Old Bagan and New Vision: Social Survey of People’s Perspectives on Existence of Buddhism in 21st Century · SBAM Repository

Title: Old Bagan and New Vision: Social Survey of People’s Perspectives on Existence of Buddhism in 21st Century
Author: Ma Kesarī
Level: MA
Class: Research Student
Type: Research Paper
Language: English
Subject: Buddhist Studies
Date: 2024
Place: Mandalay
Publisher: Sitagu Buddhist Academy Mandalay
Rights Holder: Sitagu Buddhist Academy Mandalay
Abstract: The establishment of Buddhism in Bagan has long history through centuries. There is a considerable issue that the existence of Buddhism means the practice of religious teachings or the existence of Buddhism is based on the existence of religious buildings. The main purpose of this paper is to study the opinions of the people living in the Old Bagan about development of Buddhism with emphasis on religious attitudes towards Buddhist monks and perceptions about Buddhist buildings in Bagan. The research design uses Survey Research Design. The approach is a Mixed Method Approach that combines Qualitative Approach and Quantitative Approach. The qualitative data is presented in the content analysis and quantitative data is discussed with statistical analysis. The research’s findings show that the people expect religious activities and preaching to be performed in orderly manner and Buddhist buildings in Bagan to be preserved as the iconic heritage of Buddhist culture. As an implication, the monks also noticed that it is essential to listen to the wishes of the followers and be careful about their missionary activities.

Keywords: Buddhism, Old Bagan, Religious practice, Heritage, Sustainable Development

Item sets: SBAM 4th Annual Seminar Proceedings 2024