SriLanka, May 30 -- Across Sri Lanka during the Vesak season, roadside constructions appear almost overnight. Beneath temporary roofs decorated with lanterns and Buddhist flags, people are welcomed with rice, tea, milk-rice, or full meals. No payment is accepted. No questions are asked. Irrespective of background, everyone stands in the same queue. Travelers stop unexpectedly. Volunteers work through the night.

This is the dansala tradition - one of the most enduring public expressions of generosity found anywhere in the Buddhist world.

To many today, a dansala may appear to be simply a Vesak custom. Yet the roots of this practice run deep into the historical memory of Sri Lankan civilization and reflect an ancient Buddhist vision of pu...