Theravāda is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha's teaching or dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia.
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization. Initiated by Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, it was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Ceylon, by representatives from 27 nations. Although Theravada Buddhists are prominent in the organization,, members of all Buddhist schools are active in the WFB. It has regional centers in more than 30 countries, including India, the United States, Australia, and several nations of Africa and Europe, in addition to traditional Buddhist countries.
The culture of Myanmar (Burma) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Burmese culture has also been influenced by its neighbours.
Buddhism, specifically Theravāda Buddhism, is the official and state religion of Myanmar since 1961, and practiced by nearly 90% of the population. It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. Adherents are most likely found among the dominant Bamar people, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. Monks, collectively known as the sangha (community), are venerated members of Burmese society. Among many ethnic groups in Myanmar, including the Bamar and Shan, Theravada Buddhism is practiced in conjunction with the worship of nats, which are spirits who can intercede in worldly affairs.
Chit Hlaing was a notable Burmese politician. During his time, he was called a Burmese king without a crown, and was popular in rural Burma. He was imprisoned when the British Crown Prince of Wales visited Burma in 1921.
In Australia, Buddhism is a minority religion. According to the 2021 census, 0.2 percent of the total population or 30,474 of Australia identified as Buddhist. It was also the fastest-growing religion by percentage, having increased its number of adherents by 79 percent between the 1996 and 2001 censuses. The highest percentage of Buddhists in Australia is present in Christmas Island, where Buddhists constitute 18.1% of the total population according to the 2016 Census. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the country after Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.
Maliyadeva College is a national school controlled by the Sri Lankan central government. It is located in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, and was established in 1888 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society, led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools. Today, the school accommodates 4,000 students. The term "Devans" is used to refer to the former and present pupils of Maliyadeva College.
The YMBA, or Young Men's Buddhist Association, was created in Sri Lanka in 1898. The main founder was C. S. Dissanayake as part of a bid to provide Buddhist institutions as an alternative to YMCA, otherwise known as the Young Men's Christian Association. It has had many famous presidents such as philanthropists Ernest de Silva and Henry Woodward Amarasuriya. It also exists in other countries, although they are independent organizations.
A kyaung is a monastery (vihara), comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Buddhist monks. Burmese kyaungs are sometimes also occupied by novice monks (samanera), lay attendants (kappiya), nuns (thilashin), and white-robed acolytes.
Burmese names lack the serial structure of most Western names. The people of Myanmar have no customary matronymic or patronymic naming system and therefore have no surnames. In the culture of Myanmar, people can change their name at will, often with no government oversight, to reflect a change in the course of their lives. Also, many Myanmar names use an honorific, given at some point in life, as an integral part of the name.
The 2013 Myanmar anti-Muslim riots were a series of conflicts in various cities throughout central and eastern Myanmar (Burma).
The Young Men's Buddhist Association is a Buddhist civil society organisation in Burma.
Buddhism is New Zealand's third-largest religion after Christianity and Hinduism standing at 1.5% of the population of New Zealand. Buddhism originates in Asia and was introduced to New Zealand by immigrants from East Asia.
Basic Education High School No. 3, Bago is a government high school in Bago under the Department of Basic Education, Ministry of Education, Myanmar.
Walnut Grove Buddhist Church is a Buddhist temple in the historic Japanese-American farming community of Walnut Grove, California, outside of Sacramento, CA. It is an affiliate of the Buddhist Churches of America.
Tharaja U Toke Gyi was a Burmese politician, administrator, publisher and newspaper editor. He was a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India.
The Young Buddhist Association Indonesia (YBAI) is a non-profit organization based in Surabaya, Indonesia.
U Wasawa, also known as 550 Sayadaw, is a Burmese ultranationalist monk and pro-military supporter who leads a Pyusawhti militia in Kanbalu. Local media have referred to him as a "Buddhist terrorist".
