notes - Buddhism in Sri Lanka
A Short History
by
H.R. Perera
Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in 236 b.e. (cir. 250 BCE) and
became the national religion of the Sinhalese from that date. The story of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka over the past two millennia has been a story of rise and
fall and yet Sri Lanka has been a stronghold of the Buddhist faith from the
beginning of its introduction to the island.
Note: Due to the nature of this book, namely a
historical account based on scripture, this summary follows the structure of
the chapters and also a lot of quotes are taken directly from the text for the
summary.
“Emperor Asoka was
crowned, according to the chronicles, in the year 218 of the Buddhist era
(i.e., 268 BCE). Like his father Bindusaara and grandfather Candragupta, Asoka
was a follower of the brahmanical faith at the beginning of his reign. In the
early years of his reign he followed an expansionist policy and in the eighth
year of his coronation he conquered Kaalinga, in the course of which 100,000
were slain and 150,000 taken prisoners. But the carnage of the Kaalinga war
caused him much grief and the king was attracted towards the humanistic
teachings of Buddhism. According to the Sri Lanka chronicles, it was a young
novice named Nigrodha who converted Asoka.” This brief summary of the history
of Asoka is the official version of what Buddhists believe, yet it is important
to note that Asoka was indeed a historical figure and that he did promote
Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
After the conversion
of Emperor Asoka, Buddhism flourished under his patronage. The first version of
the canon was unified and written. “ The Third Buddhist Council [was held] under
the patronage of King Asoka in order to purify the Buddhist religion (Saasana).
It was at this Council held by a thousand theras (elders) under the leadership
of Moggaliputta Tissa, at Paataliputta, that the Pali Canon of the Theravaada,
as it exists today, was finally redacted.” Emperor Asoka build 84,000 stupas as
legend has it. He did provide for the needs of the monks and it was after he
came into power that Buddhism became a widely accepted religion in India and
other parts of Asia. “The king even permitted his son Mahinda and daughter
Sanghamittaa to join the Order when they were twenty and eighteen years of age
respectively. These two illustrious disciples became noted for their piety,
attainments, learning and profound knowledge of the Dhamma.” It was his son and
daughter that brought Buddhism to the island of Sri Lanka.
Asoka’s son, Mahinda,
who had joined the sanga undertook the mission to bring Buddhism to Sri Lanka
at 32 years of age.He waited until Mutasiva, the old ruler died, and his son Devaanampiya
Tissa had become king. “The first thing that Devaanampiya Tissa did when he
became king was to send envoys to Asoka, bearing costly presents. The envoys,
when they returned, brought among other things the following message from
Asoka:
"Aha.m Buddhañ
ca Dhammañ ca Sanghañ ca sara.na.mgato upaasakatta.m vedesi.m Saakyaputtassa
saasane tvamp'imaani ratanaani uttamaani naruttama citta.m pasaadayitvaana
saddhaaya sara.na.m bhaja."
"I
have taken refuge in the Buddha, his Doctrine and his Order, I have declared
myself a lay-disciple in the religion of the Saakya son; seek then, O best of
men, refuge in these best of gems, converting your mind with believing
heart."
Thus on the full-moon
day of the month of Jettha in the year 236 b.e. (i.e., 250 BCE) Mahinda and his
companions, eight miles east of Anuraadhapura met the king. ‘The first meeting
of the king of Lanka and the thera Mahinda is described in the chronicles of
Sri Lanka. […] [When the king] saw the theras with shaven heads dressed in
yellow robes, of dignified mien and distinguished appearance, who faced him and
addressed him not as ordinary men addressing a king but as those to whom a king
was their inferior. […] Mahinda Thera in
reply to the king's inquiry as to who they were and whence they had come, said:
"Sama.naa maya.m
Mahaaraaja Dhammaraajassa saavakaa tav'eva anukampaaya Jambudiipaa
idhaagataa."
"We
are the disciples of the Lord of the Dhamma. In compassion towards you,
Mahaaraaja, We have come here from India."
When he heard these words of the thera, the king laid aside his
bow and arrow[…]. Mahinda then had a conversation with the king, and realizing
that the king was intelligent enough to comprehend the Dhamma, preached the Cuulahatthipadopama Sutta. At the end of the discourse the king and his retinue of
forty thousand people embraced the new faith. “
Mahinda and the other
theras arrived at the palace, were received with great honors and hospitality
and started preaching to the king the Devaduuta Sutta (Majjhima Nikaaya, No.
130). To accommodate the large crowdm seats were prepared for the theras in the
Nandana-garden in the royal park, where Mahinda preached the Baalapandita
Sutta, (Majjhima Nikaaya, No. 129).[…] “The king, who wished them to stay in
his capital, granted to the Sangha the royal park Mahaamegha for their
residence. The king himself marked the boundaries by plowing a furrow. Thus was
established the Mahaavihaara which became the earliest celebrated center of the
Buddhist religion.”
Because many women of
Sri Lanka, headed by Queen Anulaa, desired to enter the Order of disciples, Sanghamittaa,
the sister of Mahinda Thera, “who had entered the Order and had received
ordination, was sent out to Lanka at the request of the king and the people and
on the recommendation of Mahinda Thera.”
“Emperor Asoka decided
on sending a token of the Great and Enlightened One to the land of Lanka and
prepared a branch of the Sacred Bodhi Tree under which the Lord attained
enlightenment. He planted the branch in a golden vessel and, when it had taken
root, conveyed it to the ship, depositing it in the ship. He also sent a large
number of attendants to accompany the tree. The chronicles mention that these
were selected from the brahmans, nobles and householders and consisted of 64
families. Sanghamittaa Therii and her attendants embarked on the same ship as
well as the ambassadors and messengers who came from Lanka. […] This tree was
planted in the Mahaamegha garden of Anuraadhapura with great festivities and
tended with honor and care. Up to this date it flourishes as one of the most
sacred objects of veneration and worship for millions of Buddhists.”
“Arittha, the king's
nephew who had obtained the king's permission to enter the Order of monks on
his return from India, did so with five hundred other men and all became
arahants. With the ordination of Anulaa and the other women both the
Bhikkhu-saasana and the Bhikkhuni-saasana were established in the island.
Separate residences for monks and nuns were built by the king. The
Thuupaaraama-cetiya enshrining the right collar-bone and other bodily relics of
the Buddha was built, and the Sacred Bodhi Tree was planted for the devotion of
the laity. When these acts of religious devotion were accomplished, the king
asked Mahinda Thera whether the Saasana had been firmly established in the
island, to which the latter replied that it had only been planted but would
take firm root when a person born in Sri Lanka, of Sinhalese parents, studied
the Vinaya in Sri Lanka and expounded it in Sri Lanka. Arittha Thera had by
this time become noted for his piety and his learning and on an appointed day,
at a specially constructed preaching hall, in the presence of numerous theras,
the king and the chiefs, Arittha Thera was invited to give a discourse on the
Vinaya in the presence of the thera Mahaa Mahinda. And his exposition was so
correct and pleasing that there was great rejoicing as the condition required
for the firm establishment of the Saasana was fulfilled by him.”
“Devaanampiya Tissa
ruled in Sri Lanka for forty years. It was in the first year of his reign that
Buddhism was introduced and from that time the king worked for the progress of
the new faith with great zeal.” The king was a great supporter of Buddhism and
supported the introduction of Buddhism “Apart
from the Mahaavihaara, the Cetiyapabbatavihaara, the Thuuparaama and the Sacred
Bodhi Tree, he established numerous other monasteries and several Buddhist
monuments. The chronicles mention that he built monasteries a yojana from one
another. Among these monuments the Isurumuni-vihaara and the Vessagiri-vihaara
are important centers of worship to this day. He is also credited with the
construction of the Pathamaka-cetiya, the Jambukola-vihaara and the
Hatthaalhaka-vihaara, and the refectory.”
Thousands of men and
women joined the Order during his reign. […]The remarkable success of Mahinda's
mission and the rapid spread of the religion in a very short time were mainly
due to the efforts of Mahinda and the unbounded patronage of King Devaanampiya
Tissa. “Hundreds of thousands of men and women rose to high spiritual
attainments on hearing the new message and thus the Law of the Blessed One was
firmly established.”
“Both Mahinda and
Sanghamitta survived Devaanampiya Tissa. Mahinda lived to the age of 80 years
and Sanghamittaa to the age of 79 years.[…] They spent nearly 48 years in the island. The
hierarchy of the disciples was continued in pupilary succession. […] Arittha
Thera succeeded Mahinda Thera; he was in turn succeeded by Isidatta,
Kaalasumana, Diighanaama and Diighasumana.
After the death of
king Uttiiya, Tamil foreigners invaded and this slowed the progress of
Buddhism. It was a young prince from Maagama of the southeastern principality
of Ruhuna, named Abhaya, known as Dutthagaamani, who restored the religion of
Buddhism and the rule of the Singalese. Dutthagaamani reigned for twenty-four
years. The Ruvanveli-saaya, the most celebrated stupa in Sri Lanka, was his
greatest work, also he erected the Lohapaasaada, "the Brazen Palace" for
the use of the monks and Mirisaveti-daagaba was another of his works.
The Singhalese due to
the adoption of Buddhism early on abandoned the caste system. “The two
divisions of people merely appear to be those who had a fixed abode and those
who had no fixed abode. There were at this time no special caste divisions for
trades or occupations, for a householder or members of a family were, in
general, expected to engage themselves in one of the three occupations, as
traders, as artisans or as cultivators.” During this period of peace thousands
of men and women entered the Sangha and Buddhism flourished. “Some of the
vihaaras (monasteries) had thousands residing in them. There were also large
numbers who were practicing meditation in forests and rock caves. They were
well supported by the laity. There were four classes of disciples: the novices
(saamanera), bhikkhus (fully ordained), theras (elders) and mahaatheras (chief
elders.) There are no Sangharaajas (heads of the entire Sangha) mentioned in
any of the stories and no interference by kings or ministers in appointment or
in giving ranks to the members of the Order. The affairs of the Sangha were
managed by the monks themselves under well established rules of the Vinaya.”
“There appear to have
been large numbers of disciples who had attained to the state of arahant, i.e.,
saints who had gained emancipation. In addition practically every man or woman
was an upaasaka or upaasikaa, a devotee who regularly performed religious
duties. The bhikkhus lived in their vihaaras during the rainy season and at
other seasons traveled far and wide in the country, visiting villages, other
vihaaras, and as pilgrims worshipping at shrines. Both laymen and bhikkhus are
frequently mentioned as going on pilgrimages to Gayaa in India to worship at
the sacred Bodhi Tree there. These parties of pilgrims sometimes crossed over
to Southern India and walked all the way to Gayaa, taking about six months on
the journey; sometimes they went by sea and landed at Taamralipti at the mouth
of the Ganges and reached Gayaa in half the time.”
“The bhikkhus were the
instructors of the people. This was practically a duty. The Dhamma was
expounded individually on every occasion and sermons to congregations were also
held from time to time. “
“Women had a very high
status in society during this period. Practically in every strata of society
the position of women showed no distinction from that of men. They freely took
part in every activity of life and their influence is well marked. […] The
position of women is further seen from the fact that monogamy was a definite
institution. There is no mention of any other form of marriage. Women had
freedom to choose their husbands.”
“After the death of
King Dutthagaamani his younger brother Saddhaatissa ruled for eight years and
did a great deal for Buddhism. He was succeeded by his sons Thuulatthana,
Lanjatissa, Khallaata Naaga and Vattagaamani Abhaya, in succession.” In 98 BCE
starts the period of reign of Vattagaamani Abhaya, also known as Valagambahu, a
period of Tamil invasions and unrest and disastrous to Buddhism, especially
because of the famine in the country that caused many thousands of monks and
laymen to die of starvation. “The monasteries were deserted. The Mahaavihaara
of Anuraadhapura was completely abandoned and the Mahaathuupa was neglected.
Trees grew in the courtyards of vihaaras. 12,000 arahants from the
Tissamahaaraama and another 12,000 from the Cittalapabbata-vihaara passed away
in the forest due to lack of food. While thousands of monks died in the
country, many left the country and went to India.”
“As a result of the
death of most of the learned monks there was even the fear that some parts of
the scriptures would be lost. The Mahaaniddesa of the Sutta Pitaka, for
instance, was on the verge of being lost, for this text was known by only one
monk at that time. The monks, in their earnestness to preserve the teachings of
the Buddha, subsisted on roots and leaves of trees and recited the scriptures,
lest they should forget them. When they had the strength they sat down and
recited and when they could no longer keep their bodies erect they lay down and
continued their recitation. Thus they preserved the texts and the commentaries
until the misery was over.”
“After Vattagaamani
Abhaya regained the throne he demolished the monastery of a nigantha (Jain
ascetic) named Giri for having mocked him when he was fleeing. He built a
Buddhist monastery called the Abhayagiri-vihaara over it, which he presented to
a monk named Kupikkala Mahaa Tissa who had helped the king in his exile. Later,
the monks of the Mahaavihaara imposed the punishment of expulsion on Tissa on
the charge of improper contact with lay families. Tissa's pupil Bahalamassu
Tissa, who resented the punishment imposed upon his teacher, was likewise
expelled from the Mahaavihaara. He then went away with a following of five
hundred monks and lived at Abhayagiri-vihaara, refusing to return to the
Mahaavihaara. There was thus a group of monks who broke away from the
Mahaavihaara and lived separately in the Abhayagiri-vihaara, but they did not
yet disagree with each other either in the theory or the practice of the
Dhamma.”
“The actual schism occurred only when monks of the Vajjiputta
sect in India came to Sri Lanka and were received at the Abhayagiri, not long
after Tissa and his followers occupied that monastery. Tissa and his followers
liked the new monks and adopted their doctrines. Thenceforth they came to be
known as the Dhammaruci sect, after the name of the great Indian monk who was
the teacher of the newcomers to Abhayagiri. There was no official suppression
of the new sect, presumably because the king was in their favor, but the
Mahaavihaara monks opposed them as unorthodox and heretical. From this time the
Abhayagiri existed as a separate sect opposed to the Mahaavihaara.”
Theravada was
established in Sri Lanka at the time of EmperorAsoka by Mahinda Thera, “and
according to tradition and custom the various parts of the Tipitaka were
learned by the members of the Order, committed to memory, and preserved as oral
traditions.” Due to famines though monks would perish and these traditions were
lost. So the Sangha decided to commit the teachings in writing. “Thus the
members of the Order assembled at the Mahaavihaara at Anuraadhapura, took
counsel together, and with the permission and encouragement of the king a
convocation was held. The teachings were recited and scribes were engaged to
commit to writing, on palm leaves, the Pali canonical texts (the Tipitaka)
consisting of Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma, and the Sinhalese commentaries.”
This became the first book of the teachings of Buddha.
The school of the Vaitulyavaada,
was controlled by the king Vohaarika Tissa (214-36 a.c.) and suppressed yet it
reappeared a few years later, in the time of King Gothaabhaya (Meghavanna
Abhaya, (253-266 a.c.). Again they were suppressed and their books
destroyed. Yet the doctrine was firmly
established in South India.
“The struggle did not
end here, for the adherents of the new doctrine were firmly established in
South India and they planned to undermine the Mahaavihaara Nikaaya in Sri
Lanka. With this object a very learned monk by the name of Sanghamitra came to
Sri Lanka and obtained the post of tutor to the king's two sons. Sanghamitra
gained considerable influence over the young pupil, Mahaasena, and was able to
instil into him the new doctrine and make him a follower of his views. When Mahaasena
ascended the throne, the opportunity looked forward to by the Vaitulyans came.
The new king became a great supporter of his tutor and as such persecuted the
Mahaavihaara monks. The king, at the instigation of Sanghamitra Thera, ordered
that no one should give food to the monks of the Mahaavihaara. The
Mahaavihaara, as a result, had to be abandoned for nine years. The supporters
of Sanghamitra destroyed the buildings of the Mahaavihaara and carried away
their material to construct new buildings for the Abhayagiri-vihaara.”
“Two persons, a
minister and a queen, came forward this time to suppress Vaitulyavaada and save
the Mahaavihaara. The minister, Meghavannaabhaya by name, managed to persuade
the king to rebuild the Mahaavihaara. The queen caused Sanghamitra to be put to
death and burned the Vaitulya books.”
“In the reign of King
Aggabodhi I (575-608) a great monk and teacher named Jotipaala, coming from
India, so exposed the fallacies of the Vaitulya doctrines that in his day they
fell into disrepute and disappeared from Sri Lanka.”
From time to time new
unorthodox doctrines would come from India, yet they did not have a great
effect in the mainstream Buddhism. There is little mention of other heresies
from that time until the time of the Chola.
The schools of
Mahayana and tantra were considered heretical in Sri Lanka Theravaadin society.
“The Vajjiputra sect
is mentioned in the Sri Lanka chronicles as one of the groups that parted from
the Theriya Nikaaya after the Second Buddhist Council to form a new sect.
Buddhaghosa mentions in the Pali commentaries that the Vajjiputrakas held the
view that there is a persistent personal entity, which is opposed to the
accepted theory of anattaa of the Theravaada teachings. They
also believed that arahants may fall away from their attainment. […] The terms
Vaitulya, Vaipulya and Vaidalya are commonly used as a designation for
Mahaayaana suutras and hence the term Vaitulyavaada is used in the Sri Lanka
chronicles to denote Mahaayaanism in general without having a particular
Buddhist school in view.”
“The Vaitulyavaadins
were considered even more heretical than the Vajjiputrakas. The Pali
commentaries mention some of their heretical views. They held the view that the
Buddha, having been born in the Tusita heaven, lived there and never came down
to earth and it was only a created form that appeared among men. This created form
and Ānanda, who learned from it, preached the doctrine. They also held that
nothing whatever given to the Order bears fruit, for the Sangha, which in the
ultimate sense of the term meant only the path and fruitions, does not accept
anything. According to them any human pair may enter upon sexual intercourse by
mutual consent. The Diipava.msaused the term Vitandavaada in place
of Vaitulyavaada and the Pali commentaries mention them as holding unorthodox
views regarding the subtle points in the Dhamma, particularly the Abhidhamma.” Buddhaghosa refers to the Vaitulyavaadins as
Mahaasuññavaadins. The philosophy of the Mahaayaana as expounded by the great
Mahaayaana teacher Naagaarjuna was Suunyavaada. The book called Dharmadhaatu,
which was brought to Lanka in the reign of Silaakaala, is described in the
chronicles as a Vaitulyan book. A book named Dharmadhaatu was
known and held in high esteem in the tenth century in Lanka and it is quite
probable that this book was a Mahaayaanistic treatise dealing with the doctrine
of the three bodies of the Buddha found among the teachings of the Mahaayaana.
“Vaajiriyavaada was
introduced in the reign of King Sena I by a monk of the Vajraparvata Nikaaya.
Scholars have pointed out that the Vaajiriyavaadins are identical with the
Vajrayaanists, a school of Buddhism which flourished in eastern India about
this time and which was an exponent of the worst phases of Tantrism. The Nikaaya
Sangrahadescribes their writings as "secret teachings" and the Guudhavinaya,
i.e., the "secret Vinaya," is one of the compositions of the
Vajrayaanists.”
“The Nikaaya
Sangraha mentions that about this time the Ratnakuuta-suutra was
introduced to Sri Lanka. In the Chinese Canon the second of the seven classes
of the Mahaayaana-suutras is called the Ratnakuuta. The Niilapata-darsana,
which was also introduced about this time, was also an extreme form of
Tantrism. Blue has been a color often favored by Tantrists.”
One of the most
important Buddha relics in Sri Lanka is the Buddha Tooth relic, the left eye
tooth, that arrived around 311 AC during the time of King Sirimeghavanna, son
and successor of King Mahaasena. It has been a national treasure and protected
through the many invasions and attempts to destroy it over the centuries. The
temples that have been built to house the holy relic have been pillaged often.
Today it is enshrined in golden caskets in the Temple of the Tooth Relic
(Daladaa Maaligaawa) in Kandy.
“The Sacred Tooth
Relic was in the possession of King Guhasiva of Kaalinga before it was brought
to Sri Lanka. When he was about to be defeated in battle he entrusted it to his
daughter Hemamaalaa: Hemamaalaa with her husband Dantakumaara brought the Sacred
Tooth to Lanka and handed it over to King Sirimeghavanna at Anuraadhapura. From
this date the Sacred Tooth Relic became the care of the kings of Lanka, who
built special temples for it. During the many vicissitudes of the fortunes of
the kings of Lanka, the Sacred Relic was conveyed from place to place where the
fortunes of the king happened to take him. Replicas of the Sacred Tooth were
made at various times and were owned by princes claiming the throne. About the
year 1071 King Anawrahta (Anuruddha) of Burma sent various presents to King
Vijayabaahu I of Sri Lanka and in return received a duplicate of the Sacred
Tooth Relic, which he received with great veneration, and a shrine was built
for it in Burma.”
Buddhaghosa Thera came
to Sri Lanka in the reign of King Mahaanaama (410-432). “The story of
Buddhaghosa is given in detail both in the Mahaava.msa and the
Sinhalese works composed in later times. According to these sources Buddhaghosa
was a brahman youth who was born in the vicinity of Buddha Gayaa and became
well known as an exponent of Veda and philosophy. He was such a proficient
scholar that in his youth he was able to assert his knowledge among the great
scholars of the time. He traveled from place to place, from one seat of
learning to another, from one set of teachers to another, triumphantly
asserting his knowledge and scholarship. At a well-known Buddhist monastery at
Tamluk, he met Revata Mahaathera, one well versed in the doctrines and
philosophy of Buddhism. There he entered into discussions and found not a peer
but one superior to him in knowledge and understanding. This made him join the
Order of Buddhist monks as a pupil of Revata Mahaathera. At this vihaara he
studied Buddhist philosophy diligently and produced a treatise on Buddhism,
aa.nodaya; he also planned to compose commentaries on the Abhidhamma and
the suttas. His teacher at this stage advised him to go to Anuraadhapura before
undertaking this work, as he said that in Lanka were preserved not only the
Tipitaka, the teachings of the Buddha himself, but also the Sinhalese
commentaries and various expositions of the teachings which were very valuable
and of high repute.[…] Buddhaghosa Thera proceeded to Sri Lanka and stayed at
the Mahaapadhaanaghara of the Mahaavihaara. He then asked the monks at
Anuraadhapura for access to books for the compilation of commentaries. The
learned theras at Anuraadhapura tested his knowledge and ability by setting him
a thesis on which he compiled the well-knownVisuddhimagga. They were so
pleased with this work that he was given facilities for his projected work and
books were placed at his disposal for the preparation of Pali commmentaries.”
The Pitakas or the
teachings of the Buddha which were being handed down orally were committed to
writing in 397 b.e. (89 BCE) and the commentaries on these, composed in
Sinhalese, were also committed to writing at this time. The compilation of the
Pali Atthakathaa (commentaries) by Buddhaghosa Thera is an important event in
the annals of Sri Lanka. “The Mahaa (or Muula) Atthakathaa occupied the
foremost position among them while the Mahaa-paccari Atthakathaa and the
Kurundi Atthakathaa were also important. These three major works probably
contained exegetical material on all the three Pitakas. Apart from these there
were other works like the Sankhepatthakathaa, Vinayatthakathaa, Abhidhammatthakathaa
and separate commentaries on the four AAgamas or Nikaayas, namely, the Diigha
Nikaaya Atthakathaa, Majjhima Nikaaya Atthakathaa, Samyutta Nikaaya
Atthakathaa, and the Anguttara Nikaaya Atthakathaa. References to numerous
other sources like the Andhakatthakathaa, the aacariyaa (or Teachers), and the
Poraanaa (or Ancient Masters) are also found in Buddhaghosa's works.”
“Utilizing the copious
material of these commentaries and other sources, which sometimes contained
conflicting views and contradictory assertions, Buddhaghosa compiled his Pali
commentaries including all authoritative decisions, sometimes giving his own
views but leaving out unnecessary details and repetitions as well as irrelevant
matter. The first of such commentaries was the Samantapaasaadikaa on
the Vinaya Pitaka. The Kankhaavitaranii on the Paatimokkha of
the Vinaya Pitaka was compiled later. These books were followed by the
commentaries on the four Nikaayas, theSumangalavilaasinii on the
Diigha Nikaaya, the Papañca-suudanii on the Majjhima Nikaaya,
the Saaratthappakaasinii on the Samyutta Nikaaya, and theManorathapuura.nii on
the Anguttara Nikaaya. The Dhammapadaññhakathaa on the
Dhammapada, the Jaatakaññhakathaa on the Jaataka, and the Paramatthajotikaa on
the Khuddaka Nikaaya, are also ascribed to him. On the books of the Abhidhamma
Pitaka, Buddhaghosa compiled the Aññhasaalinii on the
Dhammasanganii, theSammohavinodanii on the Vibhanga, and the Pañcappakara.naññhakathaa on
the other five books.”
“The voluminous
literature which Buddhaghosa produced exists to this day and is the basis for
the explanation of many crucial points of Buddhist philosophy which without
them would have been unintelligible. His commentaries become all the more
important since the old Sinhalese commentaries gradually went out of vogue and
were completely lost after the tenth century. Buddhaghosa's activities gave an
impetus to the learning of Pali in Sri Lanka which resulted in the production
of many other Pali commentaries and other literary works, and also established
the pre-eminence of Sri Lanka as the home of Theravaada Buddhism.”
There are also two
other important works that were composed after the time of Buddhaghosa, the Diipava.msa and
the Mahaava.msa, the Sri Lanka chronicles or the Pali chronicles.
“The Diipava.msa consists
of 22 chapters. They contain accounts of the three visits of the Buddha to Sri
Lanka, the ancestry of the Buddha, the three Buddhist councils and the
different Buddhist schools which arose after the Second Council, the activities
of King Asoka, the colonization of Sri Lanka by Vijaya, his successors, the
introduction of Buddhism in the reign of King Devaanampiya Tissa and the
activities of his successors, especially Dutthagaamani, Vattagaamani and
Mahaasena. The narrative ends with the reign of Mahaasena (276-303).”
“The Mahaava.msa,
[…] was compiled by a thera named Mahaanaama either in the late fifth century
or the early sixth century a.c. It also covers the same period of history and
its material is drawn from the same sources as the Diipava.msa, but
it contains much more additional material presented in a better form.”
“These two chronicles
contain many myths and legends. Yet they are among the primary sources for the
reconstruction of the early history of Sri Lanka for they contain a great deal
of historical facts.The Mahaava.msa has been continued in
later times, at three stages, giving a connected history of the island up to
modern times. This continuation of the chronicle, which is in three parts, is
called the Cuulava.msa. The first part brings the history down to
the twelfth century, the second part to the fourteenth century and the third
part to modern times.”
In Sri Lanka there was
a long period of warfare and political instability from about the middle of the
fifth century a.c. until the third quarter of the eleventh century a.c. and
this dampened the progress of Buddhism in the island.
“Amidst this political
unrest and the resultant religious decline several events important in the
history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka occurred. In the reign of Moggallaana I
(495-512) the Sacred Hair Relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from
India and the king placed it in a crystal casket in an image house and held a
great festival. The writing of the Mahaava.msa by a
Mahaavihaara monk is ascribed to the reign of his successor Kumaara Dhaatusena
(512-520). In the reign of Silaakaala (522-535) the Mahaayaana book, the
Dharmadhaatu, was brought to Sri Lanka and in the reign of Aggabodhi I
(575-608) the monk Jotipaala defeats the Vaitulyavaadins in a public
controversy. Apart from these special events several rulers purified the
Saasana and repaired the old and neglected monasteries. They also encouraged
the recital of Dhamma.”
It was with the advent
in the year 1070 of King Vijayabaahu I who succeeded in defeating the Cholas
and becoming the king of Sri Lanka that Buddhism again found some favorable
ground.
King Paraakramabaahu
the Great (1153-1186) ascended the throne and his reign marked a period of
revival and purification of Buddhism.
Buddhaghosa Thera
compiled the Pali commentaries to many of the texts of the Tipitaka in the
early part of the fifth century. Buddhaghosa did not finish that task in his
lifetime, and others completed commentaries to the rest of the texts of the
Pali Canon. “Of these commentators Buddhadatta was a contemporary of
Buddhaghosa; Upasena and Mahaanaama flourished about the latter part of the
sixth century, and Dhammapaala about the latter part of the tenth century.”
“The commentator
Dhammapaala Thera compiled the commentaries to the Udaana, Itivuttaka,
Vimaanavatthu, Petavatthu, Theragaathaa, Theriigaathaa and Cariyaapitaka of the
Khuddaka Nikaaya; all these commentaries are known by the nameParamatthadiipanii:
Upasena Thera compiled the Saddhammappajjotikaa on the
Niddesa. Mahaanama Thera compiled the Saddhammappakaasinii on
the Patisambhidaamagga, and Buddhadatta Thera compiled the Madhuratthavilaasinii on
the Buddhava.msa.”
After the death of
Paraakramabaahu the Great there was a new period of unrest. Nissankamalla, who
reigned for nine years (1187-96) was a great benefactor of Buddhism. The
decades afterwards were very destructive to Buddhism and traditions, relics,
books, due to political unrest, warfare, foreign abusive rulers. Relics and
libraries were destroyed, monks and believers persecuted.
Paraakramabaahu II
ruled from Dambadeniya from 1236, a ruler of great learning, earned for himself
the title Kalikaala Sahitya Sarvajña Pandita. ‘He made efforts to restore the
Saasana by bringing over monks from the Chola country in South India and
holding a festival to admit monks to the higher ordination. He established
several monasteries and pirivenas and encouraged learning. The king also held a
great council of monks under the leadership of the great thera Aranyaka
Medhankara and purified the Saasana. Subsequently, like Paraakramabaahu I, he
formulated rules for the proper conduct of the monks, the code of these rules
being known by the name Dambadeni Katikaavata. At Palaabatgala he constructed a
great monastery for the hermit-monks who were full of virtue and were able to
undergo strict austerities. Two succeeding kings, Vijayabaahu IV (1270-72) and
Paraakramabaahu III (1287-93), took much interest in maintaining Buddhism and
consolidating the efforts of their predecessor.’
The religious revival
brought about by Paraakramabaahu II continued until about the fifteenth
century, though there was not much political stability in the country during
that period.
‘A large number of
Sinhalese works on religious subjects too belongs to this period. TheSaddharmaratnaavalii,
which narrates the stories of the Pali Dhammapadatthakathaa in Sinhalese, the Puujavalii which
relates the honor and offerings received by the Buddha, the Pansiya-panas-jaataka based
on the Pali Jaataka commentary, the SinhalaBodhiva.msa on the
history of the Bodhi Tree, the Elu-Attanagaluva.msa which is a
translation of the Pali work, the Saddharmaalankaara, based on the
Pali Rasavaahinii, the Guttilakaavyaya based on
the Guttila Jaataka, the Kaavyasekharaya, based on the Sattubhatta
Jaataka, the Budugu.naalankaaraya, which narrates the dispelling of
the calamity in Vesaali by the Buddha, and the Loveda-sangaraava,
containing religious instructions for the laity, are the standard works among
them.’
During this period of
Buddhist revival the reputation of the Sangha in Sri Lanka became so well
established that in the year 1476 King Dhammaceti of Burma decided to send
twenty-two selected bhikkhus to Lanka to obtain ordination and bring back to
Burma the traditions of Lanka. These deputations were received with due
ceremony and given a cordial reception by King Buvanekabaahu VI (1470-78), who
reigned at Kotte (Jayawardhanapura), six miles from Colombo.The minister
Raamaduuta with twenty bhikkhus and thirty-three pupils, duly ordained,
returned to Burma. The other minister, Citraduuta, and his party of bhikkhus
were shipwrecked and six of these bhikkhus met with their death. The remaining
ones reached their country.
‘In Burma King
Dhammaceti built an ordination hall, known as Kalyaani Siimaa, and the bhikkhus
ordained there went by the name of Kalyaaniva.msa. At a later period ordination
of this Nikaaya was carried to Siam from Burma. The connection with Burma at
this period has an important bearing on the fortunes of Buddhism in Sri Lanka,
for through these embassies the books that existed in Lanka were taken to
Burma, Siam and Cambodia and the Mahaavihaara Nikaaya was established in these
countries. This helped Lanka to reobtain the books and the ordination at a
subsequent period, when ordination had disappeared in the island and the books
were lost.’
The political
stability that was maintained by Paraakramabaahu II and his began to weaken by
the end of the fifteenth century. By that time Lanka had lost most of its
former glory, through constant attacks and economic problems. The Portuguese
landed in Lanka in 1505, when Vira Paraakramabaahu VIII (1484-1508) was ruling
at Kotte. They formed an alliance with the ruler and took a hold of the island.
It is one of the darkest period for the island. The Portuguese were not kind
and they attacked Buddhism in order to promote their own religion, Roman
Catholicism.
Another enemy of
Buddhism became King Raajasinha I (1581-1592), who was the son of Mayaadunne, a
brother of Bhuvenekabaahu VI. He killed his father in his quest for power and
when the Buddhist monks explained to him that his sin was too great to be
absolved, he turned his rage against them and Buddhism.
“In 1592, the year in
which Raajasinha died, a Sinhalese ruler, Vimala Dharmasuriya I, ascended the
throne of the hill capital, Kandy, and ruled for twelve years. Though he had
been educated by the Portuguese and was originally favored by them, the king
soon after his accession turned against them out of his love for the country
and the religion.”
“Vimala Dharmasuriya I
was a great patron of Buddhism of that time. After his wars with the Portuguese
he set his heart on repairing the damage done by Raajasinha. Several Buddhist
monuments were restored. Finding that there was hardly a single monk left in
the country who was properly ordained, Vimala Dharmasuriya sent an embassy to
the country of Arakan (now part of Burma) to obtain monks to restore ordination
in Sri Lanka. The mission was successful; several monks led by the elders
Nandicakka and Candavisaala came to Kandy and in the year 1597 an ordination
ceremony was held in the Udakukkhepa Siimaa at Getambe, near Kandy, many men of
noble families entering the Order on this occasion. The king also built a
storeyed pavilion and, bringing back the Sacred Tooth Relic from the
Delgamuvihaara where it was hidden, deposited it in the pavilion. The control
of Sri Paada was taken from the Saivites and handed over to the Buddhist monks.”
This was the beginning
of the recovery for Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Buddhism today flourishes in Sri
Lanka.
No comments:
Post a Comment