The Mahāvaṃsa (Pāli: the “Great Chronicle”) is a fifth-century Pāli epic of the founding and history of Buddhist Ceylon (Sri Lanka.) It contains many Theravāda folklores derived from earlier texts and oral traditions. The Mahāvaṃsa plays a dominant motivational role in present-day Sri Lankan Buddhist and nationalist circles.
Written in verse, the Mahāvaṃsa is attributed to the Buddhist monk Mahānāma Thera. It follows the outline of the prior Dīpavaṃsa (“Island Chronicle”) in tracing the Buddhist history from its inception through the three Buddhist councils, to its introduction into Ceylon by Emperor Aśoka’s son Mahinda during the reign of King Devānaṃpiyatissa, up to the rule of King Mahāsena in the fourth century CE.
The Mahāvaṃsa’s account is continued to the 18th century in its appendix, the Cūlavaṃsa (“Lesser Chronicle.”)
The Mahāvaṃsa is one of the least known of the world’s great chronicles, especially in comparison to the Hindu epics Rāmāyaṇa and Mahabharata.
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All beings desire happiness; therefore to all extend your benevolence.
—Mahavamsa
Topics: Buddhism
All beings seek for happiness; so let your compassion extend itself to all.
—Mahavamsa
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