From a fragrant arahant to a national security threat: a story of a blue-robe wearing unorthodox monk
19 March 2024, 4.00 PM - 19 March 2024, 6.00 PM
Professor Hiroko Kawanami (Lancaster University)
Room G.H01, Arts Complex (enter via 7 Woodland Road)
Abstract: The presentation focuses on Mopyar gaing, a Buddhist sect in Myanmar that gained a large following in the 1980s, but declared an illegal sect by the SLORC government in 1990. Its founding monk, U Nyarna, came to be seen as a heretic, due to his unique interpretation of the Theravāda doctrine. His followers, both monastic and lay, wear sky-blue robes (the origin of the sect’s name) and adhere to the concept of ‘this-worldly karma,’ emphasizing the moral actions in the here and now. U Nyarna has criticized the generality of Myanmar monks for practicing rituals aimed at future rebirths that one cannot be sure to occur and warned of the dangers of blindly following the Theravāda teachings.
The case of Mopyar gaing provides a unique case study of a heretical group and explores how and why U Nyarna’s teachings have come to be seen as a major threat to the sangha and state in Myanmar today.
Chair
Dr Rita Langer
All are welcome! This talk is part of the Department of Religion and Theology's Research Seminar Series.
