The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-10
BURNING A. MONK IN BURMAH.
a REWARD ron sAINTLINEss AND
sANCTITY.
Ceremonies at the Funeral of AUX
hIeRah sayndnw.
From Black and White.

hAeEan say auNW
From Black and White.
The burning of monks in Europe
though now an obsolete custom, was
sometimes resorted to in the brave old
days TO cure them of their supposed sin
fulness, but in Burmah monks are burn
cd on account of their sanctity. and the
more holy and sanity the man the great
er the pomp and circumstance of his burn
ing. The ceremony called Phongyi Byan,
or The Return of the Great Glory" is
one of the most characteristic and inter
esting in Burmah, and it has often been
wildly described both by those who have
and by those who have not witnessed It.
The following account. however, since it
differs in many details from the classic
descriptions of previous writer's, may
serve to show that even in Burmah,
where custom is the ultimate authority,
change is now a motor greatly at work.
To fully understand the ceremony one
must begin with some appreciation of the
mdn
Aukhlegah sayadaw was known far
and wide for the devotion and saintliness
~ MS AAASs iit was an UIIdlneul 10 tHe
sacred order of the yellow Robe an ex-
ample to many of those who, like himself.
were seeking to escape from the troubled
current of continuous life, for such is
the pious Buddhists ambition. He had
been for years the head of his monastery,
whose pinnacleS and clustered roofs are
visible from the dusty city amid their
framework of cool, green, slender palms.
Here ne was visited by many devout men
and women, who came drawn by his pres
ence and the fame of his great pietv.
Here in its sheltered gloom. seated on
the raised dais of priestly honor, near
one of the great red and gold columns of
teak which support its sevenfold roof, the
Sayadaw (the royal teacher)-thin with
age and fervent asceticism-was about to
receive the visitors.
Aneetsa, Dookha, Anata-Change Sor-
row. Unreality-such was the main bur
den of his talk, the devotional formula
OF his life. Hour after hour, when his
visitors had gone and the last flash of
their silken skirts had long since disap-
peared in the outer sunlight he would sit
and brood on the mystery OF life The
beads of his rosary would turn slowly in
his withered hands; no sounds would
break from his lips save at intervals
when, with a sigh, he repeated the sad
confession of his faith. Aneetsa, Dock
ha, Anata-Change Sorrow, Unreality-
such was Aukhlegah Sayadaw. the man.
the weary waiter for the death that was
to bring him one step nearer to ultimate
release.
One night as the old monk lay asleep
in a quiet corner of the monastery his
life insensibly futtered away, and when
at dawn the monastery bell Changed out
and the novices awoke and came by with
the brethren to pay their respects to
their venerable head they found that the
great change had come He hath re-
turned said one, 'he hath returned to
the heavens whence he came" For
monks like kings, in Burman never die,
that is the lot only of the common peo-
pie.
The question, at once arose as to the
disposal of his body-that tenement of
little more than bones and wrinkled skin
in which the light of his life had burned.
The chapter OF Phongyis, hastily assem-
bled for the purpose, decided unanimously
on a great ceremony of public cremation.
1t had been foregOne conclusion for
many years A meeting of his disciples and
lay supporters was called at which con
tribuuOns toward the expenses were Of
fored, and the first general details set
tied. It was felt on all hands that the
ceremony must be made an imposing one.
The LOogyis, or head man of wards in
the neighboring town, called successive
meetings to the same end at which con-
Iributions. of money, of velvet carpets and
decorations were rendered. The share Of
each ward and quarter of the town in
the general arrangements was appor1ion-
ed and subscriptions We're lodged for the
purpose with the head men, whose honor
in such matters is implicitly trusted, for
a rendering of accounts forms no part at
any time of the proceedings.
Meanwhile-n the tropics such matters
brook no delay-the body of the dead man
had been embalmed. The viscera had been
~,
pound of saffron, camphor, quicksilver
and honey. The body had been wrapped
tightly In folds of yellow cloth, bound
up in bamboo splints to keep it rigid and
wrapped again in yellow and white cloth
Thereafter it was placed in a coffin of
zinc, which was soldered, and finally in
closed in a wooden case, not followed, ac-
cordng to old usage, out of a single trunk
Placed on a bier in a prominent position in
the kyaung where he had lived, it remain
ed for many months. the object of many
visits and much interest. Small figures
of Gautama, the Buddha, some in rold
and silver seated under the hoods of white
snake-dragons carved in ivory, We're placed
on the coffin. Each morning a the "Phon-
gyis' feeding time the dead mans sue
cessor came and placed a cup of water
some rice and plantains near the bier,
with the words, Food for you to cat
Playa The same ceremony was On
served at the noonude meal. So the
months passed.
The pious came as before on duty days.
and prayed by the coffined corpse, burn
ing their incense sticks before it, and plac-
ing on the bier their offerings of flowers.
the champak, the threaded jasmine, and
scattered petals of roses. Some beat
their breasts and wept with long-drawn
ECZEMA dtching, Burning, ScaIy