Burmese Resources

Dictionary
Ways to learn Burmese in order to understand Pali.

There are two types of Burmese: Spoken one, and literary.

Dictionary

In Android handphone, you can install Shwebook, UHS-Pali MM dictionary.

One has to pick up new vocabulary and grammar. Luckily Burmese grammar is easy to learn. Vocabulary is more difficult because it is to do with Burmese culture and life-style. 

To learn Burmese in order to understand Pāḷi translation, there are few ways:

1.    Learn normal spoken Burmese

This basic Burmese book is recommended. To learn Burmese by yourself, you can follow the lessons in this Burmese By Ear (BBE). So far, it is the best and the easiest way to learn because it has a pdf book and voice recordings.  

CHANTING

Why do people chant? It is recollect the virtues of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Chantings remind us of how people do it in the past, let go the thoughts on the past and future, and just stay with the present chanting.
Though chantings are not a melodious as songs, they have their own tunes and lyrics. In fact, some teachers write the poems, with beautiful words that can stir up positive emotions.

Below are Burmese chantings like paying homage to the Lord Buddha, taking five precepts, reflection during meal time, metta and so on. If you cannot see the Burmese font properly, please download the zawgyi.font from the internet.

The documents have Burmese chanting, Burmese pronunciation, word by word English translation and the whole sentence translation. These are suitable for beginners who like to learn Burmese chantings and to learn more words.

1. Paying Homage	[Document]	[Audio]
2. Blessings from Sayadaw	[Document]	[Audio]
3. Determination to observe precepts	[Document]	[Audio]
4.Wishing	[Document]	[Audio]
5. Sharing merits	[Document]	[Audio]
6. Pubbakicca  (Preliminary tasks before meditation)	[Document]	[Audio]
7. Asking for meditation subject	[Document]	[Audio]
8. Paying Respect to the Triple Gem- Imaya Dhammanudhammapatipattiya	[Document]	[Audio]
9. Sharing metta at the night time	[Document]	[Audio]
10. Reflection at lunch time	[Document]	[Audio]
11. Sharing merits in poem style	[Document]	[Audio]
12. Eight precepts	[Document]	[Audio]
13.Nine attributes of the Buddha	[Document]	[Audio]
14.Six attributes of the Dhamma	[Document]	[Audio]
15.Blessing at the Beginning of the New Year.	[Document]	[Audio]