In Nandaka monastery in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, I saw a number of devotees from Myanmar. In SBS, Taiping I saw some too; in fact, getting to taste some of their food even during one of the Kathina celebrations many years back. I heard someone saying that those in the temple he frequents, plan to put up a traditional Burmese dance. In the 90s, I visited Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Popa Hill and Bagan too. Back then, the people in Myanmar seemed like a docile lot. All the males, young and old, wore sarongs all the time, even when playing football; and males and females had thanaka, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark applied on their faces, a practice dating back to 2000 years ago. I don't remember seeing any traditional Burmese dances though. Now, I wonder if having cultural activities like dancing is appropriate in a temple. A monk seems to think it defeats the purpose of propagating the Dhamma. So, what do you think? Will learning the dhamma put an end to cultural practices? Or should they, if they do not cause suffering, be allowed to prosper side by side with dhamma propagation?
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