“The New Year” Means the time, that previous year had past and a new year has restarted. A year can be determined because there are calendars or calculation. The Shan had also a calendar since ancient days. It was called “ Parg-yiem-wan” meaning “a pattern to examine”
Our people had known for a long time, that the new year is after the water festival, that was in the fifth month of the Shan calendar. So, some were puzzled, why the new year would fall on the fifth month and why there are two new year in a single year. Actually “the new year” in the fifth month, after the water festival is the “Buddhist New Year” which the Shans accepted with their religion. The “Lern Seing” the First month, is the true Shan New Year according to the Shan Calendar.
According to the old writing , there are there reasons about this existence of the Shan year.
(a) The Shan Kingdom of “ Mu Aarn Mao” was founded in 94 BC, which was the 450 Buddhist Era. The “Mu Aarn Mao” was also known as “Sing Mong Keng Wi” or “Mong Long Poong Tai”
(b) In the old scripts, the Abbot of Man Hai- Selan, had ten that in the year 450 of Buddha’s Era, there was the assem-bly of 150 learned Buddhist monks, where they re-wrote the three divisions of Buddha’s doctrine (i.e the Buddhist Syod)
Later, among these monks, “Sao Hsawta” was sent to the Shan lands and “Sao Mitsantaka” was sent to China, on mission to teach Buddhism.
(c) In another version, “Sao Khun Sai a.k.a. Sao Khun Hong” the son of the king of Mong T’sen (modern Yunnan) with his four followers: 1. Sao Khun Ling 2. Pu Larb Leng 3. Kha Wong Hork, 4. Kha Wong Phong, went to fetch the Buddha’s doctrine in the land of “Phar Tang Phar Taw” On their return they reached home in the 450 BE, in the time of New Year and new harvest. The people welcomed and of fered them with food from their new harvests. And the Shan year was reinstitute since that time.
So, the Shan year (Pi Tai) was based on the 450 BE.
The Shan year = BE-450
eg. = 2543-450
=2093 (1999 AD)
As Buddhism was the state religion, and this “Pi Mong” was widely used in most Tai groups. It is also used in Burma, and was also known as Kawsa or Burmese Era. So, the Shans had two calendars, the Shan and the “Pi Mong or Kawsa” in which the latter was more commonly used.
The “pi Mong” was based on the old year in the Indian calendar, but due to the astrologer’s foretold the future of the state, the year was revised down or adjusted down and restarted.
(1) Before the Buddha’s Era, “King Insana” the king of Kapilawood , subtracted 6845 from the great year (Maha) 6847 , leaving “2” which renew up to the year of “103” year, Wednesday. The sixth full moon day,( in Shan Calendar) when Prince “Sidatha” became the enlightened “Gaudama”. In the year of 183, Tuesday, the sixth moon day, the Lord expired and entered “Nivarna”
(2) Four months after the Lord “Gautama” had entered “Nirvarna”; King “Asathadat” re-established the Calendar. The year was counted “1” which was the year of the Buddha’s Era. In the year “424” the King of “Srikristra” tried to re-establish, but failed without the participation of the people.
(3) In the year of “624” BE. King “Sumudri” of “Srikristra” re-established the calendar, liaving “2” to start.
(4) Then after the year reached 562, King “Popa Saw Rahan” of “Pagna or Pookham” subtracted 560 leaving “2”. It was from this 2nd year which is now reached 1361 and was also known as the Burmese Era.
By Khur Hsen
This abstraction and re-instituting of the calendar had occurred, due to one of these facts.
(1) According to the Prophecies.
(2) When there were bad weathers, drought or flood, or destruction by pests, which resulted in famine.
(3) The King simply wants to show his might and generosity to his subjects.
The kings who had abstracted and reinstitute the calendar, was usually expired within that year. They had to sacrifice their lives, for of their people.
发表于 2005-4-28 10:02:00
QQ空间
腾讯微博
腾讯朋友
微信
转播
淘帖
分享
收藏
支持
反对
发表于 2005-6-2 14:16:00
