The purpose of the present study is to highlight this often neglected face of popular Buddhism. This was how the 'great tradition' of canonical Buddhism came to be complemented by the 'small tradition' of popular Buddhism consisting of the rituals and ceremonies discussed in this booklet. To satisfy their devotional and emotional needs, they required a system of outward acts, communally shared, by which they could express their devotion to the ideals represented by the Dhamma and absorb these ideals into the texture of their daily experience. The core doctrines of Buddhism, such as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, dependent arising, etc., often proved too abstruse and elevated for the ordinary populace to apply to their own religious lives. In the case of Buddhism this has happened in every country to which it spread, and Sri Lanka is no exception.

It has been an inevitable phenomenon in the history of religion that whenever a religion was newly introduced to a culture, its adherents assimilated it and adapted it in ways that harmonized with their own social and cultural needs. Because these practices form an intimate part of the religious life for the vast majority of devout Buddhist followers, they cannot be lightly dismissed as mere secondary appendages of a 'pristine' canonical Buddhism. The fact remains, however, that the practices and observances to be described here justly claim an integral place within the stream of living Buddhism as practised by its adherents. The theme of this study, Buddhist ceremonies and rituals, may not appeal to the self-styled Buddhist purist who wishes to restrict the designation 'Buddhism' exclusively to the teachings of the Buddhist scriptures, which he usually interprets in a narrowly intellectualist manner. This edition was transcribed directly from Microsoft Word files provided by the BPS. Provided that you charge no fees for its distribution or use. You may re-format and redistribute this work for use on computers and computer networks, You may print copies of this work for your personal use. The Wheel Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka Help |

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