 |
| Pilgrim lighting candles in front Hanging Rock, Kyaikhtiyo |
Armed their faith and devotion, camping on site in a freezing night is not an obstacle.
This little boy, out of devotion, along with others, arranging and lighting candles resembling Burmese characters in front of the rock.
 |
| How do I look this morning, Kyaikhtiyo |
Pilgrims come with their extended family, camp for a night, and get ready for morning prayer in front of the rock.
Here, with the help of her mom, a little girl is getting ready for the day in a break of the dawn.
 |
| Samanera & Samaneri to be, Shwedagon Paya |
The Samanera & Samaneri to be, with their proud parents - Shwedagon Paya, Yangon
Parents take a big pride to send their children into monastery. They are dressed lavishly and paraded together with their family members. Parents carry their basic necessity such as robe and alm bowl.
 |
| The Sweeping Troops, Shwedagon Paya |
Cleaning the most visited Pagoda in town is a hard work, unless you do it in an organised, properly equipped troops.
The result is impressive, despite having hundreds thousand of visitors daily, the 2600 years old pagoda is clean and very well maintained.
 |
| Nuns taking excursion at Shwedagon Paya |
Though not as many as those in saffron robes, nuns are essential elements in spreading the teaching too.
They have to take 10 percepts and plenty of moral conducts in their daily lives; and just like the monks, they too have to shave their heads and have celibate lives.
 |
| Birds for sale at Chauk Htet Kyi Temple, Yangon |
A common practice among Buddhist practitioners: to release living creatures back to freedom. Many vendors are selling birds in front of temples; and though irrelevant, many visitor bought those birds too.
In this picture: The lady is selling pigeons to be released by visitor.
 |
| a little novice and his umbrella - Maha Aungmyae Bonzan, Ava |
I really like this picture, the samanera happened to pose near a traditional umbrella, one that they usually carry around.
 |
| (to-be) Enlightened One, Amarapura |
In the local monastery, the little samanera is sitting in a classroom along with his novices and lay friends.
On the day this picture was taken, they learned to chant parittas from a senior monk.
 |
| Little novices and their patta - Naga Hlaing Guu Monastery |
These cute little novices stand in-line waiting for devotees to fill up their alm bowls.
On that day, the monastery received a food donation, so the monks, novices and nuns didn't have to go out for pindapatta.
 |
| The Morning Alms Round - Kyaikhtiyoe |
The little novice at front was to ring the bell while shouting "The Morning Alms Round" (in Burmese, of course), while other monks walking behind him with their pattas. Devotees will placed the food donation into the patta.The food gathered will be shared once they are back in their monastery.
The little novice won't go hungry :) -- I was somehow concern about it, since he didn't carry his patta.
 |
| Anjali - Maha Aungmyae Bonzan, Ava |
The picture is actually a stolen scene. The little novice was actually posing for a local photographer, I was lucky enough to take a few shots.
The smoke was actually an incense lit by other little novice for the purpose of the photo session.
 |
| The Food Offering |
Some holy sites are for men only. No clue why there is discrimination in holy places, in this temple, the forbidden area is the altar site. The lady, a devotee asked a monk to placed her offering on the altar. The monk did just that. They both are strangers to each others.
If I were to tell you that I was so touched by the action, would you believe it? I almost cry to see her devotion and his humbleness.
 |
| Baby and her thanaka make-up |
The baby's face was heavily decorated with thanaka - a paste mixture of ground tree barks and water; which is commonly used by kids and ladies in Myanmar.
Apart from its skin-care properties, it is also serves as sun-block. The paste is applied on face and left to dry, sometimes, before it dry up, they draw up patterns on the face, just like what we see here.
 |
| The Packed Taxi, Bago |
At this moment, the public transport in the country seems far from comfy, but the locals seems OK with that.
Just like this little truck, no matter how packed it is, the driver insists there still spaces for another passengers.
 |
| in the classroom - Amarapura |
Little novices take lessons from a senior monk in an Amarapura monastery. The "school" is open for lays and novices. Lessons are around Buddhism.
Kids will be kids, though wearing a robe, little novices can be playful and sometimes having a cute mischief.
 |
| My Strong White Teeth - Amarapura |
Retreated at the back of his classroom, the shy little novice bared his strong white teeth.
No comments:
Post a Comment