Ten years in Burma

by Julius Smith

Sir Monier Williams, in his great work on Buddhism, says that of real Buddhists, who are not more identified with some other religion than with it, number not over one hundred millions of adherents, instead of five hundred millions, as some have claimed. He declares that Christianity, and not Buddhism, is the strongest religion numerically in the world.

But a religion with even one hundred millions of reasonably faithful adherents of its doctrines and practices demands our respectful study. It is not possible within the limits here defined for the writer to discuss the many-sidedness of Buddhism, for all the elements of a faith must have consideration in an attempt to set it forth comprehensively. It is the writer’s intention merely to outline some features of Buddhism most apparent to a missionary whose work lies in a Buddhist country. Buddhism is said to be in its purest form in Burma and Ceylon.

A few general statements may be made. Buddhism never claimed to be divine in its origin. It was originally entirely atheistic. It is hardly entitled to be called a religion. It is the most pessimistic philosophy ever taught among men, or even conceived as yet, by any teacher. It inveighs against all natural desires or emotions however exalted, and disallows the holiest relationship. Society itself could not exist if the fundamental teachings of Buddhism were observed. All innocent joys are prohibited among those who would attain to Nirvana. It makes self-destruction the highest aim of man. To cease to be born, and to extinguish personal consciousness, is set before its followers as the final goal to be sought. How can such a system, so opposed to all that men love, find millions of adherents?

There certainly is a fascination about the supreme renunciation in the system. Gautama certainly renounced much; and doubtless many of his followers have made such a sacrifice of desires as he. It is not here maintained that this renunciation is wholly unselfish, but that it lies at the foundation of Buddhism; and however unhealthful a sentiment it is, it has always appealed to many minds. Those who will not make such renunciations themselves revere those who do, and help sustain a system that teaches such tenets.

Another source of the power of Buddhism is found in the system of doctrine taught. It is all the stronger in that, as a system, it is connected with a great teacher. It is true that Buddhism has more in it which Gautama did not teach, than of that which he did teach. But it is very easy for the Buddhist to connect any teaching of his religion directly with his idea of Gautama. When a religion with a system of doctrine meets with the nebulous beliefs and incoherent practices of demonology, or like beliefs, it must steadily gain adherents. Buddhism has a literature of much importance. To have sacred books, which can be appealed to in support of the voice of the living preacher, or teacher, is a great source of power. We see in Burma that the more backward races are becoming Burmanized and converted to the Buddhist religion. When they have become Buddhists, as in the case of Karens, it is the testimony of all missionaries that they are much more difficult to convert to Christianity. This Buddhist “law” is one of the three objects of reverence, or worship, enjoined by Gautama.

Gautama exalted the brotherhood of monks. They have become one of the three objects of veneration. Dressed in their yellow robes and admitted to the monastic order, they are thereby exalted in the minds of Buddhists far above the ordinary man. So much so, that in all addresses to them the highest terms of honor are used. On some occasions they are actually worshiped. When a monk, or poungyi, leaves the assembly of monks, which is frequently the case, he at once drops to the level of the ordinary man. But while he is a member of the order, he is regarded as a superior, worthy of all reverence even by his own family. These monks, with their yellow robes and beads and boy attendants, are everywhere, except at weddings and festivals, though often gathering in crowds a little apart from the latter. The daily going forth with the begging bowl to receive the food given by the devout, or even respectable laity, is an object-lesson in Buddhism. The distinctive buildings called choungs, in which the monks always live, are found in every village; and whole blocks of these buildings in all towns and cities proclaim the teachers of Buddhism. These houses of the monks are invariably the best buildings in the village. This conspicuous advertisement of the monastic teachers does much to keep the system which they represent ever before the people in a conspicuous way.

Buddhist Monk and Attendant

But the monks do two distinctive services for their faith of a more positive kind. They teach practically every boy in Burma. They teach the boys to read, and they indoctrinate them. No boy is considered to have a human spirit at all. He must remain an animal until he has spent at least one day in the monastery. But aside from this approach to the sacred order of monks, all Burmese boys attend school for some length of time, and usually learn to read their language passably well. They certainly learn the Buddhist doctrines. So it comes to pass that most Burmese know what they believe, however inconsistent with this belief they live. They also learn the elements of arithmetic, as well as the grotesque teachings of Buddhism in geography of these teachers. In estimating the strength of Buddhism, and its ability to maintain itself, the monastic school, uniting a religious order with the instruction of all the male childhood and youth, stands easily first of all its sources of power.

There are schools conducted by laymen in almost every large village. These schools do not generally have a continuous existence, but so long as a teacher can get scholars he keeps his school going. In these lay schools also some Buddhistic instruction is imparted. So that the Buddhist youth is the exception who has not been indoctrinated with Buddhist teaching. Without knowing why he is a Buddhist, nevertheless he proclaims himself as a Buddhist, and will give a fair statement of his belief. The missionary must bring his message to a mind pre-empted by Buddhist doctrine taught by the yellow-robed monk.