Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
The
Golden Rock (
Kyaik-htiyo or
Kyaiktiyo), perched atop a cliff near
Yangon, is one of the most sacred sites in Burma. The great boulder precariously balances on the edge of a cliff and is topped by a small stupa. An endless stream of pilgrims come to admire the sight and add squares of gold leaf to its surface.
Myth and Mystery
With its great weight balanced so precariously on the cliff edge, the Golden Rock is a truly extraordinary natural feature. It is little wonder it is regarded with such sacred awe. According to legend, it is kept in place by a single hair of the Buddha.
The main legend of the Golden Rock begins with a hermit bringing a hair of the Buddha to his king. The hermit instructed that his gift be enshrined under a rock shaped like the hermit's head. (The name Kyaik-htiyo means "Pagoda on a Hermit's Head.")
Fortunately the king was the son of a zagwi (a hermit reborn as a powerful, magical being) and a naga (sea dragon) so he was able to find and retrieve the rock from the bottom of the ocean.
The king built a ship to carry the rock to the mountain. After the rock was in place, balanced on the hair of the Buddha, the boat turned to stone. A stone that looks a bit like a ship is enshrined in the complex.
Another legend explains that the rock actually hovers in the air above the cliff. Originally there was enough room between for a chicken to walk under it, then it sunk a bit and only a partridge could walk through, and finally only a sparrow could walk through. Today it still hovers, but the space is so narrow that it can't be seen.
What to See
The Golden Rock is a great boulder about 25 feet high, which looks like it could crash down the hill at any moment. Its area of contact with the cliff is extremely small. The gilded boulder is topped with an 18-foot tall pagoda.
The great rock suddenly and spectacularly comes into view from the steep path up the hill, and can then be approached and touched (by men only) from the shrine complex that spreads out behind it on the cliff.
The Kyaiktiyo shrine complex consists of several viewing platforms, pagodas, Buddha shrines and nat spirit shrines. Worshipers gather in the area behind the rock to pray and make offerings, and nearly all apply a square of gold leaf to the rock as an offering and act of merit.
Away from the main shrine complex is a circle of eight gongs with four statues of nats and angels in the center.
The views from the Golden Rock are spectacular and many visitors stay to watch the sunset.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Kyaiktiyo; Golden Rock |
| Type of site: | Buddhist shrine; indigenous religious shrine |
| Faith: | Buddhism |
| Status: | Active |
| Dates: | c.500 BC |
| Location: | At Kyaikto in Mon state, about 60 km east of Bago and 180km east of Yangon. |
| Hours: | Always open |
| Cost: | Free |
Getting There
The Golden Rock is not easy to reach. It requires a cramped bus ride from Yangon followed by a 10-mile (16km) hike or ride in a jeep followed by a 3km walk or ride in a litter.
Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/burma/golden-rock-kyaiktiyo.htm
每位师父／比丘尼，每位善友，都是我学习的好榜样！
虽然临时安排，Sayalay 还是抽空会见我们。虽然身体生病，还是不忘作为Sayalay的身份向两位师父顶礼。另外还安排点心给我们。。
记得在听Sayalay的一个讲座，Sayalay说了一句话：
就如吉祥师父的分享，如果我们把可能的看成不可能，那就变成不可能。因为这句话，加深了我对吉祥师父说的要把可能的看成可能，我们的生命才能改变！
