Myanmar. Daughters Buddha
One of the central regions of Yangon Tien. Shady streets, cozy eaters, hairdressers in the open sky, dried back and forward Ricksha. In the street peasant young girls in pale pink clothes immediately rush. Thin, fragile, with shaved heads, they look at creatures from another world. This is Buddhist nuns, who are called Tilaschin in Myanmar. Every morning they go to the streets to collect alms. Each in the hands of the bowl, in which people throw who how much can. Usually some trifle. However, the amount is not important, but the desire itself to make a good deed. Bamboo umbrellas in nuns serve not only to protect their heads from the scorching sun – in Buddhism an umbrella – a symbol of protection against the rays of ignorance of truth.
Women’s monastery, which I visited, is the name of his founder to Nyang Sari. For Burmese Buddhists, this woman does not care that Mother Teresa for Catholics. Abode in 1947., Now there is about three hundred nuns. The abode of Nyan Sari is one of the most revered and rich. Every day, monks from other monasteries come here, and Tilaschin shall be divided with them rice and boiled fish. To Sanda Thai: "The Institute of Monasticism arose in Buddhism, but for a long time monastic communities – they are called Sangha – women could not. At the homeland of Buddhism, in ancient India, a woman at all was considered to be a creature "Second grade", especially if she lured the ability to give birth". However, over time, women’s Sangkhi became the usual phenomenon. Like men, women nuns are rented from the family, property, take a number of prescribed vows and devote themselves to the Buddha. True, they belong to them not as respectful as men. If referring to the last, they say "Payiya", that is, the divine, then the woman will say "Sugeje" – "Dear"..
Word itself "Tilaschin" means "observing vows". Such more than three hundred, but the main one is ten. They are in many ways similar to Christian: do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, not LGI and so on. Dancing, playing musical instruments – it’s not for nuns. They are forbidden to wear decorations. Sit and lie on soft. They are also required to shave their heads. To Sanda Thai: "Behind the hair you need to care: comb, lay – all this takes a lot of time, distracts the nun from righteous. We have even such a joke: without which it is easiest to do the nun – of course without scallops".
The routine of the day to Nyan Sari, as in all other monasteries, strict: rise at five in the morning, the hour is given to the toilet and the first bow of the Buddha. At six, they go to the city for the alignment. Returning – Getting Started. Pupils of high schools of the women’s monastery teach basic texts of Buddhism. Students of the younger so far only teach the language on which these texts are written. This is a tongue of fallen, child sinskrit. Pali – a dead language, but it is widely used by the formed Buddhists and in communication, and in writing speech. All canonical buddhist texts are written on it. As in any school, the nuns periodically pass exams. Pupilians are heard a sheet with questions that they should be noted in writing.
Buddhist goes into the monastery to clear thoughts from the worldly bustle, so the nuns should not be engaged in the mining of urgent bread. But they serve themselves: they cook food, erase, stroke. Eat nuns twice a day before noon. Meat nuns do not use. Basic food – rice and vegetables: eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, of which they prepare something like a kitlet. Starts a meal from prayer. Lunch in the women’s monastery depends on how rich donations were. Usually, having gathered in the city, the nuns go to the market and buy food for meals. But it happens that someone from the parishioners donates money for lunch immediately for all. In the sign of gratitude donors invite to participate in a common meal, however, put them for a separate table.
After lunch, a little rested, the nuns again begin to practice, reading the sacred texts, prayer. Taking advantage of the fact that Celi was empty, I decided to see how they look. In the cells quite cozy and smells a sandalwood tree. Nothing superfluous, pure and neat. On the table – the statues of Buddha. To his surprise, on the wall I discovered a calendar with photos of famous Burmese film actresses. However, Buddhist monks do not live by reasons. They take guests and go to visit. The only condition – climbed back to the monastery. By the way, in the monasteries, not only those who decided to devote all his life to the Buddha. Many are applied to a monastic one for some time, after which they returned to the world again. To Sanda Thai: "For a while, many our famous women are chosen: and film actresses and pop singers. They come here to try to get rid of the four main evils that prevent spiritual equilibrium: ignorance, greed, hatred and lust".
TIN Well – seventeen. Ten years ago, the mother led her to the abode – this, by the way, a rather common practice in Myanmar – Large parents give one or more children to the monastery. Here, in any case, they will be fed and dressed. Monastic life tin well does not like, on the contrary, it seems to her better than what kind of peers live. Tin Well: "Probably, my fate could have to work out somehow, but I don’t think about it. Here is good, good people, caring". At the end of the day, the nuns gather in the spacious monastery hall on the evening prayer. It is preceded by meditation. After the prayer of the nuns diverged on the cells. The day was filled with good deeds, and it will certainly improve their karma. It remains to hope that in the next reincarnation they will all be men. After all, only a man can achieve enlightenment.
