Source – AI Overview

The ancient Sinhalese people were known as the ‘Aryavamsa’ (Noble Race) by neighboring countries due to their high moral standards, especially their unique tradition of compassion towards animals, largely inspired by Buddhist principles. 

Sri Lanka led the world on moral leadership in ancient times. It was the world’s leading country on Animal Rights.

Compassion and Moral Leadership

Ancient Sri Lankan society, guided by the Buddhist tenets of metta (loving-kindness) and karuna (compassion) toward all sentient beings, incorporated animal welfare into state policy and moral conduct. 

• Royal Decrees and Inscriptions: Following the introduction of Buddhism by Arahant Mahinda in the 3rd century BCE, King Devanampiyatissa was counseled that “the birds of the air and the beasts have as equal a right to live and move about in any part of this land as thou. The land belongs to the people and thou art only the guardian of it”. This ethic led to the establishment of some of the world’s earliest animal sanctuaries and reserves, with rock inscriptions bearing witness to the state’s responsibility for animal health and protection.
• Moral Governance: Chronicles like the Mahavamsa recount stories of rulers who exemplified this compassion. King Buddhadasa (4th century CE) was a skilled physician who established hospitals for both humans and animals, showing “compassion for animals like a father to his sons”.  This is one of the earliest examples of institutionalized veterinary care in the world.
• King Elara, known for his commitment to justice, is said to have executed his own son for accidentally killing a calf, demonstrating the value placed on animal life.
• Buddhism’s Influence: The Dhammapada states that a person who has “laid aside the cudgel that injures any creature whether moving or still” is called an Arya (noble person). This moral ideal was a cornerstone of personal and national identity. 

Historical sources, primarily the Mahavamsa and Culavamsa chronicles, extensively document a strong tradition of animal welfare in ancient Sri Lanka, which was a core aspect of the society’s moral leadership. 

• Royal Decrees: Several ancient kings implemented laws and decrees ensuring the safety and preservation of life for all creatures, on land and water. Animal Sacrifice was banned in Sri Lanka.
• The Buddha

outspokenly condemned animal sacrifice as a “huge, violent sacrifice” that yields no great fruit. He advocated for non-violent, compassionate treatment of all sentient beings based on the principle of ahimsa (non-violence). 

• Here are key quotes and teachings attributed to the Buddha regarding animal sacrifice and general animal welfare:

Condemnation of Animal Sacrifice

The Buddha directly critiqued the elaborate and violent sacrificial rituals of his time, as recorded in various texts, including the Sutta Pitaka: 

• “Horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, the sacrifices of the ‘stick-casting’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unbarred’—these huge violent sacrifices yield no great fruit.“
• “The great sages of good conduct don’t attend sacrifices where goats, sheep, cattle and various creatures are killed.“
• He encouraged a “non-violent sacrifice” that involves giving alms and fostering a good family tradition, which is truly abundant and even pleases deities.
• When a man was preparing an animal for sacrifice to please the gods, the Buddha is said to have offered his own life instead, demonstrating that if a life was required, a human one would be considered more valuable, shaming the man into abandoning the practice.

Compassion and Non-Violence

The core of Buddhist ethics on this matter stems from the first precept: to refrain from taking life (Pāṇātipātā Veramaṇī). The Buddha taught that all beings fear death and pain and desire happiness, just as humans do. 

• “All living beings are afraid of the stick, All living beings fear death. Comparing oneself to others, Don’t hurt or cause another.“
• “When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble.“
• “And so, with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings.“
• “If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.” 

Rebirth and Karma

Buddhism emphasizes the spiritual interconnection between humans and animals through the cycle of samsara (rebirth), which further discourages harm. 

• “There are no beings who have not been one’s mother, who have not been one’s sister through generations of wandering in beginningless and endless saṃsāra… one’s own flesh and the flesh of another are a single flesh, so Buddhas do not eat meat.” (Lankavatara Sutra, Mahāyāna text)
• He taught that someone seeking happiness through torturing another being will not find happiness in this life or the next, according to the law of karma. 

These teachings clearly demonstrate the Buddha’s strong stance against any form of harm or killing of animals, particularly for ritualistic purposes. 

” Buddhism ought to be an animal rights religion par excellence.  It teaches the unity of all life.  It has long held that all life forms are sacred and considers kindness and compassion the highest virtues”.

Norm Phelps

The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights. Lantern Books, New York, 2004. 240 pages. 

https://archive.org/details/greatcompassionb0000phel

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51646.The_Great_Compassion

The glory of the Sinhalese of Ancient Lanka

Sinhalese are an endangered nation.

http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/ancient-glory.html

www.mysrilankaholidays.com

Source – AI Overview