Hinduism and Buddhism: An Historical Sketch v1.c19.12

v1.c19.12

The scriptures published by the Pali Text Society represent the canon of the ancient sect called Vibhajjavâdins and the particular recension of it used at the monastery in Anuradhapura called Mahâvihâra. It is therefore not incorrect to apply to this recension such epithets as southern or Sinhalese, provided we remember that in its origin it was neither one nor the other, for the major part of it was certainly composed in India¹. It was probably introduced into Ceylon in the third century B.C. and it is also accepted in Burma, Siam and Camboja². Thus in a considerable area it is the sole and undisputed version of the scriptures.