the monks title
be kurious logos

THE MONKS: Spiritual People Of Burma

From the very beginning I was amazed by this incredible country and even more by its spirituality which is really interesting. In this project I selected photos I took all over the country in an aim to understand a little more about the Buddhist monks.

monks pilgrins in golden rock

Two monklets visit Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo), the most sacred place in Myanmar

Young monks enjoy their free time in a monastery in Bagan

 

 Myanmar is the country with the biggest proportion of monks and religion related expenses. 89% of the population is Buddhist, from the Theravada tradition.

Monks in burma
monk praying in bagan visit travel myanmar top sites
ubein bridge in mandalay top site

(up) Many ethnic groups  like the Shan or Bamar combine the Buddhists traditions with previous beliefs of Nats (spirits). I came across this monklet praying in an ancient pagoda in Bagan

Two Nuns walk over the U bein Bridge in Mandalay. The longest teak bridge in the world

 
monks in mandalay what to see

Two monks walk the streets of Mandalay on their way to the local market

 

Four monklets in  a monastery in Bagan

 
 
monks in bagan best temple

I found these monks having fun during a break from their tasks. They were repairing the entrance of a cave in Hpa-an

 
 
monks playing in hpa an
nuns in hpa an myanmar how to visit

These nuns take care of the cleaning of the sacred caves of Hpa-an

 
 

According to the tradition when kids are 7 they join the monastery for a month. I took this photo in Mrauk U, where I was incredibly lucky to be invited to the ceremony and following celebration of the entry of four new monklets

 
 
new monks in mrauk u
top sites in hsipaw trekking

A monk taking a shower in the village of Pankam close to Hispaw, in the Shan state

 

(down) Young monk plays football in Bagan. This is my favorite photo as I had lots of fun with these kids

 
 
 
monk in bagan archeological site

Daily almsround (pindacara) to collect food. Most of the Theravada monks in Myanmar  wear maroon or ochre robes. In Thailand, Laos or Sri Lanka they wear saffron coloured ones  instead. These monks walk the streets in Hsipaw village

monks in hsipaw trekking site

Being such an important part of the Burmese society and highly respected they have been crucial for the developing of the present Myanmar. They are considered the third political group and hold a better organization than the military one.

 

Since the British colonialism they have been fighting towards independence. Then, during the military government they were responsible for many riots that lead the country to democracy. More recently, in 2007, they protested in the «saffron revolution» against the ridiculous petrol prize rise. This meant death for many.

Pin it !

Pinterest Spiritual burma monk study
Pinterest Spiritual analysing the monks
Pinterest Spiritual monks in burma
Pinterest Spiritual Myanmar golden rock
Bagan sunset point