Where to see Shinbyu, a novice initiation ceremony: Why young boys become monks in Myanmar

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Where to see Shinbyu, a novice initiation ceremony: Why young boys become monks in Myanmar

By Julie Miller
Shinbyu is a two-day rite of passage mimicking the Buddha's transition from secular to spiritual.

Shinbyu is a two-day rite of passage mimicking the Buddha's transition from secular to spiritual.Credit: Shutterstock

A young boy, resplendent in a crown, canary silks and a full face of make-up, perches precariously on a makeshift throne, clinging for dear life as he's ferried around the golden Myat Tha Lon Pagoda in Magwe, Myanmar, on the shoulders of four burly men.

Behind him stretches a procession of revellers; four other princes, parasol-bearers protecting them from the searing sun, their adoring families carrying baskets of fruit, little girls adorned with lotuses, and a band of dancing musicians, including a gender-bending jester playing to the laughs of a large gathered crowd.

As the clearly terrified boy approaches on his palanquin, our Scenic Aura guide Tu-Tu asks him why he looks so worried. "I'm scared," he tells her, "but mostly excited."

Young buddhist novices walk to collect alms and offerings in the monastery of Maha Gandhayon Kyaung.

Young buddhist novices walk to collect alms and offerings in the monastery of Maha Gandhayon Kyaung.Credit: Shutterstock

This is the biggest day in this young man's life – the start of possibly a lifelong journey into religious dedication. In Myanmar – considered the most Buddhist nation in the world – it is customary for a boy, aged from seven to 20, to enter the monastery for at least a week, with more than 500,000 going on to become fully-ordained monks.

For many families, sending their son to the monastery is a ticket out of poverty, with free education guaranteed; and for those with more wealth, it's the chance to celebrate in style, to splash out on festivities as a display of their religious devotion.

Shinbyu, the novice initiation ceremony, is a two-day rite of passage mimicking the Buddha's transition from secular to spiritual, beginning with a ceremony and parade at the temple and through the town, privately funded either by the boys' families – who often save for years to contribute – or wealthy members of the community, allowing poor children and even orphans to participate in the extravaganza.

After parading around the pagoda, the celebration we are witnessing in Magwe – held on an auspicious date just prior to Burmese New Year – continues into town, with the young princes boarding elephants and horses and the raucous parade gaining momentum as it approaches the monastery.

A prominent figure in the celebration is a dancing clown with a moustache, U Shwe Yoe, and his gender-fluid sidekick, Daw Moe, based on characters from a 1923 Burmese film. Their madcap dance and exaggerated gestures have become an essential part of traditional ceremonies, all for the amusement of spectators.

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At the monastery, however, the serious business commences with prayers and offerings; then, the boys swap silks for robes, lining up for the humbling experience of head and eyebrow shaving, locks of hair caught in a white cloth to symbolise detachment from worldly pleasures.

Now, as novice monks, the boys are expected to follow daily rituals: rising before dawn, collecting alms, learning scriptures and fasting from noon to dawn. The aim is to teach self-discipline, with the novices expected to adhere to 10 pre-determined precepts or rules.

Strict as it may sound, however, the boys are still encouraged to be children; during a visit to a monastic school in the town of Sagaing, we watch as more than 300 boys play, hip-hop dance and saunter in the playground, encouraged by their teacher to have fun like regular kids in between studies.

Caught up in exuberance, one little maroon-clad boy grabs my hands, begging me to swing him round and round, laughing, squealing, then staggering like a drunkard after his whirligig landing.

No airs, no graces, no religious barriers – just a little prince, full of joy.

TRIP NOTES

MORE

traveller.com.au/Myanmar

FLY

Singapore Airlines flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore with onward connections to Yangon. See singaporeairlines.com

CRUISE

Scenic's all-inclusive 14-day Mystical Irrawaddy cruise departs Mandalay en route to Yangon (or vice versa). Prices start from $9290 a person twin-share, with the season running until the end of April 2019. For bookings phone 138 128 or visit scenic.com.au

Julie Miller travelled courtesy of Scenic.

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