AtoZBlogChallenge:S is for Stupas and Shan State

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My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.

A Sea of Stupas

So what's a stupa? Here's a picture of a few. They're solid structures and were originally created as burial mounds. Today they're tributes created by Buddhists for positive karmic results. Destroying a stupa is equated with murder and result in extremely negative karma.

There are different kinds of stupa shapes.

Shan State is a large section of Burma that borders Laos, China and Thailand. It's the only place in Burma that grows garlic, and some rather pricey poppies. It's a wealthy state and the homes as well as the people reflect that wealth.

Shan State headgear identifies what village they come from.

Answers to what do you know about rice?

T 1. In Burma, it's believed the Kachins--people from the northern part of that country-- came from the center of the earth to sow rice seeds. (The myth says the gods sent these people to Burma to ensure life would be perfect all due to an abundance of good food, specifically rice.)

F 2. Rice requires a lot of water to grow, so it's limited as to where it can be planted. (Rice is among the most adaptable food. It can grow just about anywhere, even in deserts.)

NOW what do you know about stupas?

T/F 1. The origin of the stupa is India, and at the center of these there's usually some kind of holy relic.

T/F 2. Pagoda is an umbrella term that includes stupas along with temples and other Buddhist structures.

Answers tomorrow.