Buddhism in Medieval Sri Lanka

This book opens a new chapter in the field of Buddhist Studies in Sri Lanka which has been dealt with by a number of pioneer scholars. The author’s thorough grasp of the Tripitaka and the ancient and medieval Sinhala Literature is clearly manifest in the book especially in the third chapter where he discusses the organization of the Sangha in medieval Sri Lanka. The author reveals that the Trikaya doctrine of the Mahayanists has been given a new interpretation, and a new Kaya viz : Sunya Kaya has been added to it by Sri Lankan Theravadins like Dhammadinna Vimalakirti, the author of the Saddhamaratnakaraya. Also in this chapter, the author deals with various new developments among the Sangha of Medieval Sri Lanka. In the fifth chapter, the author gives not only the history of the monastic educational institutions of the medieval period, but also, for the first time, gives details of their graded courses of studies, curricula, tests and methods of teaching, media of instruction and the library facilities as well.