YANGON FORMALLY RANGOON,  MYANMAR, MAYLASIA (day 82)                   PAGE #2

70% of the population in MYANMAR are BUDDHISTS,  MYANMAR has a BUDDHIST majority.
This evening we visited the SHWEDAGON PAGODA BY CANDLELIGHT
This PAGODA took 2 centuries to build and it is in a constant state of repair. It is what is known as a A SUPRA PAGODA  because it supposedly has one of BUDDAH'S hairs in its base.
There is no way that I could capture the magnificence of this TEMPLE with a camera. We toured the main platform built to hold 100, 000 people. There were not that many people there when we visited, but there was a crowd. Interesting, is that the tourists did not appear to be bothering the people who were practicing their religion at all. It was like we were not even there?

(An aside, everyone needed to take off their shoes and socks to enter the platform. This is the 1st time in the 53 years that we are married that Woody has walked around without his shoes and socks on!)

THE MAIN STEPA IS MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL BRICKS WITH THE DONORS NAMES ON THEM
THE BIRCKS ADDED TOGETHER EQUALS 5 TONS OF GOLD

THE BEJEWELED CROWN OF THE STEPA HAS 76 CARETS IN STONES

WHEN THEY REFURBISHED THE STEPA IN 1999 THE SOLDIERS WENT AROUND IN THE STREETS HOLDING A SHEET AT 4 CORNERS AND TELLING THE PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR JEWELRY YOU CAN SEE  THE JEWELRY IS EMBEDDED IN THE CROWN

WE LIT A CANDLE AT THE BASE OF A FIG TREE SENDING LIGHT FOR BUDDAH

THE FIG TREE IS SYMBOLIC SINCE BUDDAH DID HIS MEDITATING AND ACHIEVED NIRVANA UNDER A FIG TREE

MONK PRAYING AT THE FIG TREE

BUDDAH STATUE WITH A HALO OF BLINKING LED LIGHTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE AURA THAT WAS SEEN AROUND BUDDAH WHEN HE ACHIEVED NIRVANA      

BUDDHISM REQUIRES MEN/BOYS TO BE A MONK FOR A MONTH OUT OF THEIR LIFE

ONCE THE BOY LIVES THIS LIFE HE HAS A CHOICE TO REMAIN AND BECOME A MONK OR GO BACK TO LIFE AS IT WAS...

(even though this is an important time in the life of a BUDDHIST boy their parents would prefer that their sons return home to live a family life)

MONK PRAYING

FOLLOWERS PRAYING IN ONE OF 4 MAIN PRAYER HALLS

THIS RECLINING BUDDAH IS ACTUALLY RELAXING HE HAS HIS HEAD IN HIS HAND

THREE YOUNG WOMEN GETTING READY TO MAKE OFFERINGS TO BUDDAH

I cold go on & on with pictures of the grandeur of this ancient  PAGODA, you really need to see it to believe it...

The BUDDHIST texts promote PEACE & PACIFISM

"THOU SHALT NOT KILL" being their main precept. 

Interesting, is that there is MUSLIM persecution & HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS against the ROHINGYA  MUSLIMS in MYANMAR.
When violence broke out, however, in March 2013, even though the BUDDHISTS did not initiate the violence they to took up arms against the MUSLIMS.

I guess that in times of political and economic insecurity such as MAYANMAR'S current transition to DEMOCRACY discrepancies between reality and precepts flourish... ???
Unfortunate for the ROHINGYA people the world is not paying attention to their plight and this can turn into another genocidal situation.