Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Theravada Buddhism is the largest and official religion of Sri Lanka, practiced by 70.2% of the population as of 2012. [2] Practitioners of Sri Lankan Buddhism can be found amongst the majority Sinhalese population as well as among the minority ethnic groups.
Theravada Buddhism is the official religion of Sri Lanka, with about 70.2% of the country's population as followers. Arahath Mahinda , son of Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka , led the mission to Sri Lanka in 246 BCE when he converted the Sri Lankan king, Devanampiya Tissa , to Buddhism.
Theravāda is the official religion of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and the main dominant Buddhist variant found in Laos and Thailand. It is practiced by minorities in India , Bangladesh , China , Nepal , North Korea , Vietnam , the Philippines , Indonesia , Malaysia , and Taiwan .
It is responsible for oversight of the country's de facto state religion, Theravada Buddhism by: [3] General oversight and maintenance of the welfare of the nation's Buddhist clergy and places of worship; Oversight of Buddhist education in the country, including provision of information technology to temples
Over much of the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, there were three subdivisions of Theravāda, consisting of the monks of the Mahāvihāra, Abhayagiri vihāra and Jetavana, all based in Anuradhapura. [24] The Mahāvihāra was the first tradition to be established, while Abhayagiri and Jetavana developed out of it. [24]
Buddhism is the majority religion in Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, and Mongolia. It is also the most followed religion in certain nations or territories without any majority religion, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, [4] Macau, [5] [2] Singapore, [6] Taiwan, Vietnam, [7] and Kalmykia in Russia.
Buddhism is declared as the State religion of Sri Lanka and has been given special privileges in the Sri Lankan constitution such as the government is bound for protection and fostering of Buddhist Dharma throughout the nation. However, the constitution also provides for freedom of religion and right to equality among all its citizens.
The Theravada school arrived in Sri Lanka sometime in the 3rd century BCE. Sri Lanka became a base for its later spread to Southeast Asia after the 5th century CE (Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and coastal Vietnam). [465] [466] Theravada Buddhism was the dominant religion in Burma during the Mon Hanthawaddy Kingdom (1287 ...