BUDDHISM IN SRI LANKA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA 151garika Dharmapala (Strong EB, sec. 9.1)-tended to define themselves in
terms of the enemy. On the one hand, they stressed the scientific, rationalist
side ofBuddhism to counteract the charge that the religion was superstitious;
on the other hand, they defined Buddhist doctrines as repudiations of Christ-
ian doctrines. In their eyes, for instance, the not-self teaching (see Section
2.3.1) was a metaphysical doctrine that denied the Christian concept of soul.
In some ways, Protestant Buddhism was simply the means by which lay
organizations took over the old role of the Theravadin kings in trying to sup-
port the return ofBuddhism to its original tenets. However, because monks
were now no longer doctors and teachers, the movement had to expand the
concept of Buddhist revival not only to cover the reform of the monastic
Sangha, but also to deal directly with the education and uplifting of the Bud-
dhist laity in general. This expansion provided a model for Sri Lankan Bud-
dhist movements throughout the twentieth century.
Because it was directed against European culture, the Buddhist cause be-
came the rallying point for the nationalist, anticolonial cause as well. This had
the effect of politicizing not only the lay Buddhist organizations but also the
monastic Sangha. By the time independence was finally won after World War
II, the monks had become so thoroughly involved in political activities that
one faction actually planned and executed a political assassination in the early
years of independence (Strong EB, sec. 6.8.3). This act sent a shock through
the country just as it was looking to Buddhism as a guide for the definition of
national identity after more than four centuries of European rule.
7.4.2 Burma
The Burmese Sangha fared somewhat better than the Sri Lankan Sangha under
British rule (1886-1948), perhaps because the British had learned from their
mistakes in Sri Lanka, perhaps simply because colonial rule was shorter here.
Although the British refused to take up the king's role as watchdog of the
Sangha, they arranged for the monks to elect their own ecclesiastical leaders
and allowed ecclesiastical examinations to be given on a regular basis. As a re-
sult, Pali studies-including the Burmese specialty, the Abhidhamma analysis
of mind-states-continued unabated. However, the lack of any outside au-
thority taking an interest in the state of the practice led to a deterioration in
the discipline within the monasteries.
Despite its rather benign religious policy, British rule had the effect of
politicizing the Burmese Sangha, as it had the Sri Lankan. Unlike Sri Lanka,
Burma had a tradition of easily obtained temporary ordination. When the
British banned political gatherings, many nationalists took advantage of the
opportunity to ordain and preach their political ideas to the laity who would
gather at the monasteries for religious purposes. These politico-monks played
a prominent part in the early days of the independence movement, later faded
into the background, and then reemerged as an ecclesiastical lobby after inde-
pendence was won following World War II.