History of Buddhism in Ceylon

The book is organized into seventeen chapters, supported by appendices, chronology, list of kings, bibliography, index, maps, and illustrations. The opening chapters establish the Indian background, pre-Buddhist Ceylonese social and religious conditions, and the coming of Buddhism to the island. The next sections explain how Buddhism became closely connected with the state, followed by two chapters on its development through different historical phases. The central chapters analyze the monastery in depth: its structure, administration, institutional evolution, routine activities, and ascetic ideals. The later chapters turn to the broader Buddhist world of ancient Ceylon, including arahants, lay social life, lay religious life, ceremonies, festivals, and education. The illustrations and maps further reinforce the historical setting, including ancient Anuradhapura, Buddhist monuments, Bodhi-tree sites, cave remains, thūpas, vihāras, and archaeological remains. Overall, the work presents the Anuradhapura period as the formative era in which Buddhism became the organizing spiritual, cultural, political, and educational framework of Ceylonese civilization.