Shwedagon Pagoda

Towering over the ramshackle streets of Yangon and drawing the city to it like a colossal golden spaceship, Shwedagon Pagoda is the foremost sacred site of Burma and one of the most spectacular temples of the Buddhist world. The Shwedagon complex radiates positive energy and tranquility, and the effect is magical, if not completely hypnotic. Shwedagon has been sacred for over 2,500 years, though it's probably more alive today than it's ever been.

According to the legend, which originates from a tale in the Pali Canon, two merchant brothers from Burma, Taphussa and Bhallika, traveled to north India and met Siddhārtha Gautama 49 days after his enlightenment. The brothers offered the Enlightened One honey cakes and became his first lay followers. As a gift for Burma's king, Gautama Buddha gave the brothers eight strands of hair from his head, which they brought back to present-day Yangon in a ruby casket — losing and miraculously regaining four of the hairs along the way — and enshrined at the top of Singuttara Hill on the same spot where relics from the three previous Buddhas were buried. (At the beginning of time, five lotus buds appeared atop Singuttara Hill for each of the five Buddhas who would grace the earth and guide humanity towards Nirvana. Siddhārtha Gautama was number four.) The ruby casket was put into an underground chamber, along with a sprinkle of Burmese gems, and covered with a large gold-plated stone slab. Then stupa upon stupa in gold, silver, copper, bronze, iron, marble and finally gold-plated brick were erected on the site. The present structure dates to the 18th century, rebuilt after one of Burma's many earthquakes, and the surrounding pavilions, pagodas and shrines were added during the 19th and 20th centuries. Nobody knows exactly what lies under Shwedagon today, but it's believed there are numerous underground chambers housing these Buddha relics and gems.

The architecture of Shwedagon Pagoda is testament to the natural riches of 'The Golden Land' and to the intense devotion and creative spirit of its people. Built on an octagonal base of 8,677 gold-plated bricks and standing 99 meters (325 feet) high, the pagoda rises from three massive terraces and transforms into different symbolic shapes — the bell, the inverted alms bowl, the turban band, the lotus petals, the banana bud — until it reaches the top where it's crowned with 1,065 golden bells, 7,500 diamonds, rubies and other gems, and a single 76-carat diamond at the very top. The design gives the impression of being at once ancient and modern, masculine and feminine, solid and fluid, earthy and ethereal. It glows different shades of gold throughout the day — from pink champagne at dawn to golden honey at dusk — and emits the faint sound of chiming bells from atop the small shrines surrounding it. Most people circle the stupa clockwise (per Buddhist custom) and make prayers and offerings at different locations depending on their beliefs, affiliations or needs of the day.

After the pagoda, the second-most significant devotional phenomenon at Shwedagon is the group of eight Planetary Posts situated at the eight corners of the pagoda's base. Each Planetary Post corresponds to one of the eight directions on the compass, one of the eight planets recognized in Burmese astrology, one of the eight days of the week (the Burmese astrological calendar divides Wednesday into two at noon), and a mythological animal. The posts are outfitted with a standing water fountain and pool for three small statues: a white marble Buddha, a guardian deity behind the Buddha, and the post's mythological animal at the base. Sunday is most impressive post, guarded by a huge garuda, the bird/beast guard of Mount Meru, center of the universe in Buddhist and Hindu cosmologies. Devotees perform rituals at the post associated with the day of their birth, usually beginning with a standard prayer (okasa) followed by pouring three cups of water (or more) over each of the three statues, and sometimes offering candles, incense, trays of food, flowers and colored paper umbrellas. Astrologers advise people on how to perform their rituals at the Planetary Posts for maximum effect depending on their life circumstances.

Additionally, dozens of smaller devotional sites are sprinkled around the Shwedagon complex, including miracle-working images (always high in demand), nat spirit shrines, a mini version of the Mahabodhi Temple, a bodhi tree descendant from the one under which the Buddha awoke in India, two of Burma's largest bells (Singu Min Bell weighs 23 tons and is legendary in its own right), three stone slabs from the 15th century inscribed with the legend of Shwedagon, a nine meter (30 feet) high seated Buddha, and modern-day graphic scrolls recounting tales of the Buddha's life in a sort of psychedelic visual language. Adding to the surreal atmosphere, figures from the Burmese supernatural world are all around — ogres, flying wizards, earth goddesses, yogis, guardian deities, elephants, lions, naga serpents and other creatures.

Most Burmese Buddhists believe in astrology and nats (spirits) without any sense of conflict with Buddhism. Astrology was introduced to Burma by Hindu Brahmin astrologers who once advised the Burmese Royal Court on political matters, and since then it's played a serious role in Burmese politics and culture. Today, most Burmese believe the day of the week on which they were born greatly influences the course of their lives and consult astrologers (and palmists) when they need guidance on matters of marriage, family and business, or just to avoid back luck and maintain peace of mind.

Nat worship pre-dates Buddhism and nat spirits come in two varieties. The 37 Great Nats are the spirits of people (usually connected to Burmese royalty) who died some kind of violent death. They have bad tempers and need to be controlled, but can also grant wishes if properly rewarded. "Love the Buddha, fear the nats," as the saying goes. (The major exception to this is the king of the nats who goes around doing good deeds.) The other nats are the spirits of natural world — mountains, trees, water, etc. — which are important in a country where most people depend on the land and weather for their livelihoods. Nats are lower than the Buddha, but hugely powerful. Probably every village and Buddhist temple in Burma has a nat shrine, and nowhere do the three belief systems — Theravada Buddhism, astrology and nat worship — syncretize more visibly than at Shwedagon Pagoda.

Aside from being the foremost spiritual site in Burma, Shwedagon is the main social (and political protest) site for the citizens of Yangon. Monks and nuns arrive at four in the morning and fill the site's nooks and crannies in prayer and chanting. Office workers young and old come to meditate before work. Brown-robed yogis circle the pagoda in slow-walking meditation. Friends and families dressed in their Sunday best make their devotional rounds and gain merit for the next lifetime. Young couples and friends stroll hand in hand. Children run around freely and play. People read the papers, chat with friends, have picnics and nap in the shade of the open-air temples. Bands of volunteers work to keep the place clean. Novice monks are initiated in large ceremonies. Groups of Shan, Kachin and other Burmese ethnic minorities come on pilgrimage wearing traditional dress and have their photos taken in front of the pagoda. And so on. It's always a feast for the eyes and soul at Shwedagon, and let's hope it stays this way.