Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia and recognized for the preservation of one of the longest surviving Theravāda traditions. Since the Dhamma arrived to what was then called Ceylon, kings and commonfolk alike welcomed it and have continued to steward the tradition. Sri Lankan legends suggest that after nine months into the Buddha’s enlightenment, he travelled to Ceylon 528 BCE. Back then, the land was uninhabited by humans, occupied only by yakṣa (spirits or demons) who conflicted with nāga (serpent deities). While the Buddha could appease the yakṣa, he was only able to convince the nāga clan to take refuge in the Dhamma. Five years after his enlightenment, his second visit to Sri Lanka took place in 523 BCE. In his mission to end the war between the two nāga kings, Culodara and Mahodara, the Buddha travelled to Nāgadīpa (present Jaffna). Under the Buddha’s compassionate appeal and guidance, both kings resolved their conflict.

Eight years after the Buddha’s enlightenment, the Buddha visited the island a third time in 519 BC. Upon the invitation of King Maniakkhika, leader of the nāga clan, the Buddha travelled to Kananiya. He was accompanied by 500 followers. In this historical visit, the Buddha left the impression of his left foot on the summit of the Sri Pada Mountain. In Sinhala language, the term Sri Pada means sacred footprint. Local past names of Sri Pada included, Ratnagiri (Jewel Hill) and Samantakuta (Peak of Saman).

With his three visits to ancient Sri Lanka, the Buddha planted the seeds of the Dhamma on the auspicious island. Supernatural beings were the initial seekers who received the Buddha’s compassionate teachings. The Sri Lankan chronicle text, the Mahāvaṃsa, records that on the day of the Buddha’s passing (Mahāparinibbāṇa), Prince Vijaya and his 700 followers were the first to arrive in ancient Sri Lanka. Under the leadership of Prince Vijaya from Lāta (a state of ancient India), human civilization began to flourish on the island.

The arrival of the Dhamma in Sri Lanka

Buddhism was officially introduced to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devānāmpriya Tissa (r. 307–267 BCE). Devānāmpriya Tissa was a royal associate of Emperor Aśoka (304–232 BCE), the ruler of the Mauryan Empire. After Devānāmpriya Tissa ascended the throne in 267 BCE, he sent envoys to visit Emperor Aśoka, who brought lavish gifts for the king. In return, Emperor Aśoka sent gifts to King Devānāmpriya Tissa, along with a note in which he expressed his reflections on converting to Buddhism. Emperor Aśoka’s letter, in praise of the three treasures, is recorded below in the Mahāvaṁsa:

Ahaṃ Buddhañ ca Dhammañ ca Saṅghañ ca saraṇaṃgato upāsakattaṃ vedesiṃ Saakyaputtassa saasane tvamp’imāni ratanāni uttamāni naruttama cittaṃ pasādayitvāna saddhāya saraṇaṃ bhaja.

Taking refuge in the Triple Gems, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Saṅgha, I have considered myself as a lay-disciple of the Śakya son. His teachings appeared to me as invaluable jewels and transcended my mind into great ease and peace.

Emperor Aśoka further expressed his noble intention to send the gift of the true doctrine to Devanampriya Tissa. He relayed his belief that the Buddha’s teachings were the true Dhamma. With full faith and devotion, King Devānāmpriya Tissa was impressed by Emperor Aśoka’s auspicious message and was inspired to listen to the Buddha’s teachings.

With support from Emperor Aśoka, his ordained son Mahinda Thera and his four associates, Thera Iṭṭhiya, Thera Uttiya, Thera Sambala, and Thera Bhaddasāla, travelled to ancient Sri Lanka in 250 BCE. Their mission was to expand the Buddha’s teachings throughout the island. When Mahinda Thera met with King Devānāmpriya Tissa at the Missaka Hill (present Mihintale), he delivered the Buddha’s sermon of Cūḷahatthipadopama Sutta (The Shorter Elephant Footprint Simile, MN 27). At the end of the discourse, the King and forty thousand devotees took refuge in the three treasures. Upon the invitation from King Devānāmpriya Tissa, Mahinda Thera and his fellow Saṅgha visited the royal court of Anurādhapura and received meals (dāna) as a royal courtesy. Afterwards, Mahinda Thera taught the Petavattu, the Vimānvatthu and the “Sacca-Samyutta” from the Samyutta Nikāya to the royal households. At the request from the devotees, Mahinda Thera further taught the Devadūta Sutta (MN 130) and Bālapandita Sutta. (MN 129)

Devānāmpriya Tissa, after hearing the Dhamma, became so impressed that he offered the Royal Park of Mahāmegha to the Saṅgha. While at Mahāmegha Park, Queen Anūla and a group of female devotees approached Mahinda Thera with a request to enter into the Saṅgha. In establishing female ordination for the first generation of bhikkhūnīs, Mahinda Thera requested his sister, Saṅghamittā Therī, to travel to ancient Sri Lanka. The ordination of Queen Anūla and her aspirants initiated female ordination on the island. Saṅghamittā Therī’s gift of the sacred Bodhi tree was planted in the capital of Anurādhapura. Her offerings of the Buddha relics were enshrined in the many stūpas throughout the island.

The arrival of Mahinda Thera and his associates brought rapid progress in spreading the Dhamma throughout the island. Inspired by Mahinda Thera, Devānāmpriya Tissa established numerous Buddhist monuments and monasteries throughout his kingdom, including the Mahāvihāra, Cetiyapabbatavihāra, Thūparāma, and the sacred site of the Bodhi tree.  

The Dīpavaṁsa and Mahāvaṁsa: the glory of classical Sri Lankan texts

Since Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka, monks and scholars played a key part of the growth of Buddhist literature and commentary in Pāli language. The Theravāda tradition acknowledges Pāli as the orthodox and sacred language with which the Buddha’s authentic teachings were accurately recorded. Classical Sri Lankan chronicles, such as the Dīpavaṁsa and Mahāvaṁsa, were written in Pāli. The Dīpavaṁsa, an earlier text, includes 22 chapters, whereas the Mahāvaṁsa contains 37 chapters. Both texts contain many Buddhist myths and legends of ancient India and Sri Lanka.

The Dīpavaṁsa includes a detailed history of the Buddha’s three visits to ancient Sri Lanka, which include the first three Buddhist Councils in ancient India; the anthropology of early Sri Lanka; an account of the first ruler, King Vijaya, and the rise and legacy of King Devānāmpriya Tissa and his successors, King Duṭṭhagāmani, Vaṭṭagāmani and Mahāsena. On the other hand, the Mahāvaṁsa records most of the narratives of the Dīpavaṁsa with its longer accounts of several kings, such as Panḍukābhaya and Duṭṭhagāmani. The establishment of Buddhism and the emergence of new schools are extensively noted.

Buddhaghosa’s arrival in Sri Lanka and the compilation of Pāli commentaries

The compilation of the Pāli Commentaries (Aṭṭhakathā) was one of Sri Lanka’s most remarkable contributions to the Theravāda tradition. Under the leadership of Buddhaghosa Thera, Pāli literature advanced in its extensive explanations of the Buddha’s teachings. Buddhagosa Thera was an Indian monk who lived in Bodh Gaya in the fifth century CE. He became well-known for his expertise in the Vedas and philosophy. Under the guidance of Revata Mahāthera, Buddhaghosa Thera diligently studied Buddhist Philosophy and Pāli canonical texts. Because of Buddhaghosa’s keen interest in compiling commentaries on the Abhidhamma and Suttas, Revata Mahāthera advised him to travel to Anurādhapura, where commentarial literature and various expositions of the Buddha’s teachings were available.

Buddhaghosa Thera then decided to travel to the island with the noble intention to compile Pāli commentaries from the Sinhalese language so as to protect the Buddha’s authentic teachings. After Buddhaghosa arrived on the island, he composed the monumental Pāli text, Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) to demonstrate his ability to edit, translate and compile the Pāli commentaries. Pleased with his compilation of the Visuddhimagga, elder monks and scholars invited Buddhaghosa to continue his work and textual compilations. Based on ancient Sinhala commentaries and records, Buddhaghosa compiled sixteen commentaries. He referenced the Pāli chronicle, the Mahāvaṃsa and Dīpavaṃsa, in his commentarial literature. In addition to the contributions of Buddhaghosa, additional monastics and scholars, such as Buddhadatha Thera, Upasena Thera and Mahānāma Thera, continued the task of translating and compiling the Sinhala commentaries into Pāli. These prominent figures strengthened the commentary found within the full set of the Tripitaka.

 List of Pāli commentaries and authors

The compilation of Pāli commentaries were remarkable contributions from Buddhaghosa and the monastics and scholars of ancient Sri Lanka. The commentators’ main purpose was to interpret the Buddha’s teachings through orthodox explanations and interpretations. These commentaries continue to be reliable sources for today’s monastics, practitioners, and scholars.

The Mahāvihāra and Abhayagiri monasteries

On the island of Ceylon, two monasteries, Mahāvihāra and Abhayagiri, played a crucial role in the propagation of Buddhism. The Mahāvihāra (Great Monastery) is considered one of the earlier Buddhist monasteries established by King Devānāmpriya Tissa. At its height, the Mahāvihāra became a large Theravāda monastery, renowned as a prestigious institution where distinguished Buddhist scholars and monks resided. Prominent Pāli commentators, such as Buddhaghosa and Dharmapāla, lived here, where they compiled Buddhist literature and texts. The monks who lived in the Mahāvihāra were recognized as “Mahavihāravasins.” Eminent Chinese pilgrim, Xuanzang (602–64 CE) recorded that approximately 3,000 monks lived at the Mahāvihāra.

Abhayagiri, another prestigious monastery, was established by King Vaṭṭagāmaṇi Abhaya (reign. 29–17 BCE). It was located on the northern side of Anurādhapura, the capital of Ceylon at that time. The unique feature of the Abhayagiri monastery was that the Saṅgha was composed of the three major Buddhist traditions, Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna, where they resided harmoniously. The monastery became an international center where prominent Buddhist scholars and monks from ancient India and China gathered. They frequently researched and compiled Buddhist literature in both Pāli and Sanskrit languages. In the fourth century, when the Buddha’s Tooth Relic was brought to the island of Ceylon, the Abhayagiri was selected to host the auspicious relics. Devotees and seekers continue to venerate the auspicious Tooth Relic at the monastery. Chinese pilgrim Faxian (337–422 CE), recorded that 5,000 monks resided in the Abhyagiri monastery. It is noteworthy that the prominent Buddhist text, the Vimutttimagga (The Path of Freedom),was written by Upatissa Thera (1st or 2nd century) during his residence at the Abhayagiri Monastery.

Worshipping the sacred Bodhi tree and the Buddhist culture of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is considered the country that has practiced Theravāda Buddhism the longest. Such practices include chanting, reciting Dharma discourses, worshipping Buddha relics and images, and observing full moon days with an evening pūja. Sri Lankan devotees have diligently maintained these traditions for thousands of years.

Since Saṅghamittā Therī brought the sacred Bodhi tree from ancient India, the Bodhi pūja has become popular throughout the island. As they worship the Bodhi tree, the devotees recite devotional verses from the Bodhi Vandanā:

Yassa mūle nisinno va
Sabbāri vijayaṃ akā
Patto sabbaññutaṃ satthā
Vande taṃ Bodhi-pādapam
Ime ete mahā-Bodhi
Loka-nāthena pūjitā
Ahaṃ pi to namassāmi
Bodhirāja namatthu te

I worship the seat of the Bodhi tree where the Buddha was enlightened. I also worship this great Bodhi tree which was praised by the Buddha as well. May my homage be to you, O Great Bodhi.

Worshiping the Buddha relics became a long-lasting tradition after Saṅghamittā Therī brought the Buddha’s relics to Sri Lanka. The relics were enshrined in the many stūpas throughout the island. In addition, the veneration of stūpas is recorded in the Buddha’s discourse in the Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta. To venerate the stūpas or pagodas, devotees recite:

Vandāmi cetiyaṃ sabbaṃ
Sabbaṭṭhānesu patiṭṭhitaṃ
Sārīrikadhātu Mahā-Bodhiṃ
Buddharūpaṃ sakalaṃ sadā

I worship every stūpa that stands in any place,
the bodily relics of the Buddha, the great Bodhi tree and
all images of the Buddha.

Inspired by Sri Lankan devotees and monks, other Theravāda countries, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, embraced the traditions of worshipping the Bodhi tree and the Buddha’s relics. In the Buddhist world, Sri Lanka is recognized for its purity in the Theravāda tradition, with 70 per cent of the island’s population revering this Buddhist tradition.  The preservation of sacred Buddhist canonical and commentarial texts reinforces Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage. The Buddha’s message of wisdom and compassion has planted deep roots on the island and continues to spread its influence worldwide.

References

Buddhaghossa, Bhadantācariya. 2010. Visuddhimagga: The Path of Purification. Translated by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli. Colombo: Samayawardana Printers.

Endo, Toshiichi. 2002. Buddha In Theravada Buddhism: A Study of the Concept of Buddha in the Pali Commentaries. Dehiwela: Buddhist Cultural Centre.

Gombrich, Richard. 2006. Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu and Bhikkhu Bodhi. 1995. The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha. Translated from Majjhima Nikāya. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.

Perera, H. R. 1988. Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Short History. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.

Rahula, Walpola. 1956. History of Buddhism in Ceylon. Colombo: M. D. Gunasena.

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