Shwedagon: Myanmar's Holy Land
continued
A row of shrines.
Sweedogon at night.
Despite the fact that the Shwedagon is sacred to the Burmese, the mood was not solemn everywhere in the complex. Walking through the temple I found some people sitting in quiet meditation, others walked slowly and peacefully, often with hands in a prayer position while children darted between them kicking a rattan ball around. Others lit candles and incense and offered prayers. After the walk around the zedi or between visits to shrines, many families gathered around their straw mat on the marble foundation. Some were having a jolly old time over dinner, while others mostly just stared pensively, taking in the sacredness of the place. But then, the Burmese tend to be a fun-loving people, like other Southeast Asians, if a bit more reserved.
For centuries the Burmese have been famous for their gentile, soft-spoken manner. Indeed, they talk at a rather low volume and use very polite speech in whatever language they are speaking. The Burmese have an ideal they call "Myanma Hsan Jinn" or "Myanmarness." Basically, it means acting Burmese. While there are many definitions of this, it is based around preferring the subtle to the direct, the quiet to the loud. Another national trait is called "Ah-nar-de," which is a desire to not impose on anyone. A fun-loving spirit and an attitude of take-it-as-it-comes is part of Myanma Hsan Jinn, which allows the sacred and festive to come together even in the holiest place in Myanmar.
Having fun is seen as a healthy part of life, so the realization of a life-long ambition is a time to be happy. Perhaps that's why at times the solemn and festive aspects of a pilgrimage to the Shwedagon become fused. For example, at one nat shrine there was a huge glass case where people could make donations to the Shwedagon. To do so, however, they had to throw the folded bills into an opening at the top. To get one in on the first try was considered a sign of good luck bestowed by the nat. I couldn't help noticing that most worshipers gave the bills to their children to toss into the case, and they seemed to have a good time whether or not they made it in the first time.
