Mahäyäna Concepts in Sri Lankan Literature (A brief literary review)

Abstract

The Sri Lankan history of Nikäyas and the conflicts among them are of great attraction in the historical Buddhist academic discipline. Depending on royal sponsorship, particular Nikäyas have shown rise and fall in different eras. In many occasions, the Nikäya with royal patronage reached the pinnacle of its development, even as it attempted to destroy the opposing Nikäyas. Although historical evidence reveals that the Thera tradition (sthaviraväda), which took firm root quite early in Sri Lankan Budhist history, eventually surpassed other Nikäyas, we still find elements of other Nikäyas which are blended into the Sri Lankan culture. In this discussion, special attention will be paid to analyse Mahäyäna elements in Sri Lankan literature.