MYANMAR has the most Buddhist temples of any South-East Asian country. There are said to be a million pagodas and stupas! In the rural village of Bagan alone, there are over 3000 structures on a plain of 42km2, the site of the first Burmese kingdom between the 11th and 13th centuries. In each city, town and remote village, there are pagodas to be found. Fascinatingly, although hundreds are now in ruins, countless are still places of active worship and the centre of community life. In addition, hundreds of Buddhist temples are being built, to add to the existing vast numbers. I saw new construction – with bamboo scaffolding – as well as restoration, in each place I visited. Donating money to build a pagoda on temple grounds, or to support a monastery, is one of the most  popular ways to earn merit (kutho), believed to allay illness and misfortune and secure a better rebirth in the next life. The wide practice of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar permeates the daily life of the people, ranking them as the world’s most generous country, along with the US. I experienced the renowned hospitality when I was invited off the street into a private […]