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| All Ceylon Buddhist Congress | |
|---|---|
| Name | All Ceylon Buddhist Congress |
| Formation | 1919 |
| Founder | Henry Steel Olcott; Anagarika Dharmapala |
| Headquarters | Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
| Type | Religious organization |
| Leader title | President |
All Ceylon Buddhist Congress is a prominent Buddhist lay organization founded in 1919 in Colombo, Ceylon, during a period of revival associated with the Sri Lankan independence movement, anti-colonial reform, and transnational Buddhist networks. It emerged from interactions among figures linked to the Theosophical Society, Buddhist Revival leaders, and Sinhalese cultural associations, and has played roles in religious reform, social welfare, education, and national politics across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
The origins trace to initiatives by Henry Steel Olcott, Anagarika Dharmapala, and members of the Theosophical Society who collaborated with leaders from Colombo, Kandy, and Galle to counteract missionary activities from British Empire institutions and to revive ties with revivalists in India, Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Ceylonese diasporic communities. Early congresses and meetings drew figures connected to Buddhist Publication Society, Colombo Young Men's Buddhist Association, and the London Buddhist Society, while contemporaneous debates involved personalities associated with Arthur C. Clarke's era intellectuals and clerical advocates from Malaya and Indonesia. The organization expanded during the interwar years, interacting with movements around the Indian National Congress, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, and international bodies such as delegates from China, Japan, Tibet, Korea, and Vietnam. Post-independence, ties with Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, and J. R. Jayewardene era policies influenced its orientation toward cultural preservation and public policy debates. In later decades, the Congress engaged with global Buddhist teachers like Nyanatiloka Mahathera, Anagarika Govinda, and scholars associated with Oxford University, Harvard University, and the University of Peradeniya.
The Congress has a hierarchical structure with elected officers modeled on contemporaneous associations such as the YMBA, Lumbini Development Trust, and provincial councils in Kandy District and Colombo District. Regional branches mirror administrative divisions like North Western Province, Southern Province, and Eastern Province and liaise with municipal bodies in Negombo, Matara, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. Leadership roles have been occupied by figures linked to institutions including Buddhaghosa Press, Maha Bodhi Society, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s circles, and legal experts connected to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Committees coordinate with educational institutes such as the University of Colombo, Ruhuna University, and vocational partners like National Institute of Education.
The Congress runs programs similar to initiatives from the Buddhist Publication Society, Mahabodhi Society, and philanthropic work by families like the Senanayake family and the Bandaranaike family, offering Dhamma instruction, meditation retreats, and public observances drawing parallels with events at Temple of the Tooth, Mahamevnawa Monastery, and Ramanna Nikaya temples. It sponsors schools modeled after Ananda College and Nalanda College, encourages training of lay teachers linked to the Department of Buddhist Affairs, and organizes interfaith dialogues involving representatives from Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Hindu Tamil Forum of Britain-style interlocutors, and delegations from World Fellowship of Buddhists and Buddhist Churches of America. Social welfare efforts include disaster relief during crises like those impacting Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) victims, coordination with humanitarian agencies such as UNICEF, World Health Organization, and collaboration with legal aid groups and trade unions.
Throughout its history the Congress has intersected with movements and parties including the United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, and civil society campaigns involving Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It has influenced debates on language policy involving Sinhala Only Act-era controversies, cultural heritage preservation linked to Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya, and public education reforms tied to figures like C. W. W. Kannangara. The Congress's positions have periodically aligned with nationalist currents that engaged with policy-makers such as Dudley Senanayake and critics like G. L. Peiris, and it has been part of broader dialogues on reconciliation after the Sri Lankan Civil War with NGOs, religious leaders including the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, and international mediators.
The Congress publishes bulletins, pamphlets, and journals in Sinhala, English, and Tamil, contributing to discourse alongside established presses like the Buddhist Publication Society, Maha Bodhi Society Press, and university presses of University of Peradeniya and University of Kelaniya. Its newsletters feature commentary by scholars affiliated with Colombo University, Harvard Divinity School, University of Oxford, and research centers such as the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. Communications have included partnerships with broadcasters like Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and media outlets comparable to Daily News (Sri Lanka), The Island (Sri Lanka), and Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
The Congress maintains links with international bodies including the World Fellowship of Buddhists, UNESCO, and academic institutions such as University of Cambridge, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, and University of Tokyo. It partners with monastic orders like the Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna communities and collaborates with civil society organizations including Sahasa, Sarvodaya, and international NGOs like OXFAM and Red Cross. Regional counterparts include the Burmese Buddhist Mission, Thai Dhammakaya Movement, Japanese Sōtō school representatives, and diasporic groups in United Kingdom, United States, Malaysia, and Australia.
Category:Buddhist organizations