Nay Pyi Taw, April 11
As now is the beginning of Myanmar New Year, pre-Thingyan showers can be seen here and there along with seasonal fl owers such as Padauk, Ngu Wah and Gangaw in blossom. At this time, Myanmar people do meritorious deeds, and novitiation and ordination ceremonies are most common. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army, Navy and Air) holds such ceremonies every year. The merit-sharing ceremony of the sixth ordination and novitiation ceremony of families of the Office of the Commanderin- Chief (Army, Navy and Air) took place at Anawrahta Hall of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) this morning.
Present on the occasion were State Ovadacariya Mandalay Maha Vijitayon Monastery Presiding Sayadaw Abhidhaja Maha Rathaguru Agga Mahapandita Agga Maha Saddhama Jotikadhaja Bhaddanta Visareinda Vhivamsa, Sayadaws and members of the Sangha, Commander-in- Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win and wife Daw Than Than Nwe, Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Sein Win and Lt-Gen Ye Aung and their wives, Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Mya Tun Oo and wife, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San and wife, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Maung Maung Kyaw and wife, senior military offi cers of the Offi ce of the Commander-in- Chief (Army, Navy and Air), offi cers, other ranks and their families.
First, the Senior General and the congregation donated alms to the 18 Sayadaws and members of the Sangha led by Maha Vijitayon Monastery Sayadaw, 256 temporary monks and 52 novices in front of Anawrahta Hall. The Senior General offered Myathabeik meal, water, fruit and oil lights to the Buddha image. Then, the Senior General and the congregation offered lunch to the Sayadaws, members of the Sangha, temporary monks and novices.
Afterwards, the merit-sharing ceremony came to mark the success of the sixth ordination and novitiation ceremony. The congregation received the Nine Precepts from Zeyathiri Township Sangha Nayaka Committee Chairman (Shwegyin) Kan-U Monastery Sayadaw Maha Ganthavacaka Pandita Sasanadhaja Dhammacariya Bhaddanta Vilasa.
Then, the Senior General and wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla presented offertories to Maha Vijitayon Monastery Sayadaw. The Vice- Senior General and wife Daw Than Than Nwe presented offertories to Bhaddanta Vimala Buddhi Pali Sayadaw.
Union Ministers and their wives and senior military officers donated offertories to the members of the Sangha. Principal Sayadaw of Mingalazeyon Pali Tekkatho Monastery of Pyinmana, Nay Pyi Taw delivered a sermon and the congregation led by the Senior General shared the pious merits gained.
After the ceremony, the Senior General and wife performed rituals of gold and silver showers to mark the success of the ceremony. Families of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army, Navy and Air) hold their communal ordination and novitiation ceremony annually, and the present one is the sixth ceremony.
A total of 1,645 have entered the religious order 1,393 have been ordained and 252 have been novitiated from the first to the sixth ceremony.
