Theravada Buddhism: The View of the Elders

Chapter 6 The Traditional Theravada World

ChapTEr 6 The Traditional Theravada World Having dealt with the concept of “precept” in Theravada in the previous two chapters, now is the place to discuss its practice. As a prelude to this discussion on practice I shall outline the history of Buddhism in the traditional Theravada world, namely, in South and Southeast Asia. Of the three Buddhist traditions existing in the world today Theravada, being the oldest, naturally has the longest history. Although we do not possess many records of its continuation in its place of birth after the period of Asoka, we do have an unbroken record of its practice in Sri Lanka from the third century BCE. Myanmar received Theravada in the eleventh century from the Mons of a neighboring kingdom, whilst in Thailand Theravada became established in the thirteenth century, whence it subsequently spread to Cambodia and Laos. The traditional habitats of Theravada thus consist of Sri Lanka in the region of South Asia, and Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos in Southeast Asia. The gradual disappearance of Buddhism from India is a much discussed subject. While Mahayana had spread toward the north even before the Islamic invasions came, the Tantric tradition sought refuge in the Himalayan region to escape these invasions. The so-called Hinayana traditions seem to have disappeared despite their struggle to maintain their identities. We have clear records that Theravada was flourishing in the southern part of India in and around the fifth and sixth centuries. But why, how, and exactly when the demise took place is not known. By the tenth century Buddhism was nonexistent in India as a recognized countrywide religious tradition, although it seems to have existed sporadically until the fourteenth century. 80 thERAvADA BuDDhI SM Presently there are about one million Buddhists centered in and around Maharashtra. They almost exclusively belong to so-called scheduled classes (untouchables), who embraced Buddhism in 1956 with Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891–1956), their leader, a renowned scholar and lawyer who was also the first minister of law in independent India and the principal architect of its constitution. The kind of Buddhism practiced by these people is Theravada, with a visible influence of Ambedkar’s own interpretation of some of the key teachings. Mention must also be made of several hundred thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, headed by the Dalai Lama, who have been settled in Dharmasala and many other places in India since the last half of the twentieth century. Although these new beginnings of Buddhism in India are very significant developments in the religion’s recent history, their relevance to my present considerations appears to be minimal. I shall therefore concentrate on the world of traditional Theravada ignoring India, the birthplace of Buddhism and its Theravada school. Sri Lanka An island in the Indian Ocean with a population of twenty million, Sri Lanka has been a Theravada country from the time it received the tradition through the efforts of the missionaries sent by Emperor Asoka of India in the third century BCE. Although this was the first historical introduction of the religion to the island, legend has it that the Buddha visited Sri Lanka three times. During these visits, it is said that he sanctified places that were to become revered once Buddhism was established in the country. The belief in the visits of the Buddha to the island, though supported by scanty historical evidence, still exerts an enormous influence on people’s minds by legitimizing a very special connection between Buddhism and Sri Lanka. Buddhism was brought to the island by a group of missionaries headed by Arahant Mahinda, who was a son of Asoka. The mission was a result of Asoka’s initiative to propagate Buddhism in neighboring countries. The king of Lanka, Devanampiya Tissa (247–207 BCE), accepted Buddhism along with his family and followers. Encouraged by this royal example, the new religion spread far and wide in The Traditional Theravada World 81 the country. Many opted to join the Sangha. The Maha Vihara, the Great Monastery, of Anuradhapura became the stronghold of orthodox Theravada tradition not only in the country but also in the entire Buddhist world. A branch of the sacred Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought by Sanghamitta, a bhikkhuni (nun) and sister of Arahant Mahinda. She initiated the bhikkhuni order in the country. Soon Anuradhapura, the capital of the country for nearly fourteen centuries (377 BCE–1017 CE), developed into...