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Buddhism Betrayed?

Religion, Politics, and Violence in Sri Lanka

With a Foreword by Lal Jayawardena
This volume seeks to answer the question of how the Buddhist monks in today’s Sri Lanka—given Buddhism’s traditionally nonviolent philosophy—are able to participate in the fierce political violence of the Sinhalese against the Tamils.

224 pages | 9 halftones | 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 | © 1992

Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology

Asian Studies: South Asia

Table of Contents

Foreword by Lal Jayawardena
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introduction: The Question
2. The Period of Buddhist Revivalism, 1860-1915
3. Politics and Constitutional Progress, 1915-1946
4. Radical Monks and the Legitimation of Monks’ Participation in Politics
5. The Betrayal and Restoration of Buddhism: Accusations and Remedies
6. The Betrayal of Buddhism: Report of the Committee of Inquiry
7. The Social Revolution of 1956 and Its Aftermath
8. The Restoration of Buddhism and the Transformation of Education in the 1960s and 1970s
9. The 1970s and 1980s: The Deepening Crisis
10. The Mavbima Surakime Vyaparaya (MSV): The Movement for the Protection of the Motherland
11. Monks and Violence Face to Face
12. The Parameters of Buddhist Nationalism and Buddhist Democracy
13. Epilogue: Sinhalese Identity: The Legacy of the Past
Appendix: Testing Some Charges in The Betrayal of Buddhism
References
Index

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