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Lifestyle
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Lifestyles and Activities
Despite modern changes and globalized cultural blending, Myanmar people have been able to preserve their own lifestyles and activities that have existed since time immemorial. The people of Myanmar communicate in their own language, wear their own style of clothing including the longyi, relish their own style of food, pray in their own way, play their own games, celebrate their own festivals, receive treatment with their own traditional medicines, and perform their own rituals remaining as Myanmar as possible in every aspect. Many of the life styles and activities are unique to Myanmar people. For example, the Shin Pyu or novitiation ceremony, which allows a young boy to experience temporary monastic life, is a religious practice virtually nonexistent in other parts of the world. Although some of Myanmar's beliefs, superstitions, customs and lifestyles have gradually disappeared, many still remain and are cherished and highly valued by the majority of the people. |
 Traditional Games |
 Lifestyle & Activities |
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 Myanmar Traditional Foods |
 Myanmar Handymade Toys |
 Traditional Medicine |
 An Illustrated Story Of The Life of Buddha
The software gives a brief biography of the Buddha presented in animated storybook format, with melodic background music, text and full narration in English, Burmese, Chinese, and Japanese.
Based on the book "An Illustrated History of Buddhism" published by the Young Men Buddhist Association of Burma and illustrations drawn by world famous burmese artist U Ba Kyi.
Original story written by Aggamahapandita, Venerable Ashin Janakabhivamsa. . Major events in the life of the Buddha since He received prophetic declaration to become a Buddha, up to His demise, including landmark events and progress of Buddhism after the Buddha.[ Click here for more information ]
Developed by Inforithm-Maze. Ministry of Religious Affairs owns the copyright and ownership of The Life of Buddha CD-Rom. |
 Therawada Buddhism in Myanmar
There are two main schools of Buddhism, Theravada, practiced chiefly in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos; and Mahayana, practiced in China, Tibet, Japan and Korea.Theravada, which means the Way of the Elders, was the original school and Mahayana, which emerged later, differs in many aspects. [ more + ]
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 Other Religions
Although Myanmar is predominantly a Buddhist country with Buddhists making up about 80 percent of the population, there are also Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Chinese and some animists. But freedom of belief is practiced as evidenced by the existence of numerous religious buildings of different beliefs in large cities and small towns. [ more + ]
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 Meditation Centres
Vipassana or insight meditation is a process which enables the student to develop concentration, awareness and, through personal experience, to gain an understanding of the natural characteristics of impermanence, suffering and non-self. Practiced with diligence, the gradual process of mental purification will lead the student to the end of suffering and to full enlightenment or Nibbana. [ more + ] |
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 Venerable SayadawsThe Buddha founded the Order of monks (Samgha) that increased and spread throughout India and beyond within the forty-five years of the Buddha's ministry. On the seventh day after the Buddha passed away, Maha Kassapa, the head of the Samgha, decided to hold a convocation to establish the authoritative teachings of the Buddha. [ more + ] |
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 Tipitaka in Myanmar (Doctrine)
Buddhism consists of three aspects: doctrinal, practical and realizable. The doctrinal aspect is preserved in the scriptures called Tipitaka, or 'Three Baskets', the canon which contains the words of the Buddha, estimated to be about eleven times the size of the Christian Bible. [ more + ]
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 Tipitaka Sayadaws
Four different levels of titles are awarded to the successful Buddhist monks if they can recite 7,983 pages (16,000 pages) of the Buddhist Canon, or Tipitaka, and also pass the written examination. [ more + ]
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 Monasteries and Nunneries
Kayin State [ more + ]
1. Amitarama Ye Kyaung, Hpa-an
2. Aungmingala Kyaungthit, Hlaingbwe Tsp. | |
 Other Religious Sites
Immanuel Baptist Church
Maha Bandoola Garden Street
Tel: (951) 250079
Service: 8:30 a.m., Sunday [ more + ]
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 International Buddhist Institutes
International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University
Sitagu International Buddhist Centre
Mahasantisukha Buddhist Missionary Centre [ more + ]
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 Animism
Although Myanmar is predominantly a Theravada Buddhist country, some animists exist, especially in remote areas and hilly regions made up of ethnic minorities. But spirit-worship has crept into the lives of a considerable number of Myanmar people who are Buddhist by tradition. [ more + ]
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Places
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 Yangon
Then King Banya U (AD 1353-1385) and his descendents reconstructed and enlarged it and raised it still higher. Queen Shin Saw Pu, the grand daughter of Banya U, had the pagoda enlarged and raised. She was the first Queen who donated and gilded the pagoda with gold equal to her weight. [ more + ]
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 Mandalay
One of King Bodawpaya's sons conveyed this Buddha statue across the Rakhine Yoma from Mrauk-U to Mandalay . Firstly, the pagoda was located at the old capital Amarapura, but it had been moved to Mandalay after fire broke out in 1884. [ more + ]
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 Bagan
The Shwe Zi Gon Pagoda's name was derived from Ground of Victory Jeyyabhumi, and was associated with the two great kings Anawrahta and Kyansitta for their backing of the Buddhist religion. The holy tooth, collar-bone and frontlet of Lord Buddha were presented as a gift by the King of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ) to King Anawrahta who made a solemn vow stating "Let the white elephant kneel in the place where the holy relic is fain to rest!" [ more + ]
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 Shan
Pindaya, 45 kilometers from Kalaw, is the site of ancient caves and a boulevard of some of Myanmar's biggest banyan trees.The caves are about of 200 million years old and since ancient times they have been places of worship, There are 8,094 Buddha images made out of wood, marble, alabaster, brick, cement and lacquer, enshrined in the niches and corners of winding caves. [ more + ]
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 Kachin
This pagoda is situated in the Khan Ti Lung area twelve miles from Machambaw, and ten miles east of Putao, on the east bank of the Malikha River in Kachin State. It is one of the 84,000 pagoda built by the Great Thiri Dhama Thawka, and enshrined with three relics under the auspices of Thatitha Arahantha. At the east entrance is a Kakusana Buddha matali nat and a Manuthiha (Lion). [ more + ]
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 Beaches and Resorts
Myanmar is surrounded by five neighboring countries but it is not a land-locked country because its west and south regions open into the sea. The Rakhine coast, on Myanmar's west, faces the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, and the southern Tanintharyi coast fronts the emerald green Andaman Sea. [ more + ]
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 KachinThe Kachin reside in the northernmost region of Myanmar bordering India and Tibet , an area containing some of the highest mountains in South East Asia including Mt. Kakaborazi , Myanmar 's tallest peak. [ more + ] | |
 KayahMore than a dozen ethnic groups inhabit Kayah State , a rugged mountain region in eastern Myanmar , but the Kayah people, numbering just over 150,000, comprise the largest ethnic group in the region. [ more + ] | |
 KayinMore than a dozen ethnic groups inhabit Kayah State , a rugged mountain region in eastern Myanmar , but the Kayah people, numbering just over 150,000, comprise the largest ethnic group in the region.[ more + ] | |
 ChinThe Chins, or Zomi, are a Tibeto-Burman people inhabiting the great mountain chain running up western Myanmar into Mizoram in north-east India . In the past the difficult terrain meant there was little communication between villages. [ more + ] | |
 MonThe Mon, a distinctive branch of the Mon-Khmer peoples, were probably the earliest of modern day inhabitants to settle in the plains of Myanmar . They soon established themselves as the most cultured people in Southeast Asia , as their art and architecture clearly show. [ more + ] | |
 BamarThe upper and central plains of Myanmar are the traditional home of the Bamar. They are a Tibeto-Burman people who migrated from the north and China-India borderlands long before they established their greatest capital at Bagan on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River between 1044 and 1287 AD. [ more + ] | |
 RakhineThe Rakhine, the majority ethnic group in Rakhine State , have long been influenced by their proximity to India and have formed strong trading links with the sub-continent. [ more + ] | |
 ShanThe Shan are the second largest ethnic group in Myanmar after the Bamar. They live mainly in Shan State , which is the biggest state in Myanmar with a population of over 4 million, and is a melting pot of over 35 races and tribes. [ more + ] | | |
