Precarious Balance
Sinhala Buddhism and the Forces of Pluralism
Seiten
2022
University of Virginia Press (Verlag)
978-0-8139-4537-8 (ISBN)
University of Virginia Press (Verlag)
978-0-8139-4537-8 (ISBN)
Explores various themes of Sri Lanka’s long history in novel and constructive ways. Topics include Sinhala Buddhists’ sense of manifest destiny arising from Sri Lanka’s oldest historical chronicles, the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa; and concepts of order and legitimation of power in ancient Ceylon.
Since the third century BCE, when the king of Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism, the island nation off the southern coast of India has represented a central interest of Buddhist scholarship. The association between its politics and religious life has not always remained harmonious, however, and has contributed to the contemporary turmoil that threatens to tear it apart. In this valuable book, renowned religious scholar Bardwell Smith elucidates the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from the time of one of its earliest rulers through to its present-day strife.
The essays collected here for the first time explore various themes of Sri Lanka’s long history in novel and constructive ways. Topics include Sinhala Buddhists’ sense of manifest destiny arising from Sri Lanka’s oldest historical chronicles, the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa; the nationalist implications of the chronicles’ depiction of the third-century Mahavihara monastery as the site of "original Buddhism"; and concepts of order and legitimation of power in ancient Ceylon. With a new introduction and final chapter, Smith sheds fresh light on today’s Sri Lanka, connecting historical studies with contemporary issues.
Since the third century BCE, when the king of Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism, the island nation off the southern coast of India has represented a central interest of Buddhist scholarship. The association between its politics and religious life has not always remained harmonious, however, and has contributed to the contemporary turmoil that threatens to tear it apart. In this valuable book, renowned religious scholar Bardwell Smith elucidates the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from the time of one of its earliest rulers through to its present-day strife.
The essays collected here for the first time explore various themes of Sri Lanka’s long history in novel and constructive ways. Topics include Sinhala Buddhists’ sense of manifest destiny arising from Sri Lanka’s oldest historical chronicles, the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa; the nationalist implications of the chronicles’ depiction of the third-century Mahavihara monastery as the site of "original Buddhism"; and concepts of order and legitimation of power in ancient Ceylon. With a new introduction and final chapter, Smith sheds fresh light on today’s Sri Lanka, connecting historical studies with contemporary issues.
| Erscheinungsdatum | 21.07.2022 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | Studies in Religion and Culture |
| Verlagsort | Charlottesville |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 229 mm |
| Gewicht | 456 g |
| Themenwelt | Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Buddhismus |
| ISBN-10 | 0-8139-4537-2 / 0813945372 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-8139-4537-8 / 9780813945378 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
Mehr entdecken
aus dem Bereich
aus dem Bereich
Philosophische Betrachtungen
Buch | Softcover (2024)
Aufbau TB (Verlag)
CHF 20,95
