Skip to content
Wellsprings

Anurādhapura

Anurādhapura, in north-central Sri Lanka, was the island's ancient royal capital and the seat of the Mahāvihāra, the great monastery that became the stronghold of orthodox Theravāda Buddhism. The fifth-century commentator Buddhaghosa worked at the Mahāvihāra there, where he composed the Visuddhimagga ('Path of Purification') and his Pāli commentaries.

12 most-discussed ideas

Teachers who lived here

Works composed here

Ideas shaped here

Concepts most frequently discussed in the works composed at Anurādhapura. Click any to trace the idea across time and place.