Buddhist Monks and Burmese society

In most of the world’s tourism literature, Burma has been quoted as ‘The Golden Land’
or ‘The Land of Pagodas’. This allegory reflects the once prosperous agrarian country with glittering paddy fields and gilded pagodas. In the old days, Burmese people did well in business and were thus able to give alms, offerings and donations which contributed to gilding the pagodas and the Buddha’s images.


Traditional Burmese society cherished a monastery-based education system from the time of reign of the early kings. Most people lived in rural villages and the monastery was the axis for village life. In the early days, every Buddhist family would send their children to the monastery to learn to read and write. When a boy was old enough to read and write, the parents usually initiated him into the Buddhist order as a novice or sama.nera. When the boy became 20 years of age, he could ask the bhikkhu community for either full ordination or could remain a novice. He could also become a layperson again if he so wished.


Local people supported the monastery and the monks by giving merit, and in turn, the monks offered spiritual guidance and tended to the community’s social, educational and health needs. Monks represented “the public conscience” and were sensitive to the joy as well as the suffering of local people. When local people suffered from heavy taxation, forced labor, rice quota extortion or forced relocation, monks did not ignore their plight. Since sangha, the Buddhist community of monks and nuns, is one of the Three Gems of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma or the Law and the sangha or the Order), monks received not only the respect of the lay people but also the respect of kings.

There still remains a close relationship between the monks and the people, a factor that enables monks to have firsthand knowledge about the affairs of the country. Buddhist people usually go to monasteries when they are not engaged in their work. In particular, Buddhists go to monasteries on Sabbath days during the period of the Buddhist lent to observe the eight Buddhist precepts and to listen to religious sermons. Most people perform alms-giving ceremonies at least once every year after they have been able to save extra money. In performing all these matters, people need to keep in touch with Buddhist monks. There is a permanent correlation between the monks and the people because only if the country is in a state of peace and people are living under normal conditions are monks able to practice Dharma, the teachings of Buddha. If the country is in turmoil and the people are impoverished, monks face great difficulty surviving and promoting the three main aspects of sasana*, Buddhist dispensation.


(*Sasana is divided into three parts:

(1) Pariyatti Sasana, the whole text of Tipitaka, three baskets consisting of the words of the Buddha;

(2) Patipatti Sasana, the actual practice in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha;

(3) and Pativedha Sasana, the attainment of the Four Noble Truths achieved by the practice of the Dharma.)

During the colonial period, the majority of Burmese people became poorer. As the national spirit for freedom rose among the people, especially among intellectuals, monks also became involved in the national movement. The Burmese nationalists began founding civil societies with a specific foundation focused on religion. As monks were able to engage in everyday communication with the communities through religious services and the monasteries, they were called upon for consultation and assistance. In many ways, monks became involved in national politics through the desire of the people.


The most prominent monks involved in advocating nationalism were U Ottama and U Wisara. U Ottama, from Arakan State, was the first monk to be arrested for political activism. He had lived abroad but urged people in Burma to wear traditional clothes and use locally made goods, defying the message promoted by the British. He was arrested twice and imprisoned for seven years with hard labor. U Wisara was jailed by imperial authorities for political activities. He died in custody after a 166-day hunger strike. Both monks were influential but were viewed by many as “politicized” monks. While some abbots dismissed them as followers of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, they were actually followers of Theravada Buddhism and inspired by Ghandi’s strategy of non-violent political action and boycotts.


In 1942 after the Second World War broke out, the Japanese occupied and ruled Burma during which time the people endured harsh conditions and experiences. Although the Japanese soldiers were mostly Buddhist as well, they treated Burmese people in an impious manner, particularly in rural areas. This treatment became one of the main reasons why the people vigorously supported the antifascist movement organized by the Burmese revolutionary forces in 1945. Due to the same nationalist sensation within society, the monks, also members of society, were involved in the movement in their own way.