Yadaya: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Burmese SPDC members greet Abhisit Vejjajiva.jpg|thumb|In an October 2010 state visit, Burmese [[State Peace and Development Council]] members greeted Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva in ''acheik'' patterned [[longyi]] typically worn by women. Various sources attributed this to ''yadaya'' practices.]] |
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'''Yadaya''' ({{lang-my|ယတြာ}}, {{IPA-my|jɛ̀dəjà|IPA}}; from [[Sanskrit]] {{IAST|yātra}}; variously spelt '''yadayar''' and '''yedaya''') refers to magical rituals done to delay, neutralize or prevent misfortune, widely practiced in [[Burma]] (Myanmar). These rituals, which originate from [[Vedic Brahmanism|Brahmanism]], are guided and prescribed by soothsayers and astrologers, who use a combination of mathematical equations and astrology to formulate a "prescription" to avert misfortune.<ref>{{Cite thesis |degree=M.A |chapter= |title=Arakan, Min Yazagyi and the Portuguese |url=http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/6120/1/22Charney1993thesis.pdf |author= |last=Charney |first=Michael W. |year=1993 |publisher=SOAS |accessdate=2010-09-15 |docket= |oclc= }}</ref> Modern Burmese leaders, including [[U Nu]], [[Ne Win]] and [[Than Shwe]] and many government policy decisions are widely understood to have been influenced by yadaya rituals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Bruce |year=1998 |title=The Present Fortune of Tradition-Bound Authoritarianism in Myanmar |journal=Pacific Affairs |publisher=University of British Columbia |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=19–20 |doi= |jstor=2760820 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Instant karma in Myanmar |authors=Sudha Ramachandran, Swe Win |newspaper=Asia Times |date=2009-06-18 |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KF18Ae02.html |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> Among [[Buddhism in Burma|Burmese Buddhists]], yadaya is often linked to merit-making, as some prescriptive rituals involve seemingly "Buddhist" acts, although they are done to bypass [[karma|karmic fate]], which cannot be altered by ritual in Buddhist doctrine.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Bruce |year=1999 |title= Burma/Myanmar|journal=The Round Table |publisher=Routledge |volume=88 |issue=349 |pages=78–79 |url=http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/327910_918974314_750459818.pdf |doi=10.1080/003585399108289 }}</ref> Yadaya is closely associated to [[numerology]], particularly the number nine, which is widely believed to be an auspicious number. Some scholars contend that yadaya originates to the [[Pagan dynasty|Pagan period]], first practiced by monks of the [[Ari Buddhism|Ari sect]], a form of Buddhism that predates the introduction of [[Theravada Buddhism]] in Burma.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pagoda Power |author=Arkar Moe |newspaper=The Irrawaddy |date=2009-07 |url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16222&page=2 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> |
'''Yadaya''' ({{lang-my|ယတြာ}}, {{IPA-my|jɛ̀dəjà|IPA}}; from [[Sanskrit]] {{IAST|yātra}}; variously spelt '''yadayar''' and '''yedaya''') refers to magical rituals done to delay, neutralize or prevent misfortune, widely practiced in [[Burma]] (Myanmar). These rituals, which originate from [[Vedic Brahmanism|Brahmanism]], are guided and prescribed by soothsayers and astrologers, who use a combination of mathematical equations and astrology to formulate a "prescription" to avert misfortune.<ref>{{Cite thesis |degree=M.A |chapter= |title=Arakan, Min Yazagyi and the Portuguese |url=http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/6120/1/22Charney1993thesis.pdf |author= |last=Charney |first=Michael W. |year=1993 |publisher=SOAS |accessdate=2010-09-15 |docket= |oclc= }}</ref> Modern Burmese leaders, including [[U Nu]], [[Ne Win]] and [[Than Shwe]] and many government policy decisions are widely understood to have been influenced by yadaya rituals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Bruce |year=1998 |title=The Present Fortune of Tradition-Bound Authoritarianism in Myanmar |journal=Pacific Affairs |publisher=University of British Columbia |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=19–20 |doi= |jstor=2760820 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Instant karma in Myanmar |authors=Sudha Ramachandran, Swe Win |newspaper=Asia Times |date=2009-06-18 |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KF18Ae02.html |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> Among [[Buddhism in Burma|Burmese Buddhists]], yadaya is often linked to merit-making, as some prescriptive rituals involve seemingly "Buddhist" acts, although they are done to bypass [[karma|karmic fate]], which cannot be altered by ritual in Buddhist doctrine.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Bruce |year=1999 |title= Burma/Myanmar|journal=The Round Table |publisher=Routledge |volume=88 |issue=349 |pages=78–79 |url=http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/327910_918974314_750459818.pdf |doi=10.1080/003585399108289 }}</ref> Yadaya is closely associated to [[numerology]], particularly the number nine, which is widely believed to be an auspicious number. Some scholars contend that yadaya originates to the [[Pagan dynasty|Pagan period]], first practiced by monks of the [[Ari Buddhism|Ari sect]], a form of Buddhism that predates the introduction of [[Theravada Buddhism]] in Burma.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pagoda Power |author=Arkar Moe |newspaper=The Irrawaddy |date=2009-07 |url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=16222&page=2 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> |
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One notable form of yadaya is the construction of pagodas, as seen in the construction of 60,000 pagodas by [[U Nu]] in 1961.<ref name="see">{{cite book |title=Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) |last=Seekins |first=Donald M. |year=2006 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780810854765 |page=483 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> The government's unexplained decision to change the road traffic in 1970 to [[Right- and left-hand traffic|right-hand traffic]] (even though the overwheming majority of Burmese cars are made for left-hand traffic) is one such incident believed to be the result of yadaya, to avert the threat of a political attack from the right and insurgency.<ref>{{cite news | title = Burma Makes Road Switch | url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10913F93F5F1B7493C5A91789D95F448785F9 | work=The New York Times | date=7 December 1970 | accessdate=22 May 2010}}, ''[[New York Times]]'', 07 Dec 1970, p.6</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Living silence: Burma under military rule |last=Fink |first=Christina |year=2001 |publisher=Zed Books |isbn=9781856499262 |page=41 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> |
One notable form of yadaya is the construction of pagodas, as seen in the construction of 60,000 pagodas by [[U Nu]] in 1961.<ref name="see">{{cite book |title=Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) |last=Seekins |first=Donald M. |year=2006 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780810854765 |page=483 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> The government's unexplained decision to change the road traffic in 1970 to [[Right- and left-hand traffic|right-hand traffic]] (even though the overwheming majority of Burmese cars are made for left-hand traffic) is one such incident believed to be the result of yadaya, to avert the threat of a political attack from the right and insurgency.<ref>{{cite news | title = Burma Makes Road Switch | url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10913F93F5F1B7493C5A91789D95F448785F9 | work=The New York Times | date=7 December 1970 | accessdate=22 May 2010}}, ''[[New York Times]]'', 07 Dec 1970, p.6</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Living silence: Burma under military rule |last=Fink |first=Christina |year=2001 |publisher=Zed Books |isbn=9781856499262 |page=41 |accessdate=2010-09-15}}</ref> |
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More recently, the unusual clothing choices, namely the wearing of traditional female ''acheik''-patterned [[longyi]] (sarongs) by [[Than Shwe]] and other military generals at recent public appearances, including Union Day celebrations in February 2011 and at the reception of the Lao Prime Minister [[Bouasone Bouphavanh]] in June 2011 have also been attributed to yadaya, as a way to divert power to neutralize [[Aung San Suu Kyi]]'s power.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why Did Burma's Leader Appear on TV in Women's Clothes? |first=Robert |last=Horn |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2053563,00.html |newspaper=TIME |date=2011-02-24 |accessdate=8 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Than Shwe Skirts the Issue |author=WAI MOE |url=http://www.irrawaddymedia.com/opinion_story.php?art_id=20782 |newspaper=The Irrawaddy |date=2011-02-17 |accessdate=8 March 2011}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 09:50, 14 March 2012
Yadaya (Burmese: ယတြာ, IPA: [jɛ̀dəjà]; from Sanskrit yātra; variously spelt yadayar and yedaya) refers to magical rituals done to delay, neutralize or prevent misfortune, widely practiced in Burma (Myanmar). These rituals, which originate from Brahmanism, are guided and prescribed by soothsayers and astrologers, who use a combination of mathematical equations and astrology to formulate a "prescription" to avert misfortune.[1] Modern Burmese leaders, including U Nu, Ne Win and Than Shwe and many government policy decisions are widely understood to have been influenced by yadaya rituals.[2][3] Among Burmese Buddhists, yadaya is often linked to merit-making, as some prescriptive rituals involve seemingly "Buddhist" acts, although they are done to bypass karmic fate, which cannot be altered by ritual in Buddhist doctrine.[4] Yadaya is closely associated to numerology, particularly the number nine, which is widely believed to be an auspicious number. Some scholars contend that yadaya originates to the Pagan period, first practiced by monks of the Ari sect, a form of Buddhism that predates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism in Burma.[5]
One notable form of yadaya is the construction of pagodas, as seen in the construction of 60,000 pagodas by U Nu in 1961.[6] The government's unexplained decision to change the road traffic in 1970 to right-hand traffic (even though the overwheming majority of Burmese cars are made for left-hand traffic) is one such incident believed to be the result of yadaya, to avert the threat of a political attack from the right and insurgency.[7][8]
More recently, the unusual clothing choices, namely the wearing of traditional female acheik-patterned longyi (sarongs) by Than Shwe and other military generals at recent public appearances, including Union Day celebrations in February 2011 and at the reception of the Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh in June 2011 have also been attributed to yadaya, as a way to divert power to neutralize Aung San Suu Kyi's power.[9][10]
References
- ^ Charney, Michael W. (1993). Arakan, Min Yazagyi and the Portuguese (PDF) (M.A thesis). SOAS. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
- ^ Matthews, Bruce (1998). "The Present Fortune of Tradition-Bound Authoritarianism in Myanmar". Pacific Affairs. 71 (1). University of British Columbia: 19–20. JSTOR 2760820.
- ^ "Instant karma in Myanmar". Asia Times. 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
{{cite news}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=(help) - ^ Matthews, Bruce (1999). "Burma/Myanmar" (PDF). The Round Table. 88 (349). Routledge: 78–79. doi:10.1080/003585399108289.
- ^ Arkar Moe (2009-07). "Pagoda Power". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Seekins, Donald M. (2006). Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 483. ISBN 9780810854765.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Burma Makes Road Switch". The New York Times. 7 December 1970. Retrieved 22 May 2010., New York Times, 07 Dec 1970, p.6
- ^ Fink, Christina (2001). Living silence: Burma under military rule. Zed Books. p. 41. ISBN 9781856499262.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Horn, Robert (2011-02-24). "Why Did Burma's Leader Appear on TV in Women's Clothes?". TIME. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ WAI MOE (2011-02-17). "Than Shwe Skirts the Issue". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 8 March 2011.