Due to popular demand, the Lyman Museum’s special exhibit, “Sasana: The Burma Portfolio,” has been extended for public viewing through May 25.
Due to popular demand, the Lyman Museum’s special exhibit, “Sasana: The Burma Portfolio,” has been extended for public viewing through May 25.
The exhibit features the work of Dr. Steven Garon, an Aloha Medical Mission volunteer who has been capturing images of the people and local culture of Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar) on his vintage Linhof view camera since 2006.
Aloha Medical Mission provides health care services to the underserved peoples in the Pacific, Asia and Hawaii.
Sandwiched between India, China and Thailand, Burma is slightly smaller than Texas, with a population of 60 million people from 13 ethnic groups.
For more than 2,000 years, Buddhism and Burmese monks have been a central fixture in Burmese society, and over 80 percent of the country’s people practice Theravada Buddhism.
At the core of the local culture is “sasana,” the teachings of the Buddha and the mutual obligation for all living beings. In her speeches, Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi summarizes these teachings simply as “acts of kindness.”
The Smithsonian-affiliated Lyman Museum is at 276 Haili St. in Hilo.
For more information, call 935-5021 or visit lymanmuseum.org.