Book Review - Dhamma-Vinaya: Essays in Honour of Venerable Professor Dhammavihari (Jotiya Dhirasekera)

Editors: Asanga Tilakaratne, Toshiichi Endo, G. A. Somaratne and Sanath Nanayakkara.

Published by Sri Lanka Association for Buddhist Studies (SLABS), 2005

Venerable Professor Dhammavihari (formerly Jotiya Dhirasekera) is a reputed scholar in the field of Buddhist Studies both nationally and internationally.

This illustrious scholar has a long span of career, first as a teacher at the University of Peradeniya where he imparted knowledge and vision to a vast number of pupils, second as the Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, and third as the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya.

As a member of the Sangha, the Venerable Professor now dedicates untiringly his energy and expertise to the dissemination of the Dhamma and Vinaya as taught by the Buddha.

It is therefore very opportune that Sri Lanka Association for Buddhist Studies (SLABS), which was formed in October 2002 with the idea of working for the advancement of Buddhist studies and research as one of its objectives, has brought out the felicitation volume to honour Venerable Professor Dhammavihari whose advice and guidance as a member of the Advisory Panel of SLABS is greatly appreciated by its members.

The present volume consists of seventeen learned articles and a list of publications of the Venerable Professor at the end.

It begins with "A Pen Sketch of a Remarkable Teacher" by Mrs. Eileen Siriwardhana, a renowned writer and one of the Venerable Professor's earliest pupils, who unfolds her pleasant memories and her first encounter with him at the University of Peradeniya.

Professor Oliver Abeynayake re-examines the content of the Buddha's Enlightenment in his "An Inquiry into the Mechanism of Enlightenment".

Professor Lily de Silva deals with the subject of aesthetics in Buddhist perspective in her article "Aesthetics as an Expression of Religio-cultural and Spiritual development."

Professor Toshiichi Endo's article "The Atthakatha as Source-material of the Pali Commentaries" examines the category of the basic sources for the present Pali commentaries called the 'Atthakatha' and suggests that this genre of sources came to be completed as fixed documents by the time of King Vattagamani Abhaya of the 1st century B.C.

Professor R. A. L. H. Gunawardana in his lucid and informative article "The World of Theravada Buddhism in History" systematically traces the historical evolution of the theravada tradition in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Ananda W. P. Guruge, a well-known diplomat and scholar, writes on the subject of the Chinese version of the Vinaya Commentary in his article "Shan-Jian-Lu-Piposha as an Authentic Source of the Early History of Buddhism and Asoka."

This is a study, firstly, of the Chinese translation of the hitherto-believed-to-have-been Pali Samanatapasadika of Buddhaghosa and secondly, of the reassessment of this source for the study of Asokan legends.

"The Buddhist Goddess Vasudhara" by Professor Ratna Handurukanda is an edition and an English translation of the Sanskrit text named 'Arya-sri-vasudharaya namastottarasata.'

Her meticulous care in the field of editing Buddhist texts is shown here again in every minute detail. Professor D. J. Kalupahana writes on the theme of environment in the Buddhist perspective in his article "Early Buddhism and the Environment".

He concludes by quoting a verse from the Suttanipata that having had the opportunity of performing meritorious deeds in the past and being able to establish oneself properly are the conditions that lead to the creation of appropriate environment for living.

Sanath Nanayakkara's articles entitled "The Impact of Sickness, Deformities/Disabilities and Punishment on the Granting of Admission and Development of Emancipatory Knowledge" deals with the interesting question of whether one who is deformed or disabled can attain the final goal of Nibbana.

He concludes that most of the 'disqualifications' to be admitted into the Sangha have no bearing on the cultivation of panna; even the deaf and blind can in fact attain the final goal of Nibbana.

Prof. P. D. Premasiri's article "The Early Buddhist Teaching on Transience, Immortality and Liberation" is a lucid exposition of the Buddha's teaching on Nibbana.

Dr. G. A. Somaratne attempts to clarify the definitions of Citta, Manas and Vinnana as found in Early Buddhism in his lengthy article "Citta, Manas and Vinnana: Aspects of Mind as presented in Early Buddhist Pali Discourses."

Samaneri Suvimalee discusses problems associated with gender in her paper "The Female in Early Buddhism: Sex Equality and Social Gender." This is based on a research undertaken by the writer for a postgraduate degree.

Prof. Asanga Tilakaratne writes on the question of the origins of Theravada from a perspective hitherto untapped in his insightful article "Personality Differences of Arhants and the Origins of Theravada: A Study of Two Great Elders of the Theravada Tradition: Maha Kassapa and Ananda." Mr. Senarat Wijayasundra's paper is "The World View of Theravada Buddhism" which deals with how the Buddha viewed the World.

Prof. Ratna Wijetunga addresses the question of women's liberation as depicted in the Pali Canon in his article "Pali Canon on Women's Liberation."

The original version of this paper was read at a seminar held at the University of London. "The History, Iconography and Iconometry of the Buddha Image in Sri Lanka" is the paper by Prof. Chandra Wikramagamage who is one of the few Sri Lankan scholars specialized in Buddhist art.

Prof. Chetiya Witanachchi examines the myth of the Deva-Asura battle as portrayed in Buddhist literature in his article "Conflict and Its Resolution in a Buddhist Myth." The Volume ends with a list of Venerable Professor Dhammavihari's publications compiled by Mrs. Manel Withanawasam.