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Sri Lanka is one of five nations with a Theravada Buddhist majority. Buddhism has been declared as the state religion under Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution which can be traced back to an attempt to bring the status of Buddhism back to the status it enjoyed prior to the colonial era.
Jul 22, 2018 · Updated on July 22, 2018. When Buddhism spread beyond India, the first nations in which it took root were Gandhara and Ceylon, now called Sri Lanka. Since Buddhism eventually died out in India and Gandhara, it can be argued that the oldest living Buddhist tradition today is found in Sri Lanka.
Buddhism. According to Sinhalese tradition, Buddhism was first brought to Sri Lanka by a mission sent out from eastern India during the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (c. 273–232 bce ). The leader of the mission to Sri Lanka, Mahendra (Mahinda), is described as Ashoka’s son.
Buddhism in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, Theravada Buddhism is the official state religion and is practiced by roughly 70% of the population as of 2012. [1] Sri Lanka is the birthplace of the Theravada branch of buddhism, and this is the form of Buddhism that is practiced there.
Theravada: Buddhism in Sri Lankan. Sri Lanka is the oldest continually Buddhist country, Theravada Buddhism being the major religion in the island since its official introduction in the 2nd century BC by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka of India during the reign of King Devanampiya- Tissa.
Buddhism in Sri Lanka. A Short History. by. H.R. Perera. © 2007. Contents. Preface. State of Sri Lanka before the Introduction of Buddhism. Early Traditions. Colonization by Prince Vijaya and his Followers. Political Development and Social Organization after Vijaya. Pre-Buddhist Religion in Sri Lanka. Emperor Asoka and Buddhism in India.
Apr 24, 2012 · Sri Lanka is considered to have the oldest continuing Buddhist civilization, but the religion on the island went through several periods of decline, during which the number of fully ordained monks drastically reduced, and new ordination lineages had to be “imported” from abroad.
