http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/7386 2026-04-06T20:41:26Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/16780 Significance of Buddhist teachings for the Socio-economic Development. Kanchana, A. What is meant by development? Miscellaneous answers have been given to this question. In the Western model of development, it is economic development that stands out as the obvious answer. The technical and scientific development can be identified as the by-products of economic development. If there is an obvious commercial development of a country, that is considered as signs of its economic development. However, Buddhist concept of development is different from these interpretations. Furthermore, the concept of Buddhist economic development is quite different from these teachings on economic development. Buddhism values spiritual development above material development. In Buddhism, the zenith of development is taught as nibbāna. All the teachings in Buddhism are aimed at leading on the path to spiritual liberation. Therefore, some scholars doubt whether there could be any teaching related to economic development in such a path based on principles leading to nibbāna. Realization of global targets is not the goal of Buddhism. The economic principles taught in Buddhism are based on world friendly beneficial philosophy based on the right live-hood (sammā-ājīva). Economic principles taught in Buddhism are nibbana oriented. Accordingly, there are two outstanding stages in Buddhist teaching: 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/16779 If the Mahāvihara of Anuradhapura Has Been More Tolerant Towards Other Sects, the History of Sri Lanka Would Have been Written in a Different Way: a Critical Essay. Kanchana, A. It is quite fair to name the arrival of Arhant Mahinda from India as the first major turning point in the civilization of the Island. The Sri Lankan Buddhist background up to today retains an inseparable relationship in the history of the Island. The Mahāvihāra of Anuradhapura, which has been accepted as the foremost cultural center in the history of Sri Lanka, and as the major the Theravada Buddhist country in South Asia, religious features in the history of island may have been the pivotal factors. Similarly, the credit for naming Sri Lanka as the center of the Theravada Buddhism for over a period of 2000 years also should go to the lineage of Theravada monks of the Mahāvihāra. If not, history of the Island may have depicted a mixed and distorted Buddhist philosophy mixed with elements borrowed from the Northern Buddhism. In this paper I will focus on the stability of the Mahāvihāra. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/16778 A Study of the Act of Truth (Saccakiriya) Utilized in Sinhala Jātaka Stories as a Specific Writing Technique. Kanchana, A. The Buddha’s preachings on the former births of him can be described as Jātaka-s. As Jātaka-s are found in the Navāṅgasatthusāsana, which is part of the early preaching of the Buddha it seems that Jātaka tales had exited even during the time of the Buddha. The Sāratthadīpani Vinayatīkā, expounding the meaning of ‘Jātaka’ says that the former lives of the Buddha that reveals and tells the birth story of the Buddha is the Jātaka-s. (“Jātaṃ bhūtaṃ purāvutthaṃ bhagavato pubbacaritaṃ kāyati katheti pakāsetīti jātakaṃ”, Sāratthadīpanī-ṭīkā-paṭhamo bhāgo, Chaṭṭha saṃgāyanā CD-Rom, Vipassanā Research Institute, India, 1999) In regard to this, by the terms ‘jātaṃ’ bhūtaṃ, purāvuttaṃ’ the reality of the Jātaka tales has been authenticated. Jātaṃ means born, bhūtaṃ means happened and ‘purāvuttaṃ’ lived in the past. In the ‘Saddanītippakaraṇa, it has been explained that ‘Jātaka’ contain previous life of the Buddha and it is a sermon by the Buddha. (“Jātaṃ bhūtaṃ atītaṃ bhagavato cariyaṃ, taṃ kīyati kathīyati etenāti jātakaṃ. Jātakapāḷi hi idha ‘jātaka’nti vuttā. Aññatra pana jātaṃ eva jātakanti gahetabbaṃ. Tathā hi jātakasaddo desanāyampi vattati, itivuttakaṃ jātakaṃ abbhutadhamma’’ntiādīsu. Jātiyampi vattati ‘‘jātakaṃ samodhānesī’tiādīsu.”, Saddanītippakaraṇaṃ, Chaṭṭha saṃgāyanā CD-Rom, Vipassanā Research Institute, India, 1999) Accordingly it is stated that Jātaka is a doctrine that has been preached by the Buddha with perfect arrangement of incidents. Ven. Budhdagosa, the commentator, in his explanation of the Navāṅgasatthusāsana, says that the five hundred sermons starting with the Apaṇṇaka are Jātaka-s. (“Apaṇṇakajātakādīni paññāsādhikāni pañcajātakasatāni ‘jātaka’nti veditabbaṃ.”, Davids, T.W.Rhys and Carpenter J.E. Sumaṅgala ilāsinī. 1968: 24) However, either in the Pali or Sinhala versions Jātaka-s exactly 550 stories are not found. In the Jātakapali and the Jātakaṭṭhakathā, only 547 Jātaka-s are to be found. In the Sinhala version ‘Pansiyapaṇas Jātaka Pota’ also there are only 547 stories. In the Sinhala Jātaka Ațuvā Gätapada, commentaries have been provided only to 535 Jātaka-s. In this paper, my attention will be only on a particular feature in Jātaka-s known as the ‘Saccakiriya’ or the ‘Act of Truth’. Therefore I think it is not necessary to provide a long account of the Jātaka literature. 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.ruh.ac.lk/handle/iruor/16777 A Brief Introduction to the Gradual Development of Kaṭhina Kanchana, A. The Kaṭhina pinkama (the ritual of kaṭhina) can be introduced as one of the extremely important features in the Buddhist culture. However, it seems that there is no proper understanding of the Kaṭhina because the basic concept of kaṭhina has been alienated from the early Buddhism. The basic Buddhist teaching on the kaṭhina seems to have been promulgated some time after the early period of Buddhism. Based on the ‘rainy retreat’, the kaṭhina ritual has been incorporated in the vinaya (discipline) tradition as a later act of vinaya. The basic objective of this essay is discussing the philosophical importance of the kaṭhina. There are a few occasions through which a philosophical approach can be obtained on the specific acts of vinaya related to kaṭhina and the subsequent rituals: 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z