Memories of Sagaing

by Hla Min

Updated : Sept 2025

Ma Ma Mi (Daw Khin Khin Latt) is from Sagaing. She wanted Saya Chit (Dr. ChitSwe) to be a Yahan at a monastery in Sagaing Hills. Some monastery compounds are named after the towns in Irrawaddy Delta.

Ko Myint Oo and I offered to be temporary monks with Saya Chit.

Ordination

There are two phases to become a monk :

(a) Novitiation (ရှင်ပြု Shin Pyu) or “Lower Ordination” to become a “Ko Yin” (ကိုရင် novice)

(b) “Thane Wyn” or “Higher Ordination” in a Sima (သိမ် Thane) to become an Upazin ဥပဇင်း

At least five monks are needed to conduct the “Higher Ordination”.

In Yangon, the ceremony takes 15 – 30 minutes.

The final part is an Exhortation by the Preceptor. As Mentor to the newly ordained monk, the Preceptor shares his knowledge and gives advice.

When the Preceptor learned that Saya Chit is a renowned Professor and the Founder/Director of UCC, he gave “extra” attention by exhorting for “close to three hours”. Sayadaw enjoyed illuminating Saya Chit.

Since I could barely squat, I was “offered” a pillow to rest my knees and I was allowed to “kneel down” on the pillow.

Tourist Guide for a day

After a week of monk hood, we returned to our lay life sans (without) our hair.

Ko Myint Oo is a social animal. He knew two Guides from “Tourist Burma”. At least one of them was new. They had a reasonably tough assignment. They had to guide an American student (in his senior year at a New York University) trying to write a first-hand report about the Buddhist artifacts in Mandalay and Sagaing.

The Guides requested help from Ko Myint Oo. Ko Myint Oo shunted and in a moment I became a volunteer tourist guide explaining (to the best of my knowledge) Buddhism & rites and rituals.