Although Sri Lanka is known as a Theravada Buddhist country there is evidence of significant impact of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It began to receive some doctrines from the neighbouring country, India, through the Abhayagiri fraternity. As a result, we find abundant evidence to say that Sri Lanka has highly been influenced by the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva ideal. Among that evidence, we see many literal works written from time to time until the present day. The present article is not intended as an attempt to provide an account of influence of the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva Ideal on Sri Lankan society. On the contrary, it will be confined to the impact of the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva ideal on Sri Lankan Buddhist monks with special reference to the Bodhisattva Prārthanā Gāthā (Verses on Bodhisattva Aspiration) written by Ānanda Maitreya Thera. First, we will explain the history of the spread of the Mahāyāna Bodhisattva ideal from the time of the emergence of the Abhayagiri fraternity up to the present era. Next, we will give a brief account of the pamphlet of Bodhisattva Prārthanā Gāthā. Finally, we will show how the Bodhicaryāvatāra has influenced Ānanda Maitreya Thera to write the Bodhisattva Prārthanā Gāthā, by comparing some verses from both works.
目次
Abstract 55 The Bodhisattva Prārthanā Gāthā (Verses of Bodhisattva Aspiration) 58 The Impact of the Bodhicaryāvatāra on the Bodhisattva Prārthanā Gāthā 59 Conclusion 61 Abbreviations 62 Endnotes 62 References 63
