D-Brief Edition 20 - Religion

D-Brief

Edition 20

Religion

D-Brief Bangkok, 04 May 2012

Dear Partners, Of all the continents, Asia contains the greatest collection of different beliefs and religions. Asia is not only the birthplace of many of todayâ€&#x;s major religions, but the region holds many legends, myths and stories revolving around religious figures and spirits. Everywhere one finds the fusion of ancient animistic beliefs intertwined with modern religion.

In Myanmar, a land whose main religion is Buddhism, the Nats (spirits) are worshipped during the annual Nat festivals, usually held on a full moon night. The Vietnamese, conversely, will find it difficult to tell you to which religion they belong to as several religions have co-existed for centuries and have become intertwined over time. We also take a closer look at India, the birthplace of four beliefs, namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, and its most renowned places of worship.

A spiritual journey through Asia awaits you with this monthâ€&#x;s D-Brief.

Sincerely,

Your Diethelm Travel Team

Religion Religious beliefs, traditions and practices link people together, ascribe meaning to life and help to cope with the unknown.

Intertwined with human evolution and history, holy places and religious sites make for an interesting visit. Whilst Asia offers infinite temples to see and each place has its own story to tell, this edition of D-Brief focuses on Myanmar, Vietnam and India.

Myanmar’s Nats Myanmar is the perfect example of a country where the belief in old, animist spirits and the later imported Buddhism have co-existed for centuries.

Religious Freedom in Vietnam Many Vietnamese find it hard to identify themselves with one single philosophy.

Cao Dai, a fascinating belief of southern Vietnam, follows this trend and is made up of a mixture of religions.

Birthplace of Four Religions Blessed with a vast array of spiritual places, India is proud to be the birthplace of four major Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Join us on a divine journey through Myanmar, Vietnam and India and we hope you will be inspired to create new itineraries and discover the more spiritual aspects of the region.

Myanmar’s Nats Myanmar is the perfect example of a country where old, animist beliefs and a more recently imported religion have mingled together for centuries. The first teachings of Buddhism reached Myanmar via Indian traders, who also introduced Hinduism to the Burmese, around the beginning of the Christian era. However, it was only in the 11th century AD, when King Anawratha of Bagan imported the complete text of Theravada Buddhism to the Kingdom, and Buddhism spread throughout the country.

spirits remains an essential part of religious life. One reason for this is that, whereas Buddhists are entirely responsible for their own salvation (karma), worshipping Nats provides Burmese people with a second, easier way of dealing with daily problems.

Whilst making headway, Buddhism was met with strong resistance from the Burmese people, who have been worshipping nature spirits and practicing shamanism for centuries. King Anawratha quickly realised that the worship of spirits or Nats must be continued.

There is no official state religion in Myanmar, but the government shows preference for Theravada Buddhism, the majority religion (89%). Other religions present in Myanmar are Christianity (5%), Islam (4%), Hinduism (0.5%), and Animism (1%) and other faiths (0.5%).

Nowadays, every temple in Myanmar includes a Nat shrine, as worshipping

Read on to discover more about this fascinating belief and learn why an old Burmese saying says "Love the Buddha, fear the Nats.“

Nats – The Spirits of Burma What exactly are Nats? Often translated with the word „spirit‟, Nats are much more than just spirits.

Intertwined in the culture and history of the country, Nats are beings caught midpoint inbetween death and rebirth. There are 37 Nats, all of them having played a role, real or legendary, in the history of Myanmar. It is believed that they passed into this state because of violent deaths or great hatred, and are permitted to live in certain places such as Mount Popa or the shrines of Taungbyone.

The Nats are, with the exception of a few, not a very pleasant bunch! They do not do much for free, but can be persuaded to do favours, as long as they get a reward. Hence the main goal is to please the spirits and keep them out of trouble by making offerings. The only Nat who does good deeds without receiving any incentives is the king of the Nats, Thanga Min. Communication between the Nats and humans is made possible by mediums known as Nat Kadaw, who are in fact “married” to a Nat with a special ceremony.

Mount Popa – Home of the Nats Mount Popa, located around 50 kilometres southeast of Bagan, is Myanmar‟s most important Nat pilgrimage site. The mountain is, in fact, an extinct volcano and at 1,500 meters, the highest point within the Bago Yoma range. The main attraction of this region however is the smaller, 730-meter high conic rock Popa Taungkalat, also known as the “ Olympus of the Nats” because it is the home of Myanmar‟s four most powerful Nats.

To reach the top of the volcanic plug with its many shrines and a monastery, one has to climb up 777 steep steps accompanied by a crowd of monkeys.

This effort will be rewarded many times by the extraordinary panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Around the area of the Popa Yoma Mountain lies Popa National Park with its dense sandalwood forests and rare species of birds and butterflies. Other attractions include two important festivals held each year (one in May-June and one in November-December) when people from all parts of Myanmar come to appease and worship the spirits.

Nat Festivals There are many opportunities to experience Nat worshipping in Myanmar. The easiest would be to visit one of the annual festivals held throughout the country according to the Nat of the region. The most important is Taung Pyone Festival, named after the village near Mandalay.

Private ceremonies which are arranged by a Nat Kadaw on behalf of their clients are commonly held by the side of a road or in a clear public space. A temporary bamboo shelter with open sides is erected and draped with red bunting. Carpets or mats cover the ground and a row of high platforms are built to place the Nat images of offerings of fruits and flowers. Anyone can stop and watch for a moment, or for the whole day.

In private residences, the Lord of the Mountain, or Min Maha Giri, who is believed to be the guardian of homes, towns and cities, is worshipped. His shrine is a blemish-free green coconut with its stem intact, hung in a corner near and below the shrine to the Lord Buddha.

Festival Dates 29 Feb 12 – 07 Mar 12 • Pakhan Ko Gyi Kyaw Festival (in Shwe Gu Ni village, between Pakkoku and Myingyan) • Several regional Nat Festivals like Taung Byone and Yadanar Gu 19 Aug 12 – 25 Aug 12 • Shwe Kyun Pin Festival (in Mingun, near Mandalay) 27 Aug 12 – 01 Sep 12 • Taung Byong Festival (in Matara, near Mandalay) This is the most famous Nat Festival in Upper Myanmar. At this festival especially, the youngsters are merry and enjoy drinking. People of all ages join in the Nat dances and ceremonies are mostly held at night.

09 Sep 12 – 15 Sep 12 • Yadanar Gu Festival (near Amarapura) 28 Dec 12 • Taung Byone Natto Nat Festival (in Taung Byone village) 28 Dec 12 • Minmahagiri Nat Ceremony (at Mount Popa)

Religious Freedom in Vietnam When asking Vietnamese people what religion they belong to, most of them will answer that they do not see themselves as having a religious affiliation. Even though Vietnamese like to say that they are non-religious, many people visit temples several times a year. Their manners and the way Vietnamese live their daily life is loosely based on a mixture of viewpoints adapted from many religions, in particular Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

These three religions have been intertwined for centuries and complement the Vietnamese tradition of worshipping spirits and ancestors. This is a practice shared with many other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. An altar is set up in each home or business and offerings are given to the ancestors.

As with their neighbouring countries, believing in ghosts is also common and proper rituals need to be performed to keep them happy.

Most of the population (80%) identify with Tam Dao, a mixture of Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

The remaining 20% practice Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Cao Dai, Theravada Buddhism and other beliefs, whilst most Vietnamese pray to ancestors in some form.

Cao Dai is probably one of Vietnamâ€&#x;s most fascinating beliefs and an excellent example of how the Vietnamese people like to mix and match their religion to their liking. Learn more about Cao Dai over the next pages.

The Cao Dai Belief Cao Dai is often also called the „Vietnamese attempt to create the world‟s best religion‟. Established in the city of Tay Ninh near Ho Chi Minh, Cao Dai literally translated means the “high palace” and refers to the place where God has his seat, the Kingdom of Heaven.

Caodaism was made up from many existing religions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Taoism as well as animistic beliefs. While the Cao Dai pray to God, or the Divine Eye, who created the universe, they also believe in reincarnation and karma, worship spirits and their ancestors and use Taoist practices to communicate with the dead in occult sessions.

Interestingly, Cao Dai worship Jesus Christ, Lao Tse, Confucius and Sakyamuni, representing Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, respectively.

The hierarchical structure of the sect is visibly Western and is made up of bishops, cardinals and a pope. Saints and holy spirits include well-known personalities such as Jeanne d‟Arc, Shakespeare, Lenin, Victor Hugo and Descartes, to name a few.

History of the Cao Dai Founded in 1926, in southern Vietnam, this relatively new faith, with around 2 to 3 million followers, forms an important part of modern Vietnamese history as it has a strong nationalist character. During the Japanese occupation of Indochina, Cao Dai formed its own 25,000 man army and was actively involved in the country‟s politics. Back then, more than half of the southern provinces were followers of the belief and supported both the French and South Vietnamese armed forces. In 1955, Vietnam‟s Premier Ngo Dinh Diem felt threatened that the Cao Dai would undermine his regime and thus dissolved the army and sent the sect‟s pope into exile.

When the communists took over in 1975, Cao Dai, having anti-communist roots, was suppressed by the authorities. However, the belief spread overseas with Vietnamese refugees, many of whom were Cao Dai followers and left because of their fear of being persecuted. Nowadays, Cao Dai continues to attract followers in Vietnam and in the United States, France and Australia.

Cao Dai Ceremonies Hoi Yen Dieu Tri, the most important religious ceremony of Cao Dai, is annually held in Tay Ninh at the „Holy See‟ temple on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. The date coincides with the Vietnamese Mid Autumn Festival and a lot of Cao Dai followers choose to go on a pilgrimage to the „Holy Land‟ of Tay Ninh on this day.

There are many religious activities which can be observed during this event:

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A procession of carriages decorated with flowers and traditional lion dances take place in the area around the Holy See. Women from all over the country compete in a vegetarian cook-off.

Children attend a lantern competition and receive moon cakes, as the Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated on the same day.

At midnight, a service to worship the Great Mother and the Nine Goddesses takes place.

Experience the Cao Dai Just outside Tay Ninh and 90 kilometres northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, one can visit the Great Temple or „Holy See‟ of the Cao Dai. The Cao Dai Temple, as it is more commonly known, was built from 1933 to 1955 in a unique, colourful architectural style that reflects the religion‟s blended traditions.

Most people usually visit on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City and watch ceremonies and take photos from the galleries. Prayers are held four times a day and offer another peek at the religion‟s Eastmeets-West character. The chanting and singing is more Christian than Buddhist, accompanied by clearly Vietnamese music. Women and men are separated and only priests, bishops and cardinals wear colour.

Visitors are asked to wear trousers or skirts covering the knee, remove their shoes before entering, and remain as quiet as possible during ceremonies. The noon ceremony always has the largest audience, since most visitors visit on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City.

India – Birthplace of Four Religions Home to a population of a staggering 1.21 billion people, India is also proud to be the birthplace of four major Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Due to its vast geographical size and sheer number of people inhabiting the country, India has possibly the most diverse religious beliefs of anywhere on the planet.

It is a place of pilgrimage and meditation not only for Indians themselves, but for believers from all over the world.

Buddhists travel to northern India and Nepal to visit the four most important places of Buddhaâ€&#x;s life: his birthplace, the place of his enlightenment, the site of his first teaching and where he finally died.

Gorgeous temples and shrines can be visited in every corner of the country, such as the Jain Temples in Gujarat or the Hindu temples in Varanasi, the holy city on the Ganges River.

India is without doubt an extremely spiritual country and offers much for those who are seeking meditation and wanting to learn more about holy places, traditions and rituals.

Indians are free to follow any religion or faith. However, Hinduism accounts for 80.5% of the population of India. Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.5%), Sikhism (2%), Buddhism (1%) and Jainism (0.5%) are the other major religions practiced in India.

Hinduism With roots dating back to prehistory, Hinduism has no founder, single teacher or any prophets. In fact, Hinduism cannot be pinned down as a single religion, but is more a matter of practice, rather than of belief. Hindus believe that they will be repeatedly reincarnated until they become one with Brahman, the universal soul which is worshipped and believed to be part of everyone. Brahman can take on many forms and is also known as Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Ganesha, among other gods.

Most Hindus worship every day, either at home or at a communal temple, where water, fruit, flowers and incense are offered to oneâ€&#x;s favourite gods. Although Varanasi is not a shrine or temple per se, the city is viewed to be the most famous city and holy pilgrimage site for Hindus. It is here where thousands of believers bathe in the Ganges River to cleanse themselves of sins. The city is also dubbed the "City of Temples," where almost every road crossing has a nearby temple.

Jainism Followers of Jainism believe that all living beings are in a stage of reincarnation and have a soul, and thus are living a life of non-violence and aim to use as little of the worldâ€&#x;s resources as possible. The ultimate goal of Jains is to release the soul from the cycle of reincarnation, which can be done by following the three central ideas of the religion: following the Jain way of conduct by avoiding any harm and being unattached to worldly things, as well as possessing the right view and knowledge of Jainism. This belief is said to have existed in its present form since around the 6th century BC and many Jain temples can be visited throughout India.

Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat have the largest population of Jain believers.

Located in Rajasthan between the cities of Jodhpur and Udaipur, Ranakpur is well known for its marble Jain temple. The temple was built in the 15th century and the whole complex consists of 29 halls, 80 domes and the pavilions include 1,444 pillars, each of them artistically carved with no two pillars being alike.

Buddhism Based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is also better known as Buddha and was originally from Nepal, Buddhism has its birthplace in India.

Buddhism does not include worshipping a god, but is much more a path or lifestyle that believers choose to follow. The ultimate goal is to reach enlightenment, when a person will see reality with absolute clarity. The most basic principles are that nothing is permanent, actions have consequences (karma) and change is possible. Interestingly, Buddhism was almost extinct in India by the end of the 19th century, and is now, almost 2500 years after its creation and thanks to its simplicity and pragmatic approach, becoming trendy with Delhi‟s young working professionals.

Bodh Gaya, the place of Buddha‟s enlightenment, belongs to one of the four main pilgrimage sites of Buddha‟s followers. Devotees can visit the Mahabodhi Temple, which was built 250 years after the enlightenment at the very same spot, or see the ancient Bodhi tree situated to the west of the temple, where Buddha meditated for seven days.

Sikhism Prior to the partition of India in 1947, Sikhs spread all over northern India with Lahore (nowadays in Pakistan) being the capital of the powerful Sikh empire. Nowadays most Sikhs live in Punjab.

Historically, Sikhism can be traced back to Guru Nanak, who was born to a Hindu father and a Muslim mother and aimed to create a new religion based on both ideologies. However, one cannot call Sikhism a hybrid of Hinduism and Islam, as it has evolved with its own disciplines. Sikhs can be identified relatively easily as they wear their hair uncut and wrapped under a Dastar (turban) and also need to wear or carry the following: a wooden comb, a curved dagger or sword, an iron bracelet, as well as specially made cotton underwear.

Harmandir Sahib, also known as „The Golden Templeâ€&#x;, is located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab and is the most well-known place of worship for Sikhs.

Harmandir Sahib, painted in gold, is highly revered because the holy text, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept in the temple.

Ho Mok Pla (Steamed Thai Fish Curry) Thai curries are delicious at all times, but if you are looking for a different approach, we suggest you ry the delicious „ho mok pla‟. In Thailand, this custard made from curried steamed fish, is cooked in little cups made from banana leaves and pinned together with tooth picks. A great snack or appetizer idea!

Ingredients (serves 2) • banana leaves • 300 grams snapper fillet, cut into thin pieces • 5 cabbage leaves, cut into small pieces • 1 tablespoon rice flour • 10 coriander leaves • 2 fresh chilies, sliced thin • 3-4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thin • 2 tablespoons red curry paste • 1 can coconut milk • 2 eggs • 1 teaspoon fish sauce • 2 teaspoons sugar Recipe source: www.ezythaicooking.com

Preparation Method 1. Pour 1 cup of coconut milk in a mixing bowl (separate 1/4 of the coconut milk for the topping), add red curry paste and keep stirring until mixed well.

2. Add the fish into the mixture; stir until the mixture is quite thick. Then add the eggs, fish sauce and sugar and stir well.

3. Heat water in a pot over medium-high heat, add the Chinese cabbage into the boiling water and wait for 3 minutes. Remove the hot water and rinse the cabbage in cold water.

4. Squeeze the cabbage (drain the water), place it at the bottom of each banana leaf cup, fill the cup with the spice mixture and steam it for 30 minutes.

5. Add rice flour into the remaining coconut milk, then mix well and put in microwave for 1 minute.

6. After 30 minutes or when the curry mixture is cooked, garnish each cup with the coconut cream, coriander leaves, chili and kaffir lime leaves. Then steam for another 3 minutes, and remove from the steamer to the serving dish.

Recipe

Coming Up: Dragon Boat Festival – 23 Jun 2012 In Singapore, the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is not only a day to enjoy rice dumplings wrapped in leaves, but also to watch the annual dragon boat races.

Legend has it that on this day, Qu Yuan, a patriot of ancient China, threw himself into the Mi Luo River, in Southern China, in protest against corruption and injustice. When the fishermen heard of Qu Yuan's suicide, they immediately set out in their boats to look for him. It is said that on this day, the tradition of having dragon boat races began. Desperate to prevent fish from eating his body, the fishermen threw rice into the river, which then developed into the custom of eating rice dumplings on the same day.

The National Bedok Reservoir is the setting of the Singapore Dragon Boat Festival 2012. Easily accessible by a 20-minute taxi ride from the city, Dragon Boat teams from all over the world compete against each other in 800 metre races. Another place to watch dragon boat racing is Kallang River, just outside the Central Business District, where various racing clubs have their practice venue.

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