There was an early schism into four sects during the Pagan period, which was later ended by the purification effort of a Hanthawady king, according to the KalyÃÂá¹Âi Sima stone inscriptions. Throughout the Ava period and early Konbaung period, new schisms emerged between city sect and forest sect, and between one-shoulder covering sect and both-shoulder covering sect. The defeat of the one-shoulder covering sect resulted in a unified order, but new sects broke out again in the late Konbaung period and throughout the British rule.
Nine Sangha sects had been registered with the Department of Religious Affairs by 1 February 1980. The Law Relating to Sangha Organization, enacted by the SLORC junta in 1990, explicitly recognizes only these nine sects and prohibits the formation of new sects. However, the law allows the existing sects to merge. The official list of the Nine Major Sects of Saá¹Âghà(áÂÂá¶áÂÂá‡ÂÂáÂÂá¯áÂÂáºá¸áÂÂá¼á®á¸áÂÂáÂÂá¯á¸áÂÂáÂÂá¯áÂÂáºá¸) is as follows:
Originally, sudhammàwas not the name of a sect. Based on the tradition of Thagyamin (Sakka) judging crimes and legal cases at the Sudhammàresthouse in TÃÂvatiá¹Âsàheaven, the meeting place of senior monks (Sayadaws) discussing and judging the crimes and legal cases relating to the Buddhist religion SÃÂsanàis called SudhammÃÂ. Before the breakaway of other sects, all of the Sangha in Myanmar were under the administration of SuddhamàCouncil. Since the breakaway of the Shwegyin Sect, monks who are not members of the new sects are automatically regarded to belong to the SudhammàSect.
In the year 1214 M.E. (1852-1853 C.E.), SudhammÃÂ Council summoned the Shwegyin Sayadaw U JÃÂgara before them. As he did not come, the SudhammÃÂ prepared to bring him by force. Some SudhammÃÂ Sayadaws who were friends of Shwegyin Sayadaw advised him to flee to Lower Burma (under British rule). When King Mindon heard that news, he issued the royal order of Ganavimut, prohibiting the SudhammÃÂ Council from summoning the Shwegyin Sayadaw, stating that it no longer had the right to summon him and that he could live independently. Since then, the lineage of Shwegyin Sayadaw is called the Shwegyin Sect.
On a Uposatha day in 1214 M.E. (1852-1853 C.E.), Okpho Sayadaw U Uggaá¹Âsa went to a monastery of local gaing-dauk (sect's assistant head) sayadaws. There, he saw them performing the rites at an udakukkhepa sëmàconnected with a gÃÂmakhetta with a bridge. He refused to join them in performing, saying that the rites had failed because of the connection of udakukkhepa sëmàwith gÃÂmakhetta. The gaing-dauk sayadaws argued against him. A Vinaya dispute subsequently arose, resulting in the separation of a new sect, but it did not receive the name Dvaràat that time. The Okpho Sayadaw preached to his followers to replace the words kÃÂyakamma, vacëkamma, manokamma in the OkÃÂsa prayer with the words kÃÂyadvÃÂra, vacëdvÃÂra, manodvÃÂra. In 1217 ME, a dispute broke out among the Uposatha observers on whether the recitation with three dvÃÂra or the one with three kamma was correct. When they asked the Okpho Sayadaw, he judged that the recitation with dvÃÂra is the only correct way, citing the Aá¹ guttara NikÃÂya of the PÃÂli canon. Those who disagreed asked the Kyìthè Layhtat Sayadaw (author of the Jinattha-pakÃÂsanë), who judged that they should recite with kamma, citing the verse "natvÃÂti kÃÂyakamma vacëkamma manokamma saá¹ khÃÂtehi tëhikammehi namassitvÃÂ". Thus, the sect of Okpho Sayadaw was called "DvÃÂravÃÂdë Sect" while those who disagreed with him (i.e., Sudhammàfollowers) were called "KammavÃÂdë Sect". The Okpho Sayadaw was proficient in astrology. He said that the full moon days and new moon days in the Burmese calendar are one day earlier than the actual days. He and his follower monks performed rites on the first waning days and the first waxing days instead of full moon days and new moon days, until he passed away.
Monks from six monasteries of the DvÃÂra Sect near the Ngawun River, locally known as Anaukchaung (Western Stream), accused the Ngathaingchaung Yetagun Monastery Sayadaw of the First PÃÂrajika offense with a woman. Because the DvÃÂra Sect leader Okpho Sayadaw sided with the accused monk, the monks from those six monasteries broke away and founded a separate sect. This sect,ÃÂ Anaukchaung DvÃÂra Sect, is led by six sayadaws.
In the 13 years after the death of Okpho Sayadaw, no one had been elected as the new MahÃÂnÃÂyaka of DvÃÂra sÃÂsanÃÂ. In 1280 M.E. (1918-1919 C.E.), the DvÃÂra Sect held a Sangha meeting which elected the Yangon Monastery Sayadaw from Hinthada as the second MahÃÂnÃÂyaka of DvÃÂra SÃÂsanÃÂ, and gave the title of "DhammÃÂnudhamma MahÃÂdva NikÃÂya" to their DvÃÂra Sect. The majority of DvÃÂra monks reverted to performing rites on full moon days and new moon days in the Burmese calendar, citing a teaching of Lord Buddha that full moon days and new moon days be determined by the king or the government (rÃÂja padhÃÂna).
Ingapu Sayadaw and his followers had personal and doctrinal disputes with DvÃÂra Sayadaws from Hinthada. When the Hinthada monks held a Sangha meeting and took the name "MahÃÂdvÃÂra Nikaya", the Ingapu Sayadaw named his group "Mà «ladvÃÂra" without holding a Sangha meeting. The Mà «ladvÃÂra NikÃÂya retains the practice of performing the rites on the first waning days and the first waxing days, as taught by the Okpho Sayadaw. The sect later took the title "DhammavinayÃÂnuloma Mà «ladvÃÂra NikÃÂya," meaning the original DvÃÂra sect which practices according to Dhamma and Vinaya.
Derived from the Pali word "Gaá¹Âa", the Burmese word "áÂÂáÂÂá¯áÂÂáºá¸" "Gaing" can mean group, sect, or gang, and also, occults and cults. In the context of Saá¹Âgha "Gaing", it is to be called "Sect" in English. The word "Gana" is sometimes used in the state-owned English news outlet.
According to the rules and regulations of the Sangha Organization of Myanmar, every monastery in each sect is required to submit annually the number of monks and novices residing there.
Other unrecognized sects of Sangha had to merge with the recognized sects because they had not registered by 2 February 1980, and had failed to send sect representatives to the meeting that year.
Some sects, such as the Tai Zawti Sect, have merged into the SudhammÃÂ Sect but retain their characteristics.
The RÃÂmañña NikÃÂya is a Mon-ethnic monastic order whose monks are currently de jure members of Shwegyin Sect, MahÃÂyin Sect and SudhammàSect. Although it did not receive recognition in 1980, it has maintained the de facto structure of a nikÃÂya monastic order since 1920. It has been requesting formal recognition from the government since the 2020s.
MahÃÂyÃÂna Buddhism is also practised in modern Myanmar mostly by Chinese descendants, but also by some minority ethnic groups.
Some sects, which are deemed to be against TheravÃÂda Buddhism but unrelated to MahÃÂyÃÂna Buddhism, have been banned. The Sky Blue Sect (áÂÂáÂÂá¯á¸áÂÂá¼á‡ÂÂáÂÂá¯áÂÂáºá¸), with the title Paccuppan KammavÃÂda Buddhism (áÂÂá á¹á á¯áÂÂá¹áÂÂáÂÂáºáÂÂáÂÂá¹áÂÂáÂÂá«áÂÂáÂÂá¯áÂÂá¹áÂÂáÂÂá‡ÂÂá¬), is among the banned sects.