According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles (such as the Dipavamsa), Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the 4th century BCE by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's King Devanampiya Tissa. During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree
was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries and Buddhist
monuments were established. Among these, the Isurumuni-vihaara and the
Vessagiri-vihaara remain important centers of worship. He is also
credited with the construction of the Pathamaka-cetiya, the
Jambukola-vihaara and the Hatthaalhaka-vihaara, and the refectory. 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 4th 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 2,600 years.
Christian missionaries and colonialism
From the 16th century onward, Christian missionaries and Portuguese, Dutch and British
colonizers of Sri Lanka have attempted to convert the local population
to Christianity. In the late 19th century, a national Buddhist movement
started, inspired by the American Buddhist Henry Steel Olcott, and empowered by the results of the Panadura debate between a Christian priest and the Buddhist monk Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera.
Divisions in the Buddhist clergy
The different sects of the Sri Lankan Buddhist clergy are referred to as Nikayas, and three main Nikayas are:
- Siam Nikaya, founded in the 18th century by Ven. Upali, a Thai monk who was invited by the King of Kandy Kirti Sri Rajasinghe, and on the initiative of Ven. Weliwita Saranankara.
- Amarapura Nikaya, founded in 1800 with higher ordination obtained from Myanmar (Burma)
- Ramanna Nikaya, founded in 1864 by Ambagahawatte Saranankara.
Within these three main divisions there are numerous other divisions,
some of which are caste based. There are no doctrinal differences among
any of them.
The Texts are copied from Wikipedia, please click HERE
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