Features of functioning of Theravada Buddhism in Ukraine

Abstract

The topicality of the study is defined by the increased interest of a certain part of the population of Ukraine in the philosophy and religions of the East. One of the evidence can be the appearance and spread of dozens of Buddhist communities on the Ukrainian territory during the time of independence. Such a large number of Buddhist schools in Ukraine is explained by the consequences of the atheist era with the anti-religious policy of the Soviet authorities, which for a long time prohibited the preaching and practice of almost any religion. As a result, after the collapse of the USSR, there was an information surge, which gave rise to the formation of new religious communities, the spread of various literature and films on Buddhist themes. On the other hand, the spread of Eastern religious practices was a search for forms which were fundamentally different from traditional religious ones of improvement and spiritual rebirth. This article deals with the features formation of one of the Buddhist schools in Ukraine, namely Theravada. It proposes the concept for the functioning of Ukrainian Buddhist communities such as: the Ajan Hubert Foundation; “Vipassana Meditation as taught by S. N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin”, monks Bhante Narada, Bhante Ratanasila, Bhante Saranasila, Bhante Thithidhammo. Their current form and activities, their role in the social and further development prospects are examined. Selected Buddhist texts, the basics of Theravada teaching school traditions in Ukraine, main practices, and their origins are also analyzed. The significance of retreats is defined as a cross-cultural dimension, where Buddhism of the Theravada tradition goes beyond its traditional ethno-confessional region and forms a connection between the Buddhist tradition and modern Ukrainian reality. Keywords: Theravada in Ukraine, retreat, dhamma, vipassana, Tipitaka, Satipatthana-sutta, Metta-sutta, Abhidhamma-pitaka