The Buddhist Revival in Sri Lanka: Religious Tradition, Reinterpretation and Response

330 Pages·1988·5.095 MB·English

by  George D, Bond

StudiinCe osm parRaetliivgei on
FredeMr.i ckD enEndyi,t or
ThHeo Bloyo ikCn o mptairPvaeer spective
EdibtyeF rde derDiecnkan nyRMd o. d nLeT.ya ylor
DrS.t rangOentg hSoeyd m:b Moelaincoi Nfnu gc lWeeaarp ons
ByIa rC hernus
NatAimveer icanA cRteiAlPo iengr:if oourAsmp apnrcoteaoR c ehl igion
ByS amG ill
HumaRni gahnttdsh Ceo nfloiCfcu tl tures:
WestaenrnId s lamic PoenRr eslipgeUicboteuirsvty e s
ByD avLiidt JtolhKene, l saanAydb, d ulA.aS zaiczh edina
ThMeu nshoiEfdg iynp t:Wo rTalhnded i rST ohnegi r
ByE arHl.We a ugh
TheB uddhRiesvti ivnSa rli Lanka:
ReluisgT airdoint,Ri eoinetteanrt piro
anRdes poen s
ByG eor0,gB eo nd
Univeorfs ity
SouCtahro liPnrae ss
Copyri©g Uhnti verosfSi otuytC ha rol1i9n8a8
PublisihenCd o lumbSioau,tC ha rolbiynt ah,e
UniverosfSi otuytC ha rolPirneas s
FirEsdti tion
Manufacitnut rheUedn itSetda toefAs m erica
LIBRARYC OONFG RESS
LibroafCr oyn grCeastsa loging-inD-aPtuab lication
BondG,e orDgoeh er1t9y4,2 -
TheB uddhriesvti ivnSa rlLi a nkrae:l igtiroaudsi tion,
reinterpraentdra etsipooInnb ,sy Ge e orDg.eB ond-.1 ste d.
p. em.- (Studiince osm pararteilvieg ion)
Bibliogpr.a phy:
Incluidnedse x,
ISB0N- 87249-557-4
1.B uddhismL-aSnrkia -Historcye-n2t0utrIhyT. .i tle.
IIS.e riSetsu:d iinec so mpararteilvie(g Cioolnu mSb.iCa.,)
BQ3766.61B988
294.3'095491'93-<l c 88-14788
CIP
CONtENTS
EditPorre'fsa ce vi
Acknogwmletensd viii
Abbreviations ix
Introduction 3
ChapOtneer: ThTeh eraTvraaddaai nttdih oBena ckgrooftu hned
BudidsRhte vival 11
ChapTtweor: ThEea rRleyv ivParlo taenBsdut dadnhti sm 45
ChapTtherre eT:h Beu ddJhaay aannttdhi Pe o st-JPaeyrainotdi 7 5
ChapFtoeurr :T hIesn igMhetd it(aVtiipoanBs hsaavnMaaon vael-
ment 130
ChapFtievre :I dniviLdauMyae ld itaUtniotaryns Dd:i veirsni ty
thPer acotfVi icpea ssanii 177
ChapStiexr: LaByu dsdtMh eiditSaotciioent ies 208
ChapSteevre nT:h eR enitertpirooenftt ahOeh ammfaoS ro cial
ActiTohSnea: r voSdharyaam aMdoavneam ent 241
Conclusion 299
Bibliography 306
Index 316
v
Edirt'Posr eface
Theries a sensien w hicht hisse rioefsb ookpsr ovidietsrs e aders
witho pportunittoci oesm parsec holaarplpyr oachteods i fferreenlti ­
gioutsr aditioannsd,t hiisso neaim oft hep rojeTchte.r ies a nother
sensienw hicuhn ity vaanrdi ewtiyt hisni ngle traadriedt iisocnesr ned
anda nalyzFeid.n altlhye,r et hiems a joari mo ft hes erietosp :r oviad e
globailn,t egraatpipvreo acthot hes tudoyf r eligiaonndsr eligious
dimensioonfhs u mane xperietnhcreo ugah s cholarsthhiapmt a kes
sensree gardloefst sh es pecitrfaidci tiobne ing examiannedtd h,u s
becomeasc cessitbotl heo ughtful rferaodmae w risd ev arieotfiy n ter­
estasn db ackgrounBdusts. u chs cholarsahlisrpoe quirveesr syp ecific
kindosf m asteroyf t her eligisoyumsb oaln da ctions ytse rn being
examineidt:ts e xtasn dc ontexittsds,o ctrinpersa,c ticeasn,dc om­
munitfyo rms.
GeorgBeo nd'Tsh Beu ddRheivsitiv nSa rlLai n kaR:e ligTiroatudisio n,
IntertpiaronenRtd ea spoanmpslefy,u lfailltllh sea ims liasbtoevde --and
thens ome.O n onel evetlh,i sst udcya nb er eada sa n epitomoef
receWnets terns cholarsohnTi hpe ravaBduad dhisems,p eciailnSl ryi
Lankaa,c ounttrhya hta sb otphr oducaendd a ttracttheehd i ghecsatl ­
ibeorf s cholawrhse,t heinr h umanisotircs ocial scisetnutdiiofefis c
BuddhismO.n anothleerv eTlh, e BuRdedvhiipvesartml i tthse r eader
top lacteh eS rLia nkadne velopmeinntt sh icse ntuwriyt hitnh ee ntire
histoorfBy u ddhispma,r tbleyc autshea its lannadt ioann dt hea ncient
traditairoean l moscto terminoIunsd.e edt,h eP allia nguatgeex tosf
TheravaidnaS riL ankac anb et racebda ckt ot heB uddhisomf t he
earlcye nturiines so utheArsni aT.h em osti mportalnetv ealtw hich
thibso okw ilble a ppreciaitsie ndi tasr restcionmgp arisboentsw een
colonialist modoefre ndiuzciantgia onnd C hristimains sioniziinn g
religainodn their unpalnadnu nnfeodr esreeesnu litnis n spirainndg
empowerian nge wS rLia nkaBnu ddhist ienlo inteoe f t hem ostf ar­
reaching reifnBo urdmdsh ihsits toIrryo.n icaylelty ,p erhaps inevita­
blyt,h eP rotestRaenfto rmatiionnE uropper ovidetdh,r ougihtE sn g­
lish-speamkiisnsgi onalreyg ateseesv,e rkaely e lemenotfst heS ri
Lankarne vivaanle :m phasoinss criptaunrder elated literacy; individ-
vi
vii
EditPorre'fsa ce
uald ecisiomna kinign s piritaunadle thicmaalt teras l;a yf ocutsh at
translated Lu"tphreire'sst hoofoa dl ble lieveirnst"ao s ophisticated
and widelayp pealilnagy m editatiomno vementt:h eV ipassanii
Bhaviianndiia ; " this-woralsdcleyt icitshma"mt i nimizheise rarchy,
preachuensi versalainsdmc ,u ltivatseosc iaaclti ona sm eritorious
activtihtaytt a kelsi terBauldldyh a'fisn ala dmonishmetnot:" Work
outy ouro wns alvatwiiotndh iligenwciet,ht" h et acuintd erstanding
thapte rsonsaall vatiiosnn ota matteorf c lassieclailti,as rt hantship,
onlyb,u t aanl truisvtoicca tisouni tetdoa nu rbalna itthya hta st he
freedoamn dl earning tot ake chaorftg hee ilri ves.
Modem Buddhirsetf orimnS rLia nkai sb yn om eansu nifornmo r
unilinienai rtd se velopmeanstt ,h ea uthodre monstraitnhe iss w ide­
ranginyge,tf ocusesdu rvewyh ichc ontaianmso,n go thevra luable
elementtsh,em oste xtensitrveea tmenotft heV ipasmseadnitiia tion
movemenctu rrenatvlayi laIbtli esn. o wa lmosttr ittoes peaokf b ring­
ingt ogethbeort ht he" texatn dc ontexotf"a traditifoonrb alanced
scholarsYheitpi .ti ss tiallltl o ou nusuatlor eada soliedx amploef
fieldworbka sesdc holarsohniT ph eravaBduad diswmh ose autihso r
alsao s easonsepde cialiinst th eP altir aditainodnt heh istoorfyr eli­
gionsTh.e B uddRheivsitiv nSa rlLai n kai st huasn e xamploeft hen ew,
integrastcihvoel arsthhiatpth isse riiesds e signteodp ublisbho,t fh or
itisn trinsic inantdev raelsutae n df ori tasn ticipated oinmc poamc­t
parativset udiienrs e liggieonne rally.
FrederMiactkh ewsoDne nny
SerEideist or
Acknowmletensd g
A wordo ft hankissi no rdetro t hosien S rLia nkaw hoh elpemde i n
my fierleds earIcc ha.r rieodu tr esearicnSh r Lia nkfao rt hibso okd ur­
ingt hrepee riofdrso m1 98t3hr oug1h9 8M5a.ny p eoplgea veg ener­
ousloyft heitirm ea ndk nowledtgoeh elmpe understatnhder evivoafl
theB uddhitsrta ditAimoonn.g t hemI s houltdh anpka rticultahrel y
Sangwhhoa g rantmeed interviaenwdsh ospitalaintdMy r,. D .C .P .
Ratnakawrhao,s harehdi swi sdowm itmhe anda llowmeed top artici­
patien h iSsa ddhamFar ienSdosc ieIts yh.o ultdh anakl stoh eh undreds
ofB uddhimsetd itatwohros s haretdh eierx perienacnedbs e liewfist h
me.I i ntervieowveedro neh undreadn dfi ftmye ditators, and have
beena blteo i ncluodnel ayf ewo ft heisrto riiens chapftoeurtrsh rough
sixb,u tI l earnefdr omt hemm uchm oret hanI c anc onveiyn t hose
chapteIrl se:arn eda boutth ee ffectivaenndep sesa coef v ipansiiIs.c aa n­
nott hantkh espee oplpee rsonahlelryae s I w ouldl ikaen ds tiplrle serve
theiarn onymitbyu,tI a m vergyr atenfounle theless.
lamp articulagrrlayte afluslto o D r.A .T .A riyarattnheef, o under of
Sarvodafyoar,a lhli sa ssistainnsc teu dyihnigsm ovementT.h el ead­
erso ft hel ayB uddhissotc ietiesA-ltlCh eey loBnu ddhiCsotn gress,
theW orldF ellowsohfiB pu ddhisatnsd,t heY oungM en'sB uddhist
Association-incDlru.Ad riinyga paMlra.,A lberEtd irisinagnhde ,
Mr.L .P iyasenaal,sg oe nerouasnldyp atienttollye ramtye qdu estions
anda llowmeed t op articipiantt eh eiarct iviatnidue sse t heiarr chives.
Thea ssistaonfca e F ulbright-gHraaynstt ,h eU niteSdt ateEsd uca­
tionaFlo undatiionn S riL anka,a nd itsd irectMorr., Bogoda
Premaratanles,fo a cilittahtere eds earfcohrt hisst udyI.s houladl so
likteot hanDkr .K .J .Pe reraan dD r.K ingsldeeyS ilvfao rt heiars sis­
tancaen dP rofessRoircsh aGrodm bricahn dG ananath Obeyesekere,
who sharewdi thm e someo ft heiird eaosn ther einterpreotfa tion
Buddhismo,n w hicht opitch eyt ooh aveb eend oinrge searfcohra
book.
viii
Abebvriioatns
Referencteot sh eB uddhiscatn onicaanldc ommentarwirailt ings
havein mosti nstancbeese,np laceidnp arentheins etsh et exrta ther
thainn thef ootnotTehsea. b breviateimopnlso yeidnt hesree ferences
arep,r imaritlhyes, t andaarbdb reviatfioorPn asl wio rksa sg iveinn
theP alTie xtS ocietPy'asl i-EDnigcoltniiasryThh. e m ostf requently
useda bbreviatairoeln iss tbeedl ow:
A. Anguttara-Nikaya
AA. Anguttara-Nikaya(nMhaankoartahtah apura¢)
D. DIgha-Nikaya
DA. Digha-Nitkhaaykaat(thSau ma"galavilasini)
DAT. Digha-atthTaikaka tha-
Dh.A.D hammapada-anhakatha
Dhs. Dh�II1P..l.asa:J;lgani
Dhs.AD.h ammasa"gani-At(tAhtatkhaatshaal ini)
Dpv. Dipavaqtsa
JA. Jatakanhakatha
Kh. Khuddakapatha
KhA. Khuddakapiitha-a(!P!ahraakmaatothttaih Ika)aj
Kv. Kankhavitara�I
KVll.K athavatthu
.
M. Majjhima-Nikaya
MA. Majjhima-Nikaya(tPtahpaakfiaetahsau dani)
Mhv. Mahava:rp.sa
N. Netti-Pakarar:ta
P. Petakopadesa
Pu. PuggaPlaafi-fiatti
S. SaIp-yutta-Nikaya
SA. Saf!ltay-uNtikaya-at(tShaarkaattthhaa -ppakasini)
Smp. Samantapas(aVdiinkaaayt at hakatha)
Sn. Suttanipata
Sn.A.S uttanipata-a(tPtahraakmaatthtah IaIj)o tika
V. VinayPai taka
Vbh. Vibha"ga
Vism.V isuddhimagga
ix
ThBeu ddRheivsitiv nSa rLlia nka