THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOCTRINAL PURITY: BURMESE MONASTIC REGULATORY SYSTEM (VINICCHAYA TRIAL)
8
Issued Date
2025-01-12
Resource Type
ISSN
19066244
eISSN
25869620
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105008302347
Journal Title
Journal of International Buddhist Studies
Volume
16
Issue
1
Start Page
54
End Page
70
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of International Buddhist Studies Vol.16 No.1 (2025) , 54-70
Suggested Citation
Linn Y.N. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOCTRINAL PURITY: BURMESE MONASTIC REGULATORY SYSTEM (VINICCHAYA TRIAL). Journal of International Buddhist Studies Vol.16 No.1 (2025) , 54-70. 70. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/110847
Title
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOCTRINAL PURITY: BURMESE MONASTIC REGULATORY SYSTEM (VINICCHAYA TRIAL)
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Buddhism in Myanmar today may be characterized as conservative. Among many Buddhist schools across the world, only the teachings maintained by the Theravada sect are accepted as authentic teachings in Myanmar. The teachings, ideologies, and practices that challenge the core principles of Theravada or imperil its purity are regarded as heretical and systematically suppressed through the collaborative efforts of state and Sangha authorities. This paper explores two distinct approaches to monastic regulation: the self-regulatory system of the early Buddhist era, which relied on moral penalties, and the contemporary state-backed regulatory system, which incorporates moral and legal enforcement. The study further explores how religious freedom, tolerance, and equality in Myanmar are granted with significant limitations, operating under the principle of safeguarding Theravada orthodoxy. Unorthodox or new Buddhist movements, such as the Present Kammavāda Buddhist sect, face considerable obstacles in gaining the right to practice or propagate their beliefs. Such movements are unlikely to thrive in Myanmar if deemed by Sangha authorities to deviate from standardized core Theravada texts (tipiṭaka). This paper highlights the enduring rigidity of Theravada orthodoxy in Myanmar and its implications for religious diversity within the Buddhist framework.