Eighty-five percent of the Burmese
population is Buddhist, four percent,
mostly Karen and Chin, are
Christians. Buddhism teaches
patience and tolerance; life should
be led with internal peace and
tranquility. Buddhism believes in a
close relationship between cause and
effect; good deeds will result in
rewards, bad deeds in punishment. It
is important to make merit in order
to attain happiness in future
rebirths. One of the chief ways of
making merit is to make offerings to
monks. Animistic beliefs,
superstitions, and astrology have a
strong foothold in Buddhist thought