My Tazaungdaing started here. The Tri-shaw Driver Association marches along a downtown street headed for a ferry terminal on the Yangon River. They bang out a song on mic and keyboard routed through a PA. Their bikes are loaded down with kahtein， cash， robes， fans and umbrellas to be donated to Buddhist monks.

Tazaungdaing is a major moment in the Burmese Buddhist year. It happens in the fall on the full moon day that marks the close and climax of a month of religious offering. Families and professional groups pool their resources. The monastery the tri-shaw drivers are heading to is in an under-developed township across the river from downtown. Off the ferry and up the gangplank to a crowded parking area and more waiting and dancing. Back downtown， a group of monks is on an “alms walk.” It’s a regular sight in Yangon， but with added significance today.

In the evening crowds converge on the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. Locals believe it dates back 2，500 years to the time of the Buddha and that eight strands of his hair are enshrined here. Visitors pause to pray and leave offerings at shrines around the central spire. The offerings pile up. Candles light the Buddha’s symbolic return to Earth after three months of celestial teaching.

All over Yangon， Tazaungdaing balances reverence with revelry.

我的點(diǎn)燈節(jié)之旅從這里開始。三輪車夫協(xié)會(huì)的隊(duì)伍沿著城中心區(qū)的街道游行，一路向仰光河邊的一個(gè)渡船碼頭走去。人們通過麥克風(fēng)和鍵盤彈唱的歌曲從一套擴(kuò)音設(shè)備響亮地傳出，他們的車上滿載著準(zhǔn)備捐獻(xiàn)給佛教僧侶的僧衣、錢幣、長(zhǎng)袍、扇子和雨傘。

點(diǎn)燈節(jié)是緬甸佛歷年中的重要時(shí)刻，在秋天的月圓之日舉行，它標(biāo)志著歷時(shí)一個(gè)月的宗教供奉活動(dòng)在此時(shí)達(dá)到了高潮，同時(shí)也接近尾聲。很多家庭及專業(yè)團(tuán)體把他們的東西集中起來去捐獻(xiàn)。三輪車夫們前往的寺廟位于與城中心區(qū)隔河相望的一個(gè)落后小鎮(zhèn)里，他們下了渡船，走過跳板，來到擁擠的停車區(qū)，跳著舞繼續(xù)等待。而在城中心區(qū)，一隊(duì)僧侶在進(jìn)行“行腳化緣”，這在仰光很常見，但此舉在今天意義不同尋常。

傍晚，人們聚集到仰光的地標(biāo)仰光大金塔。當(dāng)?shù)厝讼嘈胚@個(gè)塔建于2500年前的佛陀時(shí)代，這里供奉著8縷佛陀的頭發(fā)。朝拜的人們先停下來拜祭，然后將貢品留在中央尖塔周圍的神龕上。貢品堆積成小山，明亮的燭光象征著佛陀在天國講經(jīng)三個(gè)月后回到人間。

在仰光各處，敬佛與狂歡在點(diǎn)燈節(jié)活動(dòng)中并行。

緬甸點(diǎn)燈節(jié)（Lighting Lantern Day）

這是緬甸的一個(gè)傳統(tǒng)民間節(jié)日，又稱光明節(jié)。通常在緬歷七月月圓之日舉行。據(jù)佛教傳說，佛祖釋迦牟尼曾于緬歷的四月十五日至七月十五日為眾神講經(jīng)。在這期間，所有僧侶要安居坐臘，信徒也要避免遷居嫁娶。七月月圓的時(shí)候，釋迦牟尼在眾神的簇?fù)碇聛淼饺碎g，緬甸人民便點(diǎn)上各種彩燈和蠟燭迎接。這一天也是僧侶們解除安居的日子，因此點(diǎn)燈節(jié)又稱解夏節(jié)。節(jié)日期間，所有佛寺、佛塔、民居和街道會(huì)裝飾上彩燈，臨時(shí)搭起的彩色牌樓、彩棚、戲臺(tái)和小吃店遍布城鎮(zhèn)。人們還要去佛寺拜佛，年輕人要準(zhǔn)備禮物向長(zhǎng)者敬拜。

幽默小故事

白癡

A preacher is buying a parrot.

“Are you sure it doesn’t scream， yell， or swear？” asked the preacher.

“Oh absolutely. It’s a religious parrot，” the storekeeper assures him.

“Do you see those strings on his legs？ When you pull the right one， he recites the lord’s prayer， and when you pull on the left he recites the 23rd Psalm [贊美詩].

“Wonderful！” says the preacher， “but what happens if you pull both strings？”

“I fall off my perch， you stupid fool！” screeched the parrot.

一位傳教士在買鸚鵡。

“你確定它不會(huì)亂喊亂叫或者說臟話嗎？”傳教士問。

“哦，那當(dāng)然。它是只有宗教信仰的鸚鵡?！钡曛飨蛩麚?dān)保。

“你看到他腿上的繩子了嗎？你拉一下右邊的繩子，它就會(huì)背誦主禱文，拉左邊的繩子，它就會(huì)背誦第23首贊美詩。

“太棒了！”傳教士說，“那如果兩邊的繩子同時(shí)拉呢？”

“那我就會(huì)從棲木上掉下去了，你個(gè)白癡！”鸚鵡尖叫道。