Dhammayut / Dhammayuttika Nikaya
The Dhammayut Nikaya is a group of Buddhist monks of the Theravada order, and it was founded by Prince Mongkut, a son of King Rama II. The Dhammayut sect is set apart from Thailand's other Theravada Buddhist order, Mahanikaya, in a few ways, but the two orders cooperate and are united in their home country under the Sangha Supreme Council, or Council of Elders. While laypeople do not pay close attention to the differences between the Dhammayut Nikaya and the Mahanikaya, each order has its own philosophy and rituals. The Dhammayut order is renowned for its more stringent orthodoxy and its affinity with the aristocracy of Thailand.
In 1824, after Prince Mongkut was ordained, he became Siam's most important religious figure. He closely studied the Pali, the language of the Theravada canon, its scriptures, and adhered to the strict disciplinary standards set forth for Mon monks. Mongkut became convinced that Buddhism in Siam had been led astray and he began expecting his followers to more closely study Pali and the Vinaya, which are Buddhist scriptures on monastic rules. He also expected his followers to become more dedicated to and proficient in meditation. Mongkut encouraged his monks to be accurate in their Pali pronunciation, and to set aside superstitions. He also demanded that laypeople feed the monks, wash their robes and clean the monastery so that the monks could concentrate on their studies. Perhaps the most visible difference between the Dhammayut and the Mahanikaya is the way their robes are worn; Mongkut's monks wore robes that cover both shoulders. Later, when Mongkut became the king, monks were allowed to choose between two-shouldered and one-shouldered robes. That was not the only change; daily routine, ordination ritual, and religious observance days changed as well. When Mongkut left the sect center, Wat Bowonniwet, to be crowned, he pledged his support to both the Mahanikaya and Dhammayut sects.
When Chulalongkorn, Mongkut's son, was king, another one of his sons, Prince Vajiravudh, led the Dhammayut into a period of great influence and prosperity. Eventually, Prince Vajiravudh came to head the sangha, and Chulalongkorn unified all of Thailand's Buddhists into a single organization. Monks throughout Thailand helped to set programs and policies, and while the Dhammayut Nikaya were originally an elite group, discipline, ritual and education became standardized throughout the country. A set curriculum was established and Buddhist nationalism came to be, and there was less diversity in philosophy, practice and custom.
In 1855, Preah Saukonn Pan (also known as Maha Pan) was invited by Khmer King Norodom to establish a Cambodian branch of the Dhammayut Nikaya sect. Maha Pan was educated in King Mongkut's Thai order, and he became the Cambodian Dhammayut Nikaya's first Supreme Patriarch. He lived at Wat Botum Vaddey, which was built by royal decree just for the Dhammayut monks. Cambodia's Dhammayut Nikaya greatly benefited from royal sponsorship, but they were also suspect because of their close ties with Thailand's monarchy.
The Dhammayut Nikaya order of Cambodia saw great suffering under the rule of the Khmer Rouge; they were closely targeted because of their ties to Thailand and its monarchy. Also, they suffered due to the repression of the Buddhist hierarchy by the Khmer Rouge. In the decade between 1981 and 1991, the Dhammayut monks became affiliated with Cambodia's Mohanikay under a single sangha which was under Vietnamese domain. At the end of that decade, King Sihanouk came back from exile, and then appointed a Dhammayut sangharaja, the first one in more than ten years. This action ended the unification policy, and the Dhammayut Nikaya are still present in Cambodia, but they are a small minority. The current sangharaja, Bour Kry, has adopted a much more liberal stance than Tep Vong, the Mahanikaya head, on issues such as monks' role in AIDS education and treatment. However, Kry's views are far less radical than those of some Engaged Buddhist monks of the Mahanikaya order.