Clear Vision Trust

Written for the AQA syllabus by Upeksacitta (Robert Ellis), member of the Western Buddhist Order and a former Head of RS.

Theravada Buddhism East and West

Theravada Buddhism in the East

In brief, Theravada differs from Mahayana Buddhism in its appeal to the historical Buddha and the Pali Canon, the stress on nirvana as an individual goal to be reached through becoming a monk, and its generally greater conservatism. Theravada Buddhism is the only surviving school of the Hinayana (or non-Mahayana) schools in Ancient India. When Buddhism was wiped out in mainland India in the tenth and eleventh centuries CE, Theravada Buddhism survived in Sri Lanka and subsequently established itself in Thailand, Burma and Cambodia. It is the dominant religion in all these countries (in Thailand and Burma, the established and official religion).

The practice of Theravada Buddhism in the East today is changing, but maintains some important core features:

1. A close association with nationalism. Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma is closely associated with national identity in those countries, having been established as the official religion for many centuries.
2. High social status for monks, who, for example, always eat before the laity and sit at a higher level.
3. Temporary ordination as an important part of the education and socialisation process for young men
4. A changing role for monks in the community, whose role as a provider of social services is being gradually taken over by the state
5. The erosion of Buddhist identity by consumerism (especially in Thailand) and conflict with Marxism (which, under Pol Pot, tried to destroy Buddhism in Cambodia)
6. Buddhism also becoming the focus of radical social, political and environmental movements, such as the Sarvodaya Sramadana in Sri Lanka (see Harvey Introduction to Buddhist Ethics p.225-234)

Using Cush p.70-84, make notes on Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Thailand. You can find more detailed information in Richard Gombrich’s Theravada Buddhism.

After looking at Theravada Buddhism in Asia, what features of it would you expect to be most difficult to transfer to the West?

Theravada Buddhism in the West

As the most conservative form of Buddhism, it might be thought that Theravada Buddhism would have the most difficulty adapting to different conditions in the West. However, some other features of the Theravada have proved helpful in establishing it in the West.

• The greater reliance on scripture, appeal to the historical Buddha, perceived greater rationality and ritual simplicity, creates a parallel with Protestantism which has made the Theravada easier to accept than the Mahayana for Westerners with a Protestant background. (However, it’s certainly a huge oversimplification to think of Theravada as “Protestant Buddhism” and Mahayana as “Catholic Buddhism”: it’s a parallel to be used only with great caution!)
• Many of the early Orientalist scholars assumed that Theravada was “real” Buddhism and Mahayana some kind of corruption of it: an attitude which has lingered in some quarters. This involves an uncritical acceptance of Theravada claims of superiority based on a supposed link with the historical Buddha. The Mahayana viewpoint on this remained unheard for a long time in Western academic circles.
• The Theravada has maintained a strong meditation tradition amongst the “Forest Monks” of Sri Lanka and Thailand. This has made a major contribution to the development of Buddhist meditation in the West.
• British colonial links with Sri Lanka and Burma have created a ready point of contact between Theravada and the Western world, particularly with the UK. There was also a lot of contact between Thailand and Americans during the Vietnam War, when Thailand provided a base for American operations.

Theravada has spread in the UK by two types of methods: the founding of monasteries, and the development of local groups or societies. Local groups have sprung up in many places in the UK, and the Samatha Trust, for example, teaches Theravada-style meditation in local groups.

There are now about 12 Theravada Buddhist monasteries in the UK. Some of these are inhabited wholly or mainly by expatriate Thai or Burmese monks, and are mainly supported by, and give teachings to, an expatriate lay community. However, there are other monasteries where most if not all the monks are Westerners. A group of these has been founded by Ajahn Sumedho, the American-born disciple of Ajahn Chah, a leading teacher from the tradition of Forest Monasteries specialising in meditation in Thailand. These started in Chithurst, Sussex, and since then new monasteries have been founded in Devon and at Amaravati, near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. Chithurst is one of the few places in the UK where you can see Buddhist monks going on a regular alms round.

The absence of a traditional supporting community has naturally led to some of the features of the Theravada in the East being compromised when it is imported to the West. For example, the tradition of young men joining the monastery as part of their education has not been imported. However, Theravada monasteries in the UK do continue to depend entirely on lay donations, strictly follow the vinaya rules (for example, only eating before midday, celibacy, wearing the correct robes, strictly limited personal possessions etc.), and continue to preserve the strong Theravada distinction between the roles of monks and lay people. Theravadins argue that all these things are intrinsic parts of the pure Theravadin tradition and must not be compromised.

Net search
Look at at least one of the following websites of Theravada organisations in the UK. Take notes on the history of the organisation and ways they seem to have and or have not adapted to a Western environment: