Myanmar: Unorthodox Inquiries

“The laws that govern the monks’ organization were written before 1988, during a one-party dictatorship! In the Sangha organization, you cannot have different voices … everything comes from the top-down. If you say anything unorthodox, your writing will be censored.” U Pandita’s story provides a remarkable lens into the intersection of spirituality, academia, and socio-political dynamics in Myanmar. In 1998, U Pandita left Myanmar to study Sanskrit in India. Upon returning, he spent a year overseeing a rural monastery before accepting an invitation to teach at the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University (ITBMU) in Yangon. After a year and a half, he left again, this time to teach Pāḷi and to continue his academic pursuits in Taiwan. Eventually, he settled in Sri Lanka, where he resides to this day. U Pandita explains that the monastic environment in Sri Lanka allows for freedom of expression, which he believes is essential for research, publication and a productive exchange of opinions. In contrast, he describes the monastic environment for scholars in Myanmar as rigid and intolerant, even punitive. Since his writings challenge orthodox interpretations of Buddhist commentaries, it could lead to severe repercussions for him if he ever returned there. He describes the stark choice that would await him: either publicly disavow all of his research findings as incorrect, or be forced to disrobe or even arrested. His dilemma reflects the precarious position of scholar-monks who challenge orthodox norms in Myanmar. The monastic laws in Myanmar were established before 1988 during a one-party dictatorship. They impose a rigid hierarchical structure on the Saṅgha, a top-down system that stifles dissenting opinions and opposing views. Research, which also includes any publications, must pass through an oversight board, and anything deemed to be unorthodox is subject to being censored outright. U Pandita adds grimly that even during the period of semi-democracy under President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi’s governments, these strict laws governing the Saṅgha remained unchanged. He speculates that the civilian government’s reluctance to suggest any reforms stems from an unwillingness to interfere with monastic affairs, leaving change dependent on the senior monks in power—a group largely uninterested in altering a status quo upon which they sit at the top. CATCH THE PODCAST The post Myanmar: Unorthodox Inquiries appeared first on ENG.MIZZIMA.COM.