Most visitors to Myanmar include the lost Buddhist civilisation of Bagan on their itinerary; it’s one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites, where the remnants of 2,000 temples are spread across a dusty plain. Many then head up the Irrawaddy River to the former colonial outpost of Mandalay. Few realise that nestled in the hills, less than an hour’s taxi ride from the city, lies a hidden gem called Sagaing, which is a living example of what Bagan once was: a vibrant community of Buddhist monks and nuns. More than 6,000 of each live within just a few square miles – it’s one of the greatest concentrations of monasticism in the world.
Sagaing is known for being a spiritual heartland and nowhere do you get a better sense of this than by visiting the Sakyadhita Thilashin nunnery school. At lunchtime, the school opens its gates and visitors can witness the daily routine of the novices lining up to go into the dining hall, their flowing pink-and-orange robes making them look like a flock of flamingos. Novices in Burma are known as thilashin, or “keepers of moral virtue”, and the thilashin at Sagaing’s nunnery school are among the most highly educated and disciplined in Burma.
• Christine Toomey is author of Saffron Road: A Journey with Buddha’s Daughters
