I had six consecutive holidays in the middle of February, so I paid a visit to the Moegaung Pagoda located on Moegaung Pagoda Road in Yankin Township in one evening. It is near the Kanbal Railway Station Road, which is busy with daily traffic and people.
When I reached the Moegaung Road, it was 5 pm on 13 February. Many stalls were mushrooming around the precincts. Moegaung monastery is near the Moegaung Pagoda. I looked up at the signboard reading the ‘Moegaung Buddha Pujaniya Festival (10 to 20 February)’. Then, I walked ahead towards the western archway gate. Many crowds were jostling against each other. Due to the six-holiday continuum, many pwe-goers (festival-goers) arrived.
I shouldered my way through them. I smelt a few odours wafting from the stalls. I heard some noises coming from Zat Pwe (theatrical performance show). I felt my handphone in my wallet, took it out and took documentary photos about the bustling situations of the pwe. Then, I hurried to the western archway gate that was the nearest to the Moegaung Pagoda Road. I had to pass the stalls selling religious books, flowers, joss-sticks, etc.
Legend has it thus: This Moegaung Pagoda was one of 84,000 pagodas or stupas built by King Asoka with the deposition of Buddha’s hair relics and bodily relics in them. Its original name was “Siri Mingala Ceti’’. It is 99 feet high. During its renovation, heavy rain fell. It is called ‘Moegaung Pagoda’, meaning a heavy rain after this phenomenal event. Even the ‘Moegaung’ Consort cum Mon Queen Shin Saw Pu, had renovated it.
As soon as I got to the precinct, I paid homage to the Moegaung Pagoda that was sublime and glittering under the floodlights. To my heart’s content, I said prayers. I sat in meditation for some minutes. Then, I stood up and walked again. With the zephyr blowing, it was pleasant on the platform. I walked clockwise. I saw a man striking a big bell, some reciting “Maha Samaya Sutta” in a Tazaung (prayer hall), some telling rosary beads, some offering flowers to the sacred images and some children running about on the platform. There were Dhamma Beikman and Tazaungs in which the Buddha images were housed. Venerable Sivali image and Venerable Uppaguta, 28 Buddha images were found on the platform, and I also saw a leafy and branchy Bodhi tree (Wisdom Tree).
To my amazement, I saw a middle-aged woman with a child near her massaging the shoulders and arms of the seated Statue “Bo Bo Gyi” near the western archway gate. When I enquired about this statue, she replied to me that it was the statue of a great alchemist called “ဆေးဘိုးဘိုးကြီး” in Myanmar. It is said that this Bo Bo Gyi could answer our prayers about health. I also did the same thing, praying that I may have good health. I shared my loving kindness with the living things. Afterwards, I walked down the platform and participated in the festive area.
The Moegaung Pagoda Festival was celebrated on the grounds around the pagoda. I saw rows of market stalls with temporary roofs. There were also merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, and Myanmar theatres. I enjoyed walking between the varieties of Myanmar snacks and trying just a little. Some stalls sold products from all over Myanmar – baskets, mats, bags, handwoven textiles, etc. Some enjoyed Myanmar foods and snacks.
I looked up at the advert signboard. It showed the name of the Zat (theatrical performance) reading ‘Aung Zabu’. It is learnt that Aung Zabu is a newly celebrated theatrical performer, and he has many theatrical fans due to his talent. There were pictures of the performers who would perform tonight. In these photos, some performers could be seen wearing traditional Minthar apparel, but in some photos, wearing modern, fashionable dresses. Their recorded songs wafted from the stage. As far as I know, Zat pwes in the past are different from those today. Nowadays, performers can wear both traditional and fashionable dresses. They can sing classic songs as well as pop and hip-hop songs. They have to try their best to be trendy and catch up with the current modern era. Suddenly, I gazed at the signboard mentioning entrance fees per head. But I did not buy a ticket. I walked around in the festive area.
I saw many stalls selling snacks and traditional food. Some children bought masks from hawkers. Some children were playing in the artificial playground. They were happy with their playmates. Their parents looked satisfied watching their happy and carefree movements. Near the playground, there were toy stalls. Some sellers used megaphone loud hailers to announce the prices. Parents and children could hear the prices clearly.
Festival-comers came from different walks of life. Most pwe-goers wore nice clothes, and they looked affordable. Young people enjoyed walking back and forth in the festive area and often ate delicious food. Some were families walking together with their family members. A lot of lovers reached there because Saint Valentine’s Day will be held tomorrow. Amongst them, I saw a woman beggar wearing old or torn clothes hugging her baby to her breast. She was pitiably asking for money and food for her and her baby’s survival. I gave away a one-thousand note to her.
I saw some BBQ stalls along the Moegaung Pagoda Road. They sold fried quails, fried eggs, fried chicken, fried duck, grilled pork, mutton, and steaks. The young people prefer to eat them. Some stalls sold traditional Myanmar snacks like Yay Mont and Myanmar traditional snacks.
People from near and far flocked to this festival. Even though it was at night, they did not worry about going home. There was a taxi parking yard and many vehicles, such as Hilux cars, Dynas, and YBS buses, in front of Moegaung Pagoda. So, it was easy for them to return home.
To conclude, my visit to the Moegaung Pagoda in Yankin, a historic and wish-fulfilled pagoda, was a rewarding trip because I gained merits due to my good deeds in the precincts. Besides, I could enjoy the pleasant festive night during my holidays. It was bound that my visit there would be a memorable one in the future.

gnlm

(Five-Terraced Paya) in Insein

Arlein-nga-sint Pagoda
When I was a boy, I lived with my family at a house on Insein Railway Station Road and frequented the Arlein-nga-sint Pagoda that was near our house. Thus, I had a strong desire to visit the Arlein-nga-sint Pagoda, which I had not reached for a long time since our family moved to a house in another town. An opportunity was offered to me last week.
That day, I alone took YBS No 6 bound from South Dagon for Hlinethaya. I got off at Sawbwagyigon junction. I noticed some men calling out “Bago! Bago!” as they mistook me for a traveller heading towards their buses. Nearby, hawkers were selling snacks and drinking water. Passing by them, I hurried towards the archway gate of the pagoda as the sun grew increasingly intense. I quickly walked across Sawbwagyigon Park. No time, I entered the precincts by the eastern archway gate.
The history of this pagoda goes thus: The Arlein-nga-sint Pagoda was founded on a five-acre wide estate on the 5th waxing day of Kason in 1320 ME by Sayadaw U Suriya, a monk of Kayin ethnicity. The then president, U Win Maung, laid the cornerstone. During his 35 Vasas (Rains Retreat), Sayadaw U Suriya undertook the missionary works seriously. He practised insight meditation seriously and preached the sermons on the four Noble Truths. He donated Buddha images, pagodas or stupas, monasteries, and hospitals for the Sangha. Thus, he became widely known as ‘Maha Sae Winkabar Sayadaw’, a revered figure across Myanmar during the 1960s. He demised at the age of 55 in his 35th Vasa. After his demise, Sayadaw U Panna Vumsa, and then Sayadaw U Agga Dhamma, succeeded him. Now, Venerable Sayadaw U Panna became a Presiding Sayadaw and proceeded to carry out the missionary undertakings.
I walked directly to the two-storeyed building that preserved the undecayed body of Sayadaw U Suriya, near the eastern archway gate. As I walked upstairs, I saw a glass coffin containing his gilt body lying peacefully. Even after many years, his body remained unchanged, which I understood as a symbol of spiritual purity and the eradication of mental defilements (Kilesa). I paid homage with deep reverence and looked up at the old photographs, including images of the Sayadaw preaching at Kyaikkasan Pagoda, as well as portraits of him and his parents. This experience filled me with faith and inner peace.

Glass coffin in which undecayed body of Sayadaw U Suriya is placed
The precincts of the pagoda were serene and refreshing. Surrounded by leafy and branching trees, the environment was cool and quiet, accompanied only by the gentle calls of birds. I observed many significant religious features, including about 126 pagodas, ancient Tazaung with fine architectural designs, sublime Buddha images, figures of alchemists, figures of the king and his subjects, a shrine in which Maha Pinnwe Nat (Ganesha) was housed, a sacred Bodhi tree where devotees pour water on Kason Full Moon Day, the Naga Yon Buddha image, Arlein Nanmyint, and Nat shrines. Altogether, these elements made the precinct a spiritually enriching place.
I , through the accessible staircase, ascended Arlein-nga-sint Pagoda (five-terraced Pagoda) . The level one was in the basement. The remaining levels or terraces were above the ground. Rising 180 feet to its sacred umbrella, with an equal circumference, its five terraces symbolize the five levels of Mount Meru. Each level is believed to be guarded by celestial beings such as Naga (Celestial Serpent), Garuda (Roc), Kumbhaṇḍas (Celestial Ogre), Gandharva (Celestial Being) etc. On the uppermost terrace, I saw a standing seven-foot-two-inch teak image of the Bodhisatta Ariya Metteya facing eastwards, and I paid homage to it. Then, I, to my heart’s content, enjoyed a panoramic view of the surrounding pagodas, missionary buildings, Sawbwagyigon Park, where some people were resting peacefully under the shade of large leafy trees and high-rise buildings that appeared recently. Then, I walked downstairs.
I entered a wide place that was like a maze well known as “A-Kwe-ta-thaung, A-kauk-ta-thaung” (အကွေ့တစ်ထောင်၊အကောက်တစ်ထောင်) in Myanmar. With thousands of paths, this place was very complicated. I found some small brick buildings in which only one person could meditate. I walked across this place.
Soon, I arrived at a large hall housing a colossal emerald-green seated Buddha image. This sublime image, said to have been donated by Sayadaw Venerable. Agga Dhamma, according to a dream, is believed to fulfil wishes. I paid homage and donated. Then, I looked around the wide hall in which many seated Buddha Images were housed. I looked up at the paintings of Buddha’s life on the ceiling. Then, I quietly moved on.

Seated emerald-green Buddha Image
I then visited another building where ancient royal crafts were displayed. There, I studied priceless artefacts once used in the courts of Myanmar kings. I paid homage to the Su-taung-pyi (wish-fulfilled) Buddha image, which had been worshipped by a line of six successive Myanmar kings, as well as the standing Adhithan Aung Buddha image once revered by King Pyu Saw Hti. These encounters deepened my appreciation of Myanmar’s rich religious and cultural heritage.
I got again to the place near the eastern archway gate to find a stage reading ‘Kayin New Year Day’.Suddenly, I had thought of a Kayin New Year Festival held in the precinct when I lived on Insein Railway Station Road. On Kayin New Year Day, Kayin New Year Festival was held on the grand scale. The precincts was live and agog with many pwe-goers. Kayin people performed their Kayin Donyein, a Kayin traditional team- dance, on this stage and sang their traditional songs, showcasing their cultural identity. Fund-raising ceremonies were also organized, and temporary galleries displayed portraits of Karen national leader Saw Ba U Gyi and other prominent figures. Numerous stalls sold souvenirs at reasonable prices, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. When thousands gather, the event becomes both joyful and meaningful, strengthening cultural unity. During the festival, there was a long row of food stalls along Lantit Road.
In conclusion, I obtained the religious benefits and came to know something about the culture of the Kayin people. The serene environment, remarkable architecture, historical significance, and vibrant traditions combined to leave a lasting impression on my mind. This visit strengthened my faith, broadened my understanding of Myanmar’s heritage, and filled me with a profound sense of peace and devotion.

gnlm

Our bus left home in Kaba Aye at 9 am and halted temporarily at a roadside tea shop, and we got down and had a hasty breakfast. Then, we drove sluggishly through a maze of cars of different sizes, colours and models. When we got to the toll-gate on the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw Highway, it was well over 10 am. The sun was ablaze overhead.
After the gate, we felt as if we had been away from the bustling city life, and our daily routine duties had been dislodged from our shoulders. The road was lined with green trees of various species and with a row of leafy neem trees and young palms with their fronds brandished in the middle. A few cars were running in a tearing rush along the road. We drove at a normal speed. Often, some villages tucked away amongst the groves of shady trees behind vast rice fields on the roadside were passed. Now and then, we had a glimpse of glistening fishing ponds lying behind wooded lands. After a drive of 20 minutes, a distance of about seven miles and a half mile was covered, and our car turned right into a path flanked by luxuriantly green shrubberies. After a two or three-minute drive, we came to a high arched gate which read ‘Dhamma-Vinaya Centre’. Our car rolled into the gate and followed the winding path, and in no time, ‘Pannabhumi University’ came into sight. On either side of the path leading through it were low-lying stretches of land, some covered with rice plants and some with wild grass and a few vegetable plantations.
When our bus reached the university, I noticed that the precincts of the university occupied the entire top of a hill. The northern part was covered with monastic buildings, which served as a Pariyatti learning centre and the southern part with the monastic buildings, and we dashed towards the university whose imposing buildings caught our attention. O! It was the most beautiful university I have ever seen in Myanmar. It was shining gold in the glare of the overpowering sun, emitting the air of an international university. Air-conditioned, glass-walled and high-ceilinged academic and administrative facilities and amenities were scattered all over the sprawling estate. Across the main building were the imposing library building and a stupa, gilded and covered with vermilion, standing silhouetted in great splendour against the eastern horizon. Some lovely benches sheltered by flowering plants were placed clustered in a space in front of the main building. Some places were landscaped with trimmed lawns, flowering shrubs and potted flowers. Some one-storeyed brick structures with glass windows, lodgings for meditators, were found huddling in the north-western corner of the premises. As the university is situated on a rise, it commands a wide view of fields dotted with small buildings at the base and forested headlands a short way from it.

The university was founded very recently by Dr Nandamālābhivaṁsa, a former rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University, who acquired a great reputation as Rector Sayadaw (ပါချုပ်ဆရာတော်) for his ingenious preaching of the Dhamma. The English rendering for the Pali word ‘Pannabhumi’ is ‘Land of wisdom’. It is said that the university is so called after the Bodhi tree where the Buddha was enlightened. The university aims to keep in custody the discourses delivered by the Buddha and to impose them on the mind of everyone, thereby bringing peace to the world. The university is to confer on its students diplomas, BA degrees, MA degrees and PhD degrees regarding the Dhamma. It is learnt that it is now conducting online classes for the Suddhamma diploma and BA, that tens of thousands of students from all over the world are attending the classes and that only the convocation ceremony, however, is held inside the precincts of the university.

When we had observed the entire university campus, it was already half past nine. So, we hurried to a big Dhamma hall where we were to listen to the Dhamma preached by monastery administrator Sayadaw… This Dhamma hall was one of the monastic buildings covering the northern part of the precincts. Soon after we had taken our seats in the Dhamma hall, the Sayadaw came and preached a short discourse on the benefits of donation (Dana). Then we went to a bigger hall where cooked rice and some curries were made ready for us to offer. At 10 am exactly, over 270 monks and novices who were learning Buddhist scriptures at the Pariyatti learning centre filed into the hall where we were awaiting them. When they came into the hall, we offered them alms meals and curries prepared. Having received the alms-meal from us, the monks and novices seated themselves at the long tables placed lengthwise and partook of the alms-meal. We attended to their every need while they were having alms meals. Only after they had departed from the refectory, we were served with lunch by the staff of the Pariyatti learning centre, and we left the university at about 1 pm.
In brief, it is found that Pannabhumi University was a higher Buddhist academic learning centre which imparted the authentic Buddha’s teachings to the world. So, I had a great reverence for the Rector Sayadaw Dr Nandamālābhvumsa due to his phenomenally great missionary work. At the same time, I felt peace of mind, happiness and satisfaction when I saw the monks and novices from the Pariyatti learning centre in the precincts of Pannabhumi University receive and partake of the alms meals donated by us. Anyhow, it was a rewarding trip because we got a lot of merits and were refreshed by the scenery on the way.

gnlm

‘စိတ် တစ်ခုယုတ် ကိုးဆယ်၊ အကျယ် တစ်ရာနှစ်ဆယ့်တစ်’
‘Eighty-Nine Consciousness, One Less Than Ninety, Extended to One Hundred and Twenty-One.’
(Referring to the core Abhidhamma classification of consciousness).
အထူး အရေးပါတဲ့ ဆိုရိုးစကား တစ်ခုအကြောင်း ပြောပြချင်ပါတယ်။ အဲဒါကတော့ ဗုဒ္ဓဘာသာ အဘိဓမ္မာမှာ ‘စိတ်တစ်ခုယုတ် ကိုးဆယ်၊ အကျယ် တစ်ရာနှစ်ဆယ့်တစ်’ ဆိုတဲ့ စကားပါပဲ။ ဒီစကားကို မြန်မာလူမျိုးတွေက ဆိုရိုးစကား အဖြစ် မှတ်ယူကြပါတယ်။ အဓိကအားဖြင့် ဒီစကားက စိတ်ရဲ့ အမျိုးအစား တွေကို အကျဉ်းချုံး ခွဲခြား ထားတာ ကို ပြောချင်တာပါ ခင်ဗျာ။

၉၀ ပြည့်ရန် တစ်ခုယုတ်
ပထမပိုင်းဖြစ်တဲ့ ‘တစ်ခုယုတ် ကိုးဆယ်’ ဆိုတာ စိတ်အမျိုးအစားကို အကျဉ်းချုပ်အားဖြင့် ၈၉ ပါးခွဲခြားတာပါ။ ၉၀ ပြည့်ဖို့အတွက် တစ်ပါးလျော့နေလို့ ဒီလိုခေါ်တာပါ။ အဘိဓမ္မာအရ ‘စိတ်’ ရဲ့ အလုပ်က အာရုံကို သိတာ တစ် မျိုးတည်း ရှိပေမယ့်၊ ဘယ်လို အာရုံကို သိသလဲ၊ စိတ်ဖြစ်ပေါ်လာပုံ အခြေအနေနဲ့ စိတ်နဲ့အတူ ယှဉ်တွဲပါလာတဲ့ တခြား စေတသိက်တွေပေါ် မူတည်ပြီး အမျိုးမျိုး ကွဲပြားသွားပါတယ်။
ဒီ ၈၉ ပါးကို အဓိကအားဖြင့် ကာမစိတ်၊ ရူပစိတ်၊ အရူပစိတ်နဲ့ လောကုတ္တရာစိတ် ဆိုပြီး အုပ်စုကြီး လေးခု ခွဲထားတာ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်။
(အကျဉ်း (၈၉ ပါး) — ကာမစိတ် ၅၄ ပါး၊ ရူပစိတ် ၁၅ ပါး၊ အရူပစိတ် ၁၂ ပါး၊ လောကုတ္တရာစိတ် ၈ ပါး စုစုပေါင်း ၈၉ ပါး ဖြစ်သည်။)
အကျယ် ၁၂၁ ပါး
ဒုတိယပိုင်းဖြစ်တဲ့ ‘အကျယ် တစ်ရာနှစ်ဆယ့်တစ်’ ဆိုတာကတော့ စိတ်ကို အသေးစိတ် ထပ်ပြီး ခွဲလိုက်တာပါ။ မူရင်း ၈၉ ပါးထဲမှာပါတဲ့ လောကုတ္တရာစိတ် ၈ ပါးကို မဂ်စိတ် ၄ ပါးနဲ့ ဖိုလ်စိတ် ၄ ပါး ဆိုပြီး အသေးစိတ် ထပ်ခွဲလိုက်တဲ့အခါ စုစုပေါင်း ၁၂၁ ပါး အထိ များပြားလာတာကို ဆိုလိုတာပါ။ ဒါဟာ စိတ်ရဲ့ သဘောတရားကို အသေးစိတ် လေ့လာချင်သူတွေအတွက် အရေးကြီးတဲ့ အခြေခံအချက်ပဲ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်။
(လောကုတ္တရာစိတ် ၈ ပါးကို မဂ်စိတ် ၄ ပါး၊ ဖိုလ်စိတ် ၄ ပါးဟု အကျယ်ခွဲခြားလိုက်လျှင် ၁၂၁ ပါး ဖြစ်လာသည်။ ကာမာဝစရစိတ် ၅၄ ပါး၊ရူပါဝစရစိတ် ၁၅ ပါး၊အရူပါဝစရစိတ် ၁၂ ပါး၊လောကတ္တရာစိတ်အကျယ် ၄၀။ ပေါင်း ၁၂၁ ပါး။)
Today, I’d like to tell you about a saying that’s particularly important in Buddhist Abhidhamma. It is a very important term in Theravāda Abhidhamma: ‘Eighty-Nine Consciousness, One Less Than Ninety, Extended to One Hundred and Twenty-One.’
This expression refers to the analysis of 89 types of consciousness (which can also be grouped into 121 types in a more detailed analysis).
The first part, ‘One Less Than Ninety’, refers to 89 types of consciousness in brief. The number is called this because it is one less than ninety.
Although the function of ‘Citta’ in Abhidhamma is solely to cognize an object, it varies based on the type of object and its associated 52 mental factors (Cetasika).
These 89 types are primarily categorized into four main groups: Sensuous Realm (Kāma-bhūmi), Pure Form Realm (Rūpa-bhūmi), Non-Form Realm (Arūpa-bhūmi), and Supramundane Realm (Lokuttara-bhūmi).
The second part, ‘Extended to One Hundred and Twenty-One’, is a more detailed analysis of the consciousness.
This occurs when the 8 types of Supramundane consciousness (which relate to the attainment of the four noble paths and fruits) are detailed out, resulting in a total of 121 types.

ဇာတ်သမားလာလျှင် မှတ်သားစရာ ပါရမည်၊ ဇာတ်သမားပြန်လျှင် မှတ်သားစရာ ကျန်ရမည်
When the performer comes, they must bring something to remember. When the performer goes, something to remember must stay behind.
မြန်မာ့ဆိုရိုးစကားဖြစ်တဲ့ “ဇာတ်သမားလာလျှင် မှတ်သားစရာ ပါရမည်၊ ဇာတ်သမားပြန်လျှင် မှတ်သားစရာ ကျန်ရမည်” ဆိုတဲ့ စကားရဲ့ အဓိပ္ပာယ်က
ဇာတ်သဘင် (အငြိမ့်၊ ပြဇာတ်၊ ဇာတ်ပွဲ) ဖျော်ဖြေသူတွေ (ဇာတ်သမားတွေ) ရဲ့ တာဝန်နဲ့ အရည်အသွေးကို ဖော်ပြထားတာပါ။
ဇာတ်သမားတွေ ဇာတ်ခုံပေါ်ကို တက်လာပြီး စတင်ဖျော်ဖြေပြီဆိုရင် ပရိသတ်အတွက် အဖိုးတန်တဲ့ အရာ တစ် ခုခု ပါလာရမယ်။
ဒါဘာလဲ? အဲဒါက ရယ်စရာ၊ ပျော်စရာပေးရုံသက်သက် မဟုတ်ဘူး။ အသိပညာ၊ အတွေးအမြင်ကောင်းတွေ၊ ဒါမှမဟုတ် ဘဝအတွက် သင်ခန်းစာယူစရာ တစ်ခုခုကို ပရိသတ်ကို ပေးစွမ်းနိုင်ရမယ်လို့ ဆိုလိုတာပါ။
“ဇာတ်သမားပြန်လျှင် မှတ်သားစရာ ကျန်ရမည်” ဆိုတာကတော့ ဇာတ်ပွဲ ပြီးလို့ ဇာတ်သမားတွေလည်း ပြန်သွားပြီ၊ ဇာတ်ခုံလည်း သိမ်းသွားပြီဆိုရင်တောင်… ပရိသတ်ရဲ့ စိတ်ထဲမှာ၊ အတွေးထဲမှာ သေသေချာချာ စွဲမြဲနေမယ့် အရာတစ်ခု ကျန်နေရစ်ခဲ့ရမယ်။
ဒါဘာလဲ? ဇာတ်ပွဲရဲ့ အနုပညာ တန်ဖိုးကြောင့်ပဲဖြစ်ဖြစ်၊ ဖော်ပြသွားတဲ့ အကြောင်းအရာရဲ့ သဘောတရားကြောင့်ပဲဖြစ်ဖြစ် ကြာရှည်စွာ စွဲမြဲကျန်နေရစ်မယ့် အကျိုးသက်ရောက်မှုမျိုးကို ဖန်တီးနိုင်ရမယ်လို့ ဆိုလိုတာပါ။
ဒီဆိုရိုးစကားက ဇာတ်သဘင်ဟာ ဖျော်ဖြေရေးသက်သက် မဟုတ်ဘဲ၊ ပညာပေးခြင်း၊ အတွေးအမြင်ပေးခြင်း ဆိုတဲ့ အရေးကြီးတဲ့ တာဝန် ရှိတယ်ဆိုတာကို ဖော်ပြနေတာ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်။ ဇာတ်သမားကောင်းတစ်ယောက်ဟာ ပရိသတ်ကို ကောင်းမွန်တဲ့ လှုံ့ဆော်မှု (Inspiration) နဲ့ ရေရှည်အကျိုးသက်ရောက်မှု (Long-term Impact) ပေးနိုင်သူ ဖြစ်ရမယ်လို့ သွန်သင်ထားတာပဲ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။
ဇာတ်သဘင် ဖျော်ဖြေပွဲတစ်ခု ဖန်တီးတဲ့အခါမှာ “ရသ” (Emotional Flavors) ကို အဓိကထားပြီး ဖော်ထုတ် ရ ပါတယ်။ ဘယ်လို ရသတွေလဲဆိုတော့—
(ချစ်) (ရွှင်) (သနား) (တည်ကြား) (ကြမ်းကြုတ်) (စက်ဆုပ်) (ကြောက်ရွံ့) (ရဲဝံ့) (အံ့ဩ) ဆိုပြီး အကျဉ်းရုံး မှတ်သားနိုင်ပါတယ်။
အရေးကြီးတာက ဇာတ်သဘင်ဆိုတာ ပရိသတ်ကို ပညာပေးဖို့ နဲ့ အတွေးအမြင်ကောင်းတွေ ပေးဖို့ ပါပဲ။

A Smart Saying About Great Performers
Have you ever heard a smart saying from Myanmar (Burma)? It’s about people who act, sing, and dance on stage! We call them performers.
The saying goes like this —
“When the performer comes, they must bring something to remember. When the performer goes, something to remember must stay behind!”
When the actor or dancer walks onto the stage, they can’t just be silly!
They must bring something valuable for everyone watching.
It’s great to laugh, but a good performer brings more than just jokes. They should bring new ideas, kind thoughts, or a helpful lesson about life.
Their job is to make the audience feel smarter and think better right from the start.
After the show is totally finished, and the performers bow and go home, something special must stay with you.
The show can’t just disappear from your mind the next day. It has to stay stuck in your head and your heart.
Maybe the story was so beautiful, or the lesson was so important, that you keep thinking about it for a long, long time.
A great performer makes sure their show leaves a lasting memory and a good feeling behind.
This old saying tells us that a stage show is not just for fun. It has a big, important job.
It tells us that a true star is someone who can teach you something and inspire you to be a better person. They give you a memory that helps you long after the curtain closes.

လောကီဘုံသား၊ လူယောက်ျားတို့၊ မယားဟူဘိ၊ ထိုဣတ္ထိကား မရှိမကောင်း၊ ရှိမကောင်းဘဲ၊ မပေါင်းလည်းခက်၊ ပေါင်းလည်းခက်၏။
A wife is such a woman (a lady), where not having her is bad, and having her is also bad. Not marrying is hard, and marrying is also hard.
မြန်မာ့လူမှုဘဝနဲ့ အိမ်ထောင်ရေးဆိုင်ရာ အတွေ့အကြုံတွေကို လက်တွေ့ကျကျ ဖော်ပြတဲ့ ရှေးလူကြီး စကား တစ်ခုရှိပါတယ်။ အဲဒါကတော့ “မိန်းမဟူဘိ ထိုဣတ္ထိကား၊ မရှိမကောင်း ရှိမကောင်းနှင့်၊ မပေါင်းလည်းခက်၊ ပေါင်းလည်းခက်” ဆိုတဲ့ စကားပါပဲ။ ဒီဆိုရိုးစကားက ယောက်ျားတစ်ယောက်အတွက် ဇနီးမယားနဲ့ ပတ်သက်တဲ့ ရှုပ်ထွေးပြီး သိမ်မွေ့တဲ့ ဘဝအမှန်တရား ကို ခြုံငုံဖော်ပြထားတာ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်။
“မရှိမကောင်း” နှင့် “ရှိမကောင်း”
ဒီစကားရဲ့ ဆိုလိုရင်းကို ခွဲကြည့်ရင် နှစ်ပိုင်းရှိပါတယ်။ “မရှိမကောင်း” ဆိုတာက ဇနီးမယားမရှိရင် လူမှုရေးအရ အထီးကျန်တာ၊ အိမ်တွင်းကိစ္စ စီမံခန့်ခွဲမှုနဲ့ မျိုးဆက်ထူထောင်ဖို့ ခက်ခဲတာကြောင့် မကောင်းဘူးလို့ ပြောတာပါ။ ဒါပေမဲ့ “ရှိမကောင်း” ဆိုတာကကျတော့ ဇနီးမယားရှိလာတဲ့အခါ စိတ်ဝမ်းကွဲတာ၊ ငြင်းခုံတာတွေကြောင့် စိတ်သောကရောက်ရတာ၊ မိသားစုတာဝန်တွေ ကြီးလာတာနဲ့ ကိုယ်ပိုင်လွတ်လပ်ခွင့် ဆုံးရှုံးတာတွေကြောင့် မကောင်းပြန်ဘူးလို့ ဆိုလိုတာပါ။
ဒါကြောင့်မို့လို့ ဘဝတစ်ခုမှာ ဇနီးမယား မပေါင်းဘဲနေဖို့လည်း ခက်သလို၊ တာဝန်တွေ၊ ဖိအားတွေကြောင့် ပေါင်းပြီးနေဖို့လည်း ခက်နေတယ်ဆိုတဲ့ လောကဓမ္မတာ အမှန်တရားကို ဖော်ညွှန်းထားတာ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်။ ဒီစကားဟာ အမျိုးသမီးတွေကို စော်ကားလိုတာမဟုတ်ဘဲ၊ အိမ်ထောင်ရေးဆိုတာ ကောင်းကျိုး၊ ဆိုးကျိုး၊ စိန်ခေါ်မှုတွေနဲ့ ဒွန်တွဲနေတဲ့ ဘဝခရီး ဖြစ်ကြောင်းကို ယောက်ျားတစ်ဦးအနေနဲ့ လက်တွေ့ကျကျ ပြင်ဆင်ထားဖို့ လမ်းညွှန်တဲ့ ပညာပေးစကား အဖြစ် မှတ်ယူနိုင်ပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။

အဲဒီ “မိန်းမဟူဘိ ထိုဣတ္ထိကား…” ဆိုတဲ့ ရှေးလူကြီးစကားရဲ့ အဓိပ္ပာယ်ကို စိတ်ပညာ ရှုထောင့်ကနေ ပြော ကြည့် ရ အောင်။
ဒီစကားက အိမ်ထောင်ရေးရဲ့ “နှစ်ဖက်စလုံး မှန်တဲ့ အမှန်တရား” (Paradox) ကို ပြောတာပါ။
“မရှိမကောင်း” ဆိုတာက လူသားတိုင်းမှာ အဖော်လိုချင်စိတ် (Belongingness) ဆိုတာ ရှိတယ်။ တစ်ယောက်တည်းဆိုရင် အထီးကျန်ပြီး မပြည့်စုံဘူး ခံစားရလို့ပါ။ ဒါကြောင့် အိမ်ထောင်ဖက်ဟာ ကျွန်တော်တို့ ရဲ့ စိတ်ပိုင်းဆိုင်ရာ လိုအပ်ချက် ကို ဖြည့်ဆည်းပေးတယ်။
“ရှိမကောင်း” ဆိုတာကျတော့ လက်တွဲဖော်ရှိလာတဲ့အခါမှာ တာဝန်တွေ၊ ဖိအားတွေ ကြီးလာတယ်။ တစ်ဦး နဲ့တစ်ဦး သဘောထား မတိုက်ဆိုင်တာတွေ၊ ပြဿနာတွေ (ပဋိပက္ခ) ကြောင့် စိတ်ဖိစီးရတာ၊ ကိုယ်ပိုင်အချိန်၊ ကိုယ်ပိုင်လွတ်လပ်ခွင့်တွေ နည်းသွားတာမျိုးကို ရင်ဆိုင်ရတာကို ပြောတာပါ။
တကယ်တော့ ဒီစကားက အမျိုးသမီးတွေကို စော်ကားချင်လို့ ပြောတာ မဟုတ်ပါဘူး။ လူအချင်းချင်း ပေါင်း သင်းဆက်ဆံရေးတိုင်းမှာ ကောင်းကျိုးရော၊ ဆိုးကျိုးပါ ရောထွေးနေတယ် ဆိုတဲ့ လောကရဲ့ အမှန်တရားကို လက်ခံထားဖို့ပါ။ လက်တွဲဖော်ဆိုတာ မရှိမဖြစ် လိုအပ်ပေမယ့်၊ ဒီလိုပေါင်းသင်းရခြင်းရဲ့ စိန်ခေါ်မှုတွေ လည်း ရှိနေတယ်ဆိုတာကို လက်တွေ့ကျကျ သတိပေးတဲ့ ပညာပေးစကား တစ်ခုပဲ ဖြစ်ပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။

The Wisdom of Marriage
There is an old, wise Myanmar saying that speaks honestly about life and marriage from a man’s point of view. It describes the complicated truth of having a wife.
“A wife is such a woman (a lady), where not having her is bad, and having her is also bad. Not marrying is hard, and marrying is also hard.”
This proverb sums up the challenging and subtle reality of married life for a man.
The saying is broken down into two main ideas.
If a man does not have a wife, life can be difficult. He may feel lonely and isolated in society. It is hard to manage a home alone, and it is impossible to start a family. Therefore, having no wife is “bad” because it leaves a basic human need unfulfilled (the need for companionship and belonging).
Once a man has a wife, new difficulties appear. There can be arguments and disagreements, causing stress and worry. His family responsibilities increase greatly, and he often loses his personal freedom and private time. Therefore, having a wife is “bad” because it brings stress, responsibility, and conflicts.
The Human Paradox
This saying highlights a true paradox of human nature. It is hard to go through life without a spouse, but it is equally hard to manage the challenges and pressures that come with being married.
The true purpose of this proverb is not to insult women. Instead, it serves as practical wisdom for men, teaching them to prepare for the reality of marriage. It acknowledges that a life partnership is a journey filled with both good things and bad things, blessings and challenges. It encourages accepting that all close human relationships involve both joy and conflict.
It is a reminder that while a partner is a necessary part of a fulfilling life, managing the challenges of that partnership is an inescapable and difficult task.

GNLM

In my view, history becomes what it is by merging recorded facts with legend. In addition, old histories are often cut, modified, and pieced together to create new historical narratives. Consider the operatic episodes in the chronicles—stories about t&nf;BuD; or “libertines” and the so-called flower-sending custom, and the dramatic meeting between King Anawrahta and Shin Arahan. Shin Arahan and King Anawrahta are historical figures. But their meeting, first introduced in U Kala’s chronicle, and the stories about libertines and the flower-sending custom, appear to be historical legends created by rearranging and adapting older narratives.
To speak frankly, U Kala—within the Great Chronicle—fabricated episodes involving immoral libertines and the flower-sending custom, portraying them as if they were real historical events from the Pagan era. These inventions subtly but deeply undermined essential elements of Myanmar culture: the Theravada Buddhist faith and the moral and honorable conduct of Myanmar society.
U Kala’s “libertines and flower-sending custom in Pagan” is entirely fiction. The summary of this story is as follows:
1. Before King Anawrahta, there was no Buddhism in Pagan, and sixty thousand libertines ruled over the city with immoral behavior.
2. From the king down to commoners, people were required to send their sons and daughters for one night to these libertines before allowing them to marry.
3. Because Buddhism had not yet flourished in Pagan, Shin Arahan came to Pagan. While meditating in a forest, he was discovered by a hunter, who brought him to the palace.
4. When he arrived, King Anawrahta offered him an appropriate seat, upon which Shin Arahan sat on the royal throne. When the king asked about his lineage, he replied, “I am a son of the Buddha.” When the king requested a sermon, Shin Arahan preached the Appamada discourse—the same sermon taught by the novice Nigrodha to Emperor Ashoka. From that day forward, Anawrahta developed deep faith in Buddhism. It is said he converted the sixty thousand libertines and made them change their robes.
U Kala consulted more than a dozen texts when compiling the Great Chronicle, including Buddhist scriptures, the Sri Lankan Mahavamsa, the Jambudipa texts, and the Thaton Chronicle. His story about Shin Arahan meeting King Anawrahta appears to be created by blending:
• Ashoka’s meeting with the novice Nigrodha in the Mahavamsa,
• Anawrahta’s encounter with the young novice fleeing from Thaton in the Thaton Chronicle, and
• the account of Shin Arahan’s missionary activities in the Jambudipa text.

Thus, this is a historical legend.
The main scenario of this legend attempts to depict King Anawrahta’s great religious service—his role as a major supporter of the Buddha’s religion. Yet, the invented themes of a Pagan city without Buddhism, ruled by libertines, and practicing the flower-sending custom distort historical reality by turning non-existent events into “history.”
The Jambudipa text records the genuine religious activity of King Anawrahta and Shin Arahan as follows:
“In the 600th year after the Buddha’s passing, at a place called Arimaddana in Tampadipa, King Anawrahta, together with the venerable Arahant, promoted the prosperity of the Three Jewels.”
In the Mahavamsa (3rd century), it is written that:
“King Ashoka, after recovering from illness, adhered to wrong beliefs for three years until he met the novice Nigrodha, heard the Appamada sermon, embraced Buddhism, dismissed sixty thousand heretical teachers, and supported sixty thousand Buddhist monks.”
The Thaton Chronicle states: “King Manuha’s power declined… the monastic community was dispersed… At that time a novice arrived in Pagan territory. He was found by a hunter who brought him to King Anuruddha (Anawrahta). Although the king revered the Three Jewels, he had not yet heard the true monastic teachings and lived among shameless monks. When the young novice arrived and preached the true teachings…”
Therefore, both the Thaton Chronicle and U Kala’s Chronicle draw from the Ashoka–Nigrodha model. The Thaton Chronicle replaces Ashoka with Anawrahta and Nigrodha with a young novice from Thaton. U Kala further adapts these by replacing the young novice with Shin Arahan, and reshaping the forest encounter to match earlier motifs.

Thus:
Mahavamsa → Ashoka + Nigrodha → Thaton Chronicle → Anawrahta + Thaton novice → U Kala’s Chronicle → Anawrahta + Shin Arahan.
Earlier texts like the Jambudipa do not mention any of these dramatic details; U Kala appears to have borrowed and reshaped the narratives.
The “Children Sent for One Night” Phrase and Misinterpretations
U Kala wrote that “sons and daughters” had to be sent for one night to the libertines before marriage. Today, this phrasing is interpreted as if only virgin girls were sent to engage in sexual intercourse and lose their virginity. If so, why were sons also included? This is a glaring inconsistency.
Dr. Maung Htin Aung (Ma-Bell-Bot), a scholar of Pali and Khmer customs, noted that this phrase caused interpretive difficulties. He wrote that the custom resembles ancient Khmer (Cambodian) traditions, where virgin boys and girls were sent to a Buddhist (or possibly Hindu) monk before marriage—not for sexual activity, but as part of a religious ritual.
He referenced the work of French scholar Paul Pelliot, citing the 13th-century Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan’s record Zhen-la-feng-tu-ji, which describes Khmer customs. In 13th-century Cambodia, the flower-sending ritual was performed with official recognition. A virgin girl’s “flower” was symbolically removed by a monk using only a finger, with the blood placed in a cup of liquor. Relatives would mark their foreheads with the blood-tinged liquor.
A 15th-century Chinese record Ying-ya-sheng-lan by Ma Huan notes that in the Shan region of Thailand, a similar pre-marital flower-sending ritual existed:
A monk would take the virgin blood (or symbolically perform the deflowering), mark the groom’s forehead, and only then could the marriage proceed. After three days, a festive ceremony followed.
A 16th-century Chinese encyclopedic text San-ch’ao-tu-hui also describes Khmer rituals in which a nine-year-old girl received ceremonial chants from a monk and underwent a symbolic flower-sending ritual involving a finger—not sexual intercourse.
Dr. Maung Htin Aung did not draw final conclusions, but if one compares U Kala’s 18th-century chronicle with these earlier Chinese accounts, one can infer that U Kala transplanted Khmer and Thai/Yodaya customs into Pagan history separated by 700 years. Thus the libertines and flower-sending events could not have been eyewitness history. Their similarity to Khmer/Yodaya practices suggests they were imported motifs inserted into Pagan-era stories.
In short, U Kala reshaped the titthiya (heretical teachers) in the Mahavamsa into “libertines” of Pagan, and—using the Ashoka-Nigrodha model—constructed a more dramatic narrative involving Shin Arahan and the supposed flower-sending custom. The embellishment made King Anawrahta’s Buddhist reforms appear even more heroic by contrasting them with fabricated immoral practices.
The myth of libertines and flower-sending in Pagan is therefore a literary invention, influenced significantly by Southeast Asian customs outside Myanmar.
Reference to:Living Myanmar Media

NP News

Our bus started to leave Kaba Aye at 7:30 am. It wove its way through the streets and lanes in some residential quarters to evade the heavy traffic. Moreover, as it was a Sunday, the traffic was relatively lighter. So, in half an hour, our bus got to a river-crossing bridge leading to Thanlyin. It was the newly-built one, opened in 2025. To me, it looked like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in the US, which was world-famous for its excellent architectural design. I saw the old bridge a short way on the left. Cars of different models and sizes were streaming slowly along our bridge. My face was caressed tenderly by the breath of the cold breeze coming across the wide expanse of the river. My tiring mind was relaxed and refreshed. I espied a clump of tall buildings on a low-lying bank some distance on the right. My cousin, sitting by me, said that it was the Star City Housing Estate. The rippling river surface under the bridge was sparkling in the golden rays of the morning sun.
When we came to the side of Thanlyin, the scenes before us changed totally. The rain-drenched trees on the hills and mounds near the entrance to the town were still deep green and lush, as the monsoon retreated from Myanmar later this year. Our bus went on along the Kyaikkhauk Pagoda Road. As Thanlyin was a hybrid of an old town and a new one, we found some red-coloured brick buildings in the colonial style in wide compounds such as houses, churches, monasteries, mosques and Hindu temples. Some of them took on beautiful looks with big Sein-pan trees covered in red flowers in front. As it was in the Kathina season, the whole town was in a festive mood. We found some Padetha-bins (trees of plenty) erected at the corners of some streets with high-powered sound boxes playing songs noisily and with some young men and women collecting money from passers-by. We also noticed Padetha-bins with happy-looking young people in some open trucks going round the town. When our bus neared the Myoma market, it was held up by the heavy traffic for some minutes. I observed some high-standard tea shops, hotels, motels, restaurants and shopping malls on the sides of the Kyaikkhauk Pagoda Road.
At 8:29 am, the glittering Kyaikkhauk Pagoda crowning Utaringa hill came into view. I put my joined palms on my forehead out of veneration, turning my face towards the direction where the pagoda was. Just before reaching it, the bus diverted from the Kyaikkhauk Pagoda Road and followed a wide road which skirted around the foot of the pagoda hill. It was lined with green trees, behind which there were wide compounds fenced with brick and barbed wire walls, vast stretches of paddy fields and vegetable plantations, etc. It led to the International Thilawa Terminal. A few cars were running in a tearing rush. After a five-minute drive, our bus came to the arched gate of the Kyaikdeiwa Pagoda, which stands on a wooded low hill in a wide precinct on the eastern side of the road.
When the bus got inside the precincts, it took a path winding up the hill. I noticed a small Bodhi tree and a small gilded pagoda at its foot. Our bus ascended the gentle slope of the hill slowly and soon reached the top, where the gilded Kyaikdeiwa Pagoda, some monastic buildings, a rest-house, a prayer-hall, a Dhamma Beikman, a spirit-shrine room, etc., were clustered about. We parked the bus under a leafy, tall, old banyan tree with outstretched branches. The leaves were fluttering in the breath of cold wind coming uninterrupted from the direction of the Thilawa port. From there, we had a bird’s eye view of some groves of green trees and a few fields covered with tall, wild grass lying around the foot of the hill. We could also enjoy the panoramic view of some distinguished landmarks outlined against the skyline, such as the Shwedagon Pagoda to the west, the Thilawa port to the south and the Padagyi Buddha image to the east. The sky above us was blue except for some thin layers of white clouds afloat. The morning sun was shedding its gold rays over the hill. We felt as if our worries had been removed due to the picturesque beauty.
After enjoying the great beauty offered by nature for a few minutes, we scurried up to the Dhamma Beikman, where our Kathina-robe offering ceremony was to be held. On the way there, we had to cross the platform of the Kyaikdeiwa pagoda, which means’ The pagoda built by gods ‘ in Mon. Its history was wrapped in uncertainty. It rises to the height of 70 feet with three receding terraces. When we reached the Dhamma Beikman, we found some members of our association who had cooked alms-meal throughout the previous night busy preparing for the Kathina robe offering ceremony. We joined hands with them. We set in place the robes and other prerequisites to be donated in front of the Dhamma throne, where Sayadaw Dr Bhaddanta Sobhita was to be seated to preach the Dhamma. We also placed 24 chairs for the other 24 monks behind the Dhamma throne. When everything was already made ready, 25 monks, headed by Presiding Monk Dr Bhaddanta Sobhita, came in a file into the hall. Saya U Khin Maung Htay, who served as the master of ceremonies, read out the agenda of the ceremony. Then, Sayadaw Dr Sobhita preached a short discourse on the meaning of the word’ Kathina’ and the benefits of the offering of the Kathina robes. It was learnt from the discourse that the Pali word ‘Kathina’ meant ‘indestructible’ or ‘lasting’ and that the donors of Kathina robes were free from dangers and food poisoning, could undertake their duties with ease, and their properties would not be destroyed by five types of enemies. At the end of the discourse, our members offered robes and pre-requisites to the monks. After receiving the Kathina robes from us, ten monks entered the ordination hall and sanctified themselves with the Kathina robes they had received. When they processed out of the ordination hall, we, in a queue, donated some offerings to them. We were very satisfied with ourselves, for we believed that we would get a lot of merits when we donated to the monks who came out of the ordination hall, just after being consecrated by the Kathina robes. Then we offered alms- meal to the monks and we also had lunch.
After lunch, I went out into the veranda of the Dhamma Beikman and looked around. As the Dhamma Beikman perched on the northern slope of the hill, I saw the gilded Kyaikkhauk Pagoda standing on Utaringa hill some distance to the north and the medley of the roofs of some monasteries and houses amongst the groves of green, shady trees at the foot of the hill.
Soon, we walked around the precincts of the Kyaikdeiwa Pagoda. First, we went up to the pagoda platform and paid homage to the pagoda. It is said that it was built in 1909. Despite its old age, its glitter did not diminish, for it seemed to be regilded at times. Then we went down from the pagoda platform by a short flight of stairs. In a large stretch of land, a short way down the platform, were found a devastated two-storeyed building, an old ordination hall and seven small brick buildings, in each of which only one person could meditate. Beyond them was a small monastery hanging above the steep slope of the hill. There was a long, roofed staircase leading down to the foot of the hill from the ordination hall. As this patch of land was sheltered by shady trees, we felt cool, relaxed and peaceful. We knew from the Sayadaw that the two-storeyed building was to be renovated. As it had turned about 116 years, it could be archaeologically regarded as an antique building. So, we wished it to be renovated in the original style. Then, we went back to the Dhamma Beikman, put away all the plates, pots and pans we had used during lunch and swept the floor clean. The Sayadaw and the monks retired to their rooms to take a mid-day nap. So, we left the pagoda at about 1 pm.
In conclusion, this Kathina ceremony coincides with the 50th donation of our charity association. Thus, it can be said to be the golden jubilee anniversary of our association, which was founded over four years ago. This being so, all the members put forth much more physical labour and financial resources in this ceremony than they did in other donations. The Kathina-robe offering ceremony was held successfully. The surroundings of the pagoda were very pleasant. So, all the members were filled with happiness, peace and satisfaction. Therefore, the sweet memories of this ceremony will remain branded in their minds for a long time.

GNLM

On the evening of the recent Tazaungmon full moon day, I visited the nearby Māravijaya Buddha image Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw. When I arrived, people on the pagoda platform were releasing astonishingly gergeous hot-air balloons decorated with light-bulbs as offerings into the night sky.

When I reached the platform where the balloons were being launched, I saw the Head of State presenting awards to the winners of the Mathothingan Robe weaving contest. It was an extremely joyful and heartwarming sight. At that moment, the knowledge about the Mathothingan Robe came to my mind—what it is and how this competition tradition began. 

It so happened that the Buddha’s mother, who had been reincarnated in Tavatimsa, the Celestial Abode, perceived from there that her son on earth would soon renounce his royal life and wear the robes of a monk. Filled with maternal love and devotion, she wished to offer a yellow robe to her son upon his entry into monkhood. However, there was barely enough time to prepare it. Determined to make the offering, the mother deva had the robe woven overnight and sent it to her son through a celestial messenger. This act of loving devotion became a religiously significant event remembered by Buddhists throughout generations. 

In memory of this sacred occasion, the Buddhist people of Myanmar organize many teams to weave yellow robes for the Buddha on the eve of the full-moon day of Tazaungmon. Each year, young girls eagerly compete in weaving cloth on their looms, striving to complete enough fabric for a robe before dawn. They cut the cloth into pieces, stitch it into a garment, and prepare it for offering by sunrise. The robe weaving must be finished before dawn; any delay is considered a failure. The freshly woven robe is called “Mathothingan” — Matho meaning “fresh” or “not stale,” and thingan meaning “the monk’s yellow robe.” 

The offering of the Mathothingan robe to the Buddha image is now a grand annual event, celebrated with great devotion and festivity on the platform of the Māravijaya Buddha image Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw and many other pagodas across the country.

Author - Kyaw Zay Ya၊ Deputy Director ၊ RAT

During the Buddha's lifetime, his monk community embraced a life of radical simplicity and non-attachment. The monks would seek out their robes in charnel grounds, gathering discarded cloth from the departed. These pieces, once cleaned and carefully stitched together, formed their "Panthagu" robes. "Panthagu'' itself means "clothes discarded by others," and it originates from the above event. 

Today, it is common for wealthy individuals to deliberately drop items such as clothing, currency notes, rice, and other goods in public places where they can be easily found. For those in need, this act creates an opportunity. On the darkness of Tazaung Moon nights, a quiet hunt begins. Poor families, armed with the flickering light of candles or the practical beam from a mobile phone torch, search with hopeful expectation.

The discarded items, once discovered, are not just taken—they are received with happiness and put to use. In this modern exchange, the spirit of Panthagu lives on. The act of giving is anonymous and free from pride, It is a silent social contract that transforms cast-off items into valued resources.

SEVEN years ago, I re­ceived an invitation by phone from a friend who lived in North Dagon. He sug­gested I should visit his home near Phyo Sabei Bus stop when I have free time. The oppor­tunity was offered to me on 4 January.

That morning, I got up, cleaned myself, changed into fine clothes, and had fried rice prepared by my mother. Then, I set out to see him.

When I got home, he greet­ed me warmly and invited me to sit there for a while. Soon, he took me to a nearby tea-house. In it, we chatted friendly over steaming tea for half an hour. He then suggested that we should visit the Wutkywae­tawpyay Buddha Image near the Ngamoeyeik Bridge, North Dagon, across North Okkala­pa, because my visit coincided with the annual Buddha Pujani­ya ပွဲတော် (the festival of pay­ing homage to the Buddha). I agreed willingly to it.

The cars were held up at the traffic lights. Thus, we hurriedly crossed the junction between Bo Hmu Bahtoo Road and U Visara Road. Immediately after pass­ing the Free Funeral Services Society, founded by U Kyaw Thu, we saw the Gandayon Bus Stop, where some passengers were waiting for the buses. Across it, a driving training course had been conducted. I saw the Na­gayon Buddha image in a lake and some glittering pagodas near the Ngamoeyeik Bridge. We espied the Bridge, which is a vital link between North Dagon and North Okkala. Soon, we walked into a serene street on the left side about 100 yards un­til the bridge. There stood many missionary buildings, monaster­ies adjoining the wide fields on either side of the street.

We reached the precincts of the Wutkywaetawpyay Buddha Image at around 11:30 am. At the entrance, a signboard read­ing “Yanaungmyin”, meaning “victory over all enemies”, wel­comed us. We continued walk­ing and soon, we saw a statue of Bodhisatta (Newly-born Prince Siddhattha), standing with his index finger raised in proclama­tion. I noticed in the precincts many Buddha images carved in the ancient Bagan Style and three-storeyed monastic build­ings. Especially, the most prom­inent is the Alotawpyae Buddha image, a replica of the original Bagan masterpiece, and oth­er images, such as a reclining Buddha, reflect Myanmar's rich cultural heritage of Myanmar.

After paying respects to several sacred images, my friend led me to the Aung Pyae­dipa religious edifice. Although it was a two-storey building, it was very high. So, there was an accessible staircase leading up­stairs. We worshipped a Buddha image, offering flowers and joss sticks. I also donated money to a monk who sojourned there. Standing in the airy verandah of the two-storeyed building, I enjoyed the natural scenes such as clouds, clumps of trees, spires of pagodas, multi-tiered roofs, etc. I also espied ' The white-washed Sabbhunyu Stupa ' donated by a nun, located in Kyaukyedwin Ward.

Then we went downstairs to look at the situation of the Bud­dha Pujaniya festival. Passing a building in which the historic Yakha Mancha Manaungmyin Buddha Image was housed, we walked to the building where the Wutkywaetawpyay Bud­dha Image was housed. There is the Wutkywaetawpyay Pa­goda on the roof of this build­ing. Through the accessible staircase, we walked upstairs. The seated Wutkywaetawpyay Buddha Image is a brass one in Dhammacakka mudra. It is a wish-fulfilled Buddha im­age. Suddenly, we heard the announcement about the do­nations people had made for renovations. Even though it was daytime, there were many pilgrims in the festive area. Some stalls were selling food and snacks to the people.

When we rambled and got to the bank of the Ngamoeye­ik Creek, we walked along it. There were mangrove forests in the swampy edge of the creek's water. When I looked towards the water surface, I saw herons skimming the water surface, a sampan with the pilgrims in it moving slowly towards the op­posite bank and some flotsam carried by the current. Across the creek, the Malamu Pagoda stood serenely on the opposite bank.

When I curiously inquired about the pagoda's background, one member of the Trustee Board told me that the Buddha images had been donated by the Venerable Bhaddanta Siri­pala, the presiding monk of the pagoda and the Buddha image, on the Wagaung Full Moon Day of Maha Era 1360 (1 January 1999). This Buddha image is called the ‘Wutkywaetawpyay' after the noble intention of the far-sighted Sayadaw to provide spiritual liberation to devotees and to promote the construction of Buddha images and pagodas.

I saw pilgrims from afar and near who came flocking due to the pagoda’s reputation for fulfilling wishes. My friend explained that the Buddha Pu­janiya began at 3:30 pm, that during the festive time, the estate adjoining the wide field was vibrant with visitors, monks and festival-goers, that stalls, merry-go-rounds, and Ferris wheels made the atmosphere alive and agog, and that stage shows and Zat Pwe (theatri­cal performance) started at 9 pm, particularly drawing large crowds on weekends.

It was in daytime that we visited there. Thus, we could not participate in the night events. Instead, we spent time in the cool shade, performing meritorious deeds and enjoy­ing the peaceful environment along the bank of the creek. I bought some traditional Myan­mar snacks and souvenirs from a stall for my family members. I also picked up a few old Eng­lish novels from a make-shift bookshop.

Finally, we made our way back to the Gandayon bus stop, where my friend and I parted. The afternoon sun was intense, and though I had rested un­der the trees, the heat made me tired. Still, the serene sur­roundings, sacred images, and the festive spirit of the pagoda compensated me for my fatigue.

MDN

Three things are most important to Buddhists, namely the ‘Buddha’, the ‘Dhamma’ and the ‘Sangha’.
The ‘Noble Buddha’ is the Founder of the Buddhist religion, the ‘Dhamma’ in his teaching and the ‘Sangha’ is the Holy order of the enlightened disciples, who preserve and propagate the religion. Buddhists regard all three as the objects of the highest veneration. Collectively, they are called the ‘Holy Triple Gem’.
Taking refuge in the Holy Triple Gam is effected by the recitation of the following passages, administered by the officiating monk ;
(1) Buddhham saranam gacchami = I go the Buddha for refuge (ဗုဒ္ဓံသရဏံဂစ္ဆာမိ)
(2) Dahmman saranam gacchami = I go the Dhama for refuge (ဓမ္မံသရဏံဂစ္ဆာမိ)
(3) Sangham saranam gacchami = I go the sangha for refuge (သံဃံသရဏံဂစ္ဆာမိ)
In my childhood, I was schooling as a primary student in a monastery, so I was taught the
basics of Buddhism to become a good Buddhist teacher by our presiding monk of the monastery. According to his management, we sat for the Mingala Sutta examination, which was held by YMBA (Young Men’s Buddhist Association). Besides, we began to observe the eight precepts as we can afford on every Sabbath day. Therefore, we got unaccountable good advantages from the training of our presiding monk since my primary school student.
Teaching by our presiding monk, we learned the Mingala Sutta(The Thirty Eight Blessings). If we carefully examine the thirty-eight blessings, we shall find that each is useful in itself and is directly relevant in our lives. For example, the first blessing tells us not to get involved with evil people and allow ourselves to be influenced by their evil ways. The second one advises us to associate with good people, for such an association would bring us no harm but happiness and prosperity.
Since my retirement, I have had a good chance to serve as pagoda trustee of Eaindawya Pagoda, which is situated near Myoma Kyaung Street in Yagon Region. Every religion has a system of worship. According to generally accepted nations, worship is an expression of reverent honour shown to entities or supernatural beings whom the worshiper believes are capable of preventing misfortunes and dangers, or granting them certain boons and blessings.
Buddhism is a very old religion, more than 2,500 years old, founded by the noble Buddha who lived in India in the sixth century BC. India is known as the birthplace of Buddhism because it was there that Buddhism arose, and from there it spread to other parts of the world.
Buddhism is a religion of self-help. It teaches people to depend on themselves, to be courageous and confident in their own ability. Buddhism places them at the centre of all things; it advises the people to strive and work hard to achieve their goods, material or spiritual, through their own efforts, not through prayer or mere wishful thinking. It also teaches that the entire people are born equal and are free to choose whatever is best for themselves.
Buddhism teaches people to be kind and gentle. Buddhists are peace-loving people and have never made war in the name of the religion. Today, there is violence everywhere in our society because many people are selfish and lack kindness.
The Buddhist emphasis on peace and loving kindness makes the religion appealing to peace-loving people in the world.
We are Buddhists and are, therefore, Buddhist followers. He is our Spiritual father, for He gave us spiritual life. Because of this, we should always love Him, respect Him, and be grateful to Him.
The Dhamma is the teaching of the Buddha. If the universal law that the Buddha discovered and taught to the world. It is the Truth itself. And because the Dhamma is Truth, it must be true, valid and universal at all times and in all places.
The Buddha, the Dhamma and and the Sangha are closely interrelated. All three are essential for the rise and the spread of the religion.
When we worship, we should therefore honour the Dhamma and the Sangha, not allowing our minds to be clouded with other thoughts or worries. We should feed our faith and conviction to do good, strengthened with every word of worship we utter.
One month ago, the ambassador of Thailand to Myanmar, and the diplomatic staff came to worship at Eaindawya Pagoda, for the donation of the Thai King’s queen. They believe that the Eaindawya Pagoda and the Botahtaung Pagoda in Myanmar give them many good advantages concerning housing and wealth-seeking affairs, etc.
Generally, Myanmar Buddhists always go to the pagoda to worship to pary at the corner assigned to the day of their Birth, according to Myanmar Astrology. In fact, good deeds at the pagodas make a virtuous action or merit.
Every person who does good actions will get good results; likewise, this person who does bad things will get bad results. This is the law of Kamma (Actions: (1) Bodily action, (2) Verbal action, and (3) Mental action (ကာယကံ၊ ၀စီကံ၊ မနောကံ) according to our noble Buddhism.

GNLM