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Burmese Buddhist Political Thought Matthew J. Walton a Dissertation Politics in the Moral Universe: Burmese Buddhist Political Thought Matthew J. Walton A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Christine Di Stefano, Chair Stephen E. Hanson Charles F. Keyes Jamie Mayerfeld Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Political Science University of Washington Abstract Politics in the Moral Universe: Burmese Buddhist Political Thought Matthew J. Walton Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Associate Professor Christine Di Stefano Department of Political Science This dissertation is a work of comparative political theory that draws attention to how religious beliefs can generate fundamentally different conceptions of what is political. I argue that Theravāda Buddhism is the source of the conceptual framework within which most Buddhists in Myanmar think about politics. Specifically, being embedded in the Theravāda moral conception of the universe, Burmese Buddhists understand the political as a sphere of moral action, governed by particular rules of cause and effect. Within this framework Burmese Buddhists vary as to their interpretation of particular concepts and the degree to which they see Buddhist teachings as relevant to politics; however, I demonstrate that this framework and Buddhist conceptions of politics continue to be salient for contemporary political practice in Myanmar. There are also variations between Theravāda Buddhism as it is practiced in Myanmar and in other countries, as well as important differences in interpretation and emphasis among Burmese Buddhists themselves. I examine these variations while also comparing Burmese Buddhist political thought with other religious and cultural traditions. Buddhism in Myanmar has provided a repertoire of “raw materials” which people have used to make sense of their political environment. These include a particular conception of human nature, an understanding of the universe as governed by a law of cause and effect that works according to moral principles, a conception of human existence as fundamentally dissatisfactory, and the acceptance of a range of methods to overcome and escape its dissatisfactory character. I explore how Burmese Buddhists have used these ideas in deploying arguments regarding the nature of politics, the proper ends of politics, alternative conceptions and methods of political participation, and a range of understandings of “democracy.” My findings not only illuminate a relatively unexamined tradition of political thought, they also help us to understand some of the challenges facing a democratic transition in contemporary Myanmar. Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 The Question of “Secularism” ................................................................................................................... 4 Cosmology, Colonialism, and the Persistence of the “Moral Universe” ................................................... 8 A Note on “Buddhism” ............................................................................................................................ 11 A Brief Political History and Cast of Characters ...................................................................................... 14 Looking for Burmese Buddhist Political Thought .................................................................................... 19 Research Methods .................................................................................................................................. 21 Studies of Buddhism and Politics in Myanmar ....................................................................................... 24 On Comparative Political Theory ............................................................................................................ 27 Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 1: The Theravāda Moral Universe of Burmese Buddhism ............................................................ 34 Daily Buddhist Practice in Myanmar ....................................................................................................... 36 The Story of the Buddha ......................................................................................................................... 40 The Four Noble Truths ............................................................................................................................ 41 The Three Characteristics of Existence: Anicca, Dukkha, Anattā ....................................................... 42 Taya and “Truth”..................................................................................................................................... 48 Thila and “Morality” ................................................................................................................................ 50 Kan, Kutho, and the Doctrine of Cause and Effect .................................................................................. 50 Lawki and Lawkouttara: The Worldly Realm and Beyond ...................................................................... 57 Additional Elements of Burmese Buddhist Daily Practice and Belief ..................................................... 62 The Dynamics of Lay-Monastic Interaction ............................................................................................ 63 Conclusion: The Logic of the Theravāda Moral Universe ....................................................................... 66 Chapter 2: Burmese Buddhist Perspectives on the Nature of Politics ........................................................ 70 Politics as “Affairs of the State” (The Traditional Model) ....................................................................... 71 An Expanded Definition of “Politics” .................................................................................................. 75 The Aggañña Sutta and the Legitimation of Political Authority ............................................................. 77 Burmese Buddhist Views of Human Nature ....................................................................................... 78 Two “Solutions” for Two Conceptions of Human Nature ................................................................... 81 The Aggañña Sutta, the Social Contract, and a Model for Democracy .............................................. 83 i Burmese Uses of the Aggañña Sutta .................................................................................................. 85 Lawki and Lawkouttara ........................................................................................................................... 87 The Cakkavatti Sutta: Moral Conduct and its Effects ............................................................................. 93 Moral Conduct of Leaders and its Effects ........................................................................................... 95 Moral Conduct of the People and its Effects ...................................................................................... 99 Moral Conduct as a Marker of Legitimacy ........................................................................................ 101 Unity as a Moral Concept ...................................................................................................................... 102 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 106 Chapter 3: Burmese Buddhist Perspectives on the Ends of Politics ......................................................... 107 The Maintenance of Order, both Social and Cosmological .................................................................. 110 The Perils of Anarchy ........................................................................................................................ 110 The Maintenance of Hierarchy ......................................................................................................... 111 Order as the Basis for Religious Practice .......................................................................................... 115 Liberation Through Order ................................................................................................................. 116 From Spiritual to Political Liberation .................................................................................................... 118 Economic Conditions and Moral Practice ......................................................................................... 123 Political Programs for Moral Reform and Liberation from Defilements ........................................... 124 Marxism in Burmese Politics ................................................................................................................. 125 From Political Liberation from Colonialism to Economic Liberation from Capitalism ...................... 128 Lawka Neikban: The Ideal “Welfare State” and its Antecedents ..................................................... 133 The Place of Marxism With Regard to Buddhism ............................................................................. 137 The Waning of Marxism in Burma ...................................................................................................
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