A Manual of Buddhist Historical Traditions (Saddhamma-Sangaha)

The Saddhamma-Samgaha which is a non-canonical Pali work of a later date has been edited in Roman characters for the first time by N. Saddhananda of Ceylon and published in the Journal of the Pali Text Society for the year 1890. This work, as its title suggests, is a compendium of the traditional history of Buddhism. Its colophon mentions that the book was compiled by thera Dhammakitti of Ceylon at a great monastery called Lankarama built by the great king Paramaraja. The Saddhamma-Samgaha presents us with a bare outline of ecclesiastical and literary history of Buddhism drawn upon traditional materials. It is a historical record of the part played by Buddhism in Ceylon. The historical value of this work is enhanced by the inclusion of the account of two Buddhist councils held in Ceylon during the reigns of Devanampiyatissa and Vattagamini.