Buddhism of Shin Arahan

Historians contend that even the reformed religion of Shin Arahan, Anawrahta and other Pagan kings was one still strongly influenced by Hinduism when compared to later more orthodox (18th and 19th century) standards. Tantric, Saivite, and Vaishnava elements enjoyed greater elite influence than they would later do, reflecting both the relative immaturity of early Burmese literacy culture and its indiscriminate receptivity to non-Burman traditions. Indeed, even today's Burmese Buddhism contains many animist, Mahayana Buddhist and Hindu elements. They also question Shin Arahan's contribution to the reformation (purification) of the religion, raising doubt that the Buddhism of Thaton was more rigid than that in Pagan.

Indeed, evidence for the reform attested to him cannot be found at Pagan. The evidence, if anything, points in the opposite direction. The monk advocated for a stronger link between Burmese Buddhism and the Hindu god Vishnu. The frescoes in of Nandaminnya Temple, which Shin Arahan dedicated, in Pagan are "patently Ari". The full range of stories in Burmese cultural memory demonstrates that his reform was not so neat and tidy as the post-medieval narrative suggests. Burmese historian Than Tun writes: “Buddhism during the Buddha’s lifetime was in a sense pure, but as time went by it was modified to suit the time and place. Burma is no exception.” 

Indeed, within the century of Shin Arahan's death, the Buddhism of Pagan would be realigned with the Mahavihara school of Ceylon, away from his Conjeveram-Thaton school.[13] (The Conjeveram school originated in Kanchipuram, Tamil nadu in 5th century AD, based on the writings of monk Dhammapala. By 1192, the Mahavihara school became the predominant school of Burmese Buddhism by the efforts of Shin Uttarajiva.  But Shin Arahan's order did not yield easily. The schism lasted two centuries before Shin Arahan's Conjeveram Buddhism finally died out.

More at our Shin Arahan Cruise website: http://www.shinarahancruises.com/stories/buddhismofshinarahan