Proceedings
Historical Development of Buddhist Education in Myanmar: Monastic Resistance and Institutional Adaptation
- Title
- Historical Development of Buddhist Education in Myanmar: Monastic Resistance and Institutional Adaptation
- Author
- Ashin Puññavaṃsa
- Level
- MA
- Class
-
MA Research
Sītagū International Buddhist Academy Yangon - Type
- Research Paper
- Format
- Language
- English
- Subject
- Buddhist Education
- Date
- 2026
- Place
- Mandalay
- Publisher
- Sitagu Buddhist Academy Mandalay
- Rights Holder
- Sitagu Buddhist Academy Mandalay
- Abstract
-
Myanmar Buddhist education has undergone significant transformations across diverse eras while maintaining its core religious and educational functions. Its history can be structurally categorized into three distinct eras: the pre-colonial Buddhist monarchy, which granted full state patronage to the Sāsana; the British colonial administration, which introduced administrative reforms that significantly affected traditional Buddhist educational institutions; and the modern era, characterized by rapid cultural transitions and shifting lifestyles. These diverse social and political conditions posed significant challenges to traditional Buddhist educational institutions. Nevertheless, Myanmar Buddhist education demonstrated remarkable resilience through processes of resistance and adaptation. The study investigates the challenges encountered by Myanmar Buddhist education and examines the strategies of resistance and adaptation employed across these three historical periods. This study employs a qualitative historical approach, drawing on foundational scholarly literature to explore how Myanmar’s Buddhist education system navigated these institutional pressures through deliberate mechanisms of resistance and adaptation. By analyzing structural changes driven by shifting political landscapes, this paper illuminates the historical trajectory of monastic learning. The findings reveal that the close relationship between the Saṃgha and lay society enabled Buddhist education to survive political upheavals through institutional resilience, community support, and adaptive educational practices.
Keywords: Myanmar Buddhist Education, Saṃgha, Sāsana, historical approach, institutional adaptation, and Educational Resilience.
- Item sets
- SBAM 6th Annual Seminar Proceedings 2026
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