PART 1---SHWEDAGON TEMPLE IN YANGON, MYANMAR (BURMA) IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST, GRANDEST AND MOST MAGNIFICENT BUDDHIST TEMPLE. SHWEDAGON IS ONE OF THE PLACES YOU MUST VISIT AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE YOU DIE! ANGKOR WAT AND BOROBUDUR ARE 2 OTHER BUDDHIST TEMPLES ON YOUR LIST BUT THESE ARE CONSIDERED RUINED MONUMENTS AND NO LONGER IN DAILY USE AS TEMPLES AND NOR DO THEY HOUSE MONKS AND NUNS LIKE SHWEDAGON. THE 99-METRE MAIN STUPA IS MADE OF SOLID GOLD RUMOURED TO BE TAKEN FROM AYUTTHAYA WHEN THE THEN POWERFUL BURMESE RANSACKED AND DESTROYED THAILAND'S CAPITAL. IT IS SAID IF THE GOLD IS SOLD TODAY, MYANMAR WOULD BE ONE OF THE RICHEST NATIONS IN SE ASIA! SITUATED ATOP SINGUTARA HILL IN CNETRAL YANGON, THE GOLDEN STUPA OR GOLDEN PAGODA IS CONSIDERED SUPER SCARED AS IT CONTAINS THE RELICS OF ALL 4 BUDDHAS OF THIS KALPA---THE WALKING STICK OF KAKUSANDA, THE WATER /FOOD BOWL OF KONAGAMANA, ROBE OF KASAPA AND 8 STRANDS OF HAIR OF GAUTAMA. THESE HOLIES OF HOLIES ARE NEVER EXHIBITED BUT IS SAID TO BE HIDDEN DEEP INSIDE THE HILL AS THEY POSSESS INCREDIBLE POWER LIKE CHRISTIANITY'S HOLY GRAIL. THEY WILL BE COLLECTED BY MAITREYA THE FUTURE BUDDHA WHO HAS AWAKENED IN TUSHITA HEAVEN AND WHEN HE DESCENDS TO EARTH, IT WILL HERALD THE END OF THIS KALPA.

DATOKEEHUACHEE@GMAIL.COM

PHOTOS BY CANON

FILIPINA KAYE ROBLES AND I WOKE AT 4 AM TO ARRIVE AT SHWEDAGON PAGODA BY 5 AM TO CATCH THE RAYS OF THE SUN AT DAWN.  ANYTIME IS A WONDERFUL TIME TO VISIT BUT SINCE I HAVE HAD THE GREAT FORTUNE TO VISIT IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ON 5 OCCASIONS I DECIDED TO COME BEFORE DAWN WHICH WAS PARTICULARLY MAGICAL. TO SEE THE SUN'S RAYS SLOWLY LIGHTING UP THE GOLDEN PAGODA WITH ALL THE STATUES SLOWLY AS IF COMING TO LIFE AS THEIR OUTLINES BEGIN TO GLOW IS TRULY BREATHTAKING AND UNFORGETTABLE. AND TO THINK YANGON IS A MERE 2.5 HOURS FLIGHT AWAY! SO NEAR AND YET COULD HAVE BEEN A PARADISE AWAY!

 KAYE ROBLES AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE ARE  THE BEAUTY AND THE BEST! 

MOST DIVINE DUO IN ALL OF MYANMAR---KAYE ROBLES AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE

 KAYE ROBLES 

 DATO KEE HUA CHEE 

 KAYE ROBLES PRAYING TO RUBY EYED BUDDHA ON TV SCREEN 

  

 ARDENT WORSHIPERS 

 KAYE ROBLES IN FRONT OF GOLDEN PAGODA 

 KAYE ROBLES GETTING BLESSED 

 DATO KEE HUA CHEE IN BUMI MUDRA OR TOUCHING THE EARTH TO ASK IT TO BEAR WITNESS 

THIS KALPA IS ENDING SOON AS MAITREYA THE BUDDHA OF THE FUTURE HAS AWAKENED IN TUSHITA HEAVEN AND WILL DESCEND TO EARTH TO CONCLUDE THIS KALPA SO PRAY TO BUDDHA FOR SALVATION 
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THE SKY WAS STILL BLACK WHEN KAYE ROBLES AND I ARRIVED AT SHWEDAGON BUT THERE WERE A SIZEABLE CROWD. HERE, A WORSHIPPER PRAYS TO HIS FAVORITE BUDDHA STATUE BENEATH A BO TREE WHERE GAUTAMA SIDDARTHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT AND BECAME A BUDDHA  

EVERYONE HAS A FAVORITE BUDDHA TO PRAY TO THOUGH IT DOES NOT MATTER AS ANY AND EVERY BUDDHA STATUE IS THE SAME

SO QUIET, STILL AND UTTERLY PERFECT

THE WORLD FAMOUS GOLDEN PAGODA GLOWS GOLD AS IT IS MADE OF SOLID GOLD 

INSIDE A PRAYER HALL 

GOLDEN SPIRES SEEMINGLY TOUCHING THE SKY

MODERN LED LIGHTS ADD A FANTASY TOUCH

THE GOLD BELTS WORN AS NECKLACES ARE OF REAL GOLD DONATED BY WORSHIPERS WHOSE WISHES WERE GRANTED 

MAGICAL

GOLDEN SPIRES AGAINST A BLACK SKY BEFORE DAWN

THE TV SCREEN SHOWS THE 'LIVE' TELECAST OF THE VERY SACRED 'RUBY EYED' BUDDHA LOCKED INSIDE A SPECIAL SHRINE WHERE ONLY BURMA'S TOP GENERALS COULD ENTER AND PRAY AS THIS STATUE IS SAID TO BE MOST POWERFUL AND GENEROUS IN GRANTING WISHES. IT HAS GRANTED MY WISH 3 TIMES BUT THE 4th WISH IS YET TO BE GRANTED SO MAYBE I DON'T DESERVE IT

THIS IS THE STATUE OF THE SO CALLED RUBY-EYED BUDDHA SAID TO GRANT WISHES AND HAS GRANTED MY WISH (IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME WISH!) 3 TIMES ON 3 SEPARATE WISHES BUT THE 4th WISH ON THIS TRIP HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED YET BUT ALMOST! 

KAYE ROBLES 

KAYE ROBLES 

DATO KEE HUA CHEE

OH LOOK AT THE SAPPHIRE SKY AS DAWN SLOWLY LIT UP THE FIRMAMENT 

MYSTICAL

GLORIOUS

THIS PHOTO LOOKS LIKE IT HAS BEEN PHOTOSHOPPED BUT I SWEAR BY MY FATHER IT HAS NOT! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO CHANGE THE COLORS LET ALONE PHOTOSHOPPED! 

USING FLASH

NO FLASH

THE GOLDEN PAGODA LIVES UP TO ITS NAME! OMITOFU 

WASHING AND CLEANING BUDDHA STATUES BASED ON THE DAY OF YOUR BIRTH AS EACH DAY HAS THE BUDDHA IN A DIFFERENT POSTURE. MINE IS TUESDAY SHOWING BUDDHA IN RECLINING POSITION

THAT'S ME IN FANCY PANTS 

NOW CAN SEE RUBY EYED BUDDHA IN TV SCREEN 

KAYE ROBLES PRAYING TO RUBY EYED BUDDHA WHO GRANTED HER WISH 

BEAUTY DEEP IN PRAYER

DEEP IN PRAYER

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEST

KAYE ROBLES AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE 

KAYE ROBLES IN BURMESE COSTUME 

MOUNT MERU, HOME OF THE GODS 

MORNING HAS DAWNED 

TV SCREENS SHOWING IMAGE OF RUBY EYED BUDDHA ARE PLACED IN EACH OF THE 4 MAIN TEMPLES 

KAYE ROBLES IN PRAYER

DATO KEE HUA CHEE MIMICKS GAUTAMA SIDDARTHA IN TOUCHING THE EARTH GESTURE. THIS IS THE FINAL MOMENT WHEN BUDDHA, THEN STILL PRINCE SIDDARTHA, TOUCHED THE EARTH WITH RIGHT FINGERS TO ASK EARTH TO BEAR WITNESS THAT SHOULD HE FAIL TO ATTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT, ALL HIS COUNTLESS REBIRTHS WOULD COME TO NOTHING AND HE WOULD PERISH. THE EARTH SHOOK 7 TIMES IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 

PRAY TO BUDDHA WHO WAS MAITREYA THE BUDDHA OF THE FUTURE IS COMING SOON TO END THIS KALPA 

GOLD LEAFING A BUDDHA STATUE

A NAT OR SEMI-DEITY 

AT THE TOP IS A 72-CARAT DIAMOND TWINKLING LIKE A STAR

HUSBAND AND WIFE ENJOYING BREAKFAST AMONG THE GODS 

UNDER REPAIR A BIT

NOVICES 

AS OUR WORLD DRAWS TO AN END AS THIS KALPA IS ENDING SOON, PRAY TO BUDDHA AND KUANYIN TO SAVE US