Novices, Monks, and Nuns in Myanmar

Novices, Monks & Nuns
When the Buddha's son, Rahula, asked for his inheritance, he was initiated into the order of the Sangha as a samanera or novice by his father. Following this tradition, every Myanmar Buddhist boy average age between 7 and 13 is expected to enter the monastery as a novice for a period of a few weeks to months. Parents spend lavishly for the occasion of this extravaganza of novitiation or Shin-pyu. The occasion is considered to be the most important day in the boy's life. The young novice-to-be is dressed up in finery to resemble Prince Siddhartha who become Gautama Buddha. Mounted on someone's shoulder, a horse or a car with parents, relatives and friends in attendance. He is paraded in grand procession through the village or town, ending up at the local monastery. Head shaved, dons the robes of a monk, and is given a Pali name as well as paraphernalia of a monk including an alms bowl and enters the monastery to begin his novitiate. Thus he has been initiated into the order, is now a "son of Buddha" and has gained the legacy of the Sassana or teachings of the Buddha. He must collect for his food and observe the ten basic rules of Buddhis conduct during his monastic life. Through religious education and application of the ten precepts or basic rules, the novice gains merit for himself and his family. The novitiate may last only a few days however the novice may re-enter the monastery at any time but he can only become an ordained monk or rahan, only when he is 20 years old. Then he must renounce the world, devote the rest of this life to meditation, learning and teaching the scriptures. The 227 vows of the order, including those of poverty, chastity and the vow not to hurt or offend any living creature must be taken and observed. An elderly Thilashin who has renounced the secular life and like her male counterpart leads a life of austerity, chastity and purity. Nuns are not ordained and few women choose to enter the order. Socially, every Burmese male is expected to take up temporary monastic residence twice in his life: once as a samanera and again as an Hpongyi . Almost all men or boys under 20 years of age participate in the shinpyu - quite a common event since a family earns great merit when one of its sons "takes robe and bowl". A samamera adhere to 10 precepts or vows, which include the usual prohibition against stealing, lying, killing, intoxication and sexual involvement, along with ones forbidding eating after noon, listening to music or dancing, wearing jewelry, garlands or perfume, sleeping on high beds, and accepting money for personal use. Later in life a male should spend three months as a Hpongyi at a monastery during Waso , which begins in July and coincides with the rainy season. For many men the post-rice harvest, hot-season hiatus between January and April is a more convenient time. Some men spend as little as three to nine days to accrue merit as monks. Others may enter the monk hood a third time, since three is considered an especially lucky number.As of June 2001 there were 466,524 monks residing at 53,017 monasteries in Myanmar; this number includes the many monks who have ordained for life as well as those undergoing temporary ordination. Of these a significant percentage becomes scholars and teachers, while some specialize in healing, folk magic or Nat exorcism.All things possessed by a monk must be offered by the lay community. Upon ordination a new monk is typically offered a set of three robes . Bright red robes are usually reserved for novices under 15, darker colors for older, fully ordained monks. Other possessions a monk is permitted include a razor, a cup, a filter , an umbrella and an alms bowl. The latter are usually plain black lacquer bowls made in Inwa or Sagaing; monks carry them to gather their daily food from householders in their monastery precincts.

At one time the Theravada Buddhist world had a separate monastic lineage for females. The female monks were called Bhikkhuni and observed more precepts than monks did_ 311 as opposed to the 227 followed by monks. The bhikkhuni tradition was begun in the Buddha's time but eventually died out and has never been restored.

In Myanmar, the modern equivalent are women who live the monastic life as dasasila <'ten-precept' nuns>, often called thilashin in Burmese. Burmese nuns shave their heads, wear pink robes, and take vows in an ordination procedure similar to that undergone by monks. They don't go out on daily alms-food rounds but they do collect dry food provisions every 15 days in most locales, or as often as once a week in some places.

Generally speaking, nun hood isn't considered as 'prestigious' as monkshood. The average Burmese Buddhist makes a great show of offering new robes and household items to the monks at the local kyaung but pays much less attention to the nuns. This is mainly because nuns generally don't perform ceremonies on behalf of laypeople, so there is often less incentive for self-interested laypeople to make offerings to them. Furthermore, many Burmese equate the number of precepts observed with the total Buddhist merit achieved; hence nun hood is seen as less 'meritorious' than monk hood since nuns keep only ten precepts _ the same number observed by male novices.
This difference in prestige represents social Buddhism, however, and is not how those with a serious interest in Buddhist practice regard the nuns. Nuns engage in the same fundamental eremitic activities _ meditation and dhamma study _ as monks do activities that are the core of monastic life. When more than a few nuns reside at one temple, it's usually a sign that the teachings there are particularly strong. In Sagaing alone there are 145 nunneries housing over 2000 thilashin.

Monasteries
Monastic communities are called kyaungtaik, Hpongyi-kyaung, or simply kyaung for short. The most important structure on the monastery grounds is the Thein . Kyaung may also e associated with one or more zedi or pahto. An open sided rest house or zayat made available for gatherings of laypeople during festivals or pilgrimages.

Non- Theravada Elements in Burmese Buddhism
The Theravada Buddhism practiced by the Myanmar is no more a pure form of the belief system than Philippine Catholicism is pure. Roman Catholicism in everyday life it is blended with bits of spirit worship, Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. The Nat cult in particular plays an important role in the religious life of most Burmese, who it is said, "love the Buddha, but fear the Nat".Mahayana elements survive in the worship of at least two Arahat of the Buddha, whose images are often encountered at Burmese paya. In Mahayana Buddhism these would be considered Bodhisattvas. The monk Sivali is shown holding a walking staff and fan; he is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune to those who make offerings or pay homage to him, especially in preparation for travel. Ypagupta sits cross-legged on a lotus raft in the middle of the ocean with a begging bowl and appears to anyone who faces physical danger. Offerings to Shin Upagot ensure protection in instances of mortal danger; some people pray to Upafot for good weather. Burmese Buddhists also worship Lokanatha, otherwise known as Avalokitesvara, a Mahayana deity who is thought to be protecting the world between the passing of the last Buddha and the coming of the next, The crowned Lokanatha sits on a lotus pedestal, with his left thigh parallel to the pedestal and his right knee upright, holding a lotus flower in his right hand. Almost all major paya in central Myanmar feature separate shrines to these three figures somewhere in the grounds. Hinduism survives mainly in the form of Burmese astrology, which is based on the Indian system of naming the zodiacal planets for Hindu deities and is very important for deciding the proper dates for weddings, funerals, ordinations and other life-cycle ceremonies. A cabalistic ritual called Paya-kozu , held on behalf of those who have fallen ill or have experienced serious misfortune, similarly invokes Hindu deities. A ponna _usually but not always of Indian descent _ often officiates at rituals such as these and may also divine the most auspicious moment for significant occasions. Ne Win's infamous fascination with numerology was taken to extremes in 1987, when he replaced common currency with brand new bills that were divisible by his favorite number, nine. Many Burmese, who stashed their money at home rather than the bank, were ruined. Their savings had become worthless overnight. Many Burmese Buddhists share Ne Win's obsession. Nearly everyone in Myanmar reveres the number nine, which is thought to have an inherent mystic significance. In Burmese the word ko also means 'to seek protection from the gods'; nat-ko signifies propitiation of the nat, and offerings are often made in nines, e.g., nine candles, nine kinds of food, nine cups of tea and so on.

Paving the way to Nirvana
The ultimate goal of a Buddhists is the attainment of Nirvana, a state where all desire and suffering have been eliminated and in which the endless cycle of rebirths or samsara through which all living things must pass, ceases. Lord Buddha preached Four Noble Truths: all life is suffering is caused by desire, suffering ends when desire is eliminated and believers must follow the Nobel Eight-Fold Path to achieve this end. The first stage in this Path is Sila or morality, which means right speech, right conduct and the right way of life. A Buddhist gains Sila on observance of the Five Precepts, which forbid killing, lying, stealing, sexual misconduct and taking intoxicants. The second stage is Samadhi or true mental discipline, which means the right endeavor, right mindfulness and right meditation. The third stage is Panna or wisdom and insight, made up of the right views and the right intent. This Noble Eight-Fold Path has been summarized in verse by the Buddha: "to refrain from all evil, To do what is good, to cleanse one's mind, This is the advice of all Buddhas." With Wisdom and Insight will come Enlightenment, leading on to Nirvana. About 80 percent of Myanmar is Theravada Buddhists, where great stress is placed upon individual achievement - one must work out one's own salvation. All good Buddhists must traverse the slow and tedious path of purity with diligence and patience. Buddhism emphasizes love, tolerance, compassion and devout Buddhists strive to make merit through good actions such as charitable deeds and to refrain from evil or bad deeds, which will earn demerit. Karma is the law of cause and effect under which good begets good and evil begets evil in this or the next existence. The Buddha established the Order of the Sangha or Bikkhu and the Order of Bilkkuni for men and women wishing to renounce the world and live a life of purity, austerity, perseverance and self-discipline. Not everyone is expected to lead the life of a monk or a nun to achieve one's goal although one's spiritual progress is expedited by this process. A lay follower can also become an Arahta and proceed to his or her final destination.