Buddhist Precept and Practice: Traditional Buddhism in the Rural Highlands of CeylonFirst published in 1995. This study is intended as a contribution to the empirical study of religion, and in particular to the study of religious change. Using empirical method of using documents, interviews and experiments the author tests his old hypotheses in order to formulate new ones that my lead him to the truth. He focusses on the distinctions used throughout this book, that are between what people say they believe and say they do, and what they really believe and really do, using his research of the Sinhalese Buddhists in Ceylon |
Contents
Aims and Scope of this Book | 1 |
1 Sinhalese BuddhismOrthodox or Syncretistic? | 47 |
2 The Basic Vocabulary of Buddhism | 67 |
3 The Buddha | 95 |
4 A Sketch of the Universe as seen from Mīgala | 169 |
5 Total Responsibility in Theory and Practice | 251 |
6 The Ethics of Intention | 285 |
7 The Monastic Ideal and the Decline of Buddhism | 314 |
8 Caste in the Monastery | 343 |
9 Conclusion | 372 |
Appendix | 383 |
Glossary | 395 |
| 406 | |
| 414 | |
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Common terms and phrases
ancient Anuradhapura arhat attain Bechert behaviour belief Bo tree Bodhisattva brahmin Buddha Buddha image Buddhaghosa Buddhavamsa Buddhist called caste century ceremony Ceylon Chapter Christian cognitive Colombo commentary context dānē dead death Deeds deities demons dēvālē Deyyō Dharma dhist doctrine drummers dukkha Eight Precepts Enlightenment ethics Five Precepts give Gotama goyigama halese heaven Hindu ideal India Jātaka Jātaka stories Kandy Kandyan karma Kataragama king laymen live Low Country magic Mahā Mahāvamsa Mahāyāna Maitrī Māra means meditation merit Mīgala modern monastery monks Nikaya nirvāṇa Obeyesekere offering original Pali Canon Pali verses perahära pinkama pirit poya days practice preaching pretas pūjā Rahula Rāmañña rebirth reborn recited relics religion religious ritual Sangha Sanskrit seems sermon shrine Sinhalese Sinhalese Buddhist Siyam Nikaya status stupa Sutta Tamil temple term Theravada tion told tradition translation Twelve Gods upāsaka usually vihāra village Vinaya Vishnu word worship yakku yakṣa