Courts, Constitutions and Karma

Although rarely acknowledged, Buddhist monastics are among the most important and active legal actors in Asia, operating sophisticated networks of courts and constitutions while also navigating and influencing the laws of their country. This book provides the first in-depth account of Buddhist monastic law and its intertwining with state law in Sri Lanka, from 1800 to the present. Rather than a top-down account of colliding 'systems,' Schonthal draws on years of archival, ethnographic and empirical research to offer grounded insights into how Buddhist monks, colonial officials and contemporary lawmakers balance Buddhist ideals and state-legal structures using practices of legal pluralism. Comparative in outlook and accessible in style, this book not only offers a portrait of Buddhist monastic law in action, it also provides new insights into how societies deal with multi-legality and why legal pluralism may lead to conflict in one setting and compromise in another.