သုဓမ္မာနိကာယ | |
| Abbreviation | Thudhamma |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1800s |
| Type | Buddhist monastic order |
| Headquarters | Myanmar |
| Members | 467,025 (2016) |
TheThudhamma Nikaya (Burmese:သုဓမ္မာနိကာယ,IPA:[θudəma̰nḭkàja̰]; also speltSudhammā Nikāya) is the largest monastic order of monks in Burma.[1]
It is one of nine legally sanctioned monastic orders (nikāya) in the country, under the 1990 Law Concerning Sangha Organizations.[2] The Thudhamma is considered a more pragmatic order than theShwegyin Nikaya, with looser rules regardingVinaya regulations and is less hierarchical than the former.[3] Like all the major orders in Burma, the Thudhamma Nikaya prohibits monks from engaging in political activity.[4]
According to 2016 statistics published by theState Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, 467,025 monks belonged to this monastic order, representing 87% of all monks in the country.[6] With respect to geographic representation, the plurality of Thudhamma monks live inMandalay Region (19.76%), followed byShan State (16.09%),Yangon Region (15.39%), andSagaing Region (9.88%).[6] In 2016, the order had 56,492monasteries, representing 90% of the country's monasteries.[7]
The Thudhamma Nikaya was founded in the late 18th century by KingBodawpaya, after a series ofSangha reforms by priorKonbaung kings to purify and unite the Sangha. The name Thudhamma comes from the Thudhamma Council (an ecclesiastical organization founded by Bodawpaya), which in turn is named after Mandalay'sThudhamma Zayats, the meeting grounds for the Council.[8]
The office of the Supreme Patriarch (သာသနာပိုင် orThathanabaing), similar to the position ofSangharaja in Thailand and Cambodia, dates back to the 13th century, started by the monkShin Arahan in thePagan Kingdom.[9] The Thathanabaing was responsible for managing the monastic hierarchy and education at monasteries. In 1784, King Bodawpaya assembled the Thudhamma Council, led by the Thathanapaing and four elders (ထေရ် orthera) to resolve a longstanding issue on the proper wearing of monk's robes (whether one or both shoulders should be exposed).[9] Toward the end of theKonbaung dynasty, the council, which oversaw religious affairs in the kingdom, including the appointment of monastery abbots, Vinaya regulations, discipline of individual monks, and administration of Pali examination, was expanded to include 8 elders.[9]
Thanlyin Mingyaung Sayadaw isSangharaja of Thudhamma Nikaya.
Theravada Buddhist orders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh |  | |
| Cambodia | ||
| Myanmar (Burma) | ||
| Sri Lanka | ||
| Thailand | ||
