| Summary/Abstract |
The Theravadi Bhikku Kathikawath (Registration) Bill, presented to the parliament of Sri Lanka in January 2016, is a proposed framework for formulating codes of conduct for Buddhist monks. The bill marked an important moment in the politics of Buddhism, as it led to the emergence of competing views among lay and monastic groups over the question of who could introduce monastic reforms. The paper demonstrates that this effort at monastic reform encountered complexities when attempts were made to incorporate monastic jurisdiction into the state’s legal framework, which in turn led to the failure of the bill. Furthermore, monks from different monastic backgrounds called for deeper reforms of the religious environment itself and the monastic stratum that facilitated it.
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