SyndicationTo Buddha's Teeth Stoling From Myanmar
My friend sent to me the following post. I feel sad reading this. What had happened to the morality of our mankind if religious learders are doing all those things.
posted by: Ran Marm Nine
According to this web site, Buddha Tooth Relic from Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Singapore is “a present” given by an Arakanese Monk, Venerable Cakkapala of MraukU, Myanmar to Venerable Shi Fazhau in 2002.
But unknown to most people, according to the Archaeological Act of Myanmar (1958-59), any antiquity, which is illegally taken outside the country of Myanmar, is demarcated as “ILLEGALLY STOLEN” (in Burmese: khoe-htoke-tae/ or tayar-ma-win-khoe-htoke-tae, Shi Fzhau committed a crime by bringing the tooth relic outside of Myanmar.
Since the Venerable Shi Fazhau illegally brought the “tooth relic” (Andaw Datt) of the ancient Arakanese property from Myanmar, according to the Archaeological Act of Myanmar, he is punishable by law in Myanmar. Furthermore according to the “vinaya” (rules and regulations) for the Buddhist monks to which Shi Fazhau professed, the acts of Shi Fazhau are sinful actions, which as a Buddhist, Venerable Shi Fazhau should clearly denounce.
As a matter of fact, dental experts such as Dr Pamela Craig, (University
of Melbourne/ School of Dental Science, Australia) and Professor David
Whittaker (Cardiff University, Britain) gave their comments in the
Nation newspaper dated 15th July, 2007, that it cannot be a human
tooth. Dr. Aye Chan of Kanda University, Japan, who specialized in
Arakanese History, also expressed doubts in wao-mail group on the
authenticity of this Buddha’s tooth relic. However, Dr Aye Chan
expressed his unhappiness for the loss of Arakanese national treasure.
Even
so, this tooth relic is still a true ancient cultural heritage of
Arakan. According to archaeology, any object, which is hundreds of
years old, is defined as “antiquity” or “ancient heritage”. In the
Archaeological Act of Myanmar, any material, which is more than
100-year-old, is demarcated “antiquity”.
It is said that this
Buddha tooth relic was discovered inside the ruins of a pagoda at the
Ba-Gan-Taung Hill, Mrauk-U in 1980. Based on the architectural style,
the pagoda might to be built during the Mrauk-U period (AD 1430-1784).
So, the veneration of this tooth relic in Arakan is as old as at least
224 years!! Therefore, it is a true Arakanese heritage.
There
were two acclaimed Buddha’s molar-tooth Relics in MraukU, the ancient
capital of the former kingdom of Arakan, now a province of Myanmar. One
is now located at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore, and the next
one is still at Andaw-thein temple (16th century AD) in Mrauk-U.
Previously both resided in the Bandula monastery of the late Cakkapala.
According
to the informal news of the local people at Mrauk-U and Sittwe from
Arakan, it was said that the both were sold to Venerable Shi Fazhau by
Venerable Cakkapala in 2002 because the latter needed a lot of money to
cure his deadly cancerous disease. Venerable Shi Fazhau succeeded in
illegal taking of the first Bagan-taung Buddha’s tooth relic to
Singapore from Myanmar. In the second time, the team of Venerable Shi
Fazhau, carrying the Buddha’s tooth relic of Andaw-thein, was blocked
by the Military Intelligence (MI) at Sittwe airport. Because of this
seize, the 16th-century Buddha tooth relic was safely sent back to
Mrauk-U. According to the record, this Buddha tooth relic is the
400-year-old cultural heritage of Arakan.