through Buddha's eyes

the reclining Buddha of Yangon (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

This is a photograph of the reclining Buddha in the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple of Yangon. The statue is dramatically large, 217 feet in length. By way of comparison, the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok is just 151 feet long.

During our trip to Vietnam and Myanmar, Claire and I have witnessed the devotion of many worshippers. Their pagodas are not tourist attractions but living places of worship, and we have seen the faithful burn incense, pray impassioned prayers before statues of Buddha, and implore the gods to bless them with good fortune.

What might this worship look like through Buddha's eyes? He taught the Eightfold Path as a way to achieve enlightenment and cease suffering. How would Buddha explain this path to those who suffer today?

copyright  (c)  2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.