The powerful king's embrace greatly helped stabilize the Buddhist school, which had hitherto been in retreat elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia.

)[5] At 22, he left for the northern kingdom of Pagan because was dissatisfied with the decaying state of Theravada Buddhism, and an increasing influence of Hinduism at Thaton.

He considered the Ari monks, who ate evening meals, drank liquor, presided over animal sacrifices, and enjoyed a form of ius primae noctis,[8] depraved.

Anawrahta found in Theravada Buddhism, a substitute to break the power of the clergy, and in Shin Arahan, a guide who could help him accomplish it.

Anawrahta broke the power of the Ari monks first by declaring that his court would no longer heed if people ceased to yield their children to the priests.

Under his guidance, Anawrahta invited scholars from the Mon lands and Ceylon, as well as India where Buddhist monks were fleeing the Muslim conquerors.

[12] Shin Arahan prophecy will samsara next millennium, as mon ethnographic group within British rule in Burma and Internal conflict in Myanmar period[13] Historians contend that even the reformed religion of Shin Arahan, Anawrahta and other Pagan kings was one still strongly influenced by Hinduism when compared to later more orthodox (18th and 19th century) standards.

Tantric, Saivite, and Vaishnava elements enjoyed greater elite influence than they would later do, reflecting both the relative immaturity of early Burmese literacy culture and its indiscriminate receptivity to non-Burman traditions.

[8] They also question Shin Arahan's contribution to the reformation (purification) of the religion, raising doubt that the Buddhism of Thaton was more rigid than that in Pagan.

[9] The full range of stories in Burmese cultural memory demonstrates that his reform was not so neat and tidy as the post-medieval narrative suggests.

The powerful king's embrace of Theravada Buddhism greatly helped stabilize the Buddhist school, which had been retreat elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia until then.

The patronage of Pagan Empire provided the Buddhist school with a safe shelter, and made its spread to Siam, Laos and Cambodia in the 13th and 14th centuries possible.