英文摘要 |
This essay deals with the relationship between Buddhism and Sinhala consciousness. It is a contribution to the study of the ideological configuration of Theravada Buddhism in term of its significance in early intellectual history of Buddhism. This article is divided into three portions. The first part discusses the problem of transformation on the idea of kingship in early Buddhism from India to Lanka. King Aśoka is the key figure. Though Aśoka appears to be the dharmarāja (righteous king) in his edicts, his portraits in avadāna (legend) and vaṃsa (chronicle) texts are dissimilar in character out of different concerns. In Theravada tradition, Aśoka becomes the embodiment of the protector of sāsana (the teaching of the Buddha). The second part investigates the issue of the canonical language in Buddhism. While the Buddha encourages the using of local languages in dissimilating his teachings, the Theravādins insist the sacredness of scriptural language. In the last part, I explore the emergence of vaṃsa texts in Lanka to define the distinctive features of Sinhala Buddhism. The Mahāvaṃsa is the most influential vaṃsa text in Lanka. Witnessing from the Mahāvaṃsa, the Theravāda Canon has been transformed into the Sinhala Epic and Aśoka has become King Duṭṭhagāmanī. In the process, the 'territorialization of faiths' becomes apparent. Buddhism as a universal religion develops into a symbol of cultural identity intertwined with politics, history and ethnicity. |