State, society and Buddhism in Myanmar in the 1990s : a case study of Thamanya

Abstract

This study argues that popular Burmese Buddhist resurgence in the early 1990s symbolized unprecedented insecurity and disorientation that were associated with the political transition in Burma during those years. The charismatic Thamanya Sayadaw who is the subject of this thesis was an influential Buddhist monk. He and his monastery became famous all over Burma as a centre of pilgrimage and came to bear tremendous influence in Burmese society because the moral teachings and ethical behaviour instituted there provided an answer to the insecurity and oppression outside. However the Burmese resurgence represented by Thamanya, unlike other Burmese Buddhist movements, neither resisted nor supported the authoritarianism of the Burmese state. Thamanya was essentially a non-political Buddhist movement that focused on ordinary affairs. As a result, the popular Thamanya Sayadaw and his Thamanya pilgrim centre succeeded in accommodating diverse social needs and backgrounds. Nevertheless, due to their mass followers and potential political force, popular Buddhism at Thamanya was monitored closely by the state. One remarkable characteristic of popular Buddhism was the leading role of Buddhist laities who came from civil backgrounds such as refugee and city visitors. They took leading role in legitimating Thamanya Sayadaw as an extraordinary monk and at the same time they also worked to advocate their own social and economic development. This lay leadership of popular Buddhism constitutes perhaps one of its most significant influences on the state.