Thammayut Nikaya

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since August 2006.

Part of a series on Buddhism
History of Buddhism Dharmic religions Timeline of Buddhism Buddhist councils
Foundations Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path The Five Precepts Nirvāna · Three Jewels
Key Concepts Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology · Dharma Samsara · Rebirth · Shunyata Pratitya-samutpada · Karma
Major Figures Gautama Buddha Buddha's Disciples · Family
Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramis · Meditation · Laity
Buddhism by Region Southeast Asia · East Asia Tibet · India · Western
Schools of Buddhism Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna · Early schools
Texts Pali Canon Pali Suttas · Mahayana Sutras Vinaya · Abhidhamma
Comparative Studies Culture · List of Topics Portal: Buddhism This box: view • talk • edit

Thammayut Nikaya (Pali), literally "Those adhering strictly to the monastic discipline" is an order of Theravada Buddhist monks in Thailand. It was founded in the 19th century by King Mongkut, the son of King Rama II. Mongkut's aim was to upgrade monastic discipline and make it more orthodox, after Mongkut noticed what he saw as serious discrepancies between the rules given in the Pali Canon and the actual practices of Thai monks. Mongkut also made an effort to remove all non-Buddhist, folk religious, and superstitious elements that had become part of previous practices. Thammayut monks were expected to eat only one meal a day and the meal was to be gathered during a traditional alms round.

Thammayut Nikaya has produced two particularly highly revered forest monks: Phra Ajaan Sao Kantasilo Mahathera (1861-1941) and Phra Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta (1870-1949). Their bone fragments were distributed to various people and Thai provinces after the cremation and have since, according to their followers, transformed into crystal-like relics (Pali; Sarira-Dhatu) in various hues of translucency and opacity.

The current Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana, is a member of the Thammayut Nikaya.