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| The Way of Buddhist Life | ||||||||||||||||||
There are few countries in the world today in which tradition has such a strong influence on everyday life as it has in Myanmar. Let us observe the path of life a typical Myanmar goes through. Childhood Childhood Years, from Birth to Marriage: Seven days after birth, the baby's parents invite friends to a naming ceremony. The youngster is given a name based on astrological calculations, and it need bear no relation to that of the parents. There are Thirty Three alphabets in Myanmar Literature. These alphabets are divided into eight category belonging to eight birthday planets, and the alphabet of each category represents the day of the birth. It is little strange, because there are eight days a week according to Myanmar Astrology. The reason is that the mid week day, Wednesday is divided into two days; until 6 p.m. it is Wednesday, but after 6.pm. to the midnight it is Rahu's day. The baby's is name is based on his/her birth days, and the astrologer will give the suitable names on the base of his Astrological Calculation of which is to be chosen by the patients. Whatever the method the astrologer's use his calculation, the following alphabet is to be included.
Mostly, Myanmar people put the birthday alphabet on the first
word of the name if it has two words, and put the middle if it has
three words. 
 Noviciation When a boy is nine years old, his noviciation or shin-pyu takes place. This is an initiation ceremony making the end of his childhood and the beginning of a period of monkhood. Girls of the same age participate in an ear-piercing ceremony called the nahtwin or ear boring ceremony, which also symbolizes a farewell to the unburdened life of the child. Burmese Cheroot  Myanmar People has its own habit like European and Western people
who smoke Pipe, Cigarette, or chewing gum. Myanmar people are very
fond of smoking Cheroot. Cheroot can be made by corn husk or
Thnatphet leaf. Mostly the filter is made by corn-husk, and the
ingredient of cheroot are the chops of tobacco root, and the pieces
of tobacco leaf which are put inside according to particular formula
that passes generation to generation. Betel Chewing  You can not escape to seeing a small shop at every corner of the
street in Yangon.
The small shop sells the Betel quid, various cigarettes, and Burmese
cheroot. Betel quid is a betel leaf packed with some ingredients
such as a dash of lime, the small pieces of betel nuts, a little bit
of anise seed, and a strip of tobacco which is ready to chew in the
mouth of many Burmese people, and Indian people.The chewing of betel leaf is to be done leisurely, and relax manner so that one will get the real taste of betel quid. You might be gone away if you are offered the pulp of chewed betel quid, but it was done only by the King and Queen who showed their preference to their followers during Myanmar Kingdom. The man of offered the pulp of chewed betel leaf is popular and proud among the others. The result of chewing betel leaf is the lip become red. So For the women and girls, it is a kind of beautifying their lips without any modern lip-stick. Betel Box  During that time of Myanmar Kingdom, the betel leafs, the chops of
betel nuts, Lime box, the anise seed box, and pieces of tobacco are
systematically put in a betel box made by pure gold for the use of
royalty. For the lay people, the box can be lacquerer ware betel box
or bronze betel box according to the social status. The displaying
of betel box nowadays is to show the hospitality or welcoming the
guest to their home. The Role of Betel Box The betel box ruled a very important part of courtship during the last 2 decades. Most of Myanmar young ladies in countryside are hard workers. During the daytime they were involved in the cooking affairs, and cleaning house, and washing cloths. At the evening, they also busy with their spinning cotton fabrics for making the new cloths. The young lady always put fully equipped betel box just besides her spinning wheel of cotton. It is a lovely tradition of Myanmar people to welcome the visitors by putting betel box at the Lounge. It was a tradition for the young man group of bachelors to walk around the village after they have done their daily work, and sit at the house of a young lady to have a chat together. At that time, the young lady showed her preference to the particular young man by offering the betel quid made by her. It was the way to choose their suitor for the young ladies or the girls, and the betel box was very important part of the courtship. Pasting of Thanakha  Most of the girls and women of Myanmar has always a tradition that
is to paste their face with "Thanatkha" after they washed their face
in the morning. It is a kind of beautifying themselves with the
liquid of thanatkha. Thanakha is a word of Myanmar to call a tree
which botanical name is Micheltia champaka or anything like. The
small tusk of Thanakha is obtained from that particular tree that
naturally grown in upper Myanmar. The tusk of thanakha is grinned
with water on a circular stone which has circular engrave around.
Rubbing and grinning of thanakha on the stone with water will get
the sticky liquid glue like taking place in the engraved line of
circular stone. That glue like thanakha is ready to paste on the
face of girls and women. Practically saying, the pasting of thanakha
keeps the skin smooth and relief the sun burn on the face. Marriage  Myanmars tend to get married relatively young. The married itself
requires no religious or civil ceremony, although it should be
registered for the purpose of any future division of property. A
woan does not change her name when married. If her marriage does
break up, she can return to her parents at any time. |
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