Shin Uttarajiva
Encyclopedia
The Venerable Shin Uttarajiva was primate of Pagan Kingdom
during the reigns of three kings Narathu
, Naratheinkha
and Narapatisithu
from 1167 to 1191. The Theravada Buddhist monk presided over the realignment of Burmese Buddhism with the Mahavihara school
of Ceylon, away from the Conjeveram-Thaton
school of Shin Arahan
.
The primate, who was of Mon
descent, and a group of Burmese monks visited Ceylon on a religious mission in 1180. (Some Sri Lankan sources state the year of the visit was more likely circa 1171-1173.) He also brought a few young monks, including a 19-year-old Shin Chapata. Over the course of visit, Shin Uttarajiva decided to realign Burmese Theravada Buddhism, which probably came from Conjeveram in South India via Thaton, to the Mahavihara school. The returning monks refused to accept the validity of Thaton-Buddhism ordination.
The quarrel became a schism
: those who derived their ordination from Shin Arahan
were known as the Former Order; those who derived it from Ceylon as the Latter Order. The king supported the new movement. More and more monks were sent to Ceylon where they received ordination at the ancient Mahavihara Monastery. Shin Uttarajiva died in late 1191 (right before the end of Buddhist Lent). By then, the Mahavihara school became the predominant school of Burmese Buddhism. Shin Chapata also returned from Ceylon right after his teacher's death, and carried on his teacher's reformation effort. (But the old order did not yield easily. The schism lasted two centuries before Conjeveram Buddhism finally died out.)
Shin Uttarajiva was succeeded by Shin Siha Maha Upali as primate.
Pagan Kingdom
The Pagan Kingdom or Pagan Dynasty was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute the modern-day Burma...
during the reigns of three kings Narathu
Narathu
Narathu was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1167 to 1170. Narahthu ascended to the throne by murdering his father King Alaungsithu and his elder brother Min Shin Saw. In atonement for his many cruelties, Narathu built the largest of all the Pagan temples, the Dhammayangyi.Narathu's conduct...
, Naratheinkha
Naratheinkha
Naratheinkha was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1170 to 1173. When Naratheinkha succeeded his father Narathu, the new king was greeted with multiple rebellions by the Kudus in the Tagaung region in the north and the Mons of Tenasserim coast in the south...
and Narapatisithu
Narapatisithu
Narapatisithu was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1173 to 1210. He is considered the last important king of Pagan. His peaceful and prosperous reign gave rise to Burmese culture which finally emerged out of the shadows of Mon and Pyu cultures. The Burman leadership of the kingdom was now...
from 1167 to 1191. The Theravada Buddhist monk presided over the realignment of Burmese Buddhism with the Mahavihara school
Mahavihara
The Mahavihara was for several centuries the center of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was founded by king Devanampiya Tissa in his capital Anuradhapura. The Mahavihara was the place where Theravadin orthodoxy was established by monks such as Buddhaghosa...
of Ceylon, away from the Conjeveram-Thaton
Thaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...
school of Shin Arahan
Shin Arahan
The Venerable Shin Arahan was primate of Pagan Kingdom from 1056 to 1115. The monk, a native of Thaton Kingdom, was the religious adviser to four Pagan kings from Anawrahta to Alaungsithu. He is credited with converting Anawrahta to Theravada Buddhism, and overseeing the subsequent reformation of...
.
The primate, who was of Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
descent, and a group of Burmese monks visited Ceylon on a religious mission in 1180. (Some Sri Lankan sources state the year of the visit was more likely circa 1171-1173.) He also brought a few young monks, including a 19-year-old Shin Chapata. Over the course of visit, Shin Uttarajiva decided to realign Burmese Theravada Buddhism, which probably came from Conjeveram in South India via Thaton, to the Mahavihara school. The returning monks refused to accept the validity of Thaton-Buddhism ordination.
The quarrel became a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
: those who derived their ordination from Shin Arahan
Shin Arahan
The Venerable Shin Arahan was primate of Pagan Kingdom from 1056 to 1115. The monk, a native of Thaton Kingdom, was the religious adviser to four Pagan kings from Anawrahta to Alaungsithu. He is credited with converting Anawrahta to Theravada Buddhism, and overseeing the subsequent reformation of...
were known as the Former Order; those who derived it from Ceylon as the Latter Order. The king supported the new movement. More and more monks were sent to Ceylon where they received ordination at the ancient Mahavihara Monastery. Shin Uttarajiva died in late 1191 (right before the end of Buddhist Lent). By then, the Mahavihara school became the predominant school of Burmese Buddhism. Shin Chapata also returned from Ceylon right after his teacher's death, and carried on his teacher's reformation effort. (But the old order did not yield easily. The schism lasted two centuries before Conjeveram Buddhism finally died out.)
Shin Uttarajiva was succeeded by Shin Siha Maha Upali as primate.