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Lord Buddha comes to Arakan : Relics, Statues and Predictions

Lord Buddha comes to Arakan : Relics, Statues and Predictions

Investigating the political and social meanings of an apocryphal Arakanese Phaya-Samaing

Jacques P. Leider,

Arakan (or Rakhaing) is today a state of the Union of Myanmar. Until its conquest by the Burmese in 1785, it was for several centuries an independent Buddhist kingdom. The presence of Buddhism can be traced back at least to the 6th century AD, but little is known in detail on Arakan’s religious and political history before the 15th century AD. For that reason, it is still difficult to ascertain the origins in Arakan of Theravada Buddhism that referred itself to the Sinhalese Mahavihara. For the moment, we may reasonably assume that the history of Theravada Buddhism in Arakan followed a similar course to what little we know on Burma’s early monastic history and it may go back to religious developments of the 12th and 13th centuries.

The text on which this paper is based was kindly put at my disposal by Ashin Rammawadi Pinyasara, an Arakanese monk based in Sittway, the provincial capital of Arakan. The Venerable monk owns two paper versions of the text (hereafter called “version 1”, referred to as T BS-1, and “version 2”, referred to as T BS-2). Both text versions go back to one single palm-leaf manuscript that was in the possession of San Shwe Bu, a local Arakanese scholar still well known by Burmese historians for a number of papers on Arakanese history that he published in the 1910s and 1920s in the Journal of the Burma Research Society6. Both versions refer in their colophons to a copy made in 1924 of San Shwe Bu’s manuscript7. This palm-leaf manuscript had four angas and seven leaves of an eight lines-per page text. Version 1 is a hand-written copy of a shortened and partially summarized text prepared in January 1976 by U Aung Chit8 from a 45-pages-foolscap-paper copy in the hands of the famous Arakanese scholar U Oo Tha Htun whose copy dated from 1963. The last part of the text describing Lord Buddha’s sojourn in the Mon country is entirely missing in this version. Version 2 gives the text of a copy made in 1978 by the Venerable Munidhaja who based himself on a hand-written copy made by U Kitti from a copy made of San Shwe Bu’s palm-leaf manuscript by the monk Lemyosa Phondawgyi. Version 2 gives both a fuller and generally more correct text. The text of Version 1 is often doubtful, misleading and occasionally meaningless because of its obvious misspellings9. While we have generally relied on Version 2, in a few instances though the readings of Version 1 appear as superior to the ones of Version 2.

No clear subdivisions were made by the authors of the text as we have it in its present form. For the sake of clearness, the contents can be presented in four parts. The first lines of the text are missing in both versions. The text starts in the middle of a talk of Lord Buddha to Ananda while they are both standing on Mount Sirigutta. Any Arakanese Buddhist would immediately recognize this as the place where the Buddha landed together with 500 followers when he came flying through the air from Majjhimadesa to Arakan. Any Arakanese Buddhist would also know that King Candasuriya came to receive the Buddha at that place and invited him to his palace, requesting him before his departure to allow him to carve a live-size copy of the Master. Our text does not mention anything of this until a much later stage. It starts with a long, tedious monologue delivered on Mount Sirigutta. This takes about a quarter of the whole text and the Buddha lists close to two hundred places, all referred to as ‘mountains’, where he had lived in his former lives in northern Arakan, his human or animal existences, and the relics of his present human body that would be found at such places after his parinibbana, “predestined relics” as John Strong calls them.

A second, consistently longer part alternates short questions of Ananda and extensive answers by Lord Buddha. An account is given of the encounter of Lord Buddha with King Candasuriya followed by the making of the famous statue known as the “Mahamuni”. The mythical record of Arakan’s earliest dynasties is presented in a summarized form and leads to a number of predictions on Arakan’s capitals and succeeding dynasties in the future. We also find notes on the way that King Ashoka will take care of Buddha’s relics, on the meritorious or de-meritorious treatment of the Sangha by Arakanese kings and the enshrining of relics and the foundation of pagodas around Mrauk-U, the capital of Arakan from 1430 to 1785.

A third smaller part concerns Lord Buddha’s stay in Dvaravati, a city identified with Sam-twè (or Sandoway) in southern Arakan. Here we find a similar content: the mythical past of Dvaravati, predictions on Dvaravati’s history that tie up with statements made earlier on Arakan’s kings, and last but not least, the listing of over fifty places where Buddha lived in former existences and the relics to be found there after his parinibbana.

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Museum to Honor Arakanese Independence Hero U Ottama

By KHIN OO THAR / THE IRRAWADDY

A statute of nationalist hero U Ottama is pictured in Sittwe. (Photo: Kamara)

The country’s first-ever museum dedicated to the late abbot U Ottama (1879-1939), a leading figure of Burma’s independence struggle in the early 20th century, will be built in Sittwe, the capital of western Arakan State.

U Ariyawuntha, currently abbot of the Shwe Zedi Kyaung monastery formerly presided over by the nationalist hero, told The Irrawaddy that the museum’s foundation would be laid with a ceremony in July.

“Although Sayadaw [Abbot] U Ottama was one of the leaders in the independence movement, little related to him remains in Burma,” U Ariyawuntha said. “In Japan, a school where he taught and his museum [there] are still kept in good shape. We thought there should be a museum in our country as well to honor his enormous sacrifices for his people. That’s why we plan to build this.”

Born in a village in Sittwe, the ethnic Arakanese U Ottama was known for his anti-colonial political activities. He was arrested in 1921 for his infamous “Craddock, Get Out!” speech, a harangue against the Craddock Scheme of Sir Reginald Craddock, then the governor of British Burma. Craddock’s plan to give Burma some financial autonomy from its sister colony India was widely rejected by nationalist leaders of the time.

U Ottama was repeatedly imprisoned on charges of sedition and in 1939, he died in prison while staging a hunger strike.

In order to raise funds for the Sittwe museum’s construction, U Ariyawuntha said video discs detailing his fight for independence would be sold. The videos also aim to spread knowledge about the late abbot among younger generations, he added.

“The history of the Sayadaw and items relating to him will be displayed in the museum, which is expected to cost around 200 million kyat [US$208,000],” U Ariyawuntha added.

U Zawana, a monk who was imprisoned for political activism, explained to The Irrawaddy that a U Ottama museum and the school at which he taught, both in the Japanese city of Nagoya, are preserved and serve as a place for students to study. Tourists from around the world are also regular visitors.

“I didn’t know before why we Burmese figuratively called the Sayadaw ‘The Sun of Asia,’ but I now realize the reason,” U Zawana said. “He not only showed the path to liberation for our country but also for those oppressed in the whole of Asia.”

During nearly five decades of military rule in Burma, any ceremony commemorating the late abbot was banned by authorities and anyone involved in such an event risked prison time. U Ottama Park, located near Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, also had its name changed to Kandaw Mingalar Park and saw the removal of his bronze statue there.

U Ariyawuntha, however, said ceremonies honoring the national hero have been freely permitted since the administration of President Thein Sein took office in 2011.

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Commemoration of Monk’s Death Muted in Arakan State

By WAI MOE and SAW YAN NAING

While exiled Arakanese around the world commemorate the 69th anniversary of the death of revered Arakanese monk Ashin Ottama, celebrations in Sittwe, the capital of Burma’s Arakan State, have been largely subdued for fear of a military crackdown, according to dissidents in the region.    

An Arakanese student, who spoke with The Irrawaddy on Tuesday on condition of anonymity for fears of reprisals, said uniformed Burmese soldiers and riot police in trucks have been deployed in public areas, monasteries and local landmarks in Sittwe. 

“The authorities deployed security forces in several areas, because they are worried that people will hold ceremonies,” he said. “Also, teachers have been told to closely monitor their students.”

He said that security forces had been deployed around Payagyi Temple and U Ottama Hall, two popular gathering points where local authorities suspect ceremonies might be held. 

The authorities also are tracking suspected persons, he added.  

Despite beefed-up security, sources said about 1,000 t-shirts bearing the image of Ashin Ottama have been distributed among Arakanese people.

Ashin Ottama was born in Arakan State, western Burma. As a child, he was selected to go to England to study, but his mother refused to let him go, insisting he become a monk.

Later, he studied in Calcutta for three years and became a lecturer in Pali at the Bengal National College. He learned to speak several languages. Apart from India, he traveled to Japan, China, Cambodia, Korea, Egypt, France and several other European and Asian countries. 

Ashin Ottama became renowned for his opposition to British colonial rule. In 1918, he organized the first anti-colonial activities through the General Council of Buddhist Associations, also employing the tactic of boycott campaigns.

He spoke out and wrote commentaries critical of the British in the nationalist newspaper, Suriya (“The Sun”). One of his most famous articles was titled “Craddock Go Home,” which appeared in Suriya in 1921 as an open letter to the then British governor, Sir Reginald Henry Craddock.

Ashin Ottama was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months, at that time the first Burmese person to be imprisoned by the British colonial authorities for making a political speech.

Between 1921 and 1927, the outspoken monk spent most of his time behind bars. 
He died on September 9, 1939.

Despite his opposition to British rule, the Burmese military authorities have long regarded his activities as anti-authoritarian and consequently a danger to the government.

One notable sign of the junta’s fear of heroes such as Ashin Ottama was after the military coup in 1988 when the regime ordered the name of U Ottama Park, near Shwe Dagon Pagoda, changed back to its pre-war name, Kandawmin Park.

On Tuesday, more than 200 Burmese migrant workers—mostly ethnic Arakanese—held a ceremony in Phuket, southern Thailand, to mark the anniversary of Ashin Ottama’s death.

During the ceremony, Khaing Ata, an Arakanese migrant worker, said, “Ashin Ottama is not only a hero to Arakanese people, but to all Burmese. We are very sad that the Burmese regime has attempted to black him out from our nation’s history.”

http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14216

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U Ottama

From Wikipedia

Sayadaw U Ottama (Burmese: ဆရာတော် ဦးဥတ္တမ [sʰəjàdɔ̀ ʔú ʔoʊʔdəma̰]; also U Uttama; 28 December 1879 – 9 September 1939) was a BurmeseTheravada Buddhist monk, author and a leader of the Burmese independence movement during the British colonial rule. The ethnic Rakhine(Arakanese) monk was imprisoned several times by the British colonial government for his anti-colonialist political activities. He went on a hunger strike in prison, and died in September 1939.^[1] He is presently considered one of the national heroes of modern Myanmar.

Early life[edit]

He was born Paw Tun Aung, son of U Aung Kyaw Thu and Daw Mra, in Rupa, Sittwe District,^[2] in western Burma on 28 December 1879. Paw Tun Aung assumed the religious name Ottama when he entered the Buddhist monkhood.

Education[edit]

Ashin Ottama studied in Calcutta for three years, until he passed the vernacular. He then travelled around India, and to France and Egypt.

In January, 1907 he went to Japan, where he taught Pali and Sanskrit at the Academy of Buddhist Science in Tokyo. He then travelled to Korea,Manchuria, Port Arthur, China, Annam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. In Saigon, he met with an exiled former Burmese prince, Myin Kun (who led a rebellion along with Prince Myin Khondaing in 1866, and assassinated the heir to the Burmese Crown, Crown Price Kanaung).

Anti-colonial and political activities[edit]

Upon his return to British Burma, U Ottama started his political activities, toured the country, lecturing for YMBA (Young Men's Buddhist Association) and giving anti-colonial speeches. In 1921, he was arrested for his infamous "Craddock, Get Out!" speech against Craddock Scheme by Sir Reginald Craddock, the then Governor of British Burma. Repeatedly imprisoned on charges of sedition, he carried on. Ottama was one of the first monk to enter political arena and the first person in British Burma to be imprisoned as a result of making a political speech, followed by a long line of nationalists such as Aung San and U Nu. According to academics; between 1921 and 1927, U Ottama spent more time in prison than outside.

While Ashin Ottama did not hold any post in any organization, he encouraged and participated in many peaceful demonstrations and strikes against British rule. An admirer of Gandhi, he did not advocate use of violence.

He represented the Indian National Congress at the funeral of Dr Sun Yat-Sen in June 1929. The only time he held a post was as leader of the All India Hindu Mahasabhas in 1935.

Demise[edit]

U Ottama was imprisoned in the late 1930s for his nationalist political activities. In protest of recent political events, U Ottama went on a hunger strike, which the British colonial government ignored. Finally, he died in prison in 1939.

Legacy[edit]

U Ottama is seen as both the first true martyr of Burmese nationalism and father of the modern Arakanese nationalist movement. U Ottama is seen as the first of Myanmar's long list of political monks, who had stood up for the Burmese people in times of strife, either under colonial, democratic, socialist or military rule. His monastery in Sittwe, the Shwe Zedi Kyaung, continues to be an important focal point in the Burmese political movement—the 2007 riots were sparked when monks at the Shwe Zedi monastery began to march to the Sittwe Prison demanding the release of an activist. [1]

Notes[edit]

1. ^ Ba Yin, p. 116
2. ^ Ba Yin, pp. 28–29

References[edit]

• Ba Yin (2007). Sayadaw U Ottama: Sower of Seed of Independence Movement (in Burmese). Yangon.
• Commemoration of Monk's Death Muted in Arakan State The Irrawaddy, September 9, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_Ottama

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