Kathein Treasure Trees

During the full moon period of Tazaungmon in November — the same time as the famous balloon festival in Taunggyi — there is also a ceremony called Kathein that is held in villages and cities throughout Myanmar. During this important ceremony an offering of “Holy Robes” are given to monks in area monasteries.

 

In addition to the traditional giving of robes, Kathein has spread to include donations of other kinds. Items ranging from toothpaste and soap to noodles and crackers, and especially bank notes, are collected and given to monasteries. Some of these donations are collected and decoratively mounted on stands that resemble trees. During my recent trip I saw these “Kathein Trees” everywhere; in homes, restaurants, street corners, schools, and shops. I asked my friend Ma Thanegi, who lives in Yangon, for clarification on this Kathein thing, specifically the name of these tree-like donation displays. She told me that they are called Padaythar Pin in Burmese, which roughly translates as “Tree of Plenty,” although she prefers the term “Tree of Treasures” because she thinks “it sounds nicer!”

 

Traditionally, the collection of Kathein offerings starts after the Full Moon day of Thadingyut in October and lasts until Tazaungmon comes around in November, the exact dates of which are always changing according to the lunar calendar. I didn’t make it to the Kathein ceremony when I was in Taunggyi this time, but it’s renowned as being the most spectacular in all of Myanmar, with “a thousand and one gifts” donated to local monasteries.

 

Monastery Photo Flood

When I visited the novice monks at Shwe Yan Pyay Kyaung in Nyaungshwe last month, I not only brought them photos I had taken on my previous trip in June (during which I took groups of them to both the Pindaya Caves and to Taunggyi), but newspapers from Bangkok, specifically the sections with photos showing the ongoing flooding in Thailand. I’ve learned enough Burmese over the years that I felt capable of describing what had happened in Thailand, but using the old “a picture is worth a thousand words” axiom, I figured the photos would do a much better job of conveying how catastrophic the flooding in the Bangkok area had been than if I had tried to explain.

 

I brought about two weeks’ worth of full-page photo spreads from the Bangkok Post, and the monks seemed fascinated as they perused them. They were also quite eager to look at the photos of themselves from earlier in the year. And this, of course, led to some brand new photo sessions both inside and outside the monastery; posing in front of Buddha images, standing in front of the building’s distinctive windows, and more.

 

The monastery was also crawling with tour groups this time around, more tourists than I’ve ever seen in town. But the young monks happily took time during their early afternoon break (after lunch and before studies resumed at 1 pm) to pose for more photos. I think it may be time to get them their own camera so that they can start taking photos of all the tourists!