Aim

Some of the Buddhist ideologies of the Bagan period were completely different from themodern Buddhist society.

Outline

• Nats–worship and drinking alcohol

• Forest monastery and the tradition of drinking Siy

• Jātakas concerning drinking alcohol

• Donation of Palmyra palm and drinking Than Yañ (Toddy Juice)

Hypothesis

Alcohol consumption had existed long before the tradition of drinking Siy and eating meat inthe 13th century. Moreover, the practice of worshipping Nats with the offerings of alcohol andmeat could have probably influenced the tradition of drinking Siy. It is the only sect ofBuddhism accepted alcohol drinking, especially forest monastery monks.

Alcohol and Surāmeraya

Siy = Alcohol or fermented drinks

Surāmeraya = to abstain from drinking alcohol, one of the five percepts of Buddhism

• In Vera Sutta (AN 10.92), the Buddha preached fivefold set of vows to Anāthapindika thehouseholder.

• Along with the five percepts for layperson, the alcohol consumption is also restricted in theeightfold set of the 1-day fasting vows, the ten vows of the novice as well as the vows for themonks and nuns.

• Buddhists believe that he who follow the five percepts would receive the reward of a placein heaven after death, and can eventually gain nirvana.

Transgression of Vows

surāmerayamjja contains three proper nouns

Surā = the whole range of alcoholic drinks from beer-like beverages produced by fermentation

Majja = wine-like drinks or spirits

Meraya = distilled drinks produced from sugar of fruit

• In general, all drinks which cause heedlessness and cloud the mind can be considered asalcohol.

• Drinking this kind of beverage whether one knows it as alcohol or not can be considered astransgression of vows.

Nats-worship and drinking alcohol• According to the Glass Palace Chronicle, King Saw Rahan (r.931-964 AD), after consulting with

the heretical Ari built five pagodas without decorating them with Nats or the Buddha figuresand offered them with rice, curry and fermented drink once in the morning and at night.

• In Burmese tradition, people have always propitiated the Nats with food and drinks. Nats in theBagan period were usually appeased with liquors, and meat (buffalo, ox, chicken and bird) inthe Bagan period.

• Kyawswa, one of the popular 37 Nats, was the youngest son of the minister of Alaungsithu(r.1113-1167 AD). He was a bad boy who married a daughter of a toddy-juice producer fromPopa village. He spent most of his time in cock-fighting and drinking, and eventually died ofalcohol. The ritual song connected with Kyawswa Nat is:

“Do you not know me, the god with the wine bottle, the famous Lord Kyawswa? If you don’t like me, avoid me. I admit I am a drunkard”

Forest monastery and the tradition of drinking Siy

• In many of the inscriptions of the later Bagan period (the 13th Century AD), participants in

the process had sat feasting on Siy (liquor) and meat for a recognition of changing

ownership after selling a land to be donated to a Buddhist monk, especially forest

monastery monk.

Grand Feast

• One ox and 10 pots of liquor were feasted for about 6 people who probably negotiated

in purchasing land. (Plate 395, L 17-18, 1249 AD)

• 8 oxen, 5 pigs, 10 goats and 30 liquors became typical after purchasing land in

comparison with the feast in 1429 AD, about 200 years later.

Monk participating in drinking Siy

• kulā kloń ū thak lhyań cā sok pe so sanghā thī – the elder of the monks who ate and

drank in the brick monastery. (Plate 536, L 23, 1361 AD)

• The tradition of drinking Siy – considered not as religious affair but social custom

• Drinking for religious practice – existed in other Buddhist Sects, eg. Tantric Buddhism

In Tantrism Buddhism, the impure substances used in rituals is generally considered to attain

certain meditative experiences. Alcohol is incorporated as one of the five vital elements when

celebrating ganacakra-gathering, for example. Buddhist tantras still sometimes drink small

amount of ritual purified alcohol.

Thit Seint Gyi Inscription 1285 ADPhoto Courtesy of U Min Han

• Line no.17 - a curse that he who destroys his merit shall end his life asa heavy drinker.

• Line no.3 - there is the donation of land to Umin Kyaung (Uminmonastery) that may be indication of different Buddhist sect fromforest monastery monks.

Curse contrary to the tradition of drinking Siy

• Theravada Buddhism split into four different sects duringNarapatisithu (1174-1231 AD) according to the Glass Palacechronicle

• Sańgha reform at Bagan in 1181 AD according to Kalayaniinscription

• Whilst the forest monastery monks were permitted the drinking ofalcohol, Umin monastery monks were not allowed to drink.

Vāruni-Jatāka (47), Mingalar Zedi

Punnapāti-Jātaka (53), Mingalar Zedi

Jātakas concerning drinking alcohol

Jātaka scenes associated with drinking alcohol are found inboth terracotta and glazed plaques from the 11th century AD to13th century AD.

The general design of a pot to store alcohol that they used inthe Bagan period can also be seen in these figures, suggestingthe artisans were well familiar with the local custom of drinkingalcohol.

Therefore, these bas-reliefs indicate that the tradition of drinkingalcohol probably existed before the 11th century AD in Bagan.

One interesting thing is that the trees in Vāruni Jātaka andPunnapāti Jātaka look like a frond of the palm tree and toddyfruit, which may probably be an indicator of the essentialcomponent used to distill into alcohol.

Dubbaca-Jātaka (116),Mingalar Zedi

Bhadra-Ghata-Jātaka (291),West Phet Leik

Dubbaca-Jātaka is the story of Bodhisattva, the follower of ajavelin dance master who dies because of drinking alcohol.When they performing javelin dance in a village, theapprentice Bodhisattva said to his master - you cannot performwith five javelins, if you do you will die. The drunken master didnot listen what he said and danced through five javelins, thenhe died when performing with five javelins.

Bhadra-Ghata-Jātaka (291) in a short, the Bodhisattva whenhe came into life again as Sakka gave a ‘Wishing Cup’ to hispoor and miserable son who squandered all his four hundredmillions. One day, he was drunk and played the cup bythrowing into the air. It fell out of his hand and smashed up onthe ground. Then he got back his poor life and finally died on astreet.

Educating the people on the bad consequences of drinking alcohol through Jātakas

Donation of Palmyra palm and drinking Than Yañ (Toddy Juice)

Donation of the toddy trees together with lands and otherofferings to the Buddhist monastery was the common practice formaking merit in Bagan.

The people could have known the technique how to extract thetoddy juice for drinking and making jaggery long before Baganperiod.

Evidence of extracting toddy juice

According to the Glass Palace Chronicle, it is said that there was asuper hero called Nga Htweyu “who could go up and down athousand palm trees in a given time, cutting their fruit” during theking Anawrahta reign (1044-77 AD).

In the 13th Thingan Yone temple, there is a mural depicting a manclimbing a toddy tree.

Toddy climber, Thingan YonePhaya (712/356 ka), 1244 ADPhoto courtesy of U Ye Win

women collecting htan yañ, Kyanzittha Umin, 13th century

The evidence of extracting toddy juice with small pots andcollecting with big jars, which is exactly same with todaytechnique, can be seen on the murals at Kyanzittha Umin.

Monks drinking toddy juice

In the 14th century inscription, it is recorded that “Afterplanting toddy palm at the Cecim land which is acquiredthrough a royal dedication, (the land) in given to themonastery which is being established at Yakhań. May allthe lords of Yakhań drinks one-fold and (those of) mymonastery two fold this toddy (juice)”

Conclusion

• It seems likely that the tradition of drinking alcohol was firmly rooted when Buddhism becamestronger in Bagan. From the 11th century AD as evidenced by the Jātaka stories, forindoctrinating the people into abstaining from alcohol, the Buddhist society probably tried topersuade people to follow the Buddhist precepts of refraining from drinking alcohol.

• The ancient culture of appeasing Nats with alcohol and meat became popular again in the13th century. However, the cultural phenomenon changed from having a religious purpose to amore social affair.

• Moreover, the practice of worshipping Nats with the offerings of alcohol and meat could haveprobably influenced the tradition of drinking Siy.

• Some Buddhist views on alcohol consumption is that it is allowed in moderation, so long as itdoes not induce heedlessness.

• From that point of view, the Buddhist monks and layman who participate in drinking alcohol didnot concern themselves with the Buddhist restriction of Surāmeraya, and did not think theybroke the five precepts. This is indicative that Buddhism even in the later Bagan period was stilldiverse incorporating various interpretations of Buddhist teachings in relation to theconsumption of alcohol by lay people and monks.