A group of Buddhist monks in Burma. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

Part of a series on Buddhism History Timeline· Buddhist councils Foundations Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Buddhist Precepts Nirvana · Three Jewels Key Concepts Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma Dependent Origination · Karma Major Figures Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramitas · Meditation · Laity Countries/Regions Bhutan · Cambodia · China India · Indonesia · Japan Korea · Laos · Malaysia Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal Russia· Singapore · Sri Lanka Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam Western countries Branches Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna Early and Pre-sectarian Texts Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras Tibetan Canon Comparative Studies Culture · List of topics Portal: Buddhism This box: view • talk • edit

Theravada     Countries   Nepal • Sri Lanka Cambodia • Laos Burma • Thailand   Texts   Pali Canon Commentaries Subcommentaries   History   Pre-sectarian Buddhism Early schools • Sthavira Asoka • Third Council Vibhajjavada Mahinda • Sanghamitta Dipavamsa • Mahavamsa Buddhaghosa   Doctrine   Saṃsāra • Nibbāṇa Middle Way Noble Eightfold Path Four Noble Truths Enlightenment Stages Precepts • 3 Jewels   view • talk • edit

Buddhism in Myanmar (or Burma) is predominantly of the Theravada tradition or the southern school. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. Foundation to the Common Era Some sources give the date of the Buddha's birth as 563 BCE and others as 624 BCE Theravada Buddhist countries tend to use the latter figure Lists and numbering of Buddhist councils vary between and even within schools Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term According to the Buddhist tradition all phenomena other than Nirvana, ( sankhara) are marked by three characteristics sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals In Buddhist phenomenology and Soteriology, the five skandhas ( Sanskrit) or khandhas ( Pāli) are five "aggregates" Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates ( Skandhas Dhamma ( Pāli: धम्म or Dharma (धर्म in Buddhism has two primary meanings the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment The doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit paticcasamuppāda; rten Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means "action" or "doing" whatever A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta The four stages of Enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life Theravada Buddhism Theravada Buddhism 's teachings on the paramitas can be found in late canonical books and post-canonical commentaries Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of Meditation techniques that develop Mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms Obtaining exact numbers of practicing Buddhists can be difficult and may be reliant on the definition used Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region There are distinctions between and within the Buddhism practised in various regions including In South Asia Mahayana Buddhism is the State religion of Bhutan, and Buddhists comprise 98% of its population. History See also History of Buddhism in Cambodia Unconfirmed Singhalese sources assert that missionaries of King Asohka introduced Buddhism into Chinese Buddhism ( Pinyin fójiào refers collectively to the various schools of Buddhism that have flourished in China proper since ancient times Buddhism is a world religion which arose in Bihar, India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha (literally Among the five official religions of Indonesia, according to the state ideology of Pancasila According to Suharto, Buddhism and Hinduism were Indonesia's classical The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods namely the Nara period (up to 784 the Heian period (794–1185 and the post-Heian period Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition Buddhism is the second largest religion in Malaysia after Islam, with 19 Buddhism in Mongolia is essentially Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school History The history of Buddhism in Burmaextends nearly a millennium Buddha was born in Shakya kingdom which lies in Rupandehi district Lumbini zone of Nepal Historically Buddhism was incorporated into Russian lands as early as the late 16th century, when Russian explorers travelled to and settled in As of 2000 425% of the Singaporeans register themselves as Buddhist by religion General Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada school and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the populationAccording to traditional Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school Nearly 95% of Thailand 's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school though Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Buddhism came to Vietnam in the first century CE By the end of the second century Vietnam developed a major Buddhist centre in the region commonly known as the Luy Lâu Buddhism in the West broadly encompasses the knowledge and practice of Buddhism outside of Asia. The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and The Early Buddhist schools are those schools into which according to most scholars the Buddhist monastic Sangha initially split due originally to differences in The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used by some scholars to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being Buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars Historicity and Background Place in the Canon Various Mahayana Sutras have been included in the Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon. The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of Sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include Buddhist Festivals and Observances Vesak The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Aggañña Sutta Ahimsa History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Buddha was born in Shakya kingdom which lies in Rupandehi district Lumbini zone of Nepal General Buddhism in Sri Lanka is primarily of the Theravada school and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the populationAccording to traditional History See also History of Buddhism in Cambodia Unconfirmed Singhalese sources assert that missionaries of King Asohka introduced Buddhism into Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school Nearly 95% of Thailand 's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school though Buddhism Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language Atthakatha ( Pali for explanation commentary refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. The subcommentaries (tika ṭīkā are commentaries on the commentaries on the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used by some scholars to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being The Early Buddhist schools are those schools into which according to most scholars the Buddhist monastic Sangha initially split due originally to differences in Sthaviravāda ( Sanskrit; Chinese 上座部 literally means "Teaching Of The Elders" Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi The Third Buddhist council was convened in about 250 BCE at Asokarama in Patiliputta, supposedly under the patronage of Emperor Asoka. Vibhajjavāda is an umbrella classification for Buddhist denominations that promote analysis as a primary tool for developing 'insight' (Sanskrit Prajñā Mahinda ( Sanskrit: महिन्द्र Mahindra) (born 3rd century BCE in Magadha, now in Bihar, India) was a Buddhist See also Ashoka Bhikkhuni Sri Maha Bodhi The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa" (ie Chronicle of the Island in Pali) is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka. The Mahavamsa, ("Great Chronicle " is a historical poem written in the Pali language of the kings of Sri Lanka. Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण In general the Middle Way or Middle Path ( madhyamā-pratipad; ṭṭipadā) is the Buddhist practice of non-extremism Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived The four stages of Enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation About 89% of Burmese practices Buddhism. ^[1] It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. ^[2] Adherents are most likely found among the dominant ethnic Bamar (or Burmans), Shan, Rakhine (Arakanese), Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. The Bamar ( bəmà lùmjó also called Burman) are the dominant Ethnic group of Burma, constituting approximately 68% (30000000 of the population The Shan (ရှမ်းလူမျိုး ʃán lùmjóʊ) are a Tai Ethnic group of The Rakhine people ( ja̰kʰàin lùmjóʊ formerly Arakanese) are an Ethnic group of Myanmar, and form the majority along Rakhine State's The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး‌ mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from The Karen ( self-titled Pwa Ka Nyaw Po, and also known in Thailand as the Kariang (กะเหรี่ยง or Yang, are an ethnic group in The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of Overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma (Myanmar Among ethnic Bamar, Theravada Buddhism is practised often in conjunction with nat worship. The nats ( naʔ are spirits worshipped in Burma (or Myanmar in conjunction with Buddhism. Monks, collectively known as the Sangha are venerated members of Burmese society. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation.

The importance of Buddhism in the history of Myanmar is evident from a landscape dominated by pagodas which is why the country is often called "the land of pagodas. " The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is steeped in myth and legend, and represents the people's faith who have worshipped there for generations. The Shwedagon Pagoda (ʃwèdəgòun; ʃwèdəgòun pʰəjá officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw (ʃwèdəgòun zèdìdɔ̀ also known as the Golden Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. Every village in Burma has a pagoda and a monastery, the traditional places for worship and education. ^[3]

History

The history of Buddhism in Myanmar extends nearly a millennium. The Sasana Vamsa, written by Pinyasami in 1834, summarises much of the history of Buddhism in Myanmar. The Sāsana Vaṃsa is a history of the Buddhist order in Burma, composed by the Burmese monk Panng-sami (Paññyāsāmi in 1851.

The Ari Buddhism era included the worship of Bodhisattas and nagas, and also was known for corrupt monks. Ari Buddhism is the name given to the religious practice common in Bagan, Burma prior to Anawrahta 's rise and the subsequent conversion of Bagan to In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is Anawrahta was converted by Shin Arahan, a monk from Thaton to Theravada Buddhism. Thaton ( is a Town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains In 1057, Anawrahta sent an army to conquer the Mon city of Thaton in order to obtain theTipitaka Buddhist canon. The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး‌ mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from The Tripiṭaka ( Sanskrit; Devanagari: त्रिपिटक lit Canonical is an Adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, "rule" (perhaps originally from Mon culture, from that point, came to be largely assimilated into Bamar culture in Bagan. Bagan ( formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Division of Burma. Despite attempts at reform, certain features of Ari Buddhism and traditional nat worship continued. The nats ( naʔ are spirits worshipped in Burma (or Myanmar in conjunction with Buddhism. Succeeding kings of Bagan continued to build large numbers of monuments, temples, and pagodas in honour of Buddhism. Burmese rule at Bagan continued until the invasion of the Mongols in 1287.

The Shan, meanwhile, established themselves as rulers throughout the region now known as Burma. The Shan (ရှမ်းလူမျိုး ʃán lùmjóʊ) are a Tai Ethnic group of Thihathu, a Shan king, established rule in Bagan, by patronising and building many monasteries and pagodas. Bhikkus continued to be influential, particularly in Burmese literature and politics. A Bhikkhu ( Pāli) or Bhiksu ( Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist Monastic. The literature of Burma (or Myanmar) spans over a millennium Burmese literature was historically influenced by Indian and Thai cultures as seen in many

The Mon kingdoms, often ruled by Shan chieftains, fostered Theravada Buddhism in the 1300s. The Mon ( Mon language: မန် or မည် မွန်လူမျိုး‌ mùn lùmjóʊ Thai: มอญ are an Ethnic group from Wareru, who became king of Mottama (a Mon city kingdom), patronised Buddhism, and established a code of law (Dhammathat) compiled by Buddhist monks. Mottama, formerly known as Martaban, is a small town in the Thaton district of Mon State, in southern Burma. King Dhammazedi, formerly a Mon monk, established rule in the late 1400s at Innwa and unified the Sangha in Mon territories. Innwa ( formerly Ava) is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. He also standardised ordination of monks set out in the Kalyani Inscriptions. Dhammazedi moved the capital back to Hanthawaddy (Bago). His mother-in-law Queen Shin Sawbu of Pegu was also a great patron of Buddhism. Baña Thau, known as Shin Sawbu in Burmese, is the Mon name for the queen who ruled for seventeen peaceful years (1453-1470 or 72 over a Mon kingdom She is credited for expanding and gilding the Shwedagon Pagoda giving her own weight in gold. The Shwedagon Pagoda (ʃwèdəgòun; ʃwèdəgòun pʰəjá officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw (ʃwèdəgòun zèdìdɔ̀ also known as the Golden

The Bamar, who had fled to Taungoo before the invading Shan, established a kingdom there under the reigns of Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung who conquered and unified most of modern Burma. Taungoo ( also known as Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the Tabinshwehti ( təbìnʃwètʰí 1512 &ndash 1550 also spelt Tabinshweti) was a king who unified Burma (now Myanmar) in 1539 and known as the founder Bayinnaung (ဘုရင်နောင် bayìnnaʊ̀n lit the King's Elder Brother known in Portuguese as Braginoco and in the Thai language as Burinnaung or Burengnong These monarchs also embraced Mon culture and patronised Theravada Buddhism.

In the reigns of succeeding kings, the Taungoo kingdom became increasingly volatile and was overthrown by the Mon. In the mid- 1700s, King Alaungpaya defeated the Mon, expanded the Bamar kingdoms, and established the Konbaung dynasty. Alaungpaya (အလောင်းဘုရား or Alompra or Alaung Mintaya (အလောင်းမင်းတရား(อลองพญา lit The Konbaung Dynasty ( 1752 - 1885) sometimes called the Alaungpaya Dynasty or the House of Alompra by the British colonial rulers was the last Under the rule of King Bodawpaya, a son of Alaungpaya, a unified sect of monks (Thudhamma) was created within the kingdom. Bodawpaya (ဘိုတော်ဘုရား ปะดุง literally Royal Grandfather 11 March 1745 - 5 June 1819) was the sixth Bodawpaya restored ties with Sri Lanka started by Anawrahta, allowing for mutual influence in religious affairs. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Anawrahta ( ənɔ̀ja̰tʰa reigned 1044 - 1077) also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom In the reigns of the Konbaung kings that followed, both secular and religious literary works were created. King Mindon Min moved his capital to Mandalay. Mindon Min (မင်းတုန်းမင်း born Maung Lwin 8 July 1808 in Amarapura, died 1 October 1878 in Golden Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma (Myanmar and is the economic and cultural hub of Upper Burma After Lower Burma had been conquered by the British, Christianity began to gain acceptance. Lower Burma is a historical region referring to the part of Burma annexed by the British Empire after the Second Anglo-Burmese War, which took place in Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Many monks from Lower Burma had resettled in Mandalay, but by decree of Mindon Min, they returned to serve the Buddhist laypeople. However, schisms arose among the Sangha, which were resolved during the Fifth Buddhist Synod, held in Mandalay in 1871. This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. The Fifth Buddhist council took place in Mandalay, Burma ( Myanmar) in 1871 A From 1860 to 1868, the Tipitaka was engraved on 729 marble slabs and assembled in the Kuthodaw Pagoda. Kuthodaw Pagoda (ကုသိုလ်တော်‌ဘုရား literally Royal Merit and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein) is a Buddhist Stupa, located In 1871, a new hti (the gold umbrella that crowns a stupa) encrusted with jewels from the crown was also donated by Mindon Min for the Shwedagon now in British Burma. A stupa (from Sanskrit and Pāli: m स्तूप stūpa, literally meaning "heap" is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist

Young monks of Burma.

During the British administration of Lower and Upper Burma, also known as Burma Proper, government policies were secular which meant monks were not protected by law. Lower Burma is a historical region referring to the part of Burma annexed by the British Empire after the Second Anglo-Burmese War, which took place in Upper Burma was a term used by the British to refer to the central and northern area of what is now the country of Myanmar (Burma Nor was Buddhism patronised by the colonial government. This resulted in tensions between the colonised Buddhists and their European rulers. There was much opposition to the efforts by Christian missionaries to convert the Burmese people, Bamar, Shan, Mon, Rakhine and plains Karen, with one exception - the hill tribes. Today, Christianity is most commonly practised by the Chin, Kachin, and the Kayin. Chin ( is one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar. They are notable for being the only major ethnic group in Myanmar for being a Christian majority The Jingpo or Kachin people (; endonyms Jingpo Jinghpaw Tsaiva Lechi are an Ethnic group who largely inhabit northern Burma ( Kachin State The Karen ( self-titled Pwa Ka Nyaw Po, and also known in Thailand as the Kariang (กะเหรี่ยง or Yang, are an ethnic group in Notwithstanding traditional avoidance of political activity, monks often participated in politics and in the struggle for independence.

Since 1948 when the country gained its independence from Great Britain, both civil and military governments have supported Theravada Buddhism. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The 1947 Constitution states, "The State recognizes the special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the Union. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " The Ministry of Religious Affairs, created in 1948, was responsible for continuing Buddhism in Burma. In 1954, the prime minister, U Nu, convened the Sixth Buddhist Synod in Rangoon (Yangon), which was attended by 2,500 monks, and the World Buddhist University was established. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) U Nu (ဦးနု ú nṵ otherwise known as Thakin Nu 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995) was a leading Burmese Nationalist The Sixth Buddhist Council (Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana as it styled itself was a general council of Theravada Buddhism held in Kaba Aye in Yangon (Rangoon Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma.

During the military rule of Ne Win (1962-1988), he attempted to reform Burma under the Burmese Way to Socialism which contained elements of Buddhism. Ne Win (နေဝင်း nè wín 24 May or 14 May 1911 or 10 July 1910 – 5 December 2002; born Shu The Burmese Way to Socialism is the name of the ideology of Burmese ruler Ne Win, who ruled the country from 1962 to 1988 In the 8888 Uprising, many monks participated and were killed by Tatmadaw soldiers. The 8888 Uprising ( Burmese: ၈-၄လုံး or ရွစ္‌ေလးလုံး MLCTS: hrac le lum) was a national revolution in Burma Defense Policy and Doctrine Defence Policy of Myanmar Tatmadaw was formally declared in February 1999. The current military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) patronises Buddhism, although persecution of persons of other religions, namely Islam and Christianity, continues. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official

Traditions

The culture of Burma is deemed synonymous with its Buddhism. Arts Historically Burmese art was based on Buddhist or Hindu cosmology and myths There are many Burmese festivals all through the year, most of them related to Buddhism. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices ^[4] The Burmese New Year, Thingyan, also known as the water festival, has its origins in Hindu tradition, but it is also a time when many Burmese boys celebrate shinbyu , a special rite of passage by which a boy enters the monastery for a short time as a novice monk. Thingyan ( is the Burmese New Year Water Festival and usually falls around mid-April (the Burmese month of Tagu) The Water Festival is the form New Year celebrations take in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Burma, Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Shinbyu ( ʃìnbjṵ is the Burmese term for a novitiation ceremony in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism. A rite of passage is a Ritual that marks a change in a person's social or sexual status This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism.

Shinbyu

A traditional Buddhist altar at a monastery in Taunggyi, Shan State. Shinbyu ( ʃìnbjṵ is the Burmese term for a novitiation ceremony in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism.

It is the most important duty of all Burmese parents to make sure their sons are admitted to the Buddhist Sangha by performing a shinbyu ceremony once they have reached the age of seven or older. This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. A symbolic procession and ceremony of exchanging princely attire with that of an ascetic follows the example of the historical Buddha. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder He was born a royal prince called Siddartha Gautama, but left his palace on horse-back followed by his groom Maung San or Chanda, in search of the Four Noble Truths and to attain Nirvana, after he found out that life is made up of suffering (dukkha) and the notion of self is merely an illusion (anatta or non-self) when one day he saw the 'Four Great Signs' - the old, the sick, the dead, and the ascetic - in the royal gardens. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Background Why the Buddha is said to have taught in this way is illuminated by the social context of the time in which he lived In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण Dukkha ( Pāli दुक्ख Sanskrit दुःख duḥkha; according to grammatical tradition derived from dus-kha "uneasy" In Buddhist philosophy, anatta ( Pāli) or anātman ( Sanskrit) refers to the notion of "not-self"

All Buddhists are required to keep the basic Five Precepts (ngaba thila), and novices are expected to keep the Eight Precepts (shippa thila). Parents would expect them to stay at the monastery immersed in the teachings of the Buddha as members of the Sangha for a few weeks or longer, at least for the duration of Thingyan. They will have another opportunity to join the Sangha at the age of 20, the upasampada ordination, to become a fully fledged monk, keeping the Ten Precepts (seba thila) and the full monastic rules (Vinaya), and perhaps remain a monk for life. Upasampadā ( Pali) literally means "undertaking" and specifically refers to the ordination rite by which one undertakes the Buddhist monastic The Vinaya (a word in Pāli as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning 'leading out' 'education' 'discipline' is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist

Buddhist holidays

Vesak or the full moon of Kason is celebrated by watering the Bodhi tree

Thingyan usually falls in mid-April and tops the list of public holidays in Burma. Public holidays *in Burma (or Myanmar The full moon in May (Kason) is however the most sacred of all as the Buddha was born, became the Enlightened One, and entered Parinirvana (died) on the same day, celebrated by watering the Bodhi tree. Vesak is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists in many Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment In Buddhism, parinirvana ( Sanskrit: परिनिर्वाण parinirvāṇa; Pali: परिनिब्बाण parinibbāṇa The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo (from the Sinhalese Bo was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree ( Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh ^[4]

Pagoda festivals (Paya pwè) held throughout the country also usually fall on full moon days and most of them will be on the full moon of Tabaung (February/March) including the Shwedagon pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda (ʃwèdəgòun; ʃwèdəgòun pʰəjá officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw (ʃwèdəgòun zèdìdɔ̀ also known as the Golden ^[4] They attract not only crowds of pilgrims from near and far, often in caravans of bullock carts, but they also double as great market fairs where both local and itinerant traders set up their stalls and shops among food stalls, restaurants,and free open-air stage performances as well as theatre halls.

Buddhist lent

The three monsoon months from mid-July to mid-October coincide with the Buddhist Lent or Wa-dwin, a time when people are busy tilling their land and planting the paddyfields, and monks will not travel but stay at their monasteries (Wa-kup or the rains retreat). Vassa (from Pāli vasso, Sanskrit varṣaḥ, both "rain" พรรษา pansa or phansaa; ဝါဆိုး A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months Waso robes are offered at the beginning of lent, the end of which is marked by the Thadingyut Light Festival. The harvest is now in and robes (thingahn) are again offered at the Kathina Festival usually held during October and November. Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists ^[4] Uposatha or sabbath days are observed keeping the Eight Precepts by most during Thingyan and Lent, and by devout Buddhists all the year round. The Uposatha is the Buddhist sabbath day in existence from the Buddha's time (500 B

Parents and elders also receive obeisance from younger members of the family at the beginning as well as the end of lent, after the tradition established by the Buddha himself. It was during lent that he ascended to the Tavatimsa Heaven in order to preach a sermon, as an act of gratitude, to his mother who had become a celestial being, and he was welcomed back to earth with a great festival of lights. The Trāyastriṃśa ( Sanskrit; Pāli Tāvatiṃsa) heaven is an important world of the devas in Buddhist cosmology. Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity " ^[4] Teachers receive the same obeisance, a tradition started by National Schools founded in defiance of the colonial administration and continued after independence by state schools.

Wedding ceremonies - nothing to do with religion and not conducted by the Sangha - are not held during the three months of lent, a custom which has resulted in a spate of weddings after Thadingyut or Wa-kyut, awaited impatiently by couples wanting to tie the knot.

Buddhist education

Class of Taunggyi novices in Burma. Taunggyi ( is the capital of Shan State, Myanmar. Taunggyi has a population of approximately 200000 making it the fourth largest city in Myanmar (behind

Burmese also send their children to the monastery to receive a Buddhist education, learning the Pali Canon, Buddhawin (the lifestory of the Gautama Buddha), Nga-ya nga-ze nipattaw (the 550 Jataka tales) - most importantly Zatkyi sebwè (the Ten Great Incarnations), and Thonze shihpya mingala (the 38 Buddhist Beatitudes) as soon as they have a good grounding of the three Rs. The Jātaka Tales ( Sanskrit जातक and Pali, Malay: jetaka Lao: satok refer to a voluminous body of Folklore -like literature The Beatitudes (from Latin beatus, meaning "blessed" or "happy" is the beginning portion of the Sermon on the Mount of the Gospel of The three R's (as in the letter 'R' is a phrase sometimes used to describe the foundations of a Basic skills oriented education program within schools reading Monks were the traditional teachers of the young and old alike until secular and missionary schools came into being during the British colonial administration. The Burmese word kyaung for school is derived from Hpongyi kyaung (monastery).

There has been a revival of monastic schools since the 1990s with the deepening economic crisis. Children from poor families that can ill afford fees, uniforms and books have renewed the demand for a free monastic education, and ethnic minorities such as the Shan, Pa-O, Palaung, Lahu and Wa are benefitting from this revival. The Shan (ရှမ်းလူမျိုး ʃán lùmjóʊ) are a Tai Ethnic group of The Pa-O (ပအိုဝ့်လူမျိုး pəo̰ also known as Taungthu and Black Karen) form an ethnic group in Myanmar comprising of approximately The De'ang ( also spelt Deang, Palaung and Benglong) people are an Ethnic group. Lahu may refer to more than one article the Lahu people, an ethnic group of Southeast Asia the Lahu language, spoken by the Lahu people Wa State is an unrecognised state in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma and is currently subsumed under the official Wa Special Region 2 of the Northern Shan State ^[5]

Politics

The Pariyatti Sasana University in Mandalay, operated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, is supported by the state.

Buddhism made major contributions in the development of Burmese politics. Burmese nationalism first began with the formation of the Young Men's Buddhist Associations (YMBA) - modelled on the YMCA - which started to appear all over the country at the turn of the century. The Young Men's Christian Association (" YMCA " or " the Y " was founded on June 6, 1844 in London England by a young man Buddhist monks along with students had been in the forefront of the struggle for independence and later for democracy, the best known leaders in history being U Ottama and U Seinda in Rakhine State, and U Wisara who died after a protracted hunger strike in Yangon prison. Rakhine State ( formerly Arakan) is a state of Myanmar. Situated the western coast it is bordered by Chin State in the north Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. ^[6][7] A major thoroughfare in Yangon is named after U Wisara. The League of Young Monks (Yahanpyo) based in Mandalay is a well known activist organisation. Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma (Myanmar and is the economic and cultural hub of Upper Burma The Burmese word for boycott is thabeik hmauk which literally means to turn the monk's alms bowl upside down - declining to accept alms in protest. The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. ^[8]

Shwedagon Pagoda

Civilian governments, after the country gained independence, patronised Buddhism donating large sums to fund the upkeep and building of Buddhist monuments. In addition, leaders of political parties and parliamentarians, in particular U Nu, passed legislation influenced by Buddhism. U Nu (ဦးနု ú nṵ otherwise known as Thakin Nu 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995) was a leading Burmese Nationalist He declared Buddhism the state religion which alienated minority groups, especially the Kachin. The Jingpo or Kachin people (; endonyms Jingpo Jinghpaw Tsaiva Lechi are an Ethnic group who largely inhabit northern Burma ( Kachin State This added yet another group to the growing number of ethnic insurgencies. The present military government has been so keen to be seen as patrons of Buddhism that it has become a joke- "Burmese TV has only two colours, green and yellow" - describing the military green uniforms and monk's yellow robes or golden pagodas which dominate the screen.

Shwedagon Pagoda has been an important venue for large public meetings where both Aung San and his daughter Aung San Suu Kyi had made their famous speeches. The Shwedagon Pagoda (ʃwèdəgòun; ʃwèdəgòun pʰəjá officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw (ʃwèdəgòun zèdìdɔ̀ also known as the Golden General Aung San (Bogyoke Aung San ( bòʊdʒoʊʔ àʊn sʰán February 13 1915 – July 19 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary Aung San Suu Kyi ( àunsʰánsṵtʃì born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro- Democracy activist and leader of the National League for During the second university strike in history of 1936 the students camped out on the Shwedagon terraces. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Aung San Suu Kyi returned from London to lead the National League for Democracy which was founded during the 1988 popular uprising, but was placed under house arrest in 1989; since she is a devout Buddhist and leader of the opposition, she is considered a socially engaged Buddhist. The National League for Democracy (အမျိုးသားဒီမိုကရေစီအဖွဲ့ချုပ် is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September The 8888 Uprising ( Burmese: ၈-၄လုံး or ရွစ္‌ေလးလုံး MLCTS: hrac le lum) was a national revolution in Burma

In September 2007, Buddhists again took to the streets in mass protest against the military government. The 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were a series of anti-government protests that started in Burma (also known as Union of Myanmar on August 15, Thousand of junta military and police forces poured into Yangon to try to control the situation, which rapidly deteriorated. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. A curfew was imposed and on the 25th of September troops surrounded Sule Pagoda. The protest continued to grow with regular citizens joining to support and defend the Buddhists. Over night junta forces invaded all the Buddhist monasteries in the country and imprisoned thousands of monks. Also, it was reported that Nobel prize winning human rights activist and Buddhist Aung San Suu Kyi was removed from her home where she has languished under house arrest and moved to the infamous Insein Prison. Aung San Suu Kyi ( àunsʰánsṵtʃì born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro- Democracy activist and leader of the National League for Insein Prison (pronounced like "insane" is located in Yangon Division, near Yangon (Rangoon the old capital of Burma. Mass protests erupted over this and junta troops began firing on monks, civilians, and demonstrators in the largest clash since 1988, which left thousands injured and hundreds dead. Images of the brutality were aired worldwide. Leaders around the world condemned the junta's actions and many nations imposed economic sanctions on Burma in protest. President of the United States George W. Bush addressed the United Nations, stating, "Every civilized nation has a responsibility to stand up for people suffering under a brutal military regime like the one that has ruled Burma for so long. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security " The Burmese junta has responded by trying to control media coverage, curtail travel, censor news stories, and shut down access to the Internet.

References

• Bischoff, Roger (1995). Buddhism in Myanmar-A Short History (PDF), Buddhist Publication Society. 955-24-0127-5. Retrieved on 2006-08-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.  
• The Constitution of the Union of Burma. DVB (1947). Retrieved on 2006-07-07. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death
• Hlaing, Maung Myint (August 1981). The Great Disciples of Buddha. Zeyar Hlaing Literature House, 66-68.  

See also

• Pagodas in Burma
• Traditional Burmese calendar

External links

• BuddhaNet: Buddhism in Myanmar
• Buddhism in Myanmar by G Appleton 1943
• The Life of the Buddha in 80 Scenes from the Ananda Temple,Bagan,Myanmar
• Buddha's Irresistible Maroon Army by Dr Michael W Charney, SOAS