Buddhism
Buddhism is the belief system of the Sinhalese and plays a significant role in the country, spiritually, culturally and politically. Sri Lanka’s literature, art and architecture are all strongly influenced by buddhism. Although now ‘Buddhist’ is a deeply entrenched cultural and ethnic identifier, the Lord Buddha taught meditation to people of various religions, and emphasised that no conversion was necessary (or even recommended) to benefit from his teachings, also known as the Dhamma.
Born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in modern-day Nepal around 563 BC, the Buddha abandoned his throne to seek a way out of suffering. After many years of rigorous training, the Buddha discovered the ‘Four Noble
Truths’:
- existence itself is suffering;
- suffering is caused by craving for sensual and material pleasures as well as existence itself;
- The way out of suffering is through eliminating craving;
- And craving can be eliminated by following a path of morality and the cultivation of wisdom through meditation.
After many states of spiritual development – and probably, many lifetimes – nirvana (enlightenment, or nibbana in Pali) is achieved, bringing freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Historical Buddhism
Worldwide there are two major schools of Buddhism – Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada scriptures are in Pali, the language spoken in North India in the Buddha’s time, while Mahayana scriptures are in Sanskrit. Theravada is regarded as more orthodox, and Mahayana more inclusive of later traditions.
In Sri lanka Mahayana Buddhism is practised , but the Theravada tradition is more widely adopted. Several factors have consolidated Buddhism (especially the Theravada stream) in Sri Lanka. Firstly, Sinhalese Buddhists attach vital meaning to the words of the Mahavansa , in which the Buddha designates them as the protectors of the Buddhist teachings.
