How giving sanctifies: The birthday of thamanya hsayadaw in burma

Abstract

This article addresses the role and meaning of different practices of giving in the production process of sainthood in Theravāda Buddhism. Its focus is an account of the birthday ceremony of Thamanya Hsayadaw, the most venerated monk in contemporary Burma. Two ways of giving are defined, reciprocity and redistribution, which appear in the course of the ceremony and which correspond to the two most standard kinds of giving involving a Theravādin monk in a social relationship. The birthday ceremony itself is then described and discussed on two complementary levels. First, the meaning and implications of the gifts made during the ceremony are scrutinized. Second, at a more comprehensive level, the analysis shows that each of these gifts falls within a specific configuration and participates in a sanctification mechanism. This process entails not just the simple addition of various gifts but also their general articulation. It is this sanctifying dynamic of giving that is examined in detail. © Royal Anthropological Institute 2004.