Monday, August 16, 2010

Burmese Temples

I found these interesting 19th century photos of Burmese temples and monasteries and thought you might enjoy seeing them.

7 comments:

ricoBaby said...

nice. they dont look like christmas wats at all. amazing

Anonymous said...

Beautiful architecture! It's amazing that people have the capacity to design and build such complicated (at least to my eyes) structures. I don't think I'd have the patience!

Anonymous said...

Love these photos. What wonderful architecture!

Anonymous said...

I just went through you book 'The Broken Buddha'. Being a monk ordained in a Theravada tradition, I never thought of myself as a Theravadin, neither a Mahayanist, but simply a Buddhist monk try my best to practice what i can...

I do have lots of disagreement about the ways of 'SOME' Theravada monks and their ways of life in Sri Lanka where i lived for more than 10 years. My experiences in Sri Lanka were not all positive but not all negative either. While your book is a nice wake-up call for many traditional non-creative Theravadins, i find your book is also a serious misunderstanding, and misinterpretation of Theravada and real Theravadin culture and practice,

I WONDER, IF YOU HAVE EVEN UNDERSTOOD WHAT THERAVADA IS, AND HOW VINAYA FUNCTIONS

PLEASE DON'T PUT ALL THERAVADINS INTO ONE BOX. THERE ARE GOOD THERAVADINS WHO STILL ARE PRACTICING GENUINELY.

Shravasti Dhammika said...

Dear Drokpaboy,
If you turn to page 24 you will notice my comment that one ‘encounters good scholars in the Sangha, sincere practitioners and just simple decent human beings’. Similar comments on good monks or about them can be found on pages, 16, 21, 73, 98, 99, 104, 117, 131, 146, etc. I do not put Theravadins in one box and I hope you will not to put my reflections in one box.

Herminator said...

Hi

How about telling us where these pics are?

I recognise the Shwedagon, but not much more!

Hermann

Shravasti Dhammika said...

Dear Hermann, sorry but like you I have no idea where in Burma these temples were/are other than Shwedagon. It would be nice to know so we could see what they look like today.