THE MAGIC OF MYANMAR
It’s the place I keep coming back to — my home away from home. My soul embraces this country as it would a good friend or a beloved family member. Whenever I visit this place, my spirit is renewed and my zest for life heightens. Why? There are possibly a million of reasons; or maybe it’s magic. It’s the magic of Myanmar; a mystery that I love unraveling with every visit.
Going to Myanmar is like going back in time to a surreal land filled with grandeur and wonder. The heritage of the country has paved the way for some magnificent relatively untapped, spellbinding architecture that never ceases to awe me. As I walk their streets, I feel a surge of excitement because of the picturesque beauty I am seeing. This is accompanied with a sense of calm like the world is standing still for a period of time. The ruins of the past are surrounded by greenery as if to frame it while the other structures stand proudly in the city. A word to describe the experience would be “impassioned.”
A multitude of majestic, breathtaking temples surrounds the ancient city of Bagan, each temple bearing its own fingerprint in the land with its own history and beauty. A rush of adrenaline fills my body whenever I experience climbing the temples, running my hands through the intricate architecture with my eyes closed, and imagining the creative genius that was behind it.
The best time to appreciate the magic of Bagan is when the sun’s rays glide through the temple walls at dawn. At the pinnacle of a temple, gazing over the other temples, with the gentle breeze breathing life into the experience, it becomes the perfect moment to pause and lose yourself in the serenity of the moment.
The majestic, towering Shwedagon Pagoda and the mysterious Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda (the Golden Rock) are only a few of beautiful structures towering the country. The Shwedagon Pagoda is believed to be the most sacred temple in the country. The golden structure stands a magnificent 99 meters, overlooking the city. I was astonished to know that it is covered with gold and (reportedly) contains Buddha’s hair. The stupa (a hemispherical edifice containing relics) contains 4,531 diamonds, the largest being 72 carats. Most of the Myanmar people go there at least once a week to pray.
Monks are ubiquitous in the city, exuding the peace that is felt at dawn, on top of a temple. I was extremely blessed to meet and converse with a very wise and kind female monk who enlightened me on how to meditate. I was astounded to know that female monks exist. She opened my eyes and taught me how our mind governs our body and how true happiness is dependent on ourselves, not on anything nor anyone else. In
Going to Myanmar is like going back in time to a surreal land filled with grandeur and wonder.
fact, everyone can achieve true happiness. It was a dreamlike experience walking around with her, conversing about life and love. It was as though I was the leading act in a story, being schooled by a mentor. I felt God’s presence in her. At the end of our encounter, she gave me her blessings. Hopefully one day, I can visit her in her monastery.
Beyond the beauty of the place is its people. Myanmar is a rich country not only because of the heritage, but also because of the beautiful souls that walk its streets. I am moved by how much love they have for Buddhism, as seen in the way they practice it with their whole heart. The people are very sincere and soft-spoken. I also admire the way they proudly wear their national costume, a reflection of how much affection they have for their country. The majority of Myanmar people wear longyi. Made of cylindrically shaped sown fabric, it is slipped over the heads and worn tucked in at the waist. Men gather the garment into the center and knot it at the waist. Women, on the other hand, wrap it around their waist and tuck it in the side of the waist.
These are some of the many things that made me fall in love with Myanmar’s world. Each visit that I take to a different country builds a beautiful, original memory in my mind that I cherish. It’s not how many times I’ve visited the place, but how many memories I gain from each visit. I can’t wait to experience more.