Magical impressions of Myanmar: glowing temples, a golden rock and lotus flowers rising from the dung
I persevered in my quest to conquer the slopes of Mount Kyaiktiyo in southern Myanmar. It was not a mountain to be approached lightly. The devotion-laden Golden Rock at its pinnacle was the reward.
Most Burmese pay homage to this wish-drenched balancing rock, a miraculous pilgrimage site that they must visit before they die. Legend has it that a serpent dragon princess found this rock at the bottom of the sea and with her supernatural powers transported it to heaven. Many believe that touching this gigantic sacred stone allows wishes to be granted. The men struggle up the mountain only to apply more gold leaf to enhance the rock’s already magnificent golden sheen. But not everything is fair. While women are free to ascend these sacred slopes, none of them can touch this astonishing stupa-adorned wonder once they have reached the top. In a gesture of solidarity, I too chose not to touch its shiny surface. Who made such rules? I bet the dragon princess is furious. I will find other ways to make my dreams come true.
Myanmar is full of wonders. More than a thousand magnificent stupas were built in Bagan around the same time as the Renaissance in Europe. Sunlight reflects brilliantly off the gleaming golden spire of the revered Ananda Temple, built in AD 1090. There are some 997 other stupas nearby, but it is the imposing and perfectly proportioned Ananda edifice that heralds the stylistic end of the It was early Bagan. When I was there, a flurry of rainbows celebrated the existence of the stupa.
Why have so many people never heard of this wonderful place?
Tea main courseYet surely it must be the glow of golden spires and shimmering Buddhas casting an ethereal glow over Myanmar’s holiest pagoda, Shwedagon Phaya, looming over the country’s commercial capital, Yangon, or Rangoon as it is called. knew in the past.
Shwedagon can take your breath away.
Myanmar Buddhists dream of visiting this place at least once in their lives. No one, not even tourists, ever forgets a visit like this. It is said that there is more gold entwined on the surface of Shwedagon than exists in the Bank of England vaults and perhaps even more than the megatonnes stored at Fort Knox. Perhaps such an exaggeration is justified in setting the tone. This is an amazing place.
Long ago, Rudyard Kipling waxed lyrical about this gold-wrapped icon: “A golden mystery rose on the horizon, a beautiful flickering wonder that burned in the sun…”
Let me put this explosion of brilliance into perspective by describing just the top of the main spire which is encased in 13,153 solid gold plates each measuring one square foot. The tallest weather vane on this tower is silver plated and studded with 1,100 diamonds totaling 278 carats with 1,383 other precious stones embedded nearby. At the top of the weather vane is a golden sphere encased in 4,351 diamonds, weighing 1,800 carats. And at the very tip of this orb is a single 76-carat diamond set more than a hundred meters above the worshippers. There is a telescope to the side for those who want a close-up view of the jewels.
Shwedagon has existed for two and a half millennia. Perhaps the ancient mythmakers visited here for inspiration. Clustered around the mighty golden Shwedagon Stupa are an impressive array of temples and zedis and shrines and pavilions and golden Buddha statues on altars that defy description. One’s imagination can fail in comparison to what exists here. The temple walls are adorned with an endless display of reflective glass mosaics laced with blue-tinted grout that brought me into a mind-blowing fit of wonder.
Go there one day and you will understand. This place really exists. Kipling was not lost in a dream.
After Yangon, I made my way into the interior of the country on “The Road to Mandalay.” Mr. Kipling also wrote about this in his book of the same name. Today the city may be a bit scruffy, but its magic can still be found. The royal palace is reflected in the shimmering waters lit by the sunset and you can climb Mandalay Hill to see its imposing golden Buddha with outstretched arm.
The lotus is associated with Buddhism because its flower signifies the law of “Cause and Effect” or karma. The lotus has the rare quality of manifesting the flower simultaneously with its seed. More symbolically, the magnificent lotus blooms most when it emerges from the muddiest of swamps. When we find ourselves trapped in such dirt, Buddhism promises that our lives can still flourish.
Burmese charm surrounds the country despite the fierce military repression of the people.
On Inle Lake in eastern Myanmar, fishermen balance deftly on one foot on the tip of their small canoes, while the other leg is wrapped around an oar with one end under their arm. They turn and row in a one-legged corkscrew fashion while their hands are free to operate the net. Excuse me, I climbed aboard one of these tiny boats in the middle of the lake for an inside view through the netting. In the process I nearly caused it to capsize. But the agile boatman executed a perfect counterbalance to my photograph of his precarious posture.
Towards the end of my visit to Burma I found myself in the remote Buddhist pagoda of Yan Aung Nan Aung Hsu Taung Pyi. It’s a peaceful place; I was the only one there. There were no crimson-robed monks nearby. It was just me and the huge outdoor Buddha sitting there in a moment of reflection. I stayed a while, then carefully folded my umbrella and put it away. The rain had finally stopped, perhaps indicating that it was time for me to say goodbye to this amazing land. Reluctantly I put my sandals back on and turned to leave. Then, to one side I saw a sacred pool whose waters seemed not to be clear.
I went closer and found raindrops dancing on lotus leaves that had risen defiantly from the mud.
Copyright Glen Allison ALL RIGHTS RESERVED