1. The Venerable Shin Arahan was Thathanabaing of Burma of the Pagan Kingdom from 1056 to 1115.
14 Facts About Shin Arahan
1. 2.
Shin Arahan is credited with converting Anawrahta to Theravada Buddhism, and overseeing the subsequent reformation of the Buddhist school throughout the kingdom.
3.
The story of Shin Arahan first appeared in the chronicle Maha Yazawin of 1724, and was repeated in the chronicle Hmannan Yazawin of 1832.
4.
The Burmese chronicles report that Shin Arahan was born of a Brahmin's virgin wife.
5.
Shin Arahan is generally believed to be of Mon descent though when asked, he did not say that he was Mon; instead he replied that he was of the race of Buddha and that he followed Buddha's dhamma.
6.
Shin Arahan considered the Ari monks, who ate evening meals, drank liquor, presided over animal sacrifices, and enjoyed a form of ius primae noctis, depraved.
7.
Shin Arahan found in Anawrahta a powerful monarch that could help implement his dream of purifying the religion.
8.
Shin Arahan housed the scriptures in the Tripitikataik library, which is still to be seen at Pagan.
9.
Shin Arahan oversaw the training of the sangha and founding of over a thousand monasteries across the kingdom in order to spread the religion.
10.
Shin Arahan traveled extensively across the kingdom, as far down as Tenasserim.
11.
When his royal patron Anawrahta died in 1077, the reforms Shin Arahan helped initiate had been in place for some two decades.
12.
Shin Arahan died at age 80 in 1115, during the reign Alaungsithu at Pagan.
13.
Shin Arahan was succeeded as primate by his student Shin Panthagu.
14.
The frescoes in of Nandaminnya Temple, which Shin Arahan dedicated, in Pagan are "patently Ari".