عنوان

Välavita Saranarikara and the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon

Number

TLets539295

Title Proper

Välavita Saranarikara and the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Wachissara, Kotagama

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of London

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1961

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of London

Text preceding or following the note

1961

Text of Note

The intention of this thesis is to make acritical examination of the life of Välivita Saranankaraand the revival of Buddhism during his time. As a backgroundto the main theme, a short account of the politicalhistory of the Kandyan Kingdom (1473-1815. A. C. ) is given.The most striking phenomenon of this period is the rapiddecline of the Buddhist Order in spite of the efforts madeby Vikramabähu I and Vimaladharmad-urya I and II to reviveit. The degeneration of both Fraternities, Grämaväsaand Vanaväsa, was so great that the upasampad3, twiceintroduced from Arakan, disappeared and subsequently thereremained only a group of immoral monks. The causes forthis decline - the political unrest, hostilities ofRajasimha I. the Roman Catholic influence, the caste systemand the social upheaval caused by the Tamil immigrants whointroduced various cults and occult practices - are discussedhere in detail. Although Välivita Saranankara'slife is generally known through the Sa1garäjavata and theSanOharäiasädhucariyä, many facts hitherto unknown abouthis life have been revealed here with the aid of reliablemanuscripts and historical documents, Whereas thebiographies of Saranankara, mentioned above glorifyhis personality, here in this thesis, it is criticallyexamined. The death of Gascon and of Saranainkara' steacher, and the role played by Gonzalvez in connectionwith that incident, not clearly understood up to now,have been explained in detail. The cultural relationbetween Siam and Ceylon is also discussed as it was atthis time that the Upasampadä was re-introduced by theSiamese monks headed by Upäli Thera, at the request ofSaranankara. The religious and literary revival broughtabout by Saranankara and his chief disciples, how itspread throughout Ceylon and how far he was successfulin his attempts to wipe out the rigid caste system,cults and occult practices and bring about a completesocial and religious reformation, have been finallydealt with.

Wachissara, Kotagama

University of London

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y