peq thout daq. “If the man doesn’t know how to do it, the tea packet does.” Indeed, no Burmese ceremony or celebration, whether religious or secular, would be complete without plenty of laphet.

J. George Scott even notes the use of lahpet in helping one to change their name. In The Burman, he writes: “Sometimes when a boy grows up he does not like the name his parents gave him. He can then change it by a very simple process. He makes up a number of packets of le'-pet and sends round a friend to deliver them to all his acquaintances and relations. The messenger goes to the head of the house and says: ‘I have come from Maung Shwe Pyin (Mr. Golden Stupid). He is not to be called by that name any more. When you invite him call him Maung Hkyaw Hpe (Mr. Celebrated Father). Be good enough to eat this pickled tea.’ ”

A villager in the Shan Hills

Rhythms of the Burmese Day: Afternoon

In this excerpt from the book, we look at typical rhythms throughout the day that one may find in Myanmar. Following is part of the entry that occurs for "afternoon":

Afternoon

During this time work is tending to wind down. As the Burmese are known to say, “Nan neq lin hma, eiq meq meq," meaning that “after daybreak, and one is dreaming,” the sense being that one has waited too long to begin his labor. There are no standard siesta hours, although many locals seem to have a special talent for falling asleep under just about any condition, and after lunch tends to be a common time as it is also the hottest period of the day. As the afternoon rolls around, you may see security guards, caretakers, and others with less intensively demanding jobs start to snooze in their chairs as the sun reaches its peak. Markets and businesses will continue their final push until around 4pm, when the work begins to taper off and people prepare for the crowded trip back to their home, made longer in some of the urban areas by the recent heavy construction taking place on city roads and highways. Most try to get their final shower in before dusk, as some hold the belief that it can be dangerous-- and even fatal-- to bathe later than this (an even more widely held belief is that one should never bathe after being out in the hot sun).


“In the tropics the border between day and night is sharp; as soon as the sun drops below the horizon it becomes pitch-dark.” Michio Takeyama, Harp of Burma

Sunset comes over the sunflower fields at Ingyinbin, Upper Burma, near the home of Webu Sayadaw

Shwe Lan Excerpt: Rainy Season

The Meditator Guidebook to Burma is in its final stages! As the guide gets closer to publication, we will begin to share excerpts of what yogis may expect... some sneak previews of what is to come. Here is an excerpt from our Weather section, and this describes what mediators can expect from Rainy Season:
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Hot and Wet (e.g. “Rainy”) Season (June-October)

“Every year from February to May the sun glared in the sky like an angry god, then suddenly the monsoon blew westward, first in sharp squalls, then in a heavy ceaseless downpour that drenched everything until neither one’s clothes, one’s bed nor even one’s food ever seemed to be dry.” George Orwell, Burmese Days

As the Burmese proverb goes, two things you can’t control are the rain and bulls (Nwa tho hnin, mo aso ma ya) and Myanmar has both in heavy supply. During rainy season, the dry heat recedes as the first monsoons hit land, and a heavy humidity makes its return to daily life. The open sky provides some relief and brings refreshing winds, but the heat is by no means evaporated. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once wrote, “The word ‘monsoon’ has always sounded beautiful to me, possibly because we Burmese, who are rather inclined to indulge in nostalgia, think of the rainy season as most romantic.”

Again, what does this mean for the meditator? As one might expect, moving around during this season can be rather inconvenient, as afternoon drenchings are pretty much a sure thing, and can come with only a few minutes’ warning. If you’re planning to move around and see many sites, or are staying in a place where you need to walk under open air from one place to another, you’ll have to brave the rains. But if you are planning to stay in one place for an extended period, have a good roof overhead, and don’t mind the leeches and frogs that will make their appearance, then you’ll be in good stead for your own rains retreat. For those cave-dwellers, keep in mind that this is the worst season to spend significant portions of the day sleeping or sitting in caves, for the dampness that the moisture brings can be dangerous to your health.

There are some perks to planning a dhamma trip during the rains. This is considered the traditional time that monks spend in serious meditation, so it may provide some inspiration to be here during these days. Additionally, you’ll have less other visitors to contend with than during winter.

As for what one especially needs during this season, what would first come to mind are quick-drying garments and additional changes of clothes. A large umbrella and hooded rain jacket and rain pants also won’t hurt. If you’re sensitive to breezes, you may want some long-sleeves and a light windbreaker. Sandals more sturdy than flip-flops are recommended, for roads can become quite slippery and flowing water can sometimes come in force.

Traveler, yogi, and monk aside, how do the rains affect local life? This can be evinced from the rather unlikely Burmese proverb “the black face will weep and the dead shall come to life.” When unpacked, the phrase refers to the black monsoon clouds that pour out their contents on a parched land, allowing the dead vegetation and hibernating animals (such as frogs) to show their life once again and the country’s rivers to again flow with bountiful water. Burmese author Hpone Thant expands on this local scene: “The land will once more be green again. Vast acres of paddy fields to feed the people of Myanmar and to fill the granaries with food. Typical scenes at these times would be a solitary farmer behind a pair of oxen tilling his land under the lashing rains, his dear wife and children waiting under the shade of the big rain tree, waiting for him to finish his work and join them for lunch. A simple farmers’ lunch, nothing elaborate. Heaps of steaming rice, a lump of ngapi, a clear veggie soup made from the vegetables found on the land near their modest hut… Unless the young paddies are planted carefully they might not ripen into golden stalks heavy with rice grains. Their songs float on the air despite the heavy monsoon rains that pelt them mercilessly. The peals of thunder and streaks of lightning forming a perfect background to their singing. Those would be the typical scenes in all the farming communities in Myanmar. And nights would be filled with the sounds of the frogs, came back to life.” Children love it too, as the common ditty “we shall play in the rains” (Moe Ywa Yin Moe Yay Cho Mae) attests to.
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“The rain may be limited to certain seasons… and it may not rain for days on end, but when it does rain you really know about it. This rain is a primeval thing. The clouds gather, dark and ominous and then they open. They open wide. Being caught in this sort of rain is like someone upending buckets of water over your head—one after another. The water hurls itself towards the earth with a force that means that close to the ground there is as much water bouncing up as there is coming down. But after a short while, at least for routine downpours, the scene is transformed, the sun comes out, everything steams for a while and ten minutes later you would not know there had been any rain.” Patrick Forsyth, Beguiling Burma

“Sunsets on the river were spectacular, especially since we were not yet out of the monsoon season. There were enough clouds in the sky to provide a canvas for the sun’s palette of scarlet, gold, mauve, and vermillion. At one turn of the river on our first day out, the water was as smooth as a mirror, placid and silken, as it reflected the brilliant evening colors.” Ma Thanegi, Defiled on the Ayeyarwaddy

A stormy day over the pagoda at The Phyu Taw Ya Monastery in Hmawbi