Buddhism: Primitive and Present in Magadha and in Ceylon

Buddhism: Primitive and Present in Magadha and in Ceylon, by Reginald Stephen Copleston, is a book that will enthral the scholar as well as the casual reader, despite the author stating that he has limited the history and description to that branch of established and practised Buddhism in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This volume is the second edition and Copleston states that it has been entirely re-written for better clarity and arrangement,?and?taking note of recent discoveries. Arranged in six parts, Buddhism begins with an introduction and a general historical sketch of ‘India’ at the time, ‘Gotama’ (Gautama), Asoka, Mahinda and Ceylon, before delving into the foundation of Buddhism with the life of Gautama, the Buddha’s teachings, the vices, virtues, precepts, the female community, and beyond. While the fourth part is devoted to Asoka, parts five and six are dedicated to Buddhism in Ceylon in the ‘past’ and in the ‘present’. In these sections, chapters familiarise us with Mahinda and his conversion in Ceylon to Buddhism, alongwith Buddhagosha and Parakrama. While history, to some extent, naturally runs parallel, it never overwhelms the main theme, which is Buddhism. Despite the subject matter of his book, Copleston’s style is lucid and the concepts are well explained and thus can be easily grasped. Peppered with anecdotes – some familiar, some unknown – and footnotes and indices, this book makes for an interesting read and is certainly a collectible, even though it has been restricted only to Sri Lanka. About the Author Reginald Stephen Copleston (1845-1925), was a clergy and author. He was an erstwhile Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Calcutta and Metropolitan of India. Whilst in Ceylon, he served as the President of the Ceylon?Branch?of?the?Royal?Asiatic?Society.