Pagodas and What They Mean to Buddhists
Pagodas: Romance and Legend
It all began, long before I was old enough to understand that stupas and
pagodas symbolize the great wisdom and compassion of the Buddha to whom
we owe our way of life, our philosophy, our culture and above all, our
fortitude that helps us to survive all trials that life has to offer.
My earliest memories are of the green wooded hills rising out of the
wide flowing river Ayeyawady. On every hill top I saw one lone pagoda or
a group of threes and fours, some gilded, others whitewashed and
gleaming. Since I had many opportunities to make trips up and down the
river, pagodas on hill tops remain one of my happiest recollections of
childhood.
Of the first things I learned about pagodas nothing had to do with the
intellectual side of Buddhism but all was full of colour and romance.
Once, while we were crossing the river from Mandalay to Sagaing in a
small flat-bottomed boat (it was long before the beautiful Inwa bridge
was built) we headed towards the long dark range of thickly wooded
hills, crested with shining pagodas, and the tinkling bells from their
htis as the fretted wrought iron spires on top of the pagodas are
called, chimed welcome to us. Colonnaded stair-ways zig-zagged through
the flowering foliages. They looked so inviting that I could hardly wait
to run up the steps and reach the pagodas up there.
Why the pagoda was guarded: the story
It was then that my grandfather drew my attention to the twin pagodas on
the high rocky cliff, on the Mandalay side, "Raise your hands in
prayer," grandfather said, "and make a wish, for any wish made at these
pagodas will be granted." I did as I was told, and made a wish that
guavas and mangoes in my grandfathers orchard might be ripe and sweet,
ready for eating.
Grandfather smiled and said: "Well done my child. You know, in the days
of the ancient Myanmar kings these pagodas were heavily guarded."
Naturally, I asked why, and as usual this led to my grandfather telling
a story which runs like this:
Once a prince, feeling ill-used by his elder brother the reigning king,
planned a revolt. He came to the twin pagodas and made an offering of
robes to the Buddha image there. When he did so, the image suddenly
moved and stretched out his hands to receive the gift. Later the prince
won the coup and became king. One of the first things he did on
ascending the throne was to put guards round the pagoda because he did
not want anyone else to go there and make a wish to dethrone him.
Pagodas in war
If, at one time, these same pagodas were involved in war, they were at
another time instrumental in bringing peace. It was on the precincts of
the same pagoda that Rajadirit, the Mon king who had marched up there
with his invading forces, decided to go home in peace. Rajadirit was
within a few minutes march to Inwa, the Myanmar capital, and he was just
waiting for zero hour to strike. From the pagoda platform, the king took
a view of the beautiful land he was going to conquer; the range of hills
skirted with sand bands rested on the river; high on the hills were
spired pagodas gleaming in the pale moon-light: there was no sound but
the tinkling of bells from pagoda spires. It was a pity that the same
sweet, solemn air would be stained with blood and strewn with the slain,
the noblest and the bravest of the country's people. Thus when the
emissaries from the Myanmar king came, Rajadirit accepted the peace;
terms and went home. Before he departed, he built a rest house on the
hill, where the twin pagodas now stand as a gift to pilgrims and
devotees, a Buddhist way of showing loving kindness.
Good deeds at the pagoda
The earliest lessons I ever hat on Buddhisrn were from the visits to
pagodas. Here, in front of the Buddha image, I first learned to recite:
"I take refuge in Buddha, I take refuge in His Teachings, I take refuge
in the Buddha, His order of the Yellow Robe." And as I wandered on the
precincts of pagodas, I could not help but notice the sculptures and
paintings. Of course, I asked questions. All the works of art depict
scenes from the Buddha's life and birth-stories, called the Jatakas.
With no comic strips to read in those days, visits to pagodas with my
grandfather telling stories were treats. I did not realize the
principles of the Buddhas's teachings were instilled into my young mind
then and there. They were given in almost imperceptible doses in the
stories and parables depicted in paintings and sculptures round the
pagodas.
Religious lessons
As I helped my grandparents sweep the pagoda grounds, I knew I was doing
meritorious deed that would help me to go up the ladder of life, in the
unending round of rebirth. The round of rebirth meant to me that what I
did in this present life would determine what I would become and I felt
hopeful. Never mind, if I were a plain girl with nondescript looks; no
use moaning over it; I might be reborn a statuesque beauty, if I did
deeds of merit like helping older people sweep the pagoda grounds, and
offering flowers and candles to the memory of the Buddha there . I was
taught to be responsible for what I would be in the future. This sense
of responsibility for using the present moment or life the right way
lasted all through my life, and the same has sustained me in times of
stress, after all, I, no one but I, myself, who would have to answer
for my own actions, good or bad. The past is past, it is my privilege
and responsibility to make the best of the present and the future will
be taken care of. This after all, is the basis of Buddhism.
Recreation, education and refuge
So much for childhood impressions. We do not outgrow the pagodas, even
as the years creep upon us; pagodas remain very much an integral part of
our life. As teenagers we wallow in songs and poems where lovers sing of
the troth plighted at "the golden pagoda up the hill": and we shed tears
over the stories of broken-hearted ladies who built pagodas in memory of
their loved ones. Then the pagodas opened out to us a vast wonderland of
romance, colour and Iyrical beauties; there seemed to be no limit to
fancy and imagination.
In real life too it is at the pagodas that lovers plight their troth and
it is there that a newly-married couple will make offerings of flowers
and candles. In their hearts is the belief that they meet and love in
this life, because of the goods deeds they had done together in their
past lives. By doing good deeds together again in this life, they
strengthen their bond of love, and they feel blessed and secure in the
refuge of the Buddha and His teachings. Sitting on the pagoda platform
side by side, each with offerings of flowers and candles in hand, a
married-couple or plighted lovers often feel that their love for each
other has risen from the common and the earthy to spiritual heights.
Pagoda in an adult life
As children, pagodas offer us recreation as well as education; as
youths, the sylvan fields of romance and poetry; in our years of
maturity, they give us relaxation and a sense of security and refuge; in
our old age solace and comfort. One of our greatest pleasures at this
time is to lead our grandchildren once again down the familiar paths in
the wonderland of stories and parables, coping with their eager
questions, as they point their little greasy fingers at the sculptured
figures and paintings. Yes, as Buddhists, we go to pagodas, at all times
of our lives, in all moods, in joy or in sorrow, or to seek peace and
quiet from the stress and strain of life.
Centres of social and cultural activities
Pagodas are also centres of social, cultural and commercial activities.
They are often the rendezvous for communal almsgiving to the monks,
wherein people contribute their share. There are annual festivals, which
are, especially in country areas, trade fairs; people kill two birds
with one stone, so to say, by marketing their wares and at the same
time, gaining merit by paying respects to the memory of the Buddha at
shrines, and making contributions towards the repair and upkeep of the
pagodas.
Why no monuments for kings and great men?
Although we have thousands of pagodas, built during more than ten
centuries of history, we do not have statues of kings and great men,
with the exception of the statue of King Kyansittha in Anandatemple,
Bagan; and even he, it must be noted, is represented not in all his
power and glory, but kneeling with his hands raised, a true disciple of
the Buddha. We also do not have grand tombs and monuments in memory of
our great men in history; the only ones we have are of King Alaungpaya
in Shwebo and King Mindon and his queen, in Mandalay. Why no tombs of
Anawrahta or Kyansittha?
No storied urns or animated busts
Why indeed! Perhaps I may be allowed to make a guess, which might be no
worse than the next person's. Lack of objects like statues and tombs of
kings and great men might be attributed to the doctrine of impermanence.
It is not in our national character to glorify the dead, neither is it
neglect or callousness, but that idea which may be summed up in Thomas
Gray's famous lines;
Since kings in their glory, soldiers in their triumphs, artists in their
renown, all must die and turn to dust, Buddhists see no point in raising
monuments in their memory, or casting their likeness in sculpture. All
that glory, all that wealth, all that fame, being the result of what a
man had done in his past lives, it is more sensible to do deeds of merit
like building pagodas in his memory so that he can have a share of the
deed of merit and go up the ladder of life: There is also the underlying
humility, with which Buddhists accept the fact that however glorious
one's own present life may be, it is nothing compared to the greatness
of the Buddha, and that if one at all were to achieve greatness, it is
only through following His teachings.
Unifying element
Pagodas are also a unifying element in Myanmar Buddhist life. People may
have differences over many things, but these differences disappear when
there is a pagoda to be built or repaired, or a festival to be
organised. Everybody rallies round, rich and poor, high and low, giving
whatever they can either in cash or in kind or in labour towards the
deed of merit.
Historically no less than in the present, pagoda provide a quite centre
in the whirlwind of life's turbulence.
Khin Myo Chit
