Esoteric Theravada Buddhism in Burma/Myanmar

After Burma's independence in 1948, a Buddhist revival emerged alongside nation-building and modernization, contrary to expectations that religion would decline. Two lay meditation movements arose: insight meditation and concentration meditation, the latter including esoteric congregations with fundamentalist tendencies. The supermundane dimension of Buddhism became increasingly influential, reshaping the religious field. This article discusses how this supermundane dimension reshaped Burma's religious field, focusing on esoteric congregations, presenting Burmese esoteric Theravāda Buddhism, and situating fundamentalist trends within these contexts.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The achievement of independence in 1948 was in many ways a watershed in Burma’s history. At this time, a variety of Buddhist movements emerged that were part not only of a ‘Burmese Buddhist revival’, in which even the government was involved, but also a general re-enchantment of Asia. In the period following World War II, projects of nation-building and further modernization were implemented in many newly independent Asian nation states. The theories of modernization adopted by the rulers had presupposed that a new, rationalized and secularized order that had set them on the path of ‘progress’ would entail a decline of religion. However, instead there was a widespread resurgence of religion, and a variety of new, eclectic religious movements emerged in Southeast Asia. In the thriving religious field of postcolonial Burma, two lay Buddhist movements associated with two different meditation techniques emerged, viz.; the insight meditation movement and the concentration meditation movement. The latter consisted of a variety of esoteric congregations combining concentration meditation with esoteric lore, and some of these were characterized by fundamentalist trends. At the same time, the supermundane form of Buddhism became increasingly influential in the entire field of religion. The aim of the present article is to discuss how this supermundane dimension has reshaped the complex religious field in Burma, with particular emphasis on the esoteric congregations; to present the Burmese form of esoteric Theravāda Buddhism, and to situate the fundamentalist trends which are present in these contexts.