The Maha Thingyan festival in Myanmar holds a special place in the hearts of its Buddhist community. While it may seem like a simple water dousing tradition to cleanse the body for each other, its deeper purpose is to cleanse the soul of hate, grudges, and hostilities, fostering the internal peace and tranquillity of individuals.
Today marks the Atet Day of the festival, signalling the end of the four-day celebration. Throughout Akyo, Akya, Akyat, and Atet days, set in the traditional Myanmar Thingyan festival, people joyfully engage in water-splashing activities, bringing a sense of coolness and refreshment to the minds of all participants.
Let us all embrace the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, paving the way for a future where peace and harmony reign supreme. Everybody needs to forge internal peace and stability, cease fighting and clashes, ease tension among all and revitalize the national strength for implementing the nation-building plans by empathizing with the life of people who are now facing the loss of life and property in all war-tomb areas with terrible plights, sufferings, frets and miseries.
While the festival’s traditions have evolved, its essence remains rooted in the cultural fabric of Myanmar. Beyond just cooling off in the summer heat, the water-throwing rituals serve multiple purposes, including cleansing both physical and mental impurities, embracing the joy of defying the hot season, and promoting a sense of vitality and freshness, as well as greening the environments elsewhere.
Participants across the nation are reminded to engage in the festivities with kindness and goodwill, letting go of any past grievances and fostering bonds of friendship. It’s a heartfelt endeavour that embodies the spirit of the Traditional Maha Thingyan Festival without forging alien cultures that cannot be in line with Myanmar’s cultures, including those of all national races.
As the festival bridges the transition between old and new years in the Myanmar calendar, many seize the opportunity to perform acts of merit. From offering alms to monks and engaging in meditation to hosting charitable feasts, individuals come together to cultivate goodness and generosity.
Above all, as Myanmar prepares to usher in the New Year, it’s essential for everyone to release feelings of hate and animosity. Only through collective efforts to discard these negative emotions can the nation truly achieve peace and stability, transcending barriers of religion and ethnicity.
Let us all embrace the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, paving the way for a future where peace and harmony reign supreme. Everybody needs to forge internal peace and stability, cease fighting and clashes, ease tension among all and revitalize the national strength for implementing the nation-building plans by empathizing with the life of people who are now facing the loss of life and property in all war-tomb areas with terrible plights, sufferings, frets and miseries.
