![Myanmar Traditional novitiation march](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Myanmar_Traditional_novitiation_march.JPG)
Shinbyu (; , also spelt shinpyu) is the Burmese term for a
novitiation ceremony (
pabbajja) in the tradition of
Theravada Buddhism
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
, referring to the celebrations marking the
sāmaṇera (novitiate) monastic ordination of a boy under the age of 20.
Shinbyu is considered one of the
Twelve Auspicious Rites in
Burmese culture
The culture of Myanmar (also known as Burma) ( my, မြန်မာ့ယဉ်ကျေးမှု) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Burmese culture has also been influenced by its neighbours.
In more recent times, British colonial ...
. It is deemed the most important duty that parents owe to their son by letting him go forth and embrace the legacy of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, join the
sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
and become immersed in the teachings of the Buddha, the
Dhamma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for ''d ...
, at least for a short while, perhaps longer if not for the rest of his life. A boy may become a novice on more than one occasion, but by the age of twenty there will be another great occasion, the
upasampada ordination, in which the boy becomes a fully ordained
bhikkhu
A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...
( ''bazin'').
Those who are not blessed with a male child will seek for an orphan boy or a boy from very poor families in order to receive this special dispensation by the Buddha and hence gain great merit by the act. Shinbyu may well be regarded as a
rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
or
coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
ceremony as in other religions. Allowing a son to spend some time however short it may be, in a
kyaung
A ''kyaung'' (, ) is a monastery ( vihara), comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Buddhist monks. Burmese ''kyaungs'' are sometimes also occupied by novice monks (samanera), lay attendants (''kappiya''), nuns (''thilashin''), and you ...
(Burmese Buddhist monastery) is regarded by most Burmese Buddhists as the best religious gift that his parents can give him and it is believed to have a lasting effect on his life.
History
![Burmese novitiate-to-be in prince clothes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Burmese_novitiate-to-be_in_prince_clothes.jpg)
The first shinbyu in history is believed to have taken place in the Buddha's lifetime two and a half millennia ago. It was his own son
Rāhula
, sa, Rāhula-bhadra; 2.
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Kapilavastu
, death_date =
, death_place = Sources differ
, title = Patriarch of the Dharma (East Asian Buddhism)
, predecessor ...
who approached the prodigal father, at his mother
Yasodharā's bidding, to ask for his inheritance. "Very well", said the Buddha, "here then is my legacy for you", beckoning one of his disciples to shave the head of the young prince and adorn him with the robe of an ascetic in exchange for his princely dress, and Rahula was then bidden to follow the Buddha to his forest monastery.
Prelude
The abbot ( ''Sayadaw'', lit. royal teacher) of the village monastery will choose an auspicious day for the novitiation; the New Year festival period,
Thingyan
Thingyan (, ; Arakanese: ; from Sanskrit '' saṁkrānti,'' which means "transit f the Sun from Pisces to Aries) is the Burmese New Year Festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan is the first ever water festival celebrated in ...
or ''a-hka dwin'' (), is a favourite time of the year. There may be boys from an extended family or families from the same neighbourhood or village being prepared for it. This usually includes learning how to recite the request for robes called ''thingan daung'' () and the
Ten Precepts ( ''seba thila'')
- they are already familiar with the basic
Five Precepts
The Five precepts ( sa, pañcaśīla, italic=yes; pi, pañcasīla, italic=yes) or five rules of training ( sa, pañcaśikṣapada, italic=yes; pi, pañcasikkhapada, italic=yes) is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay peo ...
( ''ngaba thila'') - as well as some monastic rules. Parents will chide them if they are caught climbing trees or swimming in the river for fear of accidents or catching a bad cold in the run-up to this great event. Their sisters and older members of the family will call at every house in the village with a
lacquerware
Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of small objects carried by people, and larger objects such as furniture and even coffins painted with lacquer. Befor ...
dish of pickled tea leaves called ''
lahpet'' () and invite entire households to the ''shinbyu a-hlu'' ().
And acceptance is indicated by the partaking of the lahpet. Printed invitations however are more common in towns and cities today.
Ceremony
![Shinpyu, Myanmar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Shinpyu%2C_Myanmar.jpg)
Festivals start on the eve of shinbyu called ''a-hlu win'' () with a ''pwè'' () an orchestra and dance/drama/comedy ensemble) and tea for the guests. In the middle of a street, a pandal or ''mandat'' () constructed from bamboo and
papier-mâché
upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti
upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico
Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...
with ornately painted gold and silver columns, pediments and finials has sprung up overnight. Sweets such as
jaggery
Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...
or
cane sugar
Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula .
For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refine ...
bars and ''a-hlu
lahpet'' (), pickled tea laced with sesame oil encircled by small heaps of fried peas, peanuts and garlic, toasted sesame, crushed dried shrimps and shredded preserved ginger) are served with green tea. In towns and cities, assorted cakes, ice cream and coffee have superseded the traditional sweets but ''
lahpet'' still holds centre stage.
The big day starts early with a procession called the ''shinlaung hlè pwe'' () to the monastery, the young boy dressed in resplendent silks embroidered with gold as a royal prince or king, shielded from the sun by a gold umbrella and led on horseback by an orchestral band headed by a clown with a moustache called ''
U Shwe Yoe
U Shwe Yoe ( my, ရွှေရိုး, ; born Ba Galay) was a prominent Burmese actor, comedian, dancer and cartoonist. He was a Burmese Muslim.
U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe dance
He became famous with the Shwe Yoe the jolly joker dance routi ...
'' holding a parasol and dancing merrily. This ritual symbolises Prince Siddhartha's departure from the royal palace with its sensuous pleasures and luxuries at the age of twenty nine, leaving his wife and newborn son in search of the
Four Noble Truths
In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: ; pi, cattāri ariyasaccāni; "The four Arya satyas") are "the truths of the Noble Ones", the truths or realities for the "spiritually worthy ones".[aFour Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encycl ...
. Behind his horse follows the family, his proud parents carrying the monastic robes and other eight requisites, called ''pareihkara shippa'' ()
and his sisters or young village maidens carrying ceremonial boxes of paan ( ''kundaung gaing'') and lotus blossoms ( ''pandaung gaing'') all in their best silks with the rest of the joyous party completing the procession. The Shwedagon Pagoda is invariably a shinbyu procession's first port of call in
Yangon
Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
. The novice-to-be ( ''shinlaung'') may be the centre of attention, but his sister may at the same ceremony have an ear-piercing ( ''na htwin'') with a gold needle, dressed up as a royal princess herself.
![Burmese novitiate-to-be wearing white robes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Burmese_novitiate-to-be_wearing_white_robes.jpg)
At the monastery, the monks are assembled to preside over the ceremony and to receive their young charge as well as various alms and offerings. A feast has been prepared for all with low round tables set on fine bamboo mats and rugs or in a marquee with long bamboo tables and benches. It will have been declared a "smokeless day" ( ''migo deik'') for the village as no cooking fires will be lit and everyone including their dogs are welcome to the feast which includes meat and poultry dishes, soup or broth, curried salted fish with vegetables on the side, fermented green mango or bean sprouts followed by dessert, again with lahpet.
![Cutting the hair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Cutting_the_hair.jpg)
A
brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
may be specially hired to act as master of ceremonies especially for a ''na htwin'', but it is the monks who will supervise and perform the shaving of the head, called ''hsan cha'' (). The hair is received in a white cloth by the parents who kneeling together with the young ''shinlaung'' (), while the boy recites reflects on bodily defilements in
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
, to increase self-detachment from his hair. The boy, now having exchanged his princely garb with white robes, kneels before the Sayadaw and recites the Ten Precepts followed by the ''thingan daung'' (). He receives the saffron robe and is helped into this by a monk. Next he is given his alms bowl ( ''thabeik'') and palm-leaf fan ( ''yat'') from his parents with smiles of joy and tears of sorrow, his mother at the thought of parting with her dear son for the first time.
New novice
![Shinbyu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Shinbyu.JPG)
Even the mightiest of Buddhist kings in history would kneel before a young sāmaṇera because he wore the Buddha's mantle, so the parents pay obeisance ( ''shihko'') to their young son, now held on a higher echelon, as well as to the venerable monks. No physical display of affection can now be considered appropriate until he leaves the monastery. He gains a new
Dhamma name ( ''bwe'') in
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
, traditionally based on an
astrology-based naming system, such as ''Shin Ponnya'' if Thursday-born or ''Shin Tayza'' for a Saturday-born.
A special form of language for monks will be used by the layfolk when they talk to him.
He will be addressed as ''koyin'' () by everyone including his parents and they in turn addressed by him as ''daga gyi'' () and ''dagama gyi'' (). Back in the village, celebrations can resume with the promise of a good ''pwè'' for the evening, another free show for the entire neighbourhood or village called ''aung bwè'' (a show to celebrate success).
See also
*
Pabbajjā
''Pabbajjā'' (Pali; Skt.: ''pravrajya'') literally means "to go forth" and refers to when a layperson leaves home to live the life of a Buddhist renunciate among a community of bhikkhus (fully ordained monks). This generally involves preliminary ...
*
Poy Sang Long
Poy sang long ( shn, ပွႆးသၢင်ႇလွင်း) is a rite of passage ceremony among the Shan peoples, in Myanmar and in neighbouring northern Thailand, undergone by boys at some point between seven and fourteen years of age. It ...
*
Satuditha
*
Upasampadā
Upasampadā (Pali) literally denotes "approaching or nearing the ascetic tradition." In more common parlance it specifically refers to the rite and ritual of ascetic vetting (ordination) by which a candidate, if deemed acceptable, enters the co ...
References
{{reflist, 32em
External links
NibannaShan Shinbyu in Northern ThailandSai Silp, ''
The Irrawaddy
''The Irrawaddy'' () is a news website by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1990 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. From its inception, ''The Irrawaddy'' has taken an independent stance on Burmese politics. As a publication pr ...
'', April 2007
Burmese culture
Buddhism in Myanmar
Rites of passage