Temple Gifts in Bago

The ancient city of Bago is on the road from Yangon to Mt. Kyaiktiyo on which stands the Golden Rock, described in a separate chapter of these diaries.

Leona’s thesis for her Master in Fine Art’s Degree was entitled “Stones I have Known” and described with photographs natural and manmade artifacts of stone around the world, She was somewhat chagrined that Derek first visited Golden Rock alone, in conjunction with delivery of a Gestetner to a school in Rhakine State. This is also covered separately in these memoirs. Golden Rock was high on the list of Stones Leona wished to know!!

Derek’s second visit – and Leona’s first – was with an EPG driver and guide and took us past the Htaukkyant War Cemetery with the graves of 27000 Allied soldiers who died in World War II in Burma. Many of these were from Derek’s home county of Yorkshire in England. The route to Bago continued past several pottery making villages where stops were of course made.

In Bago we visited one of many cheroot factories. This one was owned by a relative of our guide, we then went to the enormous Kha Khat Wain Kyaung, one of the largest monasteries in Myanmar. It houses at least seven hundred monks but this number is swollen to as many as two thousand as novice classes are held.

Here are excerpts from Leona’s diaries about our visit to this important religious institution.

“ From many discussions on previous visits to Myanmar we understood that antibiotics were of great importance to most people in the country. A teacher and close friend in New Jersey obtained for us many small tubes of an effective broad-spectrum antibiotic cream designed for use in tropical and subtropical countries. He asked that we donate them appropriately in Myanmar.

In the Bago monastery we spoke with an English-speaking monk and told him of our proposed gift. We thought to just leave the antibiotics and have them used as needed. The medicines were accompanied with multilingual usage information.

However the monk asked us to wait and left us with our EPG guide for several minutes. When he returned he proudly informed us that the Head Abbott would personally receive our gifts that morning in his Audience Hall.  Before our entrance we were instructed in the correct protocol for this meeting I must admit that I was rather spellbound by the emotions of that moment as we were taken to the inner sanctum of that most beautiful temple.

I was further honored to be told that my small gift would bring me much merit since I learned that many monks suffer from small cuts on their feet, which can become infected but were treatable with antibiotics of the genre we had brought.

When I entered the audience room, all eyes were on me as a female Westerner. Very nervously I presented our gift to the Head Abbott on a small tray they had provided. I formally backed out, hearing whispers about the gifts. I rejoined Derek who, with permission, had videoed our meeting. We were both truly moved by the emotion of the occasion.

We were starting to leave the outer chamber to meet our guide. However, the monk who had provided the tray and the protocol information asked that we remain and tea was brought for us.

We were still basking in the afterglow of the events as we looked at the magnificent wall coverings and artifacts of our surroundings. Then in came an elegant, middle-aged lady. She talked in a quiet voice to our EPG guide who had been summoned.

She was Daw Kyin Sainh. She and her family were patrons of the monastery. She was providing the midday meal for the entire facility which that day totaled more than one thousand monks. She explained that our small donation also resulted in even greater merit for her family on the day of their donations. She asked that Derek and I join her for lunch.

The next hour was spent exchanging information about our separate lives. Daw Kyin Sainh invited us to visit with her family on our very next opportunity. What an adventure that would be!”

That was indeed an unforgettable day.

Four photographs from our time at the Kha Khat Wain Kyaung monastery are shown below.

The first is of Leona with the devout patron Daw Kyin Sainh

Next a visit to the kitchen where proud butchers were handling the great quantities of chicken and meat provided that day.

 And finally two images of the monks entering the dining hall for their noontime meal.

Derek and Leona Law