Today I went to the Shwedagon Pagoda with my aunt, and paid respect at the foot of the pagoda. Before we left I saw a long queue represented the showing of
the novitiation ceremony. It was one of the traditions of giving respect. Everybody
around was excited to see them, and could not help saying ‘Well done’ three
times.
(The first lady carried a tray of offerings; green
coconuts with a long stem, bananas, Thapyay (Eugenia) leaves, and colorful things
(the eternal items in all family rituals) on her head. She played a very
important part in this ceremony. The tray seemed heavy! (Look at her face!) (A
strong man should do it instead of her! I think.)
(Girls wore, and act as county style.)
(They did not care the hot sun.)
(The old lady might be a head of the family; grandma or mother of one of 'becoming monks')
(They are 'becoming monks'.)
(Men
with Khaung Paung (Man Wearing Burmese traditional cap), and boys (with
princely dress), would be monks, and novices before long.)
For the Buddhist, the scene we saw was fully aware that. But
for the non-Burmese reader, it was called the novitiation (becoming monks)
ceremony. Women, and girls might be relatives (mothers, aunts, or sisters, or
wives, etc) to the men, and boys (‘becoming monks’). Women, and girls in
Burmese traditional style, seemed pleased, and happy, were leading the train. Men
wore a Burmese traditional dress, and boys with princely robes, before heads
shave, were walking behind ladies. Some volunteers (they might also be their
relatives, and friends) hold their gold umbrellas to protect ‘future monks, and
novices’ from the sunshine. They planned to walk as keeping the Shwedagon
pagoda on the right side in the way of complete circling the pagoda. They would
later take them to the monastery, and put under the care of monks.
(Novitiation
ceremony at the country ritual. The cows pulled proudly in the
family traditional style. Becoming novices stood on the chariots with princely robe.)
(Novitiation
ceremony held at my maternal grandparents’ house around 1950. Their sons
becoming novices, daughters wearing the old Burmese court dress, and diamond
ornament.)
The occasion I represented above was not always necessary. All
the Buddhists families could not afford to do such a big ceremony. The novitiation
ceremony can be simply done among relatives, and a few closed friends to come, and
to witness at the monastery, and complete on the monks only. Parents had to put
their son to receive the necessary instruction, and the boy was led to the
monk, and after a few noble steps, the boy became a novice in yellow robe.
(My
grandparents made their only son’s novitiation at the monastery.)
My Youtube Channel for more information,
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