Buddhism is the national religion of Myanmar and consequently about 85 % of the population are Buddhists. But like Thai Buddhism Myanmar Buddhism is strongly intertwined with spiritism.
Myanmar was the first country in Southeast Asia where the words of the Buddha were spread. Buddhism has been taught since the first millennium of Christian reckoning by Indian merchants , who entered the Ayeyarwaddy delta for trade purposes.
But Buddhism became the dominant religion of Myanmar only after King Anawratha ascended the throne of the Burmese Kingdom in Bagan in 1044. King Anawratha was converted to Buddhism by a Mon missionary by the name of Shin Arahan.
People
Myanmar is among the ethnically most mixed countries of Southeast Asia. Officially the Burmese government distinguishes 135 different nationalities far too many for all to be mentioned here. |