In our Burmese custom, during the Thadingyut festival, young
people brought foods, or cakes or gifts, and they offered in front of their
teachers or adults, and paid respect. My grandpa was a teacher, and he received
gifts, and respect from his students during the season.
However he accepted gifts from his students, he preferred
having being paid respect at not any gifts. His students did not satisfy what
their teacher said. They wanted to bring cakes or foods, etc while they were coming
to pay respect. (Yes! I agreed! Their cakes were delicious! I did not
understand why grandpa did not want to accept gifts.)
(Young writers, and poets came and paid respect to my
grandparents during Thadingyut season.)
Not only in the Thadingyut festival, Buddhists liked to pay
respect to adults in any time, or in any place. Here, I recalled one of my
memories in my younger days;
One of grandpa’s students came and visited to our house. He
talked with grandpa, and grandma for an hour. They were happy together chatting
each other. Before he left, he said to grandpa that he would have to pay
respect next time, because he forgot to bring gifts this time. Grandpa, and
grandma altogether replied him that he would not need to wait for next time.
Bringing foods, or gifts was not essential in the act of respectful deed. He
became realized what it meant, and immediately he paid respect with his hands
clasped palm to palm to our grandparents. My grandparents smiled and said ‘well
done’ three times. I saw that incident when I was a child, but still remembered
until then.
I understand why grandpa
said to his student bringing gifts was not always necessary. If one
believed that bringing gifts was an essential in the act of respectful deed,
one would miss to pay respect to adults.
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