The London Buddhist Vihara, W4 1UD the Sri Lankan High

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The London Buddhist Vihara, W4 1UD the Sri Lankan High H-Asia SYMPOSIUM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPITAKA AS WORLD HERITAGE Discussion published by Mahinda Deegalle on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Type: Symposium Date: March 16, 2019 Location: United Kingdom Subject Fields: Area Studies, Asian History / Studies, Religious Studies and Theology, South Asian History / Studies, Southeast Asian History / Studies SYMPOSIUM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPITAKA AS WORLD HERITAGE Date: 16 March 2019 at 2 pm Location: The London Buddhist Vihara, W4 1UD The Sri Lankan High Commission in London has organized this symposium in association with the London Buddhist Vihara. Presenters include the following: (1) Professor Rupert Gethin (University of Bristol): “The Pali Tripitaka: Its Significance as a source for the study of Buddhism” (2) Dr. Elizabeth Harris (University of Birmingham): “The Tripitaka as Part of World’s Heritage of Spiritual Resources: A personal response” Citation: Mahinda Deegalle. SYMPOSIUM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPITAKA AS WORLD HERITAGE. H-Asia. 03-20-2019. https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/3899505/symposium-significance-tripitaka-world-heritage Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 1 H-Asia (3) Professor Mahinda Deegalle (Bath Spa University): “Sri Lanka’s Occupation with the Tripitaka: Ancient and Modern Contributions to the Preservation and Understanding of Buddhavacana, the ‘Word’ of the Buddha” (4) Dr. Martin Seager (University of Leeds): “Influence of the Pali Tipitaka Canon on Buddhist Traditions in South Asia.” The context for this symposium is an event that took place in Sri Lanka. In responding to demands from activists against distortions of the ‘Word’ of the Buddha by idiosyncratic translations of some Sinhalese, President Maithripala Sirisena of Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka declared the Tripitaka as a National Heritage on 5 January 2019. In addition, the week of 16-22 March 2019 has been declared as Tripitaka Week with celebrations organized around the country and abroad. The current plan is to enter the Buddhist Tripitaka in the Memory of Register at UNESCO. Contact Info: Professor Mahinda Deegalle Professor of Religions, Philosophies and Ethics Bath Spa University Newton Park Citation: Mahinda Deegalle. SYMPOSIUM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPITAKA AS WORLD HERITAGE. H-Asia. 03-20-2019. https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/3899505/symposium-significance-tripitaka-world-heritage Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 2 H-Asia Bath BA2 9BN United Kingdom Contact Email: [email protected] Citation: Mahinda Deegalle. SYMPOSIUM: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIPITAKA AS WORLD HERITAGE. H-Asia. 03-20-2019. https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/3899505/symposium-significance-tripitaka-world-heritage Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3.
Recommended publications
  • Xvii Three Baskets (Tipitaka) I Buddhism
    261 XVII THREE BASKETS ( TIPITAKA ) I BUDDHISM COTETS 1. What is the Tipitaka ? 2. Language of Buddha’s words (Buddhavacana ) 3. What is Pali? 4. The First Council 5. The Second Council 6. The Great Schism 7. Origin of the Eighteen ikayas (Schools of Buddhism) 8. The Third Council 9. Committing the Tipitaka to Memory 10. Fourth Council: Committing the Tipitaka to Writing 11. Fifth and Sixth Councils in Myanmar 12. Conclusion 13. Appendix: Contents of the Tipitaka or Three Baskets 14. Explanatory Notes 15. References 262 • Buddhism Course 1. What is the Tipitaka ? The word of the Buddha, which is originally called the Dhamma , consists of three aspects, namely: Doctrine ( Pariyatti ), Practice (Patipatti ) and Realization ( Pativedha ). The Doctrine is preserved in the Scriptures called the Tipitaka . English translators of the Tipitaka have estimated it to be eleven times the size of the Christian Bible. It contains the Teachings of the Buddha expounded from the time of His Enlightenment to Parinibbana over forty-five years. Tipitaka in Pali means Three Baskets (Ti = Three, Pitaka = Basket), not in the sense of function of storing but of handing down , just like workers carry earth with the aid of baskets handed on from worker to worker, posted in a long line from point of removal to point of deposit, so the Baskets of Teachings are handed down over the centuries from teacher to pupil. The Three Baskets are: Basket of Discipline ( Vinaya Pitaka ), which deals mainly with the rules and regulations of the Order of monks and nuns; Basket of Discourses ( Sutta Pitaka ) which contains the discourses delivered by the Buddha to individuals or assemblies of different ranks in the course of his ministry; Basket of Ultimate Things ( Abhidhamma Pitaka ) which consists of the four ultimate things: Mind ( Citta ), Mental-factors ( Cetasikas ), Matter ( Rupa ) and ibbana .
    [Show full text]
  • Meditation – Neuroscienti C Approaches and Philosophical Implications
    Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality Stefan Schmidt Harald Walach Editors Meditation – Neuroscienti c Approaches and Philosophical Implications Meditation – Neuroscientifi c Approaches and Philosophical Implications Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality Volume 2 Series Editors Harald Walach, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany Stefan Schmidt, University Medical Center, Freiburg and European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany Editorial Board Jonathan Schooler, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Mario Beauregard, University of Montreal, Canada Robert Forman, The Forge Institute, USA B. Alan Wallace, Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies, CA, USA For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/10195 Stefan Schmidt • Harald Walach Editors Meditation – Neuroscientifi c Approaches and Philosophical Implications Editors Stefan Schmidt Harald Walach Department of Psychosomatic Medicine Institute for Transcultural Health Science and Psychotherapy European Universtiy Viadrina, Frankfurt University Medical Center Freiburg Frankfurt , Germany Freiburg, Germany ISSN 2211-8918 ISSN 2211-8926 (electronic) ISBN 978-3-319-01633-7 ISBN 978-3-319-01634-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-01634-4 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954596 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is
    [Show full text]
  • And Dasa-Silas in Sinhala
    3 Pañipatti 4 5 Arhant Mahinda as Redactor of the Buddhapåjàva and the Pa¤ca-, Aññhangika- and Dasa-sãlas in Sinhala Buddhism Trinity College, Suwanda H J Sugunasiri University of Toronto; Nalanda College Abstract of Buddhist Studies (Canada) Buddha Påjà ‘Homage to the Buddha’ is a religious practice found in every Buddhist temple and many a Buddhist household around the world. Over the last two millennia or more, it has taken many a shape and turn. This treatment, however, relates to the Buddha Påjà in the particular cultural context of Sinhala Buddhism, writing it as a single word, Buddhapåjàva (with a -va Canadian Journal of denoting the Sinhalizing suffix) to distinguish it from the ritual in Buddhist Studies, Number Eight, 2012 other cultural contexts. It is as practiced in Sri Lanka, ironically, not in Sinhala but in Pali, Buddhism being introduced in the 3rd c. BCE by Arhant Mahinda during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa in the Anuradhapura period. It is not the Buddhapåjàva itself, however, that is the topic of this paper, but its authorship. Finding no evidence of its authorship, or origin, in India, it comes to be located in Sri Lanka. Seeking evidence for its Redactor from within the ritual itself, we are led to none other than Arhant Mahinda who introduces the Buddhadhamma to the island. It is also established how, in the very process of creating the Buddhapåjàva, the pa¤ca-, aññhangika- and dasa-sãlas also come to be systematized into a coherent pattern. Two alternative dates for the possible launch of the ceremony © 2012 are suggested, making it the oldest living Buddhapåjà ritual in the by Nalanda College world.
    [Show full text]
  • The Four Assemblies in Pāli Buddhism Bhikkhu Anālayo
    The Four Assemblies in Pāli Buddhism Bhikkhu Anālayo The expression “four assemblies” refers to a basic division of the members of a Buddhist society, which could be monastic or lay, male or female. Hence the full set of four comprises monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers. The importance of these four emerges in a passage in the Mahāparinibbāna-sutta, according to which the Buddha declared that he would not pass away until he had achieved his mission of having competent disciples from each of these four assemblies (DN 16 at DN II 104). The im- portance this statement carries in the Theravāda tradition is reflected in the fact that it recurs again in other discourse collections in the Pāli canon, namely in the Saṃyutta-nikāya, the Aṅguttara-nikāya, and the Udāna.1 The rationale underlying this need concerns both the lay/monastic and the male/female divide. The teachings given by the Buddha, in the way these have come down in the Pāli discourses, were not limited to only privileged members of society. Caste, for example, was considered to be of no direct 1 SN 51.10 at SN V 261, AN 8.70 at AN IV 310, and Ud 6.1 at Ud 63. In the printed version of this article the bibliography was lost and changes to the text were made without consultation. For this reason, the present file is based on the original manuscript, formatted in such a way that it corresponds closely to the pagination of the printed version. 9 relevance for the ability to realize awakening, and so was gender.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interface Between Buddhism and International Humanitarian Law (Ihl)
    REDUCING SUFFERING DURING CONFLICT: THE INTERFACE BETWEEN BUDDHISM AND INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW (IHL) Exploratory position paper as background for 4th to 6th September 2019 conference in Dambulla, Sri Lanka Peter Harvey (University of Sunderland, Emeritus), with: Kate Crosby (King’s College, London), Mahinda Deegalle (Bath Spa University), Elizabeth Harris (University of Birmingham), Sunil Kariyakarawana (Buddhist Chaplain to Her Majesty’s Armed Forces), Pyi Kyaw (King’s College, London), P.D. Premasiri (University of Peradeniya, Emeritus), Asanga Tilakaratne (University of Colombo, Emeritus), Stefania Travagnin (University of Groningen). Andrew Bartles-Smith (International Committee of the Red Cross). Though he should conquer a thousand men in the battlefield, yet he, indeed, is the nobler victor who should conquer himself. Dhammapada v.103 AIMS AND RATIONALE OF THE CONFERENCE This conference, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in collaboration with a number of universities and organizations, will explore correspondences between Buddhism and IHL and encourage a constructive dialogue and exchange between the two domains. The conference will act as a springboard to understanding how Buddhism can contribute to regulating armed conflict, and what it offers in terms of guidance on the conduct of, and behavior during, war for Buddhist monks and lay persons – the latter including government and military personnel, non-State armed groups and civilians. The conference is concerned with the conduct of armed conflict, and not with the reasons and justifications for it, which fall outside the remit of IHL. In addition to exploring correspondences between IHL and Buddhist ethics, the conference will also explore how Buddhist combatants and communities understand IHL, and where it might align with Buddhist doctrines and practices: similarly, how their experience of armed conflict might be drawn upon to better promote IHL and Buddhist principles, thereby improving conduct of hostilities on the ground.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour 09 DAYS
    Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour 09 DAYS Theravada Buddhism is the State religion of Sri Lanka practiced by 70.2% of the Sri Lanka's population. The island has been a center of Buddhist scholarship and learning since the introduction of Buddhism in the third century BCE producing eminent scholars such as Buddhaghosa and preserving the vast Pāli Canon. Throughout most of its history, Sri Lankan kings have played a major role in the maintenance and revival of the Buddhist institutions of the island. HIGHLIGHTS Anuradhapura City Tour • Polonnaruwa City Tour • Sigiriya Rock Fortress • Dambulla Cave Temple • Temple Of Tooth Relic • Nuwara Eliya City Tour • Colombo City Tour HOLIDAY OF Customer Name TRAVELING IN st st 01 July to 31 October 2019 & 01st November to 31st December 2020 YOUR TOUR CONSULTANT LAKPURA Lakpura, meaning the ‘Whole of Lanka’ pays homage to the resplendent Island that is Sri Lanka. Our own journey began in 2008 and ever since then, we’ve been creating memorable adventures and vibrant encounters for travelers to Sri Lanka with an eye of details and an insightful approach that is best fitted in crafting tailor-made packages. +94 778100800 Copyright © Lakpura Travels (Pvt) Ltd • +94117488288 • [email protected] Day 01 Airport > Negombo Overnight Arrive at Colombo International Airport. Here, you will be met by a designated chauffer guide from Lakpura. After the formalities at the airport you will be escorted to your air-conditioned vehicle and See Hotel Collection proceed to Negombo and check in to the hotel. (Travel Time: 20 to 30 mins) Room Type Room Category Enjoy the sun on the sandy beaches of Negombo on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka.
    [Show full text]
  • Provincial Councils Do Not Need Police Powers
    Vol. 30 No. 25 Tuesday 14th December, 2010, 44 pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper - Late City Edition ‘WAR CRIMES: ONLY 55% OF THE ACCUSATIONS DOGS ARE SANTA’S THE GLOBAL PSYWAR DEVELOPMENT AGAINST ASSANGE FAVORITES AGAINST SRI LANKA PROJECTS ON SCHEDULE 11 12 Financial review Leisure land Inside: Grade 5 Scholarship Norwegian funds used for LTTE arms Exam Cut-off Marks Provincial Councils do not need police powers – Karuna Elizabeth Hurley admits marriage is over after LTTE cannot be revived and former Tigers will never kiss with Shane Warne want to join a terrorist outfilt of that nature and undergo suffering; they have suffered enough, Deputy Minister Muralitharan says BY HARISCHANDRA GUNARATNA Resettlement Deputy Minister through the provincial councils to the Vinayagamoorty Muralitharan, better North and the East,” he said. A group of the UNP MPs led by Sajith Premadasa, yesterday, briefed the press at Hotel Sapphire, known as Karuna, giving evidence “The UNP never made a sincere Wellawatte. After the event, Premadasa, Rosy Senanayake, Thalatha Athukorala, Sujeewa before the Lessons Learnt and effort to end the war and successive Senasinghe and Ranjith Maddumabandara were seen in a jubilant mood in the lobby of the Reconciliation governments made no Commission yesterday attempt to nip the The model and actress wed Hotel. (Photo-Kamal Bogoda) said that the type of LTTE in the bud; nor Arun Nayar, an Indian business- political solution that did the international man, in a lavish celebration only he would advocated was Karuna community” he said. three years ago. one which was accept- Although some UNP to stage mammoth protest able to the majority before countries had banned WORLD VIEW community and guaran- the LTTE, they teed the security of LLRC allowed its leaders to against govt on Jan.
    [Show full text]
  • Association of Buddhist Studies
    JIABS Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Volume 36 / 37 2013 / 2014 (2015) The Journal of the International EDITORIAL BOARD Association of Buddhist Studies (ISSN 0193-600XX) is the organ of the International Association of KELLNER Birgit Buddhist Studies, Inc. As a peer- STRAUCH Ingo reviewed journal, it welcomes scholarly Joint Editors contributions pertaining to all facets of Buddhist Studies. JIABS is published yearly. BUSWELL Robert CHEN Jinhua The JIABS is now available online in open access at http://journals.ub.uni- COLLINS Steven heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs. Articles COX Collett become available online for free 24 months after their appearance in print. GÓMEZ Luis O. Current articles are not accessible on- HARRISON Paul line. Subscribers can choose between VON HINÜBER Oskar receiving new issues in print or as PDF. JACKSON Roger Manuscripts should preferably be JAINI Padmanabh S. submitted as e-mail attachments to: KATSURA Shōryū [email protected] as one single file, complete with footnotes and references, KUO Li-ying in two different formats: in PDF-format, LOPEZ, Jr. Donald S. and in Rich-Text-Format (RTF) or MACDONALD Alexander Open-Document-Format (created e.g. by Open Office). SCHERRER-SCHAUB Cristina SEYFORT RUEGG David Address subscription orders and dues, SHARF Robert changes of address, and business correspondence (including advertising STEINKELLNER Ernst orders) to: TILLEMANS Tom Dr. Danielle Feller, IABS Assistant-Treasurer, IABS Department of Slavic and South Asian Studies (SLAS) Cover: Cristina Scherrer-Schaub Anthropole University of Lausanne Font: “Gandhari Unicode” CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland designed by Andrew Glass E-mail: [email protected] (http://andrewglass.org/fonts.php) Web: http://www.iabsinfo.net © Copyright 2015 by the Subscriptions to JIABS are USD 65 per International Association of year for individuals and USD 105 per Buddhist Studies, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • JSS 069 0Q Obituaries
    OBITUARIES CHESTER GORMAN Dies at 43 * Chester Gorman, an archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania who was known for his excavations in Thailand, died June 7, 1981 at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Sacramento, California. Gorman, who was 43, had been suffering from cancer for about two years. His illness prevented him from returning to Thailand in early 1981, as he had planned. He had been at the University of Pennsylvania since 1974 and was an associate professor of anthropology as well as associate curator-in-charge of the South and Southeast Asia section of the University Museum. Gorman and Pisit Charoenwongsa of Thailand were co-directors of the Ban Chiang project and in 1974 they excavated bronze items possibly dating back to 3600 B.C. That is about 600 years prior to the oldest bronze artifacts from the Middle East, where scholars have believed the Bronze Age began. Some scholars have said that Gorman's discovery altered some of their basic ideas about the history of technology and human development in general. "The tragic death of Chester Gorman just as he was completing the proof of one of the world's greatest archaeological discoveries is a blow not only to his friends and colleagues at the University Museum in Philadelphia, but to everyone in this field of research," said Dr. Froelich Rainey, emeritus professor of anthropology and former director of the University Museum. "His good friends on both sides of the Pacific will complete his work in the years to come but it will never be quite the same.
    [Show full text]
  • A Short Biography and Services of Kurunegoda Piyatissa Nayaka Maha Thero
    A short Biography and Services of Kurunegoda Piyatissa Nayaka Maha Thero Early life, Education, and Ordination: Kurunegoda Piyatissa Nayaka Maha Thero was born in Kegalle district (Hatara korale), Kurunegoda of Sri Lanka on December 29th 1928. He was ordained on November 16th 1941 and received Theravada Higher ordination on June 22nd 1950. He obtained his primary education (as a monk) at the Bodhigupta Pirivena in Denagamuwa, and higher education at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka. He completed his monastic education with honors and awards. Rev. Piyatissa received the Prachina Pandit Diploma with awards from the department of education of Sri Lanka, a Bachelor of Arts General Degree from Vidyodaya University of Sri Lankan, a B.A. with honors from the University of London, and a Master of Arts from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.. Service in Sri Lanka and Europe: Before coming to England as a Dhammaduta Monk, he was a teacher at the Bodhigupta Pirivena in Denagamuwa, Polgahawela, deputy principle at the Sri Gnaneswara Pirivena in Hunupitiya, in Colombo, deputy principle at the Government Central College in Polgahawela, and a teacher at the Ananda College, Colombo 10. His career in the field of education lasted over 21 years. During this time, he wrote and published many articles in newspapers and magazines in Sinhala and English. He won the title of “Radio Poet” in 1953, and the Pali essay prize in island‐wide contest held by the department of cultural affairs. Also, he acted as an examiner of books at the Education Publication Board of the department of education.
    [Show full text]
  • Building Buddhism in England: the Flourishing of a Minority Faith Heritage
    This is a repository copy of Building Buddhism in England: The Flourishing of a Minority Faith Heritage. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/103739/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Starkey, C orcid.org/0000-0002-7807-6617 and Tomalin, E orcid.org/0000-0001-7722-1192 (2016) Building Buddhism in England: The Flourishing of a Minority Faith Heritage. Contemporary Buddhism, 17 (2). pp. 326-356. ISSN 1463-9947 https://doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2016.1228330 © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Contemporary Buddhism on 26th September 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14639947.2016.1228330 Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version - refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher’s website. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request.
    [Show full text]
  • Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka
    Policy Studies 40 Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka Neil DeVotta East-West Center Washington East-West Center The East-West Center is an internationally recognized education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen understanding and relations between the United States and the countries of the Asia Pacific. Through its programs of cooperative study, training, seminars, and research, the Center works to promote a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Asia Pacific community in which the United States is a leading and valued partner. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, private foundations, individuals, cor- porations, and a number of Asia Pacific governments. East-West Center Washington Established on September 1, 2001, the primary function of the East- West Center Washington is to further the East-West Center mission and the institutional objective of building a peaceful and prosperous Asia Pacific community through substantive programming activities focused on the themes of conflict reduction, political change in the direction of open, accountable, and participatory politics, and American under- standing of and engagement in Asia Pacific affairs. Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka Policy Studies 40 ___________ Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka ___________________________ Neil DeVotta Copyright © 2007 by the East-West Center Washington Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka By Neil DeVotta ISBN: 978-1-932728-65-1 (online version) ISSN: 1547-1330 (online version) Online at: www.eastwestcenterwashington.org/publications East-West Center Washington 1819 L Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, D.C.
    [Show full text]