Young Buddhist nun in Burma

1968 - Thumalayi Took The Buddhist Vows Rather Than Marry One She Did Not Love: Beautiful nineteen-year-old Burmese girl Thumalayi became a nun rather than marry a man she did not love. Today she lives a simple life in a nunnery near Mongnai in the Shan State. Her hair is shaved off as are her eyebrows because she does not want to be attractive to men - such is her will. She prepares flowers to offer to her god - Lord Buddha. When A Buddhist Boy Enters A Monastery: In the remote Shan states of Burma, one of the great days of a boy's life is when he enters a monastery for a period of up to one week's induction into the 10 precepts of the Buddhist faith. Dressed up in traditional robes, with face powdered and stencilled with floral designs and wearing an intricate headdress, the cost of which is often contributed to by an entire family and their friends, he and any other boys about to enter novicehood are carried around the monastery on the shoulders of adults for all the village to applaud. To celebrate the occasion everyone contributes presents for the monastery. These gifts range from mats and stools, to cutlery, waterpots, fans, slippers spittoons, betel boxes, tinned sardines, cigars etc. Music is provided by the quaint village band. Once the celebrations outside the monastery are over and the boys are taken in by the simple monks they are divested of their clothing and put on the plain, simple robes of the novice. Almost at once their strict, disciplined training begins. Reading and prayers, the teaching of Gautema Buddha, the rules of Buddhist life - all are taught so that when the boy leaves he is considered a full member of the faith. While studying with the monks, the boys live a life which depends on begging for food. Thus, out on the streets these temporary novice monks may be seen with their alms bowls reciting the scriptures and collecting for themselves. These pictures were taken during induction festival and ceremonies in the Shan village of Mongnai. (Credit Image: (c) Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com/Mary Evans)

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19600105 Alms Applaud Begins Betel Bowls Buddha Buddhist Burmese Ceremonies Cigars Collecting Considered Contributed Contributes Cost Cutlery Depends Disciplined Divested Does Enter Enters Entire Everyone Eyebrows Induction Intricate Marry Mats Monks Novice Nunnery Offer Ofter Powdered Prayers Precepts Prepares Provided Quaint Rather Reciting Remote Rules Sardines Scriptures Shan Shaved Slippers Stencilled Strict Studying Taught Temporary Themselves Thus Tinned Vows

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