Conclusion
There are thousands of theravæda monasteries not only in rural but also urban areas throughout Burma; depending on time and circumstances, a few monasteries are without monk, some with only monk, some with a small number of monks, some with thousands of monks; but uposatha is rarely performed in some of the monasteries owing to incomplete monks or not recognizing the uposatha day. That is just an unreasonable excuse because even one single monk can practise it in terms of adhi¥¥hæna uposatha (a determined observance), and also according to Burmese tradition when New Year comes and lunar calendars are published, at first the Buddhist people usually remember to offer the calendar to the monastery. Two or three or more calendars, hanging on the wall and posts, are in accessibility in each and every monastic building. On the other hand, a number of lay devotees generally gather in monastery in order to observe eight or nine precepts every uposatha day. Therefore it is impossible to fail to remember the days. The majority of monasteries in Burma
As vinaya says; “Vinayonæma sæsanassa æyu; vinaye ¥hite sæsanaµ ¥hitaµ hoti. “The disciplinary rule is the existence of the dispensation of the Buddha; if the disciplinary rule subsists, the dispensation of the Buddha will subsist”, the rule is a main root of every religion and society. No religion can last long without rules as a simile of scattering flowers without making a garland with a strong string. Even a minor rule should not be let break because the mind of men indulges in bad thing. If a small offence is allowed to commit, then a greater offence would be committed sooner or later similar to a snake catching a frog from the tip of a leg, then it swallows all the entire body of the frog. Uposatha practice is one of the thousands of disciplines for the order. If it does not take place fortnightly, it is sinful for the monks known as dukka¥a offence. Even though it is curable, it should not be ignored as it might pull the offenders down to the woeful states after death. Doing uposatha is showing the unity and purity of Buddhist order. The machine of Buddhism is still running with momentum along its way to peacefulness without letting its tiny part of equipment take off. As far as Burmese monks keep carrying out the uposatha practice duly, the theravæda Buddhism will never disappear from the land of Burma
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Selected bibliography
The sources of pæ¹i cannon (texts)
- Cþ¹avagga pæ¹i, 3rd Ed (1999) Yangon : Win Light Mate Press House
- Mahævagga (Vinaya) pæ¹i, 5th Ed (1991) Yangon : Religious Affairs House
- Pariværa pæ¹i, 8th Ed (1997) Yangon : Religious Affairs Press House
- Pæcittiya pæ¹i, 8th Ed (1997) (eighth edition), Yangon : Religious Affairs Press House
- Pæræjika pæ¹i 5th Ed (1979) Yangon : Religious Affairs Press House
The sources of A¥¥hakathæ (commentaries)
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Cþ¹avaggædi A¥¥hakathæ, Yangon : Religious
Affairs Press House
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Ka³khævira¼ø a¥¥hakathæ, Yangon : Religious
Affairs Press House
- Mahæbuddhaghosa, Bhaddanta (1986) Pæcityædi A¥¥hakathæ, Yangon : Religious
Affair Press House,
-Særiputta thera (1991) Vinaysa³gaha a¥¥hakathæ, Yangon : Religious Affair Press
The sources of ¿økæ (Sub-commentaries) and Ganthantara (treatises)
-Co¹iyakassapathera, Bhaddanta (1960) Vimativinodanø ¥økæ,Vol 2, Yangon : Religious
Affairs Press House,
-Dhammasiri mahæthera and Mahæsæmi mahæthera (1962) Khuddasikkhæ Mþlasikkhæ
¥økæ, Yangon : Religious Affair Press House
- Taungphila, Sayadaw (1962) Vinayæla³kæra ¥økæ,Vol 1, Yangon : Religious Affairs
Press House
- Særiputtathera, Bhaddanta (1977) Vinayavinicchaya ¥økæ, Vol 2, Yangon : Religious
Affairs Press House
General sources
-Goenka (1999) Cha¥¥hasa³gæyanæ CD (version 3) [it embodies all canonical texts,
commentaries, sub-commentaries and other treatises], India
research institute
-Gombrich. R.F (2006) Theravæda Buddhism (A social history form ancient Benares
to modern Colombo), 2nd edition, Abingdon: Routledge Press
- I.B. Horner (1942a) The book of the discipline, Vol 4, London
- I.B. Horner (1942b) The book of the discipline, Vol 5, London
-Spiro, M. E (1982) Buddhism and Society, Los Angeles : University of California
Press
-Somdet Phra Mahæ (1973) The Entrance to the Vinaya, Vol 3, Bangkok
Choa Mahæmakut Ræjavidyælaya Press
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-Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1994) The Buddhist Monastic Code, vol 1, U.S.A: Valley
center (free distribution)
-Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2007) The Buddhist Monastic Code, vol 2, U.S.A:Valley center
(free distribution),
Burmese sources
- Janakæbhivaµsa Ashin (1959) Ka³khæbhæsæ¥økæ, vol.1, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1959) Ka³khæbhæsæ¥økæ, vol.2, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1973) Pariværabhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma Offset
Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1938) Pætimok bhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma Offset
Press
- Janakæbhivaµsa, Ashin (1966) Mahævaggabhæsæ¥økæ, Amarapura: New Burma
Offset Press
-Sølænandæbhivaµsa, Ashin (2002) Sømæ training course (Burmese version), Yangon :
Khaing yee mon Press
- U Maung Maung, Dhammaghosaka (1981) The Buddha trusted in Saµgha (Burmese
version), Yangon : Thihaminn Press
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