How the Buddhist Monks of Meditation Monasteries Fulfilled Their Meditational Necessities; A Case Study of Anuradhapura Western Monastery Complex, in Sri Lanka
Anuradapura; Architecture; Meditation monasteries; Western monasteries
摘要
Architecture is a built environmental factor that reflects a country’s political, social, economic, and cultural characteristics in different eras. Therefore, in understanding history, it is important to pay special attention to the architecture of the past. This study also focuses on the study of architectural traditions that describe the features of one era in ancient Sri Lanka, namely the Anuradhapura Period. This era is one of the longest periods of the monarchy in Sri Lanka, and in this study we will reveal how the Buddhist monks who lived in the meditation monasteries used their meditational necessities to create the architectural features of the temples. By studying this architecture we intend to reveal how the features of the meditation monastery tradition were applied to their needs. The main purpose of this study is to examine examples of how the Sri Lankan monks of that period built environmental elements in an aesthetically pleasing and clever way to suit their religious and utilitarian needs as well as to offer opportunities for socializing. The research methodology here was primarily a pre-research study and later a field study. Data collection through mapping, planning, and photography was done by scrutinizing the Western monastery complex in Anuradhapura. The data collected in the analysis of the data were studied by comparing it with other monasteries in this tradition and by comparing it with Buddhist texts and other historical sources. In interpreting the analytical data, we built on previous archaeological research and resultant hypothesis on how the monks of that period used each of the architectural elements for meditation.
目次
Abstract 18 Introduction 18 Introduction to the Padhānaghara Tradition 19 The Western Monastery Complex 21 Conclusion 25 Endnotes 29 Abrivations 30 References 30
