Same Robes, Divergent Roads: The Fractured Soul of Theravada Buddhism
A tale of two Sanghas: While monks in the U.S. walk thousands of miles for peace, the legacy of Myanmar’s clergy is debated at the International Court of Justice.
At the moment this article is being prepared, a group of roughly twenty Theravada monks is traversing the American landscape, undertaking a grueling 2,300-mile journey dedicated to peace. Yet, in a jarring historical coincidence, this spiritual marathon coincides with the presentation of evidence at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). There, the world hears how two prominent Burmese monks preached hatred against other faiths, essentially endorsing the military's genocidal campaign against the Rohingya.
To the global majority, Buddhism is synonymous with peace. Thanks to the tireless efforts of figures like the Dalai Lama and the late Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the West views Buddhist practice as a sanctuary for the human spirit. However, inside Myanmar, a dark shadow has fallen over this image.
The Fall from Grace
For decades, the Burmese Sangha (monastic community) was the moral conscience of the nation. The military regimes of the past committed two major atrocities against the clergy: the brutal crackdown on Mandalay monks boycotting the military in 1990, and the bloody suppression of the peaceful "Saffron Revolution" in 2007. In both instances, the monks stood with the people and the Dhamma (truth), earning the reverence of the world while the military played the villain.
However, that pristine image has rapidly eroded.
Following the 1990 boycott, the military intelligence apparatus infiltrated the Sangha with spies and bought off senior monks, fracturing the unity of the clergy. To win back support from the Buddhist majority, state-controlled media began sowing seeds of hatred against other religions. By 2002, the anti-Muslim "969 Movement" emerged, led by the firebrand monk U Wirathu.
Despite being jailed for inciting the 2003 Kyaukse riots, Wirathu was released in 2012, just as communal violence erupted in Rakhine State. He, along with the subsequent "Ma Ba Tha" (Organization for the Protection of Race and Religion), used the conflict to spread Islamophobia nationwide.
The Theology of Violence
While Wirathu became the "Face of Buddhist Terror"—a title bestowed by TIME Magazine which he wore with pride—a more intellectual justification for violence came from Sitagu Sayadaw (U Nyanissara). Once a critic of the dictator Ne Win, Sitagu Sayadaw later forged a close alliance with General Min Aung Hlaing.
In 2017, as the military conducted "clearance operations" against the Rohingya, Sitagu Sayadaw delivered a sermon to high-ranking officers that shocked theological observers. Citing the Mahavamsa, a non-canonical Sri Lankan chronicle, he referenced an ancient king who felt remorse for killing in war. The king was told by monks that killing non-believers who do not keep the precepts was not a sin, equating them to "beasts."
The message to the military was clear: You have a license to kill non-Buddhists. This sermon is now part of the evidence file at the ICJ.
Three Paths, One Origin
Analyzing the modern landscape of the Sangha, we see three distinct categories of monks, all originating from the same Theravada tradition but heading toward vastly different destinations.
1. The Resistors (The Monks of 1990)
In Theravada tradition, monks are generally apolitical. However, when rulers become tyrants, monks have a duty to remind them of the Raja Dhamma (Duties of a King). When the regime attacked the clergy, these monks performed Pattanikkujjana—overturning the alms bowl. It was a refusal to accept offerings, a non-violent spiritual boycott to deny the regime religious merit. They acted without anger, aiming to correct the rulers, yet were met with imprisonment and torture.
2. The Nationalists (The Monks of Hate)
Historical precedents for militant Buddhism exist, such as the Sohei warrior monks of feudal Japan or the sectarian violence in Sri Lanka. Myanmar’s nationalist monks view the world through a lens of fear. They have erected a mental fortress around "Race, Religion, and Sasana," viewing anyone outside those walls as an existential threat. In their view, hatred is a tool for survival.
3. The Peace Walkers (The International Sangha)
In stark contrast are the monks currently walking across America, led by U Pannyakara, a Vietnamese monk. Their philosophy aligns with the scriptural accounts of the Buddha, who prevented a war over the Rohini River, and Emperor Ashoka, who renounced violence after witnessing the horrors of the Kalinga War.
These monks follow the lineage of the Cambodian monk Maha Ghosananda, who famously led peace walks through the minefields of the Khmer Rouge era. Their guiding principle, echoed by Thich Nhat Hanh, is that "Man is not the enemy; hatred is."
The Verdict of History
The peace walk in the U.S., amidst a climate of "America First" xenophobia, attempts to soothe societal anxiety, teaching that global peace begins with inner peace. Meanwhile, back in Myanmar, the nationalist approach has led to ruin and moral decay.
We are witnessing a profound divergence. These monks share the same robes and the same scriptures. Yet, looking at the state of Myanmar today, it is painfully clear which path leads to destruction and which leads to salvation. The consequences of these choices are no longer theoretical; they are visible for all the world to see.
