Buddhism in Serendipity

Written by Manam Iqbal • August 2010

Sri Lanka, the country of continuous golden sunshine and superb tea, is also known as the Island of Serendipity. Located in the Indian Ocean and separated from India by the Palk Strait to the south, the country has the longest history of Theravada Buddhism with more than 70% of its population being ethnic Sinhalese.

Theravada, which literally means "the Teaching of the Elders", is a school of Buddhism which reveres the Lord Buddha as the teacher, unlike the Mahayana form which venerates Buddha as a super-human or God-like entity.

Ceylon, or modern-day Sri Lanka, with the meticulous and careful preservation of its archaic monuments, gives a good peek into the history of Buddhism which flourished as early as 2500 years ago within the country.

The popular religion is said to have been brought to the Lankadweep by Arahat Mahinda, an Indian prince and monk, son of Emperor Asoka, who preached his first sermon in Mihintale and converted King Devanampiya Tissa and his court to Buddhism in 250 BC. Due to the royal missionary's request, relics of Buddha like the collar bone, tooth and alms bowl were sent to Sri Lanka over which now stand majestic stupas.

Many incredible stories revolve around the relics which are believed to have special powers, especially in Sri Lankan literature.

Mihintale is now a pilgrimage site connected with the Ancient capital of Anuradhapura, with thousands of devotees paying homage to it every year during the festival of Poson celebrating the beginning of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Today's Anuradhapura, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site-turned-park spread over an area of 40 sq km, bears muted testimony to the grandeur and glory of Buddhist history and architecture in Sri Lanka.

The city once served as the seat of political power to 119 successive Sinhalese kings spanning over a period of 15 centuries. The monarch Pandukabhaya was the first king to elevate the formerly obscure town to the status of nagara or city in 380 BC till the locus of power was moved to Polonnaruwa in the 11th century A.D.

One of the main tourist attraction of the area is Sri Maha Bodhi, which is a two millennia old Bo tree in the ancient capital. It was brought from India by Arahat Mahinda's sister, a sapling of the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana.

Although the monastic practices serve to preserve the pure form of Theravada Buddhism, over the centuries lay practice of the religion have assimilated many Hindu ideologies and customs together with a galaxy of local gods such as Shiva, Pattini or Skhandha.

Katharagama, a deity considered to have immense power is believed to exact a heavy penalty from those whose petition he grants. As a price for his gifts, people walk on burning coals or drag around the streets with iron hooks struck into the flesh of their backs.

According to a Gallup survey in 2008, Sri Lanka is deemed as the third most religious country in the world as 99% Sri Lankans believe that religion plays a huge role in their daily life. However, its social fabric is woven with the inter-mingling of different religions creating a syncretic fusion of a culture.

Colorful festivities take place year round but Wesak is the most important festival for Sri Lankans. On this day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate the birth, nirvana(enlightenment) and parinirvana(death) of the Buddha, however the dates vary according to each country and its calendar.

Although a small nation, Sri Lanka is an integration of diversified and sometimes paradoxical outlooks, archaic and modern school of thought, traditional and yet avant garde in its own fashion. It is true that the country faced some ethnic issues in the past, however the focus of the people as well as the state has always been towards creating and maintaining amiable atmosphere.