Shwegyin Nikaya
Encyclopedia
Shwegyin Nikaya is the name of the second largest monastic order of monks in Burma. Approximately 5% of Burmese monks (50,000) belong to this order. It is one of 9 legally sanctioned monastic orders (nikaya) in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organizations. Shwegyin Nikaya is a more orthodox order than Thudhamma Nikaya
, with respect to adherence to the Vinaya
, and its leadership is more centralized and hierarchical. Shwegyin Nikaya was founded in the mid-19th century by a chief abbot monk in the village of Shwegyin
. It formally separated from the Thudhamma Nikaya during the reign of King Mindon Min
and attempts to reconcile the two sects by the last king of Burma, Thibaw Min
, were unsuccessful. Monks of the Shwegyin Nikaya did not participate in the nationalist and anti-colonial movement in British Burma of the early 1900s.
Thudhamma Nikaya
Thudhamma Nikaya is the largest monastic order of monks in Burma, with 85-90% of Burmese monks belonging to this order. It is one of 9 legally sanctioned monastic orders in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organizations...
, with respect to adherence to the Vinaya
Vinaya
The Vinaya is the regulatory framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha, based in the canonical texts called Vinaya Pitaka. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline...
, and its leadership is more centralized and hierarchical. Shwegyin Nikaya was founded in the mid-19th century by a chief abbot monk in the village of Shwegyin
Shwegyin
Shwegyin is a village in Kalewa Township, Kale District, in the Sagaing Region of western Burma.-External links:*...
. It formally separated from the Thudhamma Nikaya during the reign of King Mindon Min
Mindon Min
Mindon Min was the penultimate king of Burma from 1853 to 1878. He was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma. Under his half brother King Pagan, the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 ended with the annexation of Lower Burma by the British Empire. Mindon and his younger brother Kanaung...
and attempts to reconcile the two sects by the last king of Burma, Thibaw Min
Thibaw Min
Thibaw Min was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma . His reign ended when Burma was defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885, prior to its official annexation on 1 January 1886....
, were unsuccessful. Monks of the Shwegyin Nikaya did not participate in the nationalist and anti-colonial movement in British Burma of the early 1900s.
See also
- Thudhamma NikayaThudhamma NikayaThudhamma Nikaya is the largest monastic order of monks in Burma, with 85-90% of Burmese monks belonging to this order. It is one of 9 legally sanctioned monastic orders in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organizations...
- Hngettwin NikayaHngettwin NikayaHngettwin Nikaya is the name of a monastic order of monks in Burma, numbering approximately 1,000 monks, primarily in Mandalay. Founded in the mid-19th century by the abbot of the Hngettwin Monastery, it is one of 9 legally sanctioned monastic orders in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning...
- Dwara NikayaDwara NikayaMaha Dwara Nikaya , numbering a three to four thousand monks, primarily in Lower Myanmar. This order is very conservative with respect to Vinaya regulations. Its founding was inspired by nikaya reforms in Sri Lanka during the 19th century...
- NikayaNikayaNikāya is a word of meaning "collection", "assemblage", "class" or "group" in both Pāḷi and Sanskrit. It is most commonly used in reference to the Buddhist texts of the Sutta Piṭaka, but can also refer to the monastic divisions of Theravāda Buddhism...
- Buddhism in Burma