Myanmar: Barefoot with Buddha in Burma

Buddha is BIG in Myanmar.

See the size of the people entering on the left? But this Buddha doesn't look very comfortable. 

This reclining Buddha, still under construction, will be 180 meters long. 

The world's largest. 

Okay, picture this:

It's not finished, so there's rebar and concrete, bags of cement, nails, pieces of splintered wood, metal bars and scaffolding everywhere. Since it's a sacred place, shoes - must be removed. 

Even the construction workers go barefoot. 

Barefoot! 

On a major construction site!

The flip-flop is the national shoe of Myanmar. Driving motorcycles or paving roads, everyone wears flip flops. 

Pilgrims, welders, concrete workers - on this enormous construction site -

...everyone is barefoot.  

Many of the staircases are unfinished. 

Open balconies stretch railing-less over chasms. 

It's unsafe beyond imagination. But kids are running around (barefoot). 

School groups are visiting.

Everyone seems to think it's quite normal. 

Inside the massive Buddha, there are four floors with depictions of hell. 

Scenes from some of the 500+ reincarnations of the Buddha's life. 

(There are apparently 13 levels of hell.) 

It's graphic and somewhat frightening. 

It's also very odd, just being inside a huge Buddha.

Buddha's hand positions all have a special meaning.

Buddha statues crown every mountain top in Myanmar. 
Temples contain thousands of Buddhas. 
There are city squares full of hundreds of stupas. 

(In Myanmar, temples and stupas are both called pagodas. 
Pagodas are hollow, so you can go inside, and stupas are solid.)

Golden stupas - forever.

Caves are filled with thousands of Buddhas. 
There are Buddha amulets, Buddha shrines.

Even rural fields are filled with rows and rows of Buddha statues. 

These caves were dark - I used my cell phone to see my way through.


As one fellow told us - "Everywhere here, there is Buddha - Buddha!"

Buddhas - all the way up to the ceiling. Over 500,000 here.

The week in Myamar is divided into 8 days.
Each day has its own color, number, and spirit animal.

However, Wednesday is divided into 2 days.

The spirit animal of Wednesday morning is an elephant with tusks.
Wednesday afternoon's animal is an elephant without tusks.

At the pagoda, you give your offerings at the shrine dedicated to your day - the day you were born.

Saturday shrine. I was born on a Saturday.

Everyone gives constant offerings to these Buddha statues. 

Flowers, incense, food, but mostly gold and money. 

Small sheets of solid gold leaf are for sale. 

These are pressed onto the Buddha statues. 

Some statues are full of layers and layers of gold leaf.
The original shape is long gone.

This Buddha is unusually auspicious. He has become quite lumpy with gold. Only men are allowed.

Each pagoda has a story. 

The Hpaung Daw Oo Pagoda.

The story of these 5 lumpy Buddha statues - the "Sandalwood Buddhas" is one of the favorite stories. A bit bizarre, but this is a country where bizarre is an everyday thing.

These were originally 5 sandalwood Buddhas. Now unrecognizable under layers of gold.
They're VERY heavy.

Where the 5 sandalwood Buddhas live.

The Royal Bird Barge

Once a year, the 5 Buddha statues are taken out on a procession aboard this royal golden barge. 

One year, a storm came up, and the Buddha statues fell into Inle Lake. 

Divers were only able to retrieve 4 of the statues. 

Disheartened and upset, they returned the 4 statues to their proper place in the palace -

-only to find the 5th statue - back right where it belonged.

Off on a horsecart. Bet we can find another Buddha.

Of Monks and Monasteries in Myanmar

Myanmar is filled with monks. 

There are monks in trucks, monks on buses.
Tall monks, small monks, fat monks. 

Monks everywhere. 


Every man in Myanmar is a monk at some point. 
Sometimes only for a few weeks. 

Sometimes for years. 

Myanmar monks wear maroon. This one in orange is from Laos. The tiger too, I suppose.

Monks have 227 rules to follow. 

They aren't allowed to cook. 
Not allowed to handle money. 

Women are not allowed to touch the monks.
Or even sit next to them on a bus. 

Posters in temples show the 13 levels of hell. 

Believing is key.

This monk was halfway up a rock pinnacle. His silver bowl is ready to receive offerings.

Small boys dressed up for their first day as a novice at the monastery.
Novice monks only have 27 rules to follow. They might even be home by dinnertime.

Trucks are filled with money trees. And of course a Buddha statue.  

It's the end of the Buddhist equivalent of Lent.

Everyone is out celebrating.

This means a MASSIVE sound system, cranked up full volume, full distortion. 

The offerings go to the monasteries.

The first truck has the money tree. The second truck has the massive "Wall of Sound".

Trucks are equipped with enormous speakers, and a group of young guys dancing. 

It's a holiday, full moon, fireworks. 

Everyone is excited.

Gardens FILLED with thousands of Buddhas.  Buddha is BIG here. 

Monasteries, monks, golden pagodas. 

Statues of Buddha, offering bowls. 

Bells, gongs, and blessings. 

There's a golden pagoda on top of every mountain.

They're in caves, on rocks, in villages. 

In gardens and at the river's edge.

Barefoot in Buddha-land. A cave filled with yet more Buddhas! 

But more on Buddhas later.

It's time to explore.

Spirit Houses of Thailand - and a Ghost-Filled Building in Bangkok

Every building in Thailand has a spirit house.

It has to be in a special location.
Preferably where the shadow doesn't fall on it.

It's usually on a pedestal. 

Even commercial buildings can have a spirit house.

In this miniature house, there are all sorts of offerings. 

It provides a home for the protective spirits of the property.

If these spirits aren't appeased, they can cause trouble.

And no one - likes angry spirits.

Erik adjusts a spirit house offering near a cave outside Hua Hin.

From my balcony in high-rise Bangkok, I can look down from the 28th floor and see a number of spirit houses - in gardens, at street corners, on tiny platforms in the corner of a lot.

Even trees can have spirit houses.

Boats have spirits, too.

Every day, offerings have to be made to these spirits -

Strings of flowers.

A bunch of bananas.

Any fruit will do. 

Food, even sodas (they're partial to red sodas, with a straw!)

Incense, candles.

All to keep the spirits happy. 

Or - there could be consequences.

In Bangkok, there's a large unfinished high rise building. 

49 stories tall. About 80% complete.

They say it will never be finished.
No one will work there. 

No Thai feels at ease entering the building.

It's abandoned. 

It has ghosts. 

Those spirits are not happy.

This spirit tree even gets a soda 6 pack!

Perhaps - for the price of a few mangos and a string of jasmine.
Things could have been different.

Who can tell how spirits work?

Cheers! From Bangkok, Trish, Ray, Erik and Stan.

Golden Rock Perched on a Hair of the Buddha - Myanmar

Down south in Myanmar is a rock.

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda - perched on the top of a mountain. (Beautiful sunsets, too!)

 

A large one. 

At the edge of a precipice.

Held in place by one hair of the Buddha. 

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda.

(Yes, there's a golden pagoda on top-) 

Pilgrims press squares of gold leaf onto the rock, light candles, and pray.

(But only men. Women are not allowed to touch the golden rock.)

It's an 8 mile walk up. 

But now they take pilgrims up in large metal trucks. 

They took us, too. 

The mountain is VERY steep.

At night, it's a festive atmosphere. 

Disco lights, candle offerings.

Families camping out. Excited kids running around. 

Gold and glass and statues and candles everywhere. 

Quite the party. 

Guys selling horns and noisemakers. 

Groups up from the country sleeping out at the top of the mountain. 

The inns are full.

There are not many foreigners. 

People do a wonderful double take when they see us. 

Everyone has a cell phone, so they try to take a photo of us - without our noticing it.

Plenty of melons, limes, pomelos, huge avocados, fish, rice, noodles, fresh veggies, fruits, chilies, nuts and spices. Myanmar has some of the finest fruits and vegetables I've ever seen.

A Burmese full moon Thanksgiving.

All thanks to the Golden Rock.

And the hair of the Buddha that holds it in place.