Buddhism in Burma
According to legends connected with Buddhism, the two merchants
Tapassu and Bhallika who met the Buddha during the seventh week after enlightenment
were Burmese. The lock of hair they received as a token of veneration is enshrined
in the Shwedagone pagoda. This shows that the influence of Buddhism reached
Myanmar even during the lifetime of the Buddha.
The great chronicle of Sri Lanka, the Mahavamsa records
that the two Sona and Uttara went to Burma as missionaries after the third
Buddhist council and over 60,000 realized the doctrine having listened to the
Brahmajala Sutta. About three thousand five hundred youths joined the order of
Bhikkhus and one thousand five hundred female joined the order of nuns.
According to historical records in Burma, Buddhism
thrived during the period of king Anuraddha (1044-1071 A.D) Thera Dharmadarsi
converted him to Buddhism. His capital became the center of Buddhism in Burma. At
the time, the Tipitaka texts were in the custody of a contemporary regional
kind by the name Manohari. Through king Anuruddha made a request to the regional
king for the canonical texts, he refused to hand them over. Then king Anuruddha
waged war against him and brought the canonical texts and also the Mons who
were there to his own city Pagan. He placed the canonical texts in a special
library in his capital. Is son Keyan Sittha ( 1084- 1113 A.D) and Dhammacetiya
( 1472-1495 A.D) who succeeded him contributed much for the development of
Buddhism. Later those texts were compared with the Sri Lankan canonical texts
and necessary amendments were made in them.
The 5th Buddhist
Council
It was during the reign of king Min Don Min
(1852-1878) the Buddhism flourished well in Burma. This king, who was the last
of the Buddhist kings in the royal dynasty of Burma. Caused a Buddhist Council
to be held in the city of Mandalay in 1871 under the patronage of the Sanghraja
Jagarabhivamsa Thera with an assembly of 2200 elders of Buddhist order. After the
council, the entire Tipitaka was inscribed in about 739 marble plaques and
stored safely in houses especially erected for the purpose.
The 6th Buddhist
Council
When Burma came under British oppression, there were
drastic religious abd cultural changes. But after the second world war,
conditions changed and there was a great revival of Buddhism in Burma. The Government took all steps to make Buddhism the state
religion, and as a result there was another Buddhist council in collaboration
with the Buddha Jayanti celebrations to mark the 2500th anniversary
of the passing away of the Buddha. The council was held in Rangoon in the
period 1954-1956. Distinguished learned monks from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,
and Sri lanka attended this ceremony. About twenty thousand elders participated
in this convocation, which was recognized as an international unction.
The entire Tipitaka was divided into three hundred
sections and each section was entrusted to a group of fives Bhikkhus who
discussed in detail the contents of part allotted to them. Their findings and
conclusions were presented to the final committee for approval. These committee
served in three stages.
Famous Theras two were expert both Pali language and
the Canon represented Sri Lanka and rendered valuable service in the
preliminary arrangements and also in the actual discussion.
Some of them were Pundit Velivititye Sorata Thera, Dr.
Parawahera Vajirannana, Hapuvalane Nanaloka, and Mirisse Gunasiri, Balangoda
Ananda Maitereya, Polwattee Buddhadatta, Thera and Balangoda Ananda Maitreya
Thera served as chairman at two different states in the main editing committees.
Their views and opinions were highly valued and accepted and as a result the
Burma Government honored both of them with the title Aggmahapandita. After the
council the entire Tipitaka was edited and published as Buddha Jayanti
publications.
References - Class take note
0 comments:
Post a Comment