A Visit to the Sule Pagoda

When I got off at Sule Pagoda Stand across the Yangon City Hall, it was 11 am. Some vendors grouped round me at once and asked me if I would buy snacks and a bottle of drinking water. The top of the glittering Sule pagoda towering above the tiered roofs of pavilions in the glow of the scorching sun compelled me to get quicker into its precincts. Shouldering my way through them, I, therefore, walked hurriedly to the Sule Pagoda through the zebra crossings and entered the precincts from the northern entrance, having bought a bouquet of the fragrant flowers from a nearby stall.
Upon entry into the precincts of the Sule Pagoda through the northern entrance, I, on the left side, saw the statue of Venerable Upagutta, who was a powerful Arahat and defeated the Mara (Evil One). An old well that is said to be the oldest one in Yangon and a Bodhi tree were also seen near it. With the Buddha’s Footprint (Pada Ceti) by the side of the Bodhi Tree, I walked up to the northern shrine hall in which the image of Gotama Buddha is housed and offered the flowers I had bought to the Buddha image. Then, I walked clockwise round the precincts.
Passing by the Abhidhamma Hall, where discourses (Suttas) are preached, I saw the shrine of Sule Bo Bo Gyi (Guardian Deity). He stood raising his right hand with the forefinger pointing towards the direction of the Shwedagon Pagoda hill. Some pilgrims were worshipping him with joss sticks and offerings made of coconuts and bunches of bananas. It is believed by the worshippers that Sule Bo Bo Gyi could fulfil their wishes.
Since it was a super Sunday, the pagoda platform was congested with many pilgrims. Many people were doing various religious services on the pagoda platform. Some were worshipping the Buddha images; some were pouring water over the Buddha images; some were saying prayers; some were offering flowers, and some were telling the rosary beads. I walked round the precincts and noticed the statues of the four Buddhas already enlightened in this world were housed in the shrine halls on the four sides of the pagoda platform – that of the Gotama Buddha in the north, that of Konagamana Buddha in the south, that of Kakusandha Buddha in the east and that of the Kassapa Buddha in the west, respectively.
I went towards the pagoda, paid homage to it three times, and observed it from a close range. It was a gilded eight-sided pagoda 151 feet in height. It was a solid type with three receding terraces, which were said to represent the Three Gems: Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha. From the terraces on the plinth to the tapering top of the banana bud, the pagoda was of octagonal shape, which represents the Noble Eightfold Path leading one to attain Nibbana. The whole pagoda, from its plinth to the sacred umbrella, was richly decorated with elaborate floral designs. So I thought it was renowned for its excellent artistic works.
While looking at the pagoda, I remembered the connections between its name and the history of the Shwedagon Pagoda. Thus, when the hair relics carried from Majjhimadesa by Taphussa and Bhallika merchant brothers were presented to King Ukkala, he had all his ministers assembled (စုဝေး) at a spot to discuss an exploration of the site where the relics were to be enshrined and that, after the construction of the Shwedagon Pagoda with the deposition of the hair relics of the Buddha, a small stupa named ‘Su-wei’ was erected at the spot where the king and his ministers assembled to commemorate this incident, that, with the passage of times, the term ‘Su-wei’ was corrupted to ‘Sule’, that, again, in comparison with the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is called ‘Mahaceti’ meaning ‘Great Pagoda’, the Sule Pagoda is smaller in size, that, it is, therefore, called ‘Cula-ceti’ in Pali meaning ‘smaller or lesser pagoda’ and, that, in the course of time, the term, ‘Cula’ was changed to ‘Sule’.
I threw a sweeping glance and espied the office of the Trustees’ Board a little down the pagoda platform. I walked there and enquired about the history of the Sule Pagoda. It was learnt from them that the Sule Pagoda was contemporary with the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Botahtaung Pagoda, that it was, however, hidden deep in the forests for many years, that it was later recovered and repaired by Mon kings, that while the British Government was extending the roads in downtown Yangon, it was to be demolished, but, due to the request made by U Chan Tun, who studied law at Cambridge University, it was left undestroyed, that it was, however, bombed by the Japanese during the Second World War, that the British Government renovated and the then Myanmar Government when Myanmar regained her independence and that the Buddhapujaniya festival was held annually at this pagoda with pomp and ceremony.
Some hours, I elapsed unnoticed. When I looked at my watch, it was already 2 pm. So, I paid homage to the pagoda and went down the pagoda platform. I crossed the road and got back to the bus stop, which was the starting point of many bus lines in Yangon. Across the bus stop stood the Yangon City Hall, which was a blend of Myanmar and Western architectural works. Behind it was the Maha Bandoola Park, where the Independence Pillar was jutting out starkly into the sky. I was also aware of some skyscrapers that had appeared in the immediate environs of the Sule Pagoda in recent years.
In conclusion, my casual visit to the Sule Pagoda gave me peace, happiness and relaxation. At the same time, I also got some knowledge of history and archaeology. So I think the Sule Pagoda is worth a visit by all people – local and foreign.