Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Yadaya
Linked to numerology and also popular among many Burmese - including past rulers Ne
Win and Than Shwe - is
yadaya
, the practice of quasi-magical Burmese rituals, prescribed
by astrologers in order to ward off possible misfortune. Most
yadaya
rituals simply involve
a visit to the temple and making certain specific offerings and prayers outlined by an astro-
loger, although some rituals can be considerably stranger - as when
Ne Win
elected to shoot
himself in a mirror in order to avert a possible assassination attempt.
Yadaya
is also said to
have influenced affairs of state both major and minor. The decision in 1970 to change the
side of the road on which traffic drives from left to right, for example, is rumoured to have
been taken to ward off political or military attack from right-wing groups - even though this
meansthatvirtuallyeveryvehicleinMyanmarhasitssteeringwheelonthewrongside,right
up to the present day. Likewise, in 2010 when the country's military leaders greeted the Thai
primeministeratYangonairportdressedinwomen'slongyi,theinfluenceof
yadaya
-inthis
case an attempt to harness the distaff power of Aung San Suu Kyi - was again suspected.
Weizza
Combining many of Myanmar's weirder and more wonderful occult traditions is the practice
of
weizza
.AuniquelyBurmese Buddhist cult,
weizza
(alsospelt “
weikza
”)attempts toevade
the usual laws of karma through rituals including magic, meditation and alchemy. Powerful
practitioners of
weizza
, it is said, can live for centuries and choose the exact moment of their
next reincarnation, among other supernatural powers.
Weizza
incorporates many traditional beliefs including a local fascination with
zawgyi
(wizards and alchemists, who feature heavily in popular Burmese folklore) as well as ele-
ments dating perhaps all the way back to Ari Buddhism. The modern form of the tradition
emerged in the late seventeenth century when
Bo Bo Aung
, a monk in Sagaing, discovered
manuscripts revealing the secrets of
weizza
. Bo Bo Aung's image, traditionally dressed in an
all-white robe and turban, can still be found in many temples and homes, devotees believing
he has the power to assist all those who pray to him with a pure heart.
