vaga #2/7 curiosities

I found many unusual images and strange situations inside the pagodas, curious and incomprehensible.

Part VII

!!! the neon lights !!!

I'll start with my first impression, it was in Vietnam, the NEON lights in religious images, in a temple but I don't remember which religion it was, it was famous for its antiquity and it was a national monument. I saw a permanently flashing neon light next to the image. This was the first thing that left a great impression on me and I said to myself… ..how can someone pray with those flashing lights …… I, coming from a Western religion had never seen anything like it, on the contrary, the sobriety and the atmosphere of western churches are spiritual rather than flashy.

In Myanmar, there are neon lights in almost all the pagodas and I am less impressed, but here none are safe from the flashing neon lights. How aggressive! How does one do a spiritual retreat with so much visual distraction? it looks more like a local disco or home appliance sale,… .. NOPE !!!! I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND IT!!!!!

I took this video in a monastery that was more than 300 years old, with a national reputation. The monastery was built out of wood, carved on all sides, walls, doors, with extraordinary beauty, ancient monasteries are very rare. Everything inside was rather dark, with an atmosphere of seclusion. The monastery is near Mandalay. The photos will come soon because it is a jewel, but   "the neon lights are the thing " JA JA JA

!!! between siesta and a picnic !!!

I will move on to another curiosity and it started in Vietnam with a sign I saw in a temple HOW NOT TO SLEEP? ………    HOW …… ..?

It turns out that when I arrived in Myanmar, on the first day I went to the temple that I have posted about in Vaga 3/10 the photos that tell the story about "Thanksgiving", I saw people having a picnic, literally sleeping, and children playing all inside the temple. It is understandable perhaps because of the heat, a place to protect yourself…. but without any shame, like at home, perhaps it is their home too, it just occurred to me ……… and that's why I just understood the Vietnamese sign, they don't have that custom.

!!! the NATS !!!

This is a private house near the access to the Monte Popa pagoda, one hour from Bagan and the owner courteously invited me to come in. What a weird feeling, on the one hand, I was entering a home that felt like a temple,   BUT NOPE, the kitchen was in the back, I felt overwhelmed,  my senses were saturated.     WHERE SHOULD I LOOK? on the  other hand, to understand the life of this lady who literally lives and sleeps right there…I was left speechless, surprised and perplexed

these characters are called NATS, " spirits  ”. Buddhism has been integrated with the beliefs about the Spirits, but it has never replaced the pre-Buddhist practice, there is a strong belief in the Spirits. 37 figures are side by side with the images of Buddha. Mount Popa, is the most important Temple of the NATS. They are mystical characters and have reached a state of advanced spirituality. Each one represents different aspects; health, life problems, money etc ... These photos are from the Mount Popa pagoda, It is an important pilgrimage in the country, I was there for the Buddhist New Year of Myanmar and it was very crowded, it is a must for them to give their offerings and at that time with more deliberation than normal. Everyone has their favourite, I think, like the Virgen del Carmen or San Antonio etc….In my opinion, each one has its place and they are saturated with strange ornaments, cared for and above all protected, with bars and sometimes I saw a caretaker sleeping there. There were many offerings of food, flowers and money ...  Who is the money for? I believe that it is for the caretakers to live on, and I imagine that they fight for the position.

………. other curiosities, that made it difficult to choose for this page ...... look, yes. look closely and they are repeated, they are like huge flip flops placed on the black floor   …… .. ???

This is an image of a NAT, Spirit, different, and without fabric clothes, but made out of concrete, it is huge and a monk is praying to it. It turns out that I have a high-ranking monk friend who will talk about him and I sent him several of these photos for him to explain to me what was happening here, when he had studied the photos, he told me very clearly that there are monks that are“literated and unliterated in those exact words, if I translate it into Spanish or English it would be seen as uncultured or uneducated, but I don't know if it is the best translation, he told me that they are unliterated and he said it firmly with annoyance. He told me that many monks believe in the NATS and that it is wrong, he only believes in Buddha. He also told me that there are monks who join as adults and therefore lack an in-depth study of the Sutras.

I finish with this photo that I found great, a puppet monk… ..which was a recurring image in Myanmar, but for me, it is a lack of respect and it is irreverent …….  HMMMMM COULD BE ……….