In Ceylon and in the countries of Southeast Asia, by the beginning of our era, there were numerous colonies of Indian settlers and traders. In this region, Buddhism was confronted with Brahministic religious ideas, cults and rituals, also borrowed from India. Partly this, and to a large extent the fact that Brahmanism had already become a class ideology and had not only its adherents, but also opponents, can explain the relatively rapid spread of Buddhism in Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, Indonesia, Laos, and South Vietnam. Tibet and China at that time were another matter. Tibet was still dominated by primitive mystical beliefs that were hostile to the spirit and teachings of Buddhism. The traditions that existed in China had different historical and cultural roots. So in these regions, Buddhism had to fight a long struggle for its existence. 5. Buddhism in Ceylon At the end of the first millennium BC, Buddhism took a dominant position among the numerous religions of Ceylon .1 Buddhist monks tried to convince the population that performing religious ceremonies and worshipping local gods and spirits were of secondary importance, because these actions were nothing more than a manifestation of respect for the Buddha, who, they say, is personified in local deities, and the main goal of the believer is to follow the path "indicated" by the Buddha. Thus, Buddhism, without coming into open conflict with local religions, tried to give them a new content. In places where Buddhist monks did not meet with strong opposition from priests of other religions, they established monasteries, and then gradually replaced the cults of local gods with the cult of Buddhas. The Buddhist monastery became the center of the social and spiritual life of the local population, exerting an increasing influence on the life and thoughts of the people. The rulers of the Ceylon states tried to surpass each other in patronizing monasteries, giving them jewelry, land, villages, buildings, etc. The Sangha (Budd ... Read more