BURMA - The Land Of Pagodas

Pagodas: Romance and Legend
Long before any Burmese is old enough to understand that stupas and pagodas symbolize the great wisdom and compassion of the Buddha to whom they owe their way of life, their philosophy, their culture and above all, their fortitude help them to survive all trials that life has to offer.

The earliest memories are often of the green wooded hills rising out of the wide flowing river Ayeyawady. On every hill top one can see one lone pagoda or a group of threes and fours, some gilded, others whitewashed and gleaming. Pagodas on hilltops remain one of the happiest recollections of most Burmese childhood.

Of the first things a Burmese learned about pagodas has nothing to do with the intellectual side of Buddhism but only the fullness of colour and romance. A favourite past-time among Burmese children is to head towards the long dark range of thickly wooded hills, crested with shining pagodas, and the tinkling bells from their htis as the fretted wrought iron spires on top of the pagodas are called, chime welcome to them. They looked so inviting that it make them run up the steps to reach the pagodas up there.

Why the pagoda was guarded: the story
Once a prince, feeling ill-used by his elder brother the reigning king, planned a revolt. He came to the twin pagodas and made an offering of robes to the Buddha image there. When he did so, the image suddenly moved and stretched out his hands to receive the gift. Later the prince won the coup and became king. One of the first things he did on ascending the throne was to put guards round the pagoda because he did not want anyone else to go there and make a wish to dethrone him.

Pagodas in war If, at one time, these same pagodas were involved in war, they were at another time instrumental in bringing peace. It was on the precincts of the same pagoda that Rajadirit, the Mon king who had marched up there with his invading forces, decided to go home in peace.

Rajadirit was within a few minutes march to Inwa, the Myanmar capital, and he was just waiting for zero hour to strike. From the pagoda platform, the king took a view of the beautiful land he was going to conquer; the range of hills skirted with sand bands rested on the river; high on the hills were spired pagodas gleaming in the pale moon-light: there was no sound but the tinkling of bells from pagoda spires.


It was a pity that the same sweet, solemn air would be stained with blood and strewn with the slain, the noblest and the bravest of the country's people. Thus when the emissaries from the Myanmar king came, Rajadirit accepted the peace; terms and went home. Before he departed, he built a rest house on the hill, where the twin pagodas now stand as a gift to pilgrims and devotees, a Buddhist way of showing loving kindness.

Good deeds at the pagoda
Most earliest lessons on Buddhism were from the visits to pagodas where each child is taught to recite, in front of the Buddha image: "I take refuge in Buddha, I take refuge in His Teachings, I take refuge in the Buddha, His order of the Yellow Robe."

Wandering around the precincts of pagodas, one would notice sculptures and paintings. All the works of art depict scenes from the Buddha's life and birth-stories, called the Jatakas. With no comic strips to read in the early days, visits to pagodas with grandparents telling stories were treats.

Religious lessons
Helping out around the pagodas is a meritorious deed that would help one to go up the ladder of life, in the unending round of rebirth. The round of rebirth meant that what one does in this present life would determine what one would become. Never mind, if you were a plain girl with nondescript looks; no use moaning over it; you might be reborn a statuesque beauty, if you do deeds of merit like helping older people sweep the pagoda grounds, and offering flowers and candles to the memory of the Buddha there.


The past is past, it is one's privilege and responsibility to make the best of the present and the future will be taken care of. This is the basis of Buddhism.



Recreation, education and refuge
No one outgrows the pagodas, even as the years creep upon them; pagodas remain very much an integral part of Burmese life. As teenagers they wallow in songs and poems where lovers sing of the troth plighted at "the golden pagoda up the hill": and they shed tears over the stories of broken-hearted ladies who built pagodas in memory of their loved ones. Then the pagodas opened out to them a vast wonderland of romance, colour and lyrical beauties; there seemed to be no limit to fancy and imagination.


In real life too it is at the pagodas that newly-married couple will make offerings of flowers and candles. In their hearts is the belief that they meet and love in this life, because of the goods deeds they had done together in their past lives. By doing good deeds together again in this life, they strengthen their bond of love, and they feel blessed and secure in the refuge of the Buddha and His teachings. Sitting on the pagoda platform side by side, each with offerings of flowers and candles in hand, a married-couple or plighted lovers often feel that their love for each other has risen from the common and the earthy to spiritual heights.

Pagoda in an adult life
As children, pagodas offer recreation as well as education; as youths, the sylvan fields of romance and poetry; in the years of maturity, they give relaxation and a sense of security and refuge; in old age, solace and comfort. One of the greatest pleasures at this time is to lead grandchildren once again down the familiar paths in the wonderland of stories and parables, coping with their eager questions, as they point their little greasy fingers at the sculptured figures and paintings. Yes, as Buddhists, Burmese go to pagodas, at all times of our lives, in all moods, in joy or in sorrow, or to seek peace and quiet from the stress and strain of life.

Centres of social and cultural activities
Pagodas are also centres of social, cultural and commercial activities. They are often the rendezvous for communal almsgiving to the monks, wherein people contribute their share. There are annual festivals, which are, especially in country areas, trade fairs; people kill two birds with one stone, so to say, by marketing their wares and at the same time, gaining merit by paying respects to the memory of the Buddha at shrines, and making contributions towards the repair and upkeep of the pagodas.

Why no monuments for kings and great men?
Although Burma has thousands of pagodas, built during more than ten centuries of history, she do not have statues of kings and great men, with the exception of the statue of King Kyansittha in Anandatemple, Bagan; and even he, it must be noted, is represented not in all his power and glory, but kneeling with his hands raised, a true disciple of the Buddha. There are also no grand tombs and monuments in memory of great men in history; the only ones are of King Alaungpaya in Shwebo and King Mindon and his queen, in Mandalay. Why no tombs of Anawrahta or Kyansittha?

Why indeed! Perhaps we be allowed to make a guess, which might be no worse than the next person's. Lack of objects like statues and tombs of kings and great men might be attributed to the doctrine of impermanence. It is not in Burmese national character to glorify the dead, neither is it neglect or callousness, but that idea which may be summed up in Thomas Gray's famous lines;

Can storied um or animated bust .
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath.
Can honour's voice provoke the silent dust
Or flattery soothe the dull cold ear of death?


Since kings in their glory, soldiers in their triumphs, artists in their renown, all must die and turn to dust, Buddhists see no point in raising monuments in their memory, or casting their likeness in sculpture. All that glory, all that wealth, all that fame, being the result of what a man had done in his past lives, it is more sensible to do deeds of merit like building pagodas in his memory so that he can have a share of the deed of merit and go up the ladder of life.

There is also the underlying humility, with which Buddhists accept the fact that however glorious one's own present life may be, it is nothing compared to the greatness of the Buddha, and that if one at all were to achieve greatness, it is only through following His teachings.
Unifying element


Pagodas are also a unifying element in Myanmar Buddhist life. People may have differences over many things, but these differences disappear when there is a pagoda to be built or repaired, or a festival to be organised. Everybody rallies round, rich and poor, high and low, giving whatever they can either in cash or in kind or in labour towards the deed of merit.

Historically no less than in the present, pagoda provide a quiet centre in the whirlwind of life's turbulence.
Visits to pagodas are important to Myanmar Buddhists. The guiding force is faith in the efficacy of one's own karmic deeds. For example, contemplation of the infinite compassion of Buddha, as one makes one's way to Shwedagon's great stupa, is a good karmic deed.