Shin Pyu

 The excitement was palpable as we entered the village of Tan Nawn Kane where Saya Htay’s nephew Chan Htet Win and nine others would be inducted into the monastery that evening. The excitement became ever more febrile as small girls were bedecked in shining satin for such a special day. Their mothers were similarly attired though most in milder colours. The venues for the ceremony would be divided between the monastery and the hall. We would visit both several times for different functions.

First, Win San, Saya Htay and everyone else set off on foot for the traditional tour of the village that would take a couple of hours. This was to share the special day with as many as possible. I was not expected to walk and Ko Thin Htet Aung, who is U Aung Win’s son, was deputed to take me on his motorbike. We would stop several times to allow the procession, about two kilometres long to pass by.

Riding sidesaddle on a motorbike is not my chosen mode of travel, but it sure beats bullock carts as I see one after the other jolt and crack down rock holes in the unmade road. I try to look confident even as I conjure a picture of the Guest of Honour falling off the pillion flat on her face.

It is a very long walk for the little ones in the procession, but they struggle along and make the procession up to the monastery then later back down to the hall. Here, mercifully, the band had changed to a modern one with a singer and amazingly is much less ear splitting than the traditional music.

At the monastery we were directed upstairs to a room where dozens of low circular tables were covered with dishes of grapes, apples, bananas, papaya and watermelon all cut up ready for eating. There were also slices of cake and biscuits, which I opted for as both had been cooked. I am being mega careful this time not to end up in hospital on my return to KL or, worse, before I left Myanmar.

This, I assumed was our lunch, but no. This was a pre-lunch feast. I was introduced to several sayadaws and talked with them through Win San. They were first to be served lunch proper and I was bustled away as the monks eat alone. They have to take lunch very seriously because they may only eat until 12.00 mid-day after which they cannot eat until they bring back the food that the villagers put into their thabieks (sp?) some time after 5.30 next morning.

I learned that the Astrologer had picked the auspicious days for the Shin Pyu to be held as the 9^th and 10^th April. It had to be after everyone had paid their respects to the nats in March. If respects are not paid, the nats would be jealous and cause trouble. The days had to be before Thingyan the Myanmar New Year, which starts with the Water Festival on 12^th April.

After lunch came the important ritual of shaving the head, then came the talk by the sayadaw to the would-be novices. All of them had to agree to the ten required rules and they put on their russet robes and were admitted as novices into the monastery for a week, a month or several months. Some novices go on to being monks, but the majority stay only a short time.