Full Moon Sunday at Kun Lay Monastery

Full Moon Days are always a special event in Burma, but they are especially sacred at Kun Lay Monastery. This short clip takes the yogi on a virtual Dhamma tour of three minutes on such a day, showing the many activities taking place around the monastery grounds. Whether young or old, male or female, monastic or lay, there are a variety of roles that happen within the space of a day.

Two nuns from Sagaing discuss Dhamma with resident monks at Maha Gandayone Monastery in Amarapura, as large rice buckets dry out after lunch

“People would have a fine time meeting friends at the monastery. ‘Apart from being a happy outing, a day at the monastery is satisfying in many ways, social, cultural and spiritual.’ I heard my grandmother used to say, never failed for all time. I concluded my diary the day at the monastery by the end of a perfect day.” Junior Win

“[My grandfather] usually had an interesting time discussing Buddhist scriptures with other retired gentlemen, who, like him, had found a useful vacation in the study of the scriptures in their retirements. Sometimes the discussions were spirited and they would often take their arguments to the head monk for decision. [My grandmother] would have a fine time meeting friends and she had an opportunity to do deeds of merit like sweeping the grounds. Children happily helped with chores and were taught the sacred duty of keeping the monastery grounds clean… Late in the afternoon we would come home, the end of a perfect day.” Khin Myo Chit (grandmother of Junior Win), Colorful Myanmar

Shwekyin novices chant at evening

Shwekyin Monastery is one of the oldest and most important not only in Mandalay, but in the entire country of Myanmar. The original Shwekyin Sayadaw was greatly revered by many in 19th century Burmese society, and none more so than the very King Mindon, the second to last Burmese king. Shwekyin Sayadaw's strict adherence to vinaya (the monks' discipline as laid down by the Buddha) was admired by all, and he also wrote some of the very first books on vipassana practice that still survive to this day, and even Ledi Sayadaw referenced these. A yogi who visits his original Mandalay monastery today is able to meditate in the very cave where this great monk did so, many years before.

Every evening at 6 pm the novices make a procession as they chant, as they have since time immemorial. Following this, they sit for meditation, and foreign meditators are also able to join them. This video shows the young novices as they approach the dhamma hall.

Burma Yatra #2, Day 16: "Webu Sayadaw was right, as always..."

Happy Pilgrims arrive in Sagaing

The following excerpt was written by an American yogi about the pilgrimage in Burma. To read about the previous day with Burmese nuns in Sagaing, go here. To read about the first pilgrimage group's experience as they explored Sagaing, see here. You can also consider joining a later pilgrimage in Burma.

In a scene harkening back to the Buddha's time, pilgrims gather under the pleasant shade of a tree to take in a translated Dhamma discourse of a local Sayadaw

"Last night, a few pilgrims, sheparded by the kind European monk and accompanied by U Silananda, completed an evening of the sitter's practice at a local monastery in the Sagaing Hills.

The cave, carved into a cliffside, is where a reputed arahant is said to have spent many years. It has a sweet supportiveness to it, a refreshing change from the jangling at Ingyinbin.

The monastery next door had Patthana chanting on loudspeaker 24-7. According to the Sayadaw, this is only the second time this has happened in twenty years. Fortunately we had some good practice at Ingyinbin, where at times three separate loudspeakers from the eight villages would be going off at the same time.

As one Sayadaw said, "to come to Sagaing, you always needed two things: water and sila." Before the last generation, small Sagaing monasteries only survived by storing rain water during the Rainy Season, and having to have a big enough tank for it last throughout the year. For this reason, all of the Sagaing Hills monasteries today still have these old water tanks on their grounds.

The sit was quite sweet. The evening started with a 7pm group sit and a discourse by Goenkaji, and was punctuated by a midnight and 5am group sit. At around 1am, the weather outside was so lovely (warm with a gentle breeze and full moon) that a few of us sat outside for a bit.

Although there were some good tussles with drowsiness during the extended sit, most of us felt surprisingly fresh in the morning.

Webu Sayadaw was right, as usual..."

To read about the following day in Mingun, see here.

Following are more pictures of the pilgrims' experience in the Sagaing Hills. Click any to enlarge them.

A Sayadaw received visitors, including and American monk (far left), who have come to pay respects and offer dana.

Pilgrims are treated to a special Question and Answer section with a Sayadaw from the Sagaing Hills

The beautiful sites among the Sagaing Hills, around which the one day meditation course took place