Buddhism in Sri Lanka

• 1. Arrival of Mahinda and Sanghamitta

  ›

  In the third century BCE, a mission led by the elder Mahinda arrived in Sri Lanka to introduce Buddhism. This event occurred during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa, who ruled from 307 to 267 BCE. According to traditional chronicles like the Mahavamsa, Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka. He traveled to the island to convert the king and establish the new faith. The site of their first meeting is now known as Mihintale, which contains numerous caves used by early monks. Mahinda's sister, Sanghamitta, followed later with a sapling of the Bodhi Tree. She established the first order of nuns on the island. These two figures are central to the Theravada tradition in Sri Lanka. Their arrival marked the beginning of a long history where kings played a major role in maintaining Buddhist institutions. While modern scholars debate the exact details of this mission, the story remains foundational to Sinhalese identity.

• 2. Sects of Anuradhapura Kingdom

  ›

  During the Anuradhapura period, three main subdivisions of Theravada Buddhism existed within the capital city. The Mahavihara was the first tradition to be established. It maintained strict adherence to early doctrines. Monks from Abhayagiri Vihara and Jetavana Vihara broke away from the original group. They adopted teachings that included elements of Mahayana Buddhism. King Mahasena ruled between 277 and 304 CE. He supported the Mahayana-influenced sects and destroyed buildings of the Mahavihara complex. This action allowed Abhayagiri to become the largest and most influential tradition for centuries. The Mahavihara would not regain dominance until the Polonnaruwa period in 1055. Chinese monk Faxian visited the island in the early fifth century. He noted five thousand monks at Abhayagiri and three thousand at the Mahavihara. Religious debates were common among these groups due to competition for royal patronage. The culture and laws of the kingdom were strongly influenced by Buddhist principles throughout this era.

• 3. Colonial Suppression and Revival

  ›

  The Portuguese Empire began ruling parts of Sri Lanka between 1597 and 1658. They sought to introduce Catholicism and often destroyed Buddhist monasteries during their wars with Sinhalese kingdoms. Christian missionaries attempted to convert the local population while suppressing non-Christian religions. By 1592, the ordination lineage was so broken that King Vimaladharmasuriya I had to seek aid from Burma. The Dutch occupied coastal sections from 1640 to 1796 but were less zealous than the Portuguese in proselytizing. In the Kandyan kingdom, Buddhism remained the state religion despite a weakened sangha. Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero restored higher ordination in the late eighteenth century. He invited monks from Thailand to found the modern Siam Nikaya. A new monastic fraternity called the Amarapura Nikaya formed in the first decade of the nineteenth century. These orders allowed all castes to join without restriction. The British government initially supported Christian missionary work after the 1830s. This period saw the formation of societies like the Society for the Propagation of Buddhism. Public debates between Christian priests and Buddhist monks became a key feature of the revival movement.

• 4. Nationalism and Political Conflict

  ›

  The year 1956 marked a turning point when the Freedom Party defeated the UNP on a nationalist platform. They introduced the Sinhala Only Act which made Sinhala the sole official language. This decision alienated many minorities including Sri Lankan Tamils who sought regional autonomy. The war lasted twenty-five years from 1983 until the final defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009. The conflict involved attacks on both sides against religious sites. The Tamil Tigers attacked the Temple of the Tooth in 1998 while Sinhalese forces retaliated against Tamil religious sites. Militant ultra-nationalist Buddhism rose since the fifties fueled by the impression that the faith was under siege. Extremist figures like Gangodawila Soma Thero preached that the nation was threatened by other religions. The Bodu Bala Sena organized anti-Muslim rallies leading to riots in June 2014. One leader named Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara gave speeches inciting violence before being arrested in 2018. Most Sinhalese monks remain strictly apolitical yet some have promoted using violence to defend the religion. The assassination of Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike in 1959 was carried out by a Buddhist monk named Talduwe Somarama.

• 5. Modern Monastic Lineages

  ›

  There are currently two main Nikayas operating on the island today. The Siam Nikaya was founded in the eighteenth century by monks from Thailand. It allows higher ordination only from the Radala and Govigama castes. This group maintains the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. The Amarapura-Ramanna Nikaya formed in 2019 as a merger of two older orders. It is the largest Nikaya on the island and allows all people to ordain regardless of caste. Sub-divisions exist within these main lineages creating further complexity. Forest monasteries have gained prominence since the fifties focusing on renunciation and meditation. Over one hundred hermitages housed around six thousand monks according to studies from 1973. Key figures like Kadavadduve Jinavana helped establish associations such as Nissarana Vanaya. Women received full ordination starting in 1996 through efforts by Sakyadhita though this remains controversial among senior leaders. Many women now live their monastic life under Ten Precepts instead. The Sri Lanka Census of 2012 recorded twenty-two thousand five hundred Buddhists among the Tamil population accounting for roughly one percent of that community.