Myanmar’s top temple source of comfort Photo,Myanmar’s top temple source of comfort Pictures, Stills, Survivors of Cyclone Nargis walk with flags at Schewadagon
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/myanmar-s-top-temple-source-of-comfort_photo_7826.htm
Myanmar Photo,Myanmar Pictures, Stills, Buddhist devotees pray at Shwedagon Pagoda on the occasion of
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/myanmar_photo_798119.htm
Myanmar Photo,Myanmar Pictures, Stills, Buddhists devotees pour water on Buddha statue at Shwedagon
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/myanmar_photo_798105.htm
Victims of Cyclone Nargis pour water on a small Buddha statue at the famous Schewadagon Pagoda as they observe Buddha’s birthday Photo,Victims of Cyclone Nargis pour water on a small Buddha statue at the famous Schewadagon Pagoda as they observe Buddha’s birthday Pictures, Stills, Victims of Cyclone Nargis pour water on a small Buddha statue
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/victims-of-cyclone-nargis-pour-water-on-a-small-buddha-statue-at-the-famous-schewadagon-pagoda-as-they-observe-buddha-s-birthday_photo_7346.htm
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Kyaemon
2 comments
Niko
July 11, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Why they pouring the water over that statue? is it Buddha-hood? I also see he carried a small buddha.
Kyaemon
July 12, 2011 at 7:35 am
Niko,
The following extracts from Wikipedia might be helpful to your query.
Vesākha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ves%C4%81kha
“…Some temples also display a small image of the baby Buddha in front of the altar in a small basin filled with water and decorated with flowers, allowing devotees to pour water over the statue; it is symbolic of the cleansing of a practitioners bad karma, and to reenact the events following the Buddha’s birth, when devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him.”
About the “small statue he is carrying”
The gilded statue at the back (the larger one) is the deva or nat/spirit/guardian angel. You must be referring the the smaller white marble Buddha statue in the foreground. It’s not carried by anyone. It’s there for people to pour water as a symbolic offering of cleansing water.
Per astrology, there are 8 such corners for the 7 days of the week. Wednesday has an extra corner, one for Wednesday morning and one for Wednesday afternoon. People pour water according to the day they were born, to obtain blessings.
They are traditions influenced by astrology. Actually, Buddha asked people to understand and practice his Dhamma teachings rather than worshiping him blindly.