RELIGION & FAITH

Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% (mostly Hindu)

Buddhism is the national religion of Myanmar, practiced by almost 90 percent of Myanmar's population . Buddhism became the dominant religion of Myanmar after King Anawratha ascended the throne of the Burmese Kingdom in Bagan in 1044. King Anawratha was converted to Theravada Buddhism by a Mon missionary monk called Shin Arahan.

There are other religions in Myanmar. These include Christianity (Baptists) mostly in the hill areas and Muslims. The ceremonies of Christmas Eve and Easter Day for Christian Community, ceremonies of the Birthday of Prophet Mohammed and IDUL ATHWAHA for Islamic community and Depavali festival and other significant festivals for Hindu community are organised by the respective followers of these minirity faiths. Their religious talks on their such holy days are often heard over Radio Myanmar.

Statistics

Buddhism Monks 0.22 millions + 25 thousand Novices, 90% of population as followers, 58000 monasteries;
Christians 2.2 millions followers & 3265 Churches; Islam (Muslims) 1.7 millions & 2266 Mosques;
Hindus 0.22 million with 464 Temples and 151 Chinese Temples.

Buddhsim

Theravada meaning the Way of the Elders is the original school Buddhism and it is followed by most Buddhists in Myanmar. Throughout the 1st century A.D. to the 10th century A.D. In 1044, King Anawrahta of Bagan unified the land and the First Myanmar Dynasty was founded. He introduced Theravada Buddhism to Bagan after meeting Shin Arahan, a distinguished Mon monk from Thaton. Sixth Buddhist Council, held in Yangon from 1954 to 1956. Vipassana meditation is practised by the majority og mrditating Buddhists in Myanmar and it has been adopted in many countries. There are about 400,000 monks and thousands of monasteries, hundreds of meditation centers. Myanmar is often talked about as "the Land of Pagodas" thanks to past kings and citizens who had built numerous pagodas and made Buddha Statues of various sizes and shapes in Bronze and stones, often gold-plated.

Othe Religious Faiths

There are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and some animists. There are churches, mosques, Hindu temples, Jewish synagogue and Chinese temples in many towns through out Myanmar.

Christianity

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Islam

Forefathers of Myanmar Muslims had landed in Myanmar (Burma’s Ayeyarwady River delta, Tanintharyi coast of Tanintharyi Division and Rakhine) as early as ninth century, roughly about 200 years before King Anawrahta of Bagan or Pagan established the first Myanmar (Burmese) empire in 1055 AD. Muslims arrived in Burma as travelers, adventurers, pioneers, sailors, Military Personals (voluntary and mercenary), and some of them as prisoners of wars. Some take refuge (from wars, Monsoon storms and weather, shipwreck and some for other various unforeseen circumstances). Roots in Burma Myanmar Muslims are descendants of Arabs, Persians, Turks, Moors, Indian-Muslims, Pakistanis, Pathans, Bengalis, Chinese Muslims and Malays intermarried with local Burmese and many ethnic Myanmar groups such as, Rakhine, Shan, Karen, Mon etc.

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Animists and Spirit Worshipers

They do exist everywhere, especially in remote areas and hilly regions made up of ethnic minorities. They expect to become prosperous, succeed in business with direct assistance from supernatural beings.

LINKS