Chinese Buddha Sacred Tooth Relic conveyed to Myanmar for obeisance
2011-11-06 22:45
A Chinese Buddha sacred tooth relic was conveyed to Myanmar's new capital of Nay Pyi Taw Sunday afternoon for 48-day public obeisance in the country under the escort of venerable monks.
It is the fourth time that the Chinese Buddha sacred tooth relic was brought to the country for obeisance 15 years after the last conveyance.
Arriving along with the special plane which carried the sacred tooth relic were a Chinese Buddhist delegation led by Director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs of China Wang Zuoan and tooth relic escort team, and Myanmar Religious Affairs Minister Thura U Myint Maung who specially went in advance to Beijing to greet the tooth relic.
Myanmar held a grand ceremony at the Nay Pyi Taw International Airport to greet the arriving tooth relic in accordance with Buddhist practice with national characteristics.
Vice-President Dr. Sai Mauk Kham and other high government officials, representatives of Buddhist circle and followers totaling about 2,000 greeted the Buddha sacred tooth relic at the airport.
The sacred tooth relic is being transferred to colorful floats and white-elephant-decorated vehicles and heading for Nay Pyi Taw' s Uppatasanti Pagoda where President U Thein Sein, along with 6, 000 Buddhist followers, is awaiting for greeting the relic for paying homage.
The Chinese tooth relic will be kept in Myanmar for a total of 48 days for public obeisance from Nov. 6 to Dec. 24 covering three major cities -- Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay.
Of Myanmar's 60-million population, over 80 percent believe in Buddhism. The conveyance of the Chinese sacred tooth relic to Myanmar represents not only a major event of the Buddhist believers but also a fine story of China-Myanmar friendship.
Buddhist culture exchange plays an important part in China- Myanmar friendly exchange, enhancing the understanding and mutual trust between the two peoples.
At the invitation of successive Myanmar governments, the Chinese Buddha sacred tooth relic had been conveyed to Myanmar three times in 1955-56, 1994 and 1996-97 respectively.