GENERAL INFORMATION- RELIGION

Myanmar is a country under the influence since nearly 10 centuries at least of Buddhism (90% of the population are Buddhist). This Buddhism, Theravada arises as being original Buddhism, true Buddhism, because faithful to the letter with the lesson and the life of the Buddha.

Theravada also meets in Thailand, in Laos, in Sri Lanka, in Kampuchea. Sometimes one calls in Asia this Buddhism there, Hinayana (the " small vehicle ") by reference to Mahayana (the " large vehicle ") term that does not use the Buddhists birmans because they find it discriminatory. In the worship of Mahayana one will find in more around the Buddha, the boddhisatwas, vectors of a concept which does not exist in Theravada, the compassion.

Theravada is based on the trilogy of the " Three jewels ":

* The Buddha
* Dharma (lesson of Buddhism)
* Sangha (community of the monks)

Like all the Buddhists, the birmans think that all the life (of the birth to death, the diseases, separation to be expensive, old age...) are suffering. The practice of Buddhism thus aims at trying D ' to eliminate to the maximum the causes of the suffering.

The life present is only the link of a chain. One comes from other lives, and one will réincarnera oneself in other lives, a cycle without end of existence, Samsara. The most traditional Buddhists in Myanmar think that there are 31 stages of existence, inferiors, human and higher:

* inferiors, phantoms, animals, beings malefic
* the human ones
* higher, celestial beings...

One will say thus that any existence is determined by Karma, but also by its preceding lives: thus a child who likes to play with weapons was a soldier in a preceding life, or an animal which expresses emotions was human in a former life. It became an animal following a bad karma. It is one of the reasons which pushes the Buddhists never not to kill the animals and to be vegetarian. The goal is to escape this cycle without end and to reach a higher, calm and serene state, a state of peace (interior) the Nirvana after which there is no more rebirth. For that purpose, it is necessary to accumulate actions of charity (Dharma) of morality (Sita) of serenity (Bhavana). One will accumulate more easily of the actions of charity, which explains why the gifts (with the pagoda) are so numerous in Burma.

MERITES

To reach the Nirvana, one will accumulate merits (Khe Tho) by gifts to have a good karma (or to put fine at its bad karma). The Buddhists birmans believe very extremely in the merits of these good deeds. It is even a true discussion thread of their life.

In the pagodas you will see birds out of cage. Against a donation, you open the cage and to you release them. It is a positive act to obtain good Karma. Karma is thus not like the destiny, given in advance, since it can also be influenced: to escape its destiny in quelquesorte.

Buddhist morality is based on 5 basic precepts:

* Not to kill out of the alive creatures
* Not to fly
* Not to have a sexual bad conduct
* Not to consume of drug

With these 5 principles are added 3 other rules for certain significant days of the Buddhist calendar:

* Abstinence of food after 12H
* Not to sleep on very comfortable beds
* Not to get dressed with ostentation (what include also the make-up, the perfume, of clothing too indicators, imaginations in the hair

BUDDHISM IN THE EVERYDAY LIFE

Of his birth to his death, a Buddhist birman will be permanently in contact with the religion. A child awakes the morning, by intending his parents to recite texts bouddhic. He will go in the kitchen and will see his mother who prepares dishes containing rice for the offering with the monks. One will see in the cities near the monasteries and right before the rising of the sun, to walk in Indian file, of tens of monks, the tight bowl in lacquer held against their dress to receive the offering of food. The evening the children must devote time for the respect of the 3 jewels, their parents and of their teachers.

When they are a little older, the little boys can be beginners a few days (during the school holidays for example). Their hair will be shaven, they wear the dress of the monks then and live a few days in a monastery to familiarize itself with the texts bouddhic. Their families draw a great honor from these ceremonies of noviciate. For the girls the process can be the same one. They go in centers of meditation, shave their hair, wear the pink dress of the nuns.

When a Buddhist Marie, a festival takes place to thank the monks (if not one quite simply to the pagoda will make a donation.) The same ceremonial will be observed when a child comes in the world.

To the death of a close relation one to the monastery will make offerings with the monks who will recite the texts bouddhic during the ceremonies organized by the family to help the late one to go towards a new existence. (This practice is very complex in Buddhism tantric)

In each house there is a small hotel with images of Buddha, flowers dried, images of monks in connection with the family and as signs respect each day in small cupolas one puts water fraiche and food (symbolic system). This presence makes it possible to have constantly the spirit the 3 jewels " Buddha, Dharma, Sangha "

There exists much of religious festivals in Burma. Some are small local festivals, others have more width and in particular the festivals of the pagodas.

VISIT PAGODAS

Buddhists or not when you go to the pagoda or the monastery or in all other place dedicated to Bouddha you must to withdraw your shoes (and your socks if you have some), even in places who are not used any more for the worship. It is a rule imperative and impossible to circumvent. One assoit never the plant of the feet turned towards an image of the Buddha. It arrives in certain places that the access to the sanctuary is not authorized to the women, (they cannot either touch a bonze, or stick gold sheets on a representation of Buddha).

One respects those which wear the monastic dress. While addressing oneself to them with the monastery or elsewhere one puts oneself at knees, one knocks the ground of his head and one joint the hands. The tourists are not compels with these practices one asks them simply for a respectful general attitude.

The image of Buddha is crowned only if it were devoted by monks during a special ceremony. For example if you open an office and that you to install a small hotel dedicated to Bouddha, you will have to contact monks to devote these images of Buddha and the place. Your company can consequently face the world of the business with the best chances.