Sīvali ( pi, Sīvali; my, ရှင်သီဝလိ ; th, พระสีวลี ; si, සීවලී; ) is an
arhat
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
widely venerated among
Theravada Buddhists
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
. He is the patron saint of travel and is believed to ward off misfortunes at home such as fire or theft.
His veneration predates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism into Burma.
Sīvali is typically depicted standing upright and carrying a walking staff, an alms bowl and
Buddhist prayer beads
A japamala, , or simply mala ( sa, माला; , meaning 'garland') is a loop of prayer beads commonly used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism for counting recitations when performing ''japa'' (reciting a m ...
.
Born to Queen Suppavasa, Sīvali is believed to have remained in his mother's womb for seven years because of past
karma
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
.
After a week in labor, Sīvali's mother gave birth to a precocious boy who could immediately speak. Thereafter, Gautama Buddha's chief disciple,
Sariputta, admitted Sīvali into the
sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
.
The Burmese believe that worshiping him will bring them prosperity and good fortune.
See also
*
Arahant
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
*
Upagupta
Upagupta (c. 3rd Century BC) was a Buddhist monk. According to some stories in the Sanskrit text Ashokavadana, he was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. In the Sarvāstivādin tradition he is the fifth patriarch after Mahākaś ...
*
Shin Upagutta
Shin Upagutta ( my, ရှင်ဥပဂုတ္တ or ; also spelt Shin Upagot, Shin Upagote or Shin U Pagoke) is an arahant commonly venerated by Buddhists in Myanmar. He is believed to protect worshipers from danger, including floods and s ...
*
Ari Buddhism
Ari Buddhism or the Ari Gaing ( my, အရည်းဂိုဏ်း, ) is the name given to the religious practice common in Burma prior to Anawrahta's rise and the subsequent conversion of Bagan to Theravada Buddhism in the eleventh century. It ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sivali
Foremost disciples of Gautama Buddha
Buddhism in Myanmar
Arhats
Folk saints