Shri Lankan Buddhists Share Worship Of Hindu Gods

[Dr. Jai Maharaj]

Sri Lankan Buddhists Share Worship Of Hindu Gods

Hindu Press International
Hinduism Today Magazine
February 23, 2004

Source
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_574380,00410008.htm

Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 16, 2004: Sri Lanka is an
avowedly Buddhist country, and the majority population is
Sinhala-Buddhist. But the Buddhist here are also ardent
worshippers of Hindu Gods. When the need arises, they may
even indulge in Hindu ritualistic practices, says this
report in the Hindustan Times. In fact, the worship of
Hindu Gods is intrinsic to the 2,500-year-old Sinhala-
Buddhist cultural tradition, states this article on the
position of Gods in Buddhism. Almost every Buddhist
temple in Sri Lanka has shrines for a variety of Hindu
and pre-Buddhist Sri Lankan divinities. After worshipping
at the main shrine dedicated to the Buddha, the devotees
proceed to smaller shrines dedicated to Hindu Gods like
Ganesha, Vishnu, and Skanda (known as Kataragama among
the Sinhalas and Murugan among the Tamils). One of the
most deeply entrenched and enduring beliefs among the
Sinhala-Buddhists is that Vishnu is the defender and
protector of Sri Lanka. The ancient Sinhala-Buddhist
chronicle Mahavamsa, mentions this. Skanda or Lord
Kataragama is also deemed to be a protector, though
mainly of individuals, points out Dr. Arjuna De Zoysa, an
expert in Buddhism and the philosophy of science at the
Open University of Sri Lanka. The shrine for Skanda in
Kataragama, in south Sri Lanka is a popular pilgrimage
destination for the Sinhala-Buddhists as well as for the
country's Tamils. For the complete article, click on
"source" above.

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/blogs-news/hindu-press-international/sri-lankan-buddhists-share-worship-of-hindu-gods/3810.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://bit.do/jaimaharaj

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