Ari Buddhism s the name given to the religious practice common in Burma, prior to Anawrahta's rise and the subsequent conversion of Bagan (Pagan) to Theravada Buddhism in the eleventh century.

It is introduced in the 7th century, possibly through trade contact from India or Tibet.

It has largely been categorized as a Tantric form of Buddhism, combining elements of Buddhism, nat worship, indigenous naga worship and Hinduism.

Some scholars claim that it is related to the Buddhist religious practices of the Kingdom of Nanzhao and the subsequent Kingdom of Dali in modern-day Yunnan, China.

Other historians like Than Tun contend that the Aris were forest-dwelling monks who simply differed in monastic practice from Theravadin monks, especially with regard to adherence to the Vinaya, the Buddhist monastic code, as they were much less orthodox, allowed to consume alcohol, engage in sexual relations, and eat midday.It should be noted that there is no archaeological or inscriptional evidence for a distinct form of "Ari" Buddhism at Pagan or elsewhere in medieval Burma.

Stories about the Ari as a distinct group of Buddhists derive from early modern chronicles.

The association of the Ari of the chronicles with Tantric or Mahāyana Buddhism is a fabrication of modern European scholarship, notably advanced in the writings of Charles Duroiselle, and has no basis in Burmese historical sources.