Their bodies were wrapped in maroon robes last week as a small flock of mourners gathered to pay their respects. The Buddhist monk Ks prayed and chanted poems for one of them, the deceased.
One monk, Asinjavanarlinghalla, gripped the robe of a dead colleague on his forehead and whispered the phrase used to announce the death of a loved one. He was clutching a dusty, thin, slightly torn cotton blanket that belonged to the dead monk k. 27 years old. Found near his body on a tiled rub in Mandalay, Myanmar.
The monk's funeral was soon over, but more cremation took place after that day.
Myanmar was already in a humanitarian crisis before the disaster, and was destroyed by a long civil war. The earthquake on March 28th killed thousands of people and also devastated the foundations of society: the country's Buddhist clergy. Thousands of religious monuments and buildings were destroyed, and many monks were buried under the monastery. I don't know how many monks were killed.
Buddhism is the official religion of Myanmar, with around 90% of its people following their faith. It shapes the identity of the country and moral norms, but also blends with nationalism. In recent years, extremist movements have led to Buddhist lynching mobs killing hundreds of Muslims.
Some monks sometimes confronted the army, which has ruled Myanmar for most of their post-colonial history. However, most people remained silent after the general overthrew the civilian government in 2021. Some have blessed the new rulers.
However, the monks are still highly regarded and are considered a source of comfort and humanitarian assistance, especially after natural disasters such as the recent earthquake. Critics say the junta has blocked and restricted aid.
Clergy plays a major role in Mandalay, the second largest city in the country and the Buddhist learning centre. It was estimated that about 50,000 monks lived in the city before the earthquake.
When the earthquake struck, the monks of Mandalay monastery were taking exams to qualify for higher ranks in the city's religious halls.
Monk Asin Nanda Sariya said he was in the building when the earthquake struck. As it collapsed, his roommate's hands were trapped under a mass of falling concrete. Rescue volunteers said he faced a fatal infection if his hands were not amputated. So his friend cut his hand off, seeking a knife. But he never made it.
“I'm still really heartbroken that he had to die that way just because he didn't have the rescue crew trained in Myanmar or the right equipment,” Nanda said.
Monasteries in Myanmar are more than just places of worship. They serve as shelters for homeless people, schools and places where communities gather. Hundreds of monasteries are now located in Kawarabu. Among them are two influential Mandalay. This is an old Masoyin monastery, like a Buddhist university in the community.
These centres also formed the Buddhist nationalist movement, Mabata, or the protection organization of race and religion. It coincided with the military regime and maintained a steady stream of anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Win Zow, 50, a Mandalay resident who regularly visited the Old Masoein Monastery, said he and many others in Myanmar saw the collapse of the monastery and pagoda as “a bad sign as if the country was under a curse.”
“It's a sign that the old days are over and a new Myanmar might come,” he said.
U Eaindra Sakka Viwntha is the abbot of the old Masoeyein Monastery and the leader of the Ma Ba Tha movement. He said his mother and sister died in the earthquake and were buried beneath the collapsed building.
“We don't blame the ground or the sky,” he said. “In Buddhism, we understand that everything happens, everything dies, and even temples live.”
The earthquake has led to the people of Myanmar still trying to understand what the future holds. Over the past five years, they have faced other natural disasters like the coronavirus pandemic, a coup, a subsequent civil war and flooding. But living in a tragedy was not an option for most people.
There's too much to do. People traveled from far parts of the country and distributed goods to those in need. The volunteers shook the tiled rub with their hands while the soldiers stood aside. To thank the volunteers, the shopkeeper threw away all the inclusive clothing worn by both men and women in Myanmar.
When the earthquake struck, Jawanar, the monk who presided over the funeral, was in the same monastery as his friend, Pinier. But he was on the third floor, on the top and still alive.
Pyinnyar, who was on the first floor, was not the case.
“Buddhism teaches you not to ask how you meet it, not why it happened,” Yabanar said. “Be calm, be careful, be considerate and considerate to those who are suffering.”
It was a sentiment shared by other monks who survived the earthquake. The venerable senior monk u zawtika said that trembling of the earth is a reminder that everything is not only for people's lives, but even the ground beneath the feet.
“An earthquake is not sent to destroy us. It's just that the Earth changes, just as long,” he said. “When tragedy comes, we sad. We do not deny the pain. But we chant, we meditate. We remember the Buddha's words.
“This way, we're not clinging,” he added. “We practice compassion for the lost person, suffering, and even for ourselves. That's how we endure it.”
On Saturday afternoon in Mandalay, the body of another monk arrived by ambulance after the Pinillar ceremony was over. His shaved head and chestnut robe were held in dust. He was found on a Friday afternoon and fixed under a fragment in a collapsed religious hall where the monks had been undergoing examinations.
A young monk used a small bowl to gently pour water on the right hand of the dead man, symbolizing his release from secular attachment.
His body was then placed in a black body bag and transported to an urban crematorium. It was then placed on wood on the platform of open land patches.
After that, the monk sprinkled some fragrant flour. It was made of sandalwood. I believe this is a reminder of the impervious nature of life. Volunteers then set the Pier on fire, with specks of ashes swirling in the air.
