Abstract:
Sri Lankan popular Sinhala Buddhist pantheon represents the long-term hybrid nature of
Buddhism, ancient Sri Lankan feudal social structure, sacred geographical locations, and
class and caste association. This article aims to present the transformation of the Sri
Lankan popular Sinhala Buddhist pantheon to a universal Buddhist pantheon in post-war
Sri Lanka. The Mahamevnawa monastic movement as a recent popular, innovative and
radical Buddhist movement departs from the popular Sinhala Buddhist pantheon, and
presents a universal Buddhist pantheon that is based on the Buddhist sacred text the
Tripitakaya. Unlike the deities of the popular Sinhala Buddhist pantheon, the deities of
the universal Buddhist pantheon are not restricted to any particular geographical or
sacred location which presents a radical departure from Sri Lankan ancient feudal social
structure to a more modern and larger upward social mobility-based Sinhala Buddhists
social order. This paper argues that the universal Buddhist pantheon is a result of
Buddhist purifying processes, nationalist orientation and the impact of the social
composition of the Mahamevnawa monastic movement in post-war Sri Lanka.
