Contesting Buddhist Narratives 25 foreign elements, and to protect the integrity of the island nation as a Buddhist homeland.26 This form of “just war” theory draws from certain Buddhist literature that renders ambivalent Buddhist ethical positions on violence (Bartholomeusz 2002). Taking the vast Theravadin corpus as a whole, these Buddhists argue that there Theravadin sacred stories depict is no single ethical principle (such as pacificism). Instead, the violence as sometimes necessary various stories considered sacred depict a more complicated picture, defending violence as sometimes, if regrettably, necessary for the sake of Buddhist self-defense. In other words, the short-term violation of Buddhist principles and ethics is sometimes justified for the sake of what is considered a righteous goal. Promotion of Buddhism One of the most challenging aspects of these nationalist movements for outside observers to grasp is the fact that in certain ways they represent a widely accepted implementation of Buddhist values. As explained above, like all conditioned things, even the Buddha’s sasana is impermanent and will eventually disappear. This is a fundamental element of Buddhism and a perpetual source of both anxiety and motivation for Buddhist practice. While this anxiety is often directed toward (and against) external actors portrayed as a threat to Buddhism, a consistent (and arguably more positive) manifestation is the desire to prolong the existence of the sasana through the propagation of Buddhist teachings and through encouraging a deeper engagement with the religion among those already in the community. This sentiment is often expressed by supporters of 969 and MaBaTha as they defend their organizations against claims of extremism. A Burmese Buddhist nun from Mandalay explained why she had joined a push to rebrand the movement in the face of a ban on 969 organizations by the state Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee: “I quite support this organization...I believe it can spread religious and cultural knowledge widely to children who live in rural areas. Many live far from the Buddha’s teachings” (Si Thu Lwin 2013b). The monk Ashin Sada Ma has said that the purpose of the movement is to educate young Buddhists about their religion. “In the modern age, the young people don’t