THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOCTRINAL PURITY: BURMESE MONASTIC REGULATORY SYSTEM (VINICCHAYA TRIAL)

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.