ABSTRACT
There is a myth in Sinhala society that the Sinhala people are the product of a union between a human princess and a lion. Lion imagery is common throughout the island and the lion has become a symbol of the Sinhala ethnicity. King Kashyapa moved his capital to Sigiriya which means 'Lion's Rock'. The cow represents, for many Sinhala Buddhists, the nurturing and love expressed by one's own mother. The Asokan rock edicts are the main source for claims that Asoka was a good Buddhist king who instituted state policies that legislated for animal protection. Indian vegetarianism and animal welfarism is influential in the development of Sinhala Buddhist attitudes towards these issues. In considering animal welfare in Sri Lanka, and therefore its food ethics, it is vital that the antecedent ancient Indian traditions are also examined. Sinhala Buddhists often look to ancient India for moral guidance primarily because the Buddha himself had his origins in India.
