Buddhist Monuments and Temples of Myanmar and Thailand

By W. Vivian De Thabrew

This is a mainly pictorial work, featuring recent color photographs taken by the author of the many different styles and features of Buddhist images, stupas, or pagodas found in two of the most prominent Buddhist countries in Asia. Accompanying the photographs is the text describing the magnificent architectural heritage of Buddhism and also explaining the origin and development of the images and stupas. The photographs attempt to exhibit the physical expression of one of the worlds major religions, which now has many adherents in the West as well as in the East. These Buddhist sites now attract many thousands of visitors, both pilgrims and tourists, all year round. This book showcases the most prominent sites for both the visitor and the armchair traveler.
This is the second in the authors series of books on Buddhist architecture and iconography. He is, at present, working on a third volume, Buddhist Monuments and Temples of Cambodia and Laos.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491896228

W. Vivian De Thabrew

Born in Balapitiya, Sri Lanka, Vivian De Thabrew received his formal education at Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and obtained his first and postgraduate degrees in the UK. He has travelled in many Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has made a special study of Buddhist history, architecture, and the iconography of Buddhism. This interest and his knowledge of Pali and Sanskrit have also led him to produce an abridged translation and adaptation of stories from the “Dhammapada.”

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2014 W. Vivian De Thabrew. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse: 02/28/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-9621-1 (sc)

       978-1-4918-9622-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Glossary

List of Illustrations

Introduction

The Life of the Buddha

The Buddha Image

Buddhist Stupas

Myanmar

Thailand

References

Author’s other titles:

Lawns: a manual of lawn care

Lawns, sportsgrounds and playing areas

Popular tropical aquarium plants

Coldwater aquarium plants

Water plants of Sri Lanka

Water plants of Sri Lanka (2nd edition)

The Subhashitaya of Alagiyawanne Mukavati

A manual of water plants

In this series:

Monuments and temples of Orthodox Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka

Dedication

To my parents

and

To all those interested in Buddhist civilisation and culture

Acknowledgements

I acknowledge with grateful thanks the contribution made by my daughter, Maya De Thabrew, in supplying me with the following photographs:

Plates: 49, 53, 54, 57, 60, 62, 64, 65, 68, 69, 72, 73, 76, 81, 82, 86 and 87.

My special thanks are due to my wife Coral for painstakingly editing and processing all the material physically and electronically; without her efforts this book would not have been possible.

Special thanks are due also to the staff at Author House, Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A., for their continuous advice and guidance in producing this book in its attractive form.

Glossary

List of Illustrations

Cover illustration: Buddha image, Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

Myanmar (Burma)

Amarapura

Mahamuni Image

Sakai Pagoda

Shwe Motehtaw. Pagoda and Temple

Toumengyi Pagoda and Temple

Bagan (Pagan)

Ananda Temple

Buphaya Pagoda

Buphaya Temple

Gaw Daw Palin Phaya

Gubyauk Gyi Temple

Kimeka Temple complex

Kimeka Pagoda (Sri Lankan style)

Mingalazedi Pagoda

Thatbinnyu Phaya

Bago (Pegu)

Four Buddha Pagoda

Kalyani Sima Pagoda

Mahazedi Pagoda

Scinthalyaung Reclining Buddha

Shweaungywe Pagoda

Shweaungywe Buddha and His first five disciples

Shwemawdaw Pagoda

Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha

Inwa (Ava)

Old Buddha Image

Old Pagoda

Mandalay

Entrance to Mandalay Hill

Mahawizayaranthi Pagoda

Kuthodaw Pagoda

The Pitaka Pagodas of Sandamuni

Sandamuni Pagoda

Shweyathaw pointing Buddha image, Mandalay Hill

Mawlamyein (Moulmein)

Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda

Uzina Pagoda

Kyaik Than Lan image

Kyaik Than Lan temple complex

Win Sein Reclining Buddha, Mudon

Pyay (Prome)

Bawbawgyi Chedi (Pagoda)

Bei Bei Pagoda

Lay Myet Hna Pagoda

Phaya Gyi Chedi (Pagoda)

Rahanda Cave Temple

Shwesandaw Pagoda

Thaton

Kyak-Hti-Yo (Golden Rock Pagoda)

Yangon (Rangoon)

Botataung Pagoda

Botataung Pagoda and Temple

Botataung Buddha image – main shrine

Botataung Tooth Relic reliquary

Sule Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon reclining Buddha

Thailand

Ayutthaya (Ayodhya)

Wat Mahathat

Sandstone Buddha head, Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Lokaya Suttha image

Sunset in Ayutthaya

Bangkok

Golden Mount Pagoda

Golden Mount standing Buddha image

Loha Prasad

Wat Arun ceramic mosaic detail, Loth Buri

Wat Arun Pagoda, Loth Buri

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Pho

Wat Pho Temple

Wat Pho Temple

Chiang Mai

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang reclining Buddha

Buddha image, Wat Chiang Mun

Wat Phra Singh Temple

Buddha image, Wat Phra Singh Temple

Wat Pan Ping

Wat Sum Pow

Phitsanulok

Wat Phra Maha Chinnaraj entrance

Prang of Wat Phra Maha Chinnaraj

Buddha image, Wat Phra Maha Chinnaraj

Buddha images in cloisters, Wat Phra Maha Chinnaraj

Standing Buddha image, Wat Phra Maha Chinnaraj

Wat Rathburana

Sukhothai

Khmer-style stupas (prangs)

Temple complex

Buddha image

Buddha image

Stupa

Standing Buddha image

Stupa complex vista

Buddha image in temple

Introduction

This work, like the first book in this series, ‘Monuments and temples of Orthodox Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka‘, is mainly pictorial, with notes on the relevant sites. The latest colour photographs of the places described have been in the main taken in situ, paying attention to the style and aesthetic features employed and depicted in Buddhist art, architecture and sculpture seen in Myanmar and Thailand. The extent of the subject matter is extremely vast, since there are more than a million temples and pagodas in the two countries. Even to think of covering one small geographical area is utterly foolish. The best I can do is to be extremely selective and deal with a handful of the most important and significant monuments in each region under discussion. This will give the observer or visitor to these locations an introductory insight into the vast field of a religion which has its origin over 2600 years ago. The areas and locations dealt within may be easily reached by the visitor, even though there are areas which are somewhat remote.

The history of Myanmar is a chequered one, with her rulers constantly waging wars against each other. Quite often this is the reason why the capitals of the kingdoms had to be moved from one place to another. Dynasties rose and fell. With the advent of Buddhism, the kings took it as their main duty to spread the religion throughout their kingdoms. Buddha’s relics, in the form of hairs, teeth, corporeal relics and items associated with the Buddha, were acquired from India and Sri Lanka. A very close relationship was established with the kings of these two countries as early as 200 B.C. Some hair relics received from the Buddha Himself, and brought by two merchant brothers from Thaton were the first of these, which the king enshrined in pagodas within his kingdom. This was the