ABSTRACT
The methodological assumption involves the usefulness of surveys and statistical studies of Sri Lanka. The pivotal role played by the Sri Lankan sangha in the 1956 elections is widely accepted today, due to the seminal study by W. Howard Wriggins. The data for the report on the attitudes of Sri Lankan monks on ethnicity and nationalism were gathered from September 1983 to February 1984. Two-fifths are members of the Siyam Nikaya, based in Kandy, the largest, oldest and most prestigious of Sri Lanka's three monastic fraternities and open only to young men from high-caste families. The question about tourism reflects the 'popular wisdom' of the media and politicians in contemporary Sri Lanka. Only one women's issue, albeit a controversial one, was raised: whether the monk supports the reintroduction of the bhikkhuni sangha in Sri Lanka. The other was ideology, ecumenicalism, 'cultural insularity', and women's issues.
