Burmese Buddhist titles


Burmese Buddhist titles encompass numerous honorific titles conferred by the Burmese government, to recognize members of the Sangha as well as civilians. These religious titles are conferred annually by the Burmese government, in a special ceremony during the full moon day of Tabaung, at the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Naypyidaw. From 1988 to 2008, the ceremony was held at the Mahāpāsaṇa Cave, near Kaba Aye Pagoda in Yangon.

History

In the pre-colonial era, the Burmese monarchy recognized Buddhist monks and laypersons by bestowing religious titles composed of Pali and native Burmese styles. Sayadaw, which literally means "teacher of royalty," was originally bestowed to monks who had educated the king as monastic teachers or tutors, although its usage grew more commonplace with time.

Pagan era

During the Pagan Kingdom, several kings awarded religious titles to prominent Buddhist monks.
ReignRecipientTitleRemarks
Dhammadassi MahātheraShin Arahaṃ
KyansitthaSaṃghasenaSaṃghasenavara Paṇḍit
UnnamedDhammasenāpati Author of Kārikā
AlaungsithuUnnamedMahāaggapaṇḍita Author of Dhātvatthasāra
NarapatisithuUnnamedAggamahāpaṇḍita Author of Lokuppattipakāsanī
KyaswaUnnamedDisāpāmokkha Author of Saddanīti

Pinya and Innwa eras

Konbaung era

During the Konbaung Dynasty, distinguished monks received a suffixed title in the form of Rājaguru or Rājādhirājaguru. The reign of Mindon Min also saw a liberalization in the usage of Sayadaw as a title, which became widely conferred to accomplished monks, regardless of whether they had personally educated the king. Nowadays, Sayadaw is routinely used as a title for all senior monks.

Colonial era

From 1915 to 1942, the British colonial government conferred the title Aggamahāpaṇḍita to 98 monks.

Post-independence era

In 1948, Burma achieved independence from Great Britain. From 1951 through 1953, the Burmese government awarded the Aggamahāpaṇḍita title to 15 monks. From March to July 1953, the government convened a special committee to establish a new system of religious titles. The new system, which included titles for monks and civilians, was introduced on 28 July 1953:
  1. Clerical religious titles
  2. # Aggamahāpaṇḍita
  3. # Abhidhajamahāraṭṭhaguru
  4. Civilian religious titles
  5. # Pyinna Kyaw
  6. # Paññābala
  7. # Mahāpaññābala
Following the Sixth Buddhist council and introduction of the Tipiṭakadhara examinations, a new series of titles recognizing academic merit, was introduced by the government. Mingun Sayadaw, in 1953, became the first recipient of the newly minted Tipiṭakadhara Dhammabhaṇḍāgārika title.
During the socialist era from 1978 to 1988, the system of civilian titles was abolished altogether. The practice of conferring Buddhist titles to civilians was reinstated on 24 May 1991 by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, which added 20 new religious titles, including 3 scholarly titles, 4 domestic and international religious propagation titles, and 4 civilian titles for men, and 4 for women.

Modern-day system

On 17 June 2015, the Office of the President of Myanmar issued a directive amending the existing system of Buddhist titles recognized by the government. The system is divided into 7 categories, outlined below:
  1. Pariyatti titles
  2. # Abhidhajamahāraṭṭhaguru
  3. # Aggamahāpaṇḍita
  4. Tipiṭakadhara Dhammabhaṇḍāgārika
  5. Academic instruction titles
  6. # Aggamahāganthavācakapaṇḍita
  7. # Mahāganthavācakapaṇḍita
  8. # Ganthavācakapaṇḍita
  9. Dhammakatika titles
  10. # Mahādhammakatika Bahujanahitadhara
  11. # Dhammakatika Bahujanahitadhara
  12. Religious propagation titles
  13. # Abhidhajaaggamahāsaddhammajotika
  14. # Aggamahāsaddhammajotikadhaja
  15. # Mahāsaddhammajotikadhaja
  16. # Saddhammajotikadhaja
  17. Kammapaṭṭhana titles
  18. # Aggamahākammaṭṭhānācariya
  19. # Mahākammaṭṭhānācariya
  20. # Kammaṭṭhānācariya
  21. Sāsanānuggaha titles
  22. # Aggamahāsīrisudhammamaṇijotadhara
  23. # Aggamahāsīrisudhammasiṅgī
  24. # Sīrisudhammamaṇijotadhara
  25. # Sīrisudhammasiṅgī
  26. # Sīhasudhammamaṇijotadhara
  27. # Sīhasudhammasiṅgī
  28. # Sudhammamaṇijotadhara
  29. # Sudhammasiṅgī