缅甸信众捐发修建到Alaungdaw Kathapha 塔道路

据雅虎新闻网报道，近日，缅甸监管 Alaungdaw Kathapha 塔保养状况的僧人们发起了一场捐发修建到Alaungdaw Kathapha 塔道路的善款筹集活动，希望恢复宝塔往日鼎盛的香火。缅甸成千上万的信众响应，共献头发1750磅（合800千克）。

缅甸曼德勒市（又名瓦城）一座寺院的住持表示，有来自曼德勒市及其周边城镇的三万名女信众和一百多名长发男子响应献发。有些人的头发已经留了好多年，最长的有一百二十公分。所有头发将被卖给中国商人制成假发和娃娃。而义卖所得将被用来修建一条到 Alaungdaw Kathapha 塔去的长25千米、宽15米的道路和15座中等长度的桥。而其中一座桥将被命名为"Shwe Hsan Nwe 桥" 或 "金发桥（Bridge of Golden Tresses）"。

据悉，此次的活动的范围也扩及到缅甸最大城市——仰光。

神圣的Alaungdaw Kathapha 塔地处缅甸中部曼德勒市西北部的偏远地区，内有佛祖弟子遗体，是著名的朝拜圣地。但附近道路却破烂不堪，信徒要去上香礼拜，只能徒步或是骑大象，相当不容易。

据了解，信众以捐发表示对佛教虔敬信仰的源来已久，二千五百多年前的佛教印度弘化时，释迦牟尼佛每到一地，信众普遍以香花等做为供养，布施更甚者以身体、发等，表现对佛陀的尊崇及佛教的虔敬。

另外，根据佛典记载，释迦牟尼佛成佛前在因地修行，以七朵青莲花供养当时的然灯佛；然灯佛以神通力变一方土为泥澜地，儒童（即释迦牟尼）解鹿皮衣覆泥，并以发布地，请佛蹈其身而过，并发愿当于未来世作佛，愿佛授记。然灯佛蹈其身而过，授记：“过后九十一劫，等你修满三阿僧祇时，你应当作佛，号释迦牟尼。” （编译：子规）

YANGON, Myanmar - Thousands of faithful in Myanmar have donated 1,750 pounds (800 kilograms) of their hair in a money-raising campaign to repair the route to a sacred Buddhist pagoda, reports said Sunday.

About 30,000 women and more than 100 long-haired men from the central city of Mandalay and nearby towns have donated the hair, Kumudra magazine quoted a Buddhist monk as saying.

Some of the locks measured 120 centimeters (4 feet), said Shin Wayama Nanda, the chief abbot of Mandalay's Naga monastery.

The campaign _ led by the Buddhist monks overseeing the upkeep of the remote Alaungdaw Kathapha pagoda _ will use proceeds from the sale of hair to repair sections of a road and build bridges leading to the popular pilgrimage site which is said to contain the remains of one of Buddha's disciples.

The hair will be used in wigs or dolls, or it can be sold to traders from China for similar purposes.

The campaign has spread to the country's largest city, Yangon, Popular magazine reported Sunday.

Access to the pagoda in the country's northwest is difficult. Some sections of the route can be reached only by foot or on elephant.

"With the money acquired from the sale of hair, sections of the 25-kilometer (15-mile) road (will be repaired) and 15 small and medium-length bridges will be built," Shin Wayama Nanda said.

One span will be called the "Shwe Hsan Nwe bridge," or "Bridge of Golden Tresses."