Buddhist Books Database

Age of ChangeBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

M. Wickramasinghe's "The Age of Change" Synopsis and Comments - A realistic portrayal of the reality of Sri Lanka's emerging merchants. A great book reminiscent of Zola.

This novel is truly an excellent resource for learning about Sri Lanka in the first half of the 20th century. For those of us living far away in Japan, there is no other picture scroll of Sri Lanka that we appreciate so much.

In "The Age of Change," we see Sri Lankan society from various perspectives, including the world of falsehoods in which the newly emerging merchants are drowned in money and status, the feelings of the son's generation that rebel against them, and the gap between them and the village people who cannot abandon the traditions of the old society.

This is a brilliant piece of work. As in the previous work, Wickramasinghe's fearsome descriptive power is felt in this work as well.
A Changing VillageBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

M. Wickramasinghe's "The Changing Village" Synopsis and Impressions - A masterful feature film from Sri Lanka! Also related to Dostoevsky and Chekhov!

It is a wonderful novel that is not well known in Japan, but is highly acclaimed around the world. I have actually read it and enjoyed its excellence.

It is an immersive novel, as if life in Sri Lanka appears before your eyes. This work is especially fitting for those who like Dostoevsky and Chekhov.

I will be reading the entire trilogy from now on, but this was one of those books that I felt had overwhelming quality from the start.
Radio's War ResponsibilityBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

Shinichi Sakamoto, "Radio's War Responsibility" - Nationalism fueled by the media. Highly recommended for learning about the mechanisms of war!

It was surprising to learn that Buddhist scholars, orators, and preaching masters used to speak about Buddhism on the radio in Japan and had a strong influence on many people.

In this book, you will also discover amazing facts about Konosuke Matsushita, the overwhelming oratorical abilities of politician Yosuke Matsuoka, and the achievements of Hiroshi Shimomura, the man behind the Gyokuon-broadcasting that brought the war to an end.

Anyway, please read it. And do it as soon as possible! It is not every day you come across a book like this. It is one of the best books to read at a time when the world is very unstable.
Visit the hijackers.Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

Tomoyuki Wada, "Hijackers in Search of the Hijackers: Heroes of Sri Lanka" - A highly recommended work that details the circumstances of the Sri Lankan Civil War!

This work, "Hunt for the Hijackers - Heroes of Sri Lanka" is highly recommended to learn about the Sri Lankan Civil War that lasted from 1983 to 2009.

As the title suggests, the author's own encounter with a hijacker led the author to Sri Lanka. The book is told through an exquisite cross between the character of the hijacker, Seppala, and the contemporary history of Sri Lanka.

It is truly a non-fiction rather than an academic book! The story of the civil war is told in a way that is easy to understand and realistic for the average reader. The book is easy to understand and realistic. I read the book in one sitting. It is very interesting.
Sri Lanka and EthnicityBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

Koji Kawashima, "Sri Lanka and Ethnicity" - Recommended to learn more about Sinhala nationalism and the ethnic conflict process!

Sri Lanka and Ethnicity: The Formation of Sinhala Nationalism and Minority Groups" is unique in its ability to examine the formation of ethnic conflict in detail by individual ethnic and religious group. In particular, the book focuses on the anti-immigrant movement of the 1930s and 1940s.

This book gives us a new perspective on the Sri Lankan civil war.

I read this book and said, "What? That's right!" I was also surprised at the number of times I found myself saying, "Oh, I didn't know that!

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Sri Lankan civil war and political process. I highly recommend this work.
Viewing the World from Sri LankaBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

A. C. Clarke, "Looking at the World from Sri Lanka" - A collection of essays by the famous science fiction author of "2001: A Space Odyssey" that let us know his love for Sri Lanka.

Arthur C. Clarke is a master of science fiction who, along with Stanley Kubrick, created that film "2001: A Space Odyssey.

That Arthur C. Clarke loved Sri Lanka and wrote an essay expressing his feelings about Sri Lanka!

When I learned of this, I did not hesitate to pick up this book.
selenium dipBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

The Three Princes of Serendip" Synopsis and Comments - The Sri Lankan story of the origin of the word "serendipity".

The Three Princes of Serendip is known as the origin story of the word serendipity.

"We discover by chance and wisdom that which we do not seek."

This is the meaning of the word serendipity.

And surprisingly, the book "The Three Princes of Serendip" itself was not told in Sri Lanka, but is a Sri Lankan fairy tale that was told in Persia. Sri Lanka is merely the country of origin of the princes and the setting of the story. However, even for the Persians of the time, there must have been something about Sri Lanka that made them long for it and imagine it as a paradise.

It is quite an exciting experience to be able to read the work that is the originator of the famous word serendipity.
Adventures in Sri Lankan StudiesBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

Mamoru Shono, "Adventures in Sri Lankan Studies" - An introduction to Sri Lanka from an unexpected perspective! A book full of serendipity!

This book provides an insight into Sri Lanka as told from an unexpected angle as the title of this article suggests. At a glance, you may wonder, "What is this about Sri Lanka? But I can only say that it is a brilliant book because it gives you a clue to the world of Sri Lanka. It is extremely interesting.
Ceylon MagazineBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

Robert Knox's "The Ceylon Island Magazine" Synopsis and Comments - The amazing true story of the late 1600s, which was also the model for Robinson Crusoe!

Robert Knox (1641-1720), the author of this work, was a sailor on a trading ship of the British East India Company. His ship was caught in a storm during a voyage in the Indian Ocean and made a port call in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1660. From there, they lived as prisoners of war in the Kingdom of Kandy in central Sri Lanka for almost 20 years.

The area around Kandy was not only highland, but also covered with deep jungle, making it extremely difficult to move around. In other words, it is an isolated island on land. This book, "Ceylon Island Journal," describes Knox's experience of escaping from such a difficult situation over a period of 20 years.