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Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos. 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 History The history of Buddhism in Burmaextends nearly a millennium 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 Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma The Buddhism practiced in Laos is of the Theravada tradition. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Lao Buddhism is a unique version of Theravada Buddhism and is at the basis of Lao culture. The culture of Laos has been highly influenced by Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism in Laos is often closely tied to animist beliefs and belief in ancestral spirits, particularly in rural areas. Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals [1]
The percentage of the population that adheres to Buddhism in modern Laos is variously reported, the CIA World Factbook estimates 65% of the total population have taken refuge in the Three Jewels. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the In lay and monastic ordination ceremonies Buddhists take the Three Refuges in the Three Jewels and are said to "take refuge [2] The creation accurate estimates of the number of Buddhists in Laos is complicated by the paucity of information made available by the Laotian government, and the close connection between Buddhist and animist practices in Laos could make the numbers of nominal adherents of both Buddhism-Animism as much higher as over 90% because these traditions have influenced on mostly Lao people [3]. The Lao (Lao ລາວ IPA laːw are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. It is still exclusive significant numbers of Chinese or Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhists. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. The Vietnamese people (người Việt or vi ''người Kinh'' are an Ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China.
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History
Theravada Buddhism is believed to have first reached Laos during the 7th - 8th Centuries CE, via the kingdom of Dvaravati. See Dvaraka for the Yadava capital of the Mahabharata. The Dvaravati kingdom of the early Thai existed from the 6th to [1] During the 7th Century, tantric Buddhism was also introduced to Laos from the kingdom of Nan-chao, an ethnically Thai kingdom centered in modern day Yunnan, China. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric Nanzhao, alternate spellings Nanchao and Nan Chao ( Traditional Chinese: 南詔 Simplified Chinese: 南诏 Pinyin: Nánzhāo The Nan-chao kingdom also likely introduced the political ideology of the king as defender and protector of Buddhism, an important ideological tie between the monarchy and the sangha in much of Southeast Asia.
During the 11th & 12th Century, Khmer rulers took control of Muang Sua, the historical region of the kingdom of Luang Prabang in northern Laos. The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. Muang Sua was the name of Luang Phrabang following its conquest in 698 by a Tai prince Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when the king of Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang (Lao ຫລວງພະບາງ, IPA /luaŋ pʰabaːŋ/ is a city located in north central Laos, on the During this period, Mahayana Buddhism replaced Theravada Buddhism as the dominant religious ideology of the ruling classes. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for [1]
Historically, the Lao state is regarded as beginning in 1353 CE with the coronation of Fa Ngum at Luang Prabang. Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara better known as Fa Ngum (1316 &ndash 1393 born in Muang Sua [4] Fa Ngum brought his Khmer Theravada teacher with him to act as adviser and head priest of the new kingdom. The Khmer people are the predominant Ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14 This Khmer monk named Phramaha Pasaman also brought to the kingdom a revered image of the Buddha that became known as the Phra Bang, the namesake of the city of Luang Prabang and the symbol of the Lao kingdom. The Phra Bang (literally "delicate Buddha" Lao ພະ + ບາງ) or 'Holy Golden Buddha' is the Palladium of Laos. [4] Subsequent alliances with Burma and Thailand helped cement the primacy of Theravada Buddhism in the Laotian kingdom. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Faced with rugged, isolating geography and the absence of a strong central government, Theravada Buddhism became one of the primary unifying features of Lao culture. [4]
During the 1920s, the administration of Buddhism in Laos was reorganized by Prince Phetsarath, who established a system of schools for providing instruction to the Lao clergy. Prince Phetsarath Rattanavongsa ( Somdej Chao Maha Oupahat Pethsarath Rattanavongsa lit His Highness (the Vice-King Phetsarath Rattanavongsa was prime minister [1]
Buddhism and the Pathet Lao
In contrast with the brutal repression of the sangha undertaken in Cambodia, the communist government of Laos has not sought to oppose or suppress Buddhism in Laos to any great degree. The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Rather, since the early days of the Pathet Lao, communist officials have sought to use the influence and respect afforded to Buddhist clergy to achieve political goals, while discouraging religious practices seen as detrimental to Marxist aims. [1]
Starting as early as the late 1950s, members of the Pathet Lao sought to encourage support for the Communist cause by aligning members of the Lao sangha with the Communist opposition. This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. [1] Though resisted by the Royal Lao Government, these efforts were fairly successful, and resulted in increased support for the Pathet Lao, particularly in rural communities. The Pathet Lao ( Lao ປະເທດລາວ, "Land of Laos" was a communist, Nationalist Political movement and [1]
Following the Pathet Lao's ascension to control of the government in 1975, efforts to link Buddhism and Communism in the popular imagination continued, with the government stressing the fundamental similarities of Buddhist and Communist views with regard to equality and material possessions, while simultaneously discouraging religious practices seen as wasteful or otherwise at odds with Communist doctrine- such as the donation of large sums to monastic institutions. [1] Traditional donations of food to monks were curtailed, and replaced with a government rice ration. [4] In response to this and other government policies limiting the traditional role of Buddhist monks in village life, the number of monks in Laos declined during the late 1970s as new ordinations declined, combined by an exodus of monks either fleeing to neighboring Thailand or leaving the sangha and returning to lay life. [1]
Senior clergy, such as the sangharaja, were forbidden by the government to preach. Supreme Patriarch redirects here For information on the patriarchs of the Western religions see Patriarch. Lower clergy were allowed to preach to the public, but their sermons were often taped or otherwise monitored by government officials to ensure that they didn't use their position as a platform for agitating against the government. [1] As a result, in 1979, the Sangharaja of Laos, Venerable Thammayano, fled to Thailand by floating across the Mekong on a raft of inflated car inner tubes. [1]
After 1979, government policy regarding Buddhism began to liberalize, resulting in a gradual resurgence of Buddhist institutions and practices. [1] Party officials are no longer barred from participation in religious services, and may even undergo temporary ordination. Buddhist schools in urban areas continued to teach Buddhist doctrine to monks and laity, albeit with a political bent to their doctrine. Ordinations- both temporary and permanent- have increased, primarily in Vientiene and the Mekong River region. Vientiane (vjɛnˈtjɑːn Lao ວຽງຈັນ Viang-chan) is the Capital city of Laos The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia [1] Lao monks are required to do productive work, with most working as teachers and physicians. The curriculum they teach- which includes basic literacy and Lao history- as well as the medicine they practice (Western medicine and traditional herbal remedies have replaced the sale of blessed amulets and other spiritualist cures) are controlled by the government. [4]
Communist reform of the Lao sangha has been variously praised and criticized by outside observers, with supporters seeing it as a significant achievement in modernizing and reforming a traditional institution, and opponents criticizing the co-opting of Buddhist clergy to serve political ends. [4]
Buddhism in Laotian Culture
Lao Buddhist are very devout and almost every Lao man joins a monastery, or temple, for at least a short period of time. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Many men also become monks for the rest of their lives. Most people donate food to the monks to gain merit and improve their karma. Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्म, kárman - "act action performance" Pali: kamma) is the concept of "action" The temples of Laos were once seen as "Universities" for monks. Lao monks are highly respected and revered in Lao communities. A Bhikkhu ( Pāli) or Bhiksu ( Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist Monastic.
Art and Architecture
The Pha That Luang, Wat Sisakhet, Wat Xieng Thong, and That Dam are all Buddhist structures in Laos. Pha That Luang (Paa T-had Lu-uang ( Great Stupa in Lao) is a Buddhist Stupa in Vientiane, Laos. Wat Si Saket is a Buddhist Wat in Vientiane, Laos. It is situated on Lane Xang Road on the corner with Setthathirat Road to the northwest of Wat Xieng Thong is a Buddhist Temple ( Wat) in Luang Phrabang, Laos. The That Dam is a large Stupa in Vientiane, Laos. Many Laotians believe it is inhabited by a seven headed dragon who tried to protect them from Lao Buddhism is also famous for images of the Buddha performing uniquely Lao mudras, or gestures, such as calling for rain, and striking uniquely Lao poses such as showing the Buddha lying down and welcoming death, after which he would achieve Nirvana. The Lao (Lao ລາວ IPA laːw are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder A mudrā ( Sanskrit: मुद्रा lit "seal" is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण
Literature
In the Pra Lak Pra Lam, the Lao Ramayana, instead of having Rama portrayed as an incarnation of Vishnu, Rama is an incarnation of the Buddha. Phra Lak Phra Ram, pronounced {{IPA|lɑk}} {{IPA|pʰaː}} {{IPA|raːm}} (in Lao script ພຣະລັກພຣະຣາມ is the Lao version of India The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation Lao people have also written many versions of the Jataka Tales. The Jātaka Tales ( Sanskrit जातक and Pali, Malay: jetaka Lao: satok refer to a voluminous body of Folklore -like literature
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Savada, Andrea Matles (1994). Laos: A Country Study. Washington, D. C. : GPO for the Library of Congress.
- ^ CIA World Factbook- Laos. Retrieved on 2007-04-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama
- ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2007 - Laos
- ^ a b c d e f Reat, Noble Ross. " Buddhism in Laos. Retrieved on 2007-04-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
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