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Buddhist sects in Myanmar

There was an early schism into four sects during the Pagan period, which was later ended by the purification effort of a Hanthawady king, according to the Kalyāṇi Sima stone inscriptions. Throughout the Ava period and early Konbaung period, new schisms emerged between city sect and forest sect, and between one-shoulder covering sect and both-shoulder covering sect. The defeat of the one-shoulder covering sect resulted in a unified order, but new sects broke out again in the late Konbaung period and throughout the British rule.

Historical schisms
Native vs Sri Lankan lineages Purimagaṇa / Purima Saṃghā • lineage of Shin Arahan, lineage from SudhuimPacchāgaṇa / Pacchima Saṃghā lineage of disciples of Chapada who studied as novices and were ordained as full monks in Sri Lanka. Chapada Thera caused a schism in Burma upon his return, and his friends from Sri Lanka who came together with him caused further schism later: • lineage of disciples of Sīvali • lineage of disciples of Tāmalinda • lineage of disciples of Ānanda City vs Forest Gāmavāsī Bahucāra Festive Monastery Sect • Araññavāsī Forest Monastery Sect Hat-wearing and Shoulder-covering Controversy Pārupana Sect / Ayondaw Sect • Ekamsika Sect / Atin Sect / Ton Village Sect • Gāmavāsī Hat-wearing Sect == The nine sects of Sangha ==
The nine sects of Sangha
Nine Sangha sects had been registered with the Department of Religious Affairs by 1 February 1980. The Law Relating to Sangha Organization, enacted by the SLORC junta in 1990, explicitly recognizes only these nine sects and prohibits the formation of new sects. However, the law allows the existing sects to merge. The official list of the Nine Major Sects of Saṃghā (သံဃာဂိုဏ်းကြီးကိုးဂိုဏ်း) is as follows: but it did not receive the name Dvarā at that time. The Okpho Sayadaw preached to his followers to replace the words kāyakamma, vacīkamma, manokamma in the Okāsa prayer with the words kāyadvāra, vacīdvāra, manodvāra. In 1217 ME, a dispute broke out among the Uposatha observers on whether the recitation with three dvāra or the one with three kamma was correct. When they asked the Okpho Sayadaw, he judged that the recitation with dvāra is the only correct way, citing the Aṅguttara Nikāya of the Pāli canon. Those who disagreed asked the Kyìthè Layhtat Sayadaw (author of the Jinattha-pakāsanī), who judged that they should recite with kamma, citing the verse "natvāti kāyakamma vacīkamma manokamma saṅkhātehi tīhikammehi namassitvā". Thus, the sect of Okpho Sayadaw was called "Dvāravādī Sect" while those who disagreed with him (i.e., Sudhammā followers) were called "Kammavādī Sect". The Okpho Sayadaw was proficient in astrology. He said that the full moon days and new moon days in the Burmese calendar are one day earlier than the actual days. He and his follower monks performed rites on the first waning days and the first waxing days instead of full moon days and new moon days, until he passed away. Anaukchaung Dvāra Sect Monks from six monasteries of the Dvāra Sect near the Ngawun River, locally known as Anaukchaung (Western Stream), accused the Ngathaingchaung Yetagun Monastery Sayadaw of the First Pārajika offense with a woman. Because the Dvāra Sect leader Okpho Sayadaw sided with the accused monk, the monks from those six monasteries broke away and founded a separate sect. This sect, Anaukchaung Dvāra Sect, is led by six sayadaws. Dhammānudhamma Mahādvāra Nikāya Sect In the 13 years after the death of Okpho Sayadaw, no one had been elected as the new Mahānāyaka of Dvāra sāsanā. In 1280 M.E. (1918-1919 C.E.), the Dvāra Sect held a Sangha meeting which elected the Yangon Monastery Sayadaw from Hinthada as the second Mahānāyaka of Dvāra Sāsanā, and gave the title of "Dhammānudhamma Mahādva Nikāya" to their Dvāra Sect. The majority of Dvāra monks reverted to performing rites on full moon days and new moon days in the Burmese calendar, citing a teaching of Lord Buddha that full moon days and new moon days be determined by the king or the government (rāja padhāna). Dhammavinayānuloma Mūladvāra Nikāya Sect Ingapu Sayadaw and his followers had personal and doctrinal disputes with Dvāra Sayadaws from Hinthada. When the Hinthada monks held a Sangha meeting and took the name "Mahādvāra Nikaya", the Ingapu Sayadaw named his group "Mūladvāra" without holding a Sangha meeting. The Mūladvāra Nikāya retains the practice of performing the rites on the first waning days and the first waxing days, as taught by the Okpho Sayadaw. The sect later took the title "Dhammavinayānuloma Mūladvāra Nikāya," meaning the original Dvāra sect which practices according to Dhamma and Vinaya. == The word "Gaing", "Gaṇa" or "Sect" ==
The word "Gaing", "Gaṇa" or "Sect"
Derived from the Pali word "Gaṇa", the Burmese word "ဂိုဏ်း" "Gaing" can mean group, sect, or gang, and also, occults and cults. == Annual monk population data ==
Annual monk population data
According to the rules and regulations of the Sangha Organization of Myanmar, every monastery in each sect is required to submit annually the number of monks and novices residing there. 1377 M.E. (2016 C.E.) 1381 M.E. (2019 C.E.) 1382 M.E. (2020 C.E.) == Unrecognized sects within the recognized sects ==
Unrecognized sects within the recognized sects
Other unrecognized sects of Sangha had to merge with the recognized sects because they had not registered by 2 February 1980, and had failed to send sect representatives to the meeting that year. Some sects, such as the Tai Zawti Sect, have merged into the Sudhammā Sect but retain their characteristics. Although it did not receive recognition in 1980, it has maintained the de facto structure of a nikāya monastic order since 1920. It has been requesting formal recognition from the government since the 2020s. == Sects of Mahayana Buddhism ==
Sects of Mahayana Buddhism
Mahāyāna Buddhism is also practised in modern Myanmar mostly by Chinese descendants, but also by some minority ethnic groups. == Banned sects ==
Banned sects
Some sects, which are deemed to be against Theravāda Buddhism but unrelated to Mahāyāna Buddhism, have been banned. The Sky Blue Sect (မိုးပြာဂိုဏ်း), with the title Paccuppan Kammavāda Buddhism (ပစ္စုပ္ပန်ကမ္မဝါဒဗုဒ္ဓဘာသာ), is among the banned sects. == Notes ==
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