Theravada Buddhism was introduced to Malaysia in the early part of the 20th century and thus can be considered a new tradition in Malaysia. After the 1980s, Theravada Buddhism gradually became localized and accepted by more local Chinese residents. In Malaysia, there are thus generally two types of Theravada Buddhist temples or centers. One is the old type, which were founded from the early 20th century to cater to the needs of immigrants from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The other type is the newly established Theravada Buddhist centers, which can be considered a new phenomenon. In the late 1980s there was a significant increase in newly established Theravada Buddhist centers, most of which were founded by local Malaysian Chinese Theravada monks and practitioners who wanted to seek the most authentic Theravada Buddhist practices. These trends are evidence of the further development of Theravada Buddhism in Malaysia. In this process, Chinese lay practitioners have contributed much. They are not only devoted to supporting the practice of monks but also have played a significant role in building new Theravada Buddhist centers, and are quite committed to seeking out the practice of meditation and profound Dharma knowledge.
This paper aims to trace the practices and movement of local Malaysian Chinese Theravada Buddhists, largely members of the urban middle class, to examine how they are seeking out their practices, and to consider the features of the Theravada Buddhism in contemporary Malaysia.
