Theravada-SriLanka

= THERAVADA-SRI LANKA BUDDHISM by (Ibraheem Khadar)  =

Three things everyone should know about Theravada in Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka is the oldest continually Theravada Buddhist country in the world. Theravada, which literally means ‘way of the elders’, is the oldest of all the schools of Buddhism and it is a direct descendant of Sthaviravada, the first school if Buddhism. Theravada is the most dominant school in Sri Lanka, accounting for 70% of all people in Sri Lanka and it has been the most dominant religion since the 2nd century BC when it was brought to the country during the Mauryan Dynasty in India more than 2000 years ago. It is extremely similar to the ‘original’ Buddhism taught by the Buddha because it is directly derived from the teachings that were compiled after the Buddha’s death. Therefore it is the most conservative of all the schools and it is also the most orthodox out of all them as well.

From Wikipedia: Look Familiar? [|Buddhism] in [|Sri Lanka] is primarily of the [|Theravada] school, and constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the population.[|[1]] According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles (such as the [|Dipavamsa]), Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the [|2nd century BCE] by Venerable [|Mahinda], the son of the Emperor [|Ashoka], during the reign of Sri Lanka's King [|Devanampiyatissa]. During this time, a sapling of the [|Bodhi Tree] was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries were established under the sponsorship of the Sri Lankan king. The [|Pali Canon], having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around [|30 BCE]. Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, with the [|Sangha] having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with [|Myanmar] and [|Thailand]. Periods of [|Mahayana] influence, as well as official neglect under colonial rule, created great challenges for Theravada Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated revivals and resurgences- most recently in the 19th century CE- have kept the Theravada tradition alive for over 2000 years.

Critical Vocabulary/ Major concepts:
Pali Canon: the collection of many firsthand texts (in the Pali language) that make up the fundamental beliefs of Theravada Buddhism

sangha: community of ordained monks and nuns in Buddhism; noble ones

Mahayana Buddhism: literally means ‘The Great Vehicle,’ the sect of ‘Northern’ Buddhism that rivaled Theravada that is less concrete in doctrine than Theravadaa

Bodhisattva: a person who is in a position to attain Nirvana that renounces it out of great compassion for the world and continues suffering so that they can help others attain Nirvana as well; someone who is to become the Buddha

Vibhajjavada: doctrine that human analysis and meditation are the primary tool for developing insight

Arhats: Buddhist version of saints, people who fully understood Buddhist doctrine and attained freedom samsara and attained Nirvana

Historical timeline (major developments):
589BC-525BC: Siddartha Gautama (below) is enlightened and becomes the Buddha and spreads his teaching as the new religion, ‘Dhamma-yana’



approx. 380BC: The 2nd Council meets to discuss what they deem as controversial points of the vinaya. There is a schism in the Sangha and the Mahasanghika (the new school/Mahayana) splits from the Sthaviravadins (the original/Theravada).

approx. 294BC-100BC: Ashoka becomes the King of India and makes Theravada Buddhism the official religion of India. He brings up the 3rd Council, where all the things that were discussed in the 1st Council are committed to writing, forming the Pali Tipitaka. He sends his son, the Venerable Mahinda, on a mission to Sri Lanka to convert the people to Buddhism. He converts King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka to Buddhism and they make Sri Lanka a Buddhist country and they also build the Great Monastery at Anuradhapura (Mahavihara). Mahinda’s sister, Sanghamitta, brings back a branch from the original Bodhi tree that Buddha meditated under and enshrined the branch.

1500CE-1800CE: The amount of Sri Lankan sangha greatly dwindles due to the Colonial Rule of European powers in Sri Lanka, namely, Portugal, Netherlands, and England.

1873CE: The Venerable Mohottivatte Gunanada defeats Christian missionaries in public debate, which started a National Buddhist Movement, with resurges Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Geography
Below is a map that illustrates the initial spread of Buddhism after the Buddha's parinirvana (death). Buddhism first spread throughout India immediately after the Buddha's death to the point that by the time of King Ashoka's rule, two centuries later, Theravada Buddhism had become the official religion of India. During Ashoka's rule, he sent his son, the Venerable Mahinda, on a religious mission to Sri Lanka to convert the king to Buddhism, which was a surprisingly easy task. From then on in, Theravada had become the main religion of Sri Lanka and it had become the main force behind spreading the Theravada school into Burma and Thailand (which from there spread into more of Southeast Asia). Although it had been created a long time after the Theravada sect, Mahayana, also known as Northern Buddhism (because it spread rapidly in the Northern Hemisphere; Theravada is sometimes referred to as Southern Buddhism because of the location of its growth) spread later but much quicker throughout Asia because it was not nearly as strict as the Theravada school and therefore more people followed the Mahayana school because it was less conservative (the spread led to many different sects of Mahayana Buddhism throughout Mahayanan Asia, ie. Zen Buddhism in Japan and Tantric Buddhism in Tibet). The rapid spread of Mahayana in Asia almost threatened the entire existence of Theravada sect from the beginning of the tenth century till the Buddhist Revival in Sri Lanka in the 19th century.



Monastic Practice
In the Theravada school of thought, monks live with each other in monastic communities. The monastic community, called the sangha, are considered spiritual guides for the lay people to reach nirvana. Buddhists can become monks at any age and they must go through an ordination process in order to become a monk. A senior, or full, monk is known as a bhikkhu and a novice monk is known as a samanera. Monks must follow the monastic code of life, called the vinaya, which has 227 rules that they must live their life by. In Buddhism, there are also nuns, who live a life very similar to their male counterparts except for the fact that they have more rules to live by in the vinaya. To become a monk (or nun) in the Theravada school, one must take part of the ‘Going forth’ process which begins with a person going someone in the sangha and requesting to become a part of it. He then receives the set of robes that are required for a monk and is shaven bald. He then bows to the monk 3 times and goes through the monastery vows which are a set of prescribed passages that the monk and monk-to-be must go over which includes some basic questions and vows regarding Buddhism as well as the Ten Precepts. Afterwards, the monk becomes the novice’s teacher and he receives a new Pali name and is considered a samanera. After a certain amount of time with the teacher, the samanera can become a bhikkhu if he begs his teacher and the local sangha to allows him to be. Then he must answer questions about his health and go through an examination to see whether or not he has freed himself from the 8 obstacles of life (suffering). If he passes, then he is given the title of ‘Venerable,’ if he does not, he can simply try again another time. Day to day life for Theravada monks are typically the same except on holidays (in which there are only a few small differences from their daily lives). In the morning, monks wake up early and take part in some type of worship, whether it be a chanting or a temple service. They usually worship together and in the presence of flowers, which represent mortality in Buddhism, and in front of lit candles, which represent enlightenment. This can take place in their monastery, their temple, or in their home. During the day, in between their prayers, they receive food from the local laypeople so that they can get their daily meals. The afternoon and night are filled with education (mostly for the samaneras) and meditation to one day attain Nirvana, or inner peace.

Lay Practice
In Theravada Buddhism, more so than any other school, it unlikely (but not impossible) that lay people, or Upasaka (female: Upasika) attaint Nirvana in their lifetime. The role of the laypeople in Theravada Buddhism revolves around the monks, especially in Sri Lanka where Theravada Buddhism is so dominant. They must make sure that monks have food and other necessities and it is a must that they donate to and take care of temples and monasteries in order to help the monks are achieve karma. In addition to this, they must regularly attend temple and chant verses from the Pali Canon in the presence of fire as part of their prayer. They must learn from the monks about meditation and basic Buddhist doctrine such as the 10 Precepts and then adapt them to their daily lives. Theravada Buddhism is practiced in America, especially in America where there is a larger population of Southeast Asians. There is an organization called the Theravada Buddhist Society of America in California that is run by monks and laypeople who help them that provide, services, functions, products, and guidance for Theravada Buddhists in America to help them practice their religion better and there are Theravada Buddhist study center in Washington and New York that have been around for almost 50 years. Theravada Buddhism in America can be traced back to 1893 when Anagarika Dharmapala, a prominent Sri Lanka born, American Theravada Buddhist, spoke at the World Parliament of Religions meeting.

Scriptures and Poetry
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"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him." -Buddha

This quote by the Buddha illustrates how a monk must maintain the right mindfulness in order to reach Nirvana or be able to lead other into Nirvana. In the Vinaya Pitaka, the compilation of Theravada Buddhist doctrines, it says that if one has the wrong mindset and/or intention then it will count against their purity which takes away one's status as a samanera or bhikkhu. Theravada doctrine states that action is determined by intention and therefore the sangha must have the right intention.

Buddha Images (of the Theravada Buddhism tradition):
Above is a picture of the Venerable Mahinda (right), son of King Ashoka of India who brought Buddhism to King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka (kneeling) which brought about the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. This is important because it is what brought Theravada Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Above is a photo of a Buddha statue in Anuradhapura, the city that the Venerable Sanghamitta brought the branch of the Bodhi tree to. This is important because it was the first monastery in Sri Lanka which set a precedent for later on.

Pilgrimage Sites
In Sri Lanka, there are 16 pilgrimage sites for Theravada Buddhists because Sri Lanka has such a long history of Theravada Buddhism. All of these places are considered holy by the sangha and unlike other religions such as Islam, it does not matter which one is visited; the companionship and virtues that are enstilled through ‘journeys of worship’ are the most important thing about going on such journeys. The main attraction, pictures below, is in Anuradhapura where the monastery that was built by Mahinda when Theravada Buddhism was first introduced in Sri Lanka lies. There are seven places of worship there: the Sri Mahabodhi, Mirisavati Stupa, Ruvanvali Stupa, Thuparama, Abhayagiri Stupa, Jetavanarama Stupa and Lankarama Stupa.

There is also the Temple of Tooth (below) that is home to the sacred tooth relic of Buddha which is considered extremely holy in Buddhism.

Current Events
In my search for Current Events about Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, I realized there were not any significant events that have done anything to the religion. However, I found two articles that illustrate just how powerful and important Sri Lanka is as far as Buddhism in general is concerned. The first article, from //Aid to the Church in Need//, discusses the plight of a Sri Lankan Bishop who is trying to convert as well as help people in the region. The second article, from the //Sri Lankan Guardian//, documents the famous Chinese Buddhist dignitary, Fa-Hsien’s, journey in Sri Lanka. The first article talks about just how many Theravada Buddhist people there are in Sri Lanka and how there are so many that are so pious that the presence of a Bishop there is almost useless. The second article illustrates just how much of a big deal Sri Lanka is to other Buddhist countries that such dignitaries like Fa-Hsien make a huge deal of being able to go there for holy duties.

Personal Reactions
Before doing this study on Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, I always thought that the main Buddhist areas were Tibet and Cambodia the same way Israel is the main home for Judaism, and Vatican City is for Catholics, and Mecca is to Muslims. However, I never even once considered that Sri Lanka is as important to Buddhism as it is. During this study, especially the Current Event piece, I realized that Sri Lanka is probably the most important country in regards to Buddhism because it is the longest running Buddhist nation and it houses many of the sites that Buddhists hold dear. Without Sri Lanka, the most orthodox school of Buddhism would have never spread into Southeast Asia and something as important as Angkor Wat might have never been built. From this study, I realized that Sri Lanka is the most important country to Buddhism because of its ties to the ‘original’ Dhamma-yana taught by Buddha.


 * 1) Backes, Reinhard. "Sri Lanka: Quality, not quantity – Catholic witness among the Buddhists//Aid to the Church in Need//". (2010), http://members4.boardhost.com/acnaus/msg/1285718148.html. (accessed October 18, 2010).
 * 2) Bullitt, John T.. August 23, 2010.http://www.accesstoinsight.org/history.html (accessed October 18. 2010).
 * 3) Cadge,Wendy. //Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravada Buddhism in America .// Chicago: University of Chicago, 2004.
 * 4) Dhammika, Venerable. "A Buddhist Pilgrim's Guide to Sri Lanka." 2007.http://www.buddhanet.net/sacred-island/introduction.html (accessed October 18. 2010).
 * 5) Dharmadasa, K.N.O.. "Fa-Hsien in Sri Lanka//Sri Lanka Guardian//". (2010), http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/09/fa-hsien-in-sri-lanka.html. (accessed October 18, 2010).
 * 6) Lester, Robert C.. " The Rituals and Festivals of the Buddhist Life." 1987.http://www.buddhistgateway.com/library/rituals/ (accessed October 18. 2010).
 * 7) "Buddhism in Sri Lanka." 2008.http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lanka-txt.htm, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/ordination1.htm (accessed October 18. 2010).
 * 8) "Theravada Buddhism." October 2, 2002.http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/theravada_1.shtml (accessed October 18. 2010).

GRADING: F: Follows directions. Steals material. (No attempt to cite anything.) C: Follows directions. Pastes the correct items into the correct places but takes no care in explaining the choices made. Uses less than six sources. Text is SLOPPY - no proofing! B: Follows directions. Describes the choices made using complete sentences and clear language. Labels items correctly. Cites sources. Organizes the visuals. A: Does B - but, shows some extra care, thought and research. An A has a "Wow" factor. This does not mean more color or flying moneys. It means that the content selected does a great job TEACHING about Buddhism in that region.