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C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

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AtoZBlogChallenge:N is for Nuns

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Join in the fun! 
It only takes a minute to visit more on AtoZers on the Linky.

My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so this was a return to Southeast Asia that I looked forward to. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.

Nuns’ Robes are a Brilliant Pink

There are about 30,000 Nuns in modern Burma. They’re called Sila-Rhan meaning “owners of virtue.” While all male Buddists become either novice monks when they’re children or monks when they are adults, not all females are compelled to enter the monastery, even for a brief period. 

On this day, I was in a market and the Nuns came through singing with their begging bowls. I contributed 50Kyat (pronounced CHAT) to their bowl and snapped a picture. I wish I had the singing to share. It was a beautiful chant.

Burma is all about Color, Even in Nun Robes
Young Nun Shopping

Answer to M
T 1. Mandalay was the last royal capital in Burma. (When the British took over Burma, they exiled King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat. There would never be another royal capital in Burma after November 1885.)

T 2. Mandaly was occupied by the Japanese for three years following a heavy air assault on the city. (The Japanese destroyed over half of the homes in Mandalay and sent people fleeing into the countryside. The conquerors remained in control from 1941 to 1945.)

NOW what do you know about nuns in Burma?
T/F 1. All women in Burma are required to become nuns and follow the tradition of what is called the bhikkhunis. 

T/F 2. Nuns have an equal status with monks.

Answers tomorrow.

Comments

  1. What an interesting theme! I know pretty much nothing about nuns in Burma, except for what I've read here today : ) Thanks for stopping by my blog…enjoy writing your way through the rest of the alphabet!

  11. Why am I thinking of Sinead O'Connor?? 🙂 Well I got 50% again but learning allot. The colours are beautiful even if it is pink. I would say False to the first but true to the 2nd. Let's see if I get this right:)

  19. made me think and google "pink nuns" – because I knew there are catholic nuns wearing pink 😀 they are called Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration 🙂

  21. Hey Lee!

    I read your post and I read all the comments. Your posts, when I can actually get here, are of great interest to me. Such a fascinating life you've had.

    Perhaps neither answer is correct aka nun of the above….

    With that, I shall chant my way out of here…..

    Your intermittent, yet weirdly loyal, starstuckest fan!

    Gary

  22. I've read all the comments this morning again, and I'm pleased that the posts are still interesting to my visitors. I wish I could reply to each comment, but again let me say, I read them all and if you've turned on your email response, I often reply there. Happy Thursday, USA. Not sure where others are, but Happy Any Day rest of the world.

  27. Hi Lee – I love the colours of their robes … I think you said that not all nuns have to go into a monastery … but I'm sure they don't have equal status with the monks …

    But the photos are delightful .. showing us a little of daily life .. cheers Hilary

  30. Wow! That is so interesting. I feel like I'm just soaking in story possibilities with every one of your posts, C. Lee. Thanks for sharing the details of your journeys. 🙂 And, I love the colors, too. 🙂