A kyaung (Burmese: ဘုန်းကြီးကျောင်း; MLCTS: bhun:kyi: kyaung:, [pʰóʊɰ̃dʑí tɕáʊɰ̃]) is a monastery (vihara), comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Buddhist monks. Burmese kyaungs are sometimes also occupied by novice monks (samanera), lay attendants (kappiya), nuns, and young acolytes observing the five precepts (ဖိုးသူတော် phothudaw). The kyaung has traditionally been the center of village life in Burma, serving as both the educational institution for children and a community center, especially for merit-making activities such as construction of buildings, offering of food to monks and celebration of Buddhist festivals, and observance of uposatha. Monasteries are not established by members of the sangha, but by laypersons who donate land or money to support the establishment. Kyaungs are typically built of wood, meaning that few historical monasteries built before the 1800s are extant. Kyaungs exist in Myanmar (Burma), as well as in neighboring countries with Theravada Buddhist communities, including neighboring China (e.g., Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture). According to 2016 statistics published by the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, Myanmar is home to 62,649 kyaungs and 4,106 nunneries. The modern Burmese language term kyaung (ကျောင်း) descends from the Old Burmese word kloṅ (က္လောင်).The strong connection between religion and schooling is reflected by fact that the kyaung is the same word now used to refer to secular schools. Kyaung is also used to describe Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Chinese temples. Mosques are an exception, as they use the Hindi-derived word bali (ဗလီ). Kyaung has also been borrowed into Tai languages, including into Shan as kyong (spelt ၵျွင်း or ၵျေႃင်း)and into Tai Nuea as zông2 (ᥓᥩᥒᥰ, rendered in Chinese as Chinese: 奘房).In pre-colonial times, the kyaung served as the primary source of education, providing nearly universal education for boys, representing the "bastion of civilization and knowledge" and "integral to the social fabric of pre-colonial Burma." The connections between kyaungs and education were reinforced by monastic examinations, which were first instituted in 1648 by King Thalun during the Taungoo Dynasty. Classical learning was transmitted through monasteries, which served as venues for Burmese students to pursue higher education and further social advancement in the royal administration after disrobing.Indeed, nearly all prominent historical figures such as Kinwun Mingyi U Kaung spent their formative years studying at monasteries. Traditional monastic education first developed in the Pagan Kingdom, in tandem with the proliferation of Theravada Buddhism learning in the 1100s.The syllabus at kyaungs included the Burmese language, Pali grammar and Buddhist texts with a focus on discipline, morality and code of conduct (such as Mangala Sutta, Sigalovada Sutta, Dhammapada, and Jataka tales), prayers and elementary arithmetic. Influential monasteries held vast libraries of manuscripts and texts.The ubiquity of monastic education was attributed with the high literacy rate for Burmese Buddhist men.The 1901 Census of India found that 60.3% of Burmese Buddhist men over twenty were literate, as compared to 10% for British India...
Read moreBEING ONE OF THE FOUR HOLY PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH LORD BUDDHA BODH GAYA IS REPLATE WITH LEARNING CENTERS AND SHRINES/MONASTERIES DEDICATED BY VARIOUS BUDDHIST FOLLOWERS ACROSS THE GLOBE THE BURMESE MONASTRY ON THE GAYA ROAD IS A VERY POPULAR DESTINATION FOR MANY SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS I WENT THEIR WITH MY MATERNAL UNCLE,MOM, DAD YOU MUST VISIT THEIR ONCE WHEN YOU...
Read moreEstalished in 1980's this is a must visit for tourist coming from abroad to stay here at cheaper rate than outside hotels with safet,security and environment freindly and very nearby all amnetities. Every tourist want to get room to stay here to have...
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