Shin Arahan

Statue of Shin Arahan in Ananda Temple

The Venerable Shin Arahan (ရှင်အရဟံ; formally, Dhammadassī Mahāthera, ဓမ္မဒဿီ မဟာထေရ်; c. 1034 – 1115) was Thathanabaing of Burma of the Pagan Kingdom from 1056 to 1115. The monk, a native of Thaton Kingdom, was the religious adviser to four Pagan kings from Anawrahta to Alaungsithu. He is credited with converting Anawrahta to Theravada Buddhism, and overseeing the subsequent reformation of the Buddhist school throughout the kingdom. However, evidence strongly suggests that the Theravada Buddhism of Shin Arahan and early Pagan was one strongly influenced by Hinduism as compared to later more orthodox standards. Within 75 years of Shin Arahan's death, the Buddhism of Pagan would be realigned with the Mahavihara school of Ceylon although his Conjeveram-Thaton school lasted 200 more years before finally dying out.

Nonetheless, his conversion of Anawrahta is viewed as a key turning point in the history of Theravada Buddhism. The powerful king's embrace greatly helped stabilize the Buddhist school, which had hitherto been in retreat elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia. The success of Pagan Empire made the Buddhist school's later spread in mainland Southeast Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries possible. [source: Wikipedia]

Further reading

• Shin Arahan, Wikipedia