Early History of Buddhism in Ceylon

The book is organized into two principal parts. Part One introduces the Pāli commentaries as historical sources and examines their authors, transmission, sources, Bhāṇaka traditions, and the nature of their contents. It discusses how the Atthakathās preserve scattered references that can help reconstruct the history of Buddhism in Ceylon up to the fifth century, even when those references were not originally intended as historical records. Part Two studies the historical development of Buddhism in the island, beginning with the period before Mahinda, then moving to Mahinda’s mission, the spread of Buddhism, the writing down of the texts, the first literary period, the emergence of dissentient schools, regions where the faith flourished, Buddhist daily and institutional life, ritual development, and the role of deities within the Buddhist religious environment. Overall, the work presents early Ceylonese Buddhism as a complex tradition shaped by canonical learning, commentarial transmission, monastic institutions, ritual practice, literary production, and interaction with the island’s social and religious landscape.