Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaAs we saw in the previous article, traditional Sri Lankan Buddhism is different from our image of strict Theravada Buddhism. If anything, it is even closer to our Japanese Buddhism.
So why is there such an "image gap"?
The key to this is found in the "Protestant Buddhism" of Dharmapala, which I will introduce here.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaThis article will introduce the iconic Buddha Tooth Temple in Kandy. We will also talk about its interior and nighttime pujas.
In the latter half of the article, we will consider the diversity of Sri Lankan Buddhism, using the temple in the precincts of the Buddha's Tooth Temple as a clue. In Sri Lanka, there existed a culture similar to the Japanese Shinto/Buddhist syncretism.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaIt takes about three hours to get from Sigiriya to Kandy. On the way, I decided to visit a place where a major event took place that had a bearing on Sri Lankan Buddhism and, by extension, on all of world Buddhism.
That will be this alvihara.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaThe most famous mural painting in Sigiriya is the Sigiriya Lady, a 5th-century nymph whose work has been compared to that of the Ajanta Grottoes in India.
And this mural was still amazing! This is another must-see spot in Sri Lanka.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaThis place is truly amazing. It is the highlight of my visit to the Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. You can't miss this place when you come to Sri Lanka. The contrast with Dambulla makes Polonnaruwa even more fascinating. In this sense, I would like to encourage you to visit both Buddhist sites. I can assure you that it will be an interesting experience.
It's getting fun, Sri Lanka!
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaAfter visiting Nagadeepa Island off the coast of Jaffna, my next stop was the beach where Sanghamitta, the nun who brought the Sree Maha Bodhi tree, had landed.
I was told that a temple called Dambakorapatuna Sangamisusa Temple is now standing there. Although ordinary tourists rarely visit this place, it is an indispensable place for me to go to visit a sacred Buddhist site.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaAfter touring the city of Jaffna, thinking about the civil war, I headed to my next destination, Naga Deepa Island.
The island of Nagadeepa is believed in Sri Lankan Buddhist lore to be a sacred site where Buddha came to the island. Although the historical facts are difficult to ascertain, it is still a sacred site of great importance in the Sinhalese context.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaIn this article, I will discuss the general trend toward civil war, Sinhala Buddhist nationalism and the restoration of the Holy Land. I am sure that the last few articles have been full of surprises for you. I myself have been astonished by what I have learned about Sri Lanka. I am sure that you have found Sri Lanka to be a very interesting country.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaIn this article I will talk about a very important figure in Sri Lanka, Dharmapala. This Dharmapala is the one who advocated "Sinhala Buddhist Nationalism" that led to the Sri Lankan Civil War.
In Sri Lanka, Buddhism is integrated with nationalism and becomes the spark for ethnic conflict. We will also look at that Sinhala Buddhist nationalism.
Second Indian Expedition - Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri LankaDharmapala had a decisive impact on the Sri Lankan Civil War.
He did not suddenly appear out of thin air either. He came into existence because of the historical background of Sri Lanka at that time.
In this article, I will briefly discuss the colonial period in Sri Lanka, which is also important for the history of Dharmapala and Sri Lankan Buddhism.
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The best of our blog! The "Dostoevsky's Journey" trilogy - my full-length European travelogue!
Travels to Buddhist Sacred Sites in India and Sri Lanka: What I felt there when I was called to India
(1) The birth of Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini, Nepal!
10 novels instead of business cards - I'm ashamed to say I'm such a person.
Why am I, a monk, reading Dostoevsky and world literature?" Articles - The Surprising Similarities Between Shinran and Dostoevsky
(67) Visit to the Taj Mahal, a symbol of India: A tomb like a palace and the tragedy of a captive king who gazes upon it.
(66) The day I was convinced of Disney's religiosity at the Minakshi Temple, Madurai, South India
(65) To the ancient capital of South India, Thanjavur - It's so huge! This is not even Sri Lanka's fault!
(64) Departure for a tour of Buddhist sites in India - A trip to visit Buddha's footprints. To my last trip called by Mishima.
(63) Visiting the grave of Yukio Mishima at Tama Cemetery - Thoughts on Mishima, who continued to question life and death
(62) Visit the site of Yukio Mishima's suicide and the Ichigaya Memorial Hall of the Self-Defense Forces Ichigaya Camp (now the Ministry of Defense)
(61) Yukio Mishima's Fierce Final Days! What was happening at the site of his suicide that day?
(60) Yukio Mishima loved Disneyland! What fascinated Mishima about Disney?
