dvija varNa

[Raveen Satkurunathan]

On Sun, 18 Feb 2001 13:19:52 +0000, L.S.Cousins <selwyn at NTLWORLD.COM> wrote:

>Dear Lynken Ghose,
>

>
>What is also clear is that there were brahmins who were Buddhists
>throughout the known history of Buddhism in India. And subsequently
>in Ceylon and South-East Asia. Indeed, there still are.
>
>Lance Cousins
>--


As far as Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is concerned there is not a Single "true"
Brahmin Sinhala Buddhist except caste members such as the Salagama
(formerly Cinnamon Peelers) claiming to be Namboothiri Brahmins from
Kerala.

Historically too, Brahmins as a noticeable community amongst Sinhala Sri
Lankans (as opposed Tamil Sri Lankans who are mostly Hindus and still have
a sizeable number of Brahmins amongst them) as a caste seem to have
withered away at least 1,500 years ago.  Although there are few epigraphic
and literary evidence of one or two Brahmin notables most probably recent
arrivals from some parts of India serving the Kings as sooth Sayers and as
advisors.

The “evil Brahmana” is a topic of interest to the ‘conservative’ Buddhist
clergy in their daily discourses to the lay people. Somehow the anti
Tamilism of the clergy has also intertwined with the anti-Hinduism and anti-
 Brahmanism. Hence a story about a “evil Brahmana” is in effect a story
about the “bad Tamils” .

Raveen