Several worshippers were praying in front of the golden Buddha statue at Shwemawdaw Pagoda

Buddha statue under clock — Buddha statue under the wall clock

While walking around the grounds of Shwemawdaw Pagoda, I came to one of the halls surrounding the pagoda. After walking around the pagoda, visitors often go to these halls to pray. Some people pray toward the huge pagoda in the center of the temple, but I could not tell the difference between the two. I wondered which way to pray would bring more blessings. I peeked into the hall with this in mind, and found that there were worshippers there as well. They were sitting and praying toward a golden Buddha statue enshrined in the back of the hall. As I held up my camera, a girl with long hair noticed me and turned around.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a wall clock hanging above the kesa-clad Buddha statue. Looking at the clock made me feel bewildered. Are there busy worshippers who pray while worrying about the time? I feel that a mechanical clock, a symbol of industrialization, is not appropriate for such a place of faith. When I visit a place of faith, I would like to forget the time of the day and feel the eternity of time.

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