Sacred Sites of Burma

The sacred sites of Burma are amongst the most beautiful and spectacular in all of Asia. However, the fame and sacredness of these holy places rests almost solely on the myths and legends that surround their founding and the origins of their relics. These Buddhist tales can arise and evolve with astounding speed and creativity drawing on a variety of sources ranging from local folklore to Sri Lankan chronicles. This book uncovers the evidence for and traces the development of these intricate myths across a wide spectrum of sacred sites ranging from Yangon and the Mon State in Lower Burma to Pagan and Mandalay in Upper Burma as well as considering the areas of Shan influence around Inle lake. The author illustrates how sacred sites can emerge with remarkable frequency even in our own time with only those that possess myths catching the imagination of the Buddhist faithful having any chance of long term survival. This book represents an essential read for anyone interested in the development of Buddhism in its many aspects, be they its art, archaeology, history or belief.

On a journey through Southeast Asia, a writer discovers the survival of age-old truths in a world gone mad. "A brilliant corrective to euphemistic travel writing and a profound look at the spiritual life under duress... Wurlitzer sets a new standard of truth for the widening crowd of those who would write about the spiritual life." - San Francisco Chronicle "A dark jewel, sharp and compact...what a rare thing Wurlitzer has written: a book of spirit that cuts to the bone." - Voice Literary Supplement "Favorite 25 books of 1994"

A stunning showcase of exceptional and rare works of Buddhist art, presented to the international community for the first time The practice of Buddhism in Myanmar (Burma) has resulted in the production of dazzling objects since the 5th century. This landmark publication presents the first overview of these magnificent works of art from major museums in Myanmar and collections in the United States, including sculptures, paintings, textiles, and religious implements created for temples and monasteries, or for personal devotion. Many of these pieces have never before been seen outside of Myanmar. Accompanied by brilliant color photography, essays by Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Donald M. Stadtner, and scholars from around the world synthesize the history of Myanmar from the ancient through colonial periods and discuss the critical links between religion, geography, governance, historiography, and artistic production. The authors examine the multiplicity of styles and techniques throughout the country, the ways Buddhist narratives have been conveyed through works of art, and the context in which the diverse objects were used. Certain to be the essential resource on the subject, Buddhist Art of Myanmar illuminates two millennia of rarely seen masterpieces.

""The Irish Buddhist tells the story of a poor Irishman who worked his way across America as a migrant worker, became one of the very first Western Buddhist monks, and traveled the length and breadth of Asia, from Burma and present-day Thailand to China and Japan, and from India and Sri Lanka to Singapore and Australia. Defying racial boundaries, he scandalized the colonial establishment of the 1900s. As a Buddhist monk, he energetically challenged the values and power of the British empire. U Dhammaloka was a radical celebrity who rallied Buddhists across Asia, set up schools, and argued down Christian missionaries - often using western atheist arguments. He was tried for sedition, tracked by police and intelligence services, and died at least twice. His early years and final days are shrouded in mystery despite his adept use of mass media. His story illuminates the forgotten margins and interstices of imperial power, the complexities of class, ethnicity and religious belonging in colonial Asia, and the fluidity of identity in the high Victorian period. Too often, the story of the pan-Asian Buddhist revival movement and Buddhism's remaking as a world religion has been told "from above," highlighting scholarly writers, middle-class reformers and ecclesiastical hierarchies. By contrast, Dhammaloka's adventures "from below" highlight the changing and contested meanings of Buddhism in colonial Asia. They offer a window into the worlds of ethnic minorities and diasporas, transnational networks, poor whites, and social movements, all developing different visions of Buddhist and post-imperial modernities. ""--

Details the history of the city of Pagan.

This book contains a comprehensive list of Sacred Places from around the world.

Sacred Places visits more than 30 sites around the globe, from Mexico to China, Norway to India, taking in hallowed halls of temples and shrines, mystical mountains and places of pilgrimage. Location maps place each site in context.

World travelers and armchair tourists who want to explore the mythology and archaeology of the ruins, sanctuaries, mountains, lost cities, and temples of ancient civilizations will find this guide ideal. Detailed here are the monuments and sites where ancient peoples once gathered to perform sacred rituals and ceremonies to worship various gods and to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Important archaeological, historical, and geological destinations worldwide are profiled, from the Great Pyramid in Egypt and the Forbidden City in China to the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia and Mount Shasta in California. Sites are described in historical and cultural context, and practical contemporary travel information is provided, including detailed maps, drawings, photographs, and travel directions. This replaces 1888729023.

This thought-provoking book draws on the worldwide collections of the British Museum for its inspiration. Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of that institution, its theme is appropriate to the event. The book addresses the questions of how and why we remember, drawing its evidence from across world cultures, and from antiquity through to contemporary times.

Now thoroughly revised and updated, this encyclopedia documents the diversity of shrines, temples, holy places, and pilgrimage sites sacred to the world's major religious traditions, and illustrates their elemental place in human culture. • Over 300 A–Z entries covering sites and pilgrimages sacred to the world's major religious traditions • Illustrative photographs and maps • A glossary of relevant terms • Appendices listing sites by country, faith tradition, and placement in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites

In honor of the U.N. Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples, this landmark study of human rights provides a provocative look at indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities whose lives and cultures are threatened with extinction. Simultaneous.