Arahant Mahinda having discoursed the Dhamma to King
Devanampiyatissa and the members of the royal court and
marking specific locations of Buddhist strictures in the
Mahameghavanna Park gifted to him by the King, was asked
by the King, whether Buddhism had now taken root. His
reply was, ‘When a son of Sri Lanka enters the Order,
studies the Dhamma and preaches it Buddhism would take
root in Sri Lanka only then. Accordingly, Arahant
Mahinda proceeded to set up the Mahavihara, the Buddhist
educational institute, at Anuradhapura. Thus it was the
first Buddhist University in the world, while Buddhist
Universities like Nalanda, Taxila, Odantapuri etc. were
only of the 5th century AD, whereas Mahavihara was of
the 3rd century BC.
Mahavihara had three grades of studies, each covering a
period of five years and those qualifying became
‘bhanakas’ or reciters of specific sections of the
Tripitaka. There were allowances paid to each such
‘bhanaka’ and highest was paid to Abhidharma Bhanaka.
However, this Buddhist university was nursed by Arahant
Mahinda during the 48 years of his stay in the island.
In the following centuries the university faced certain
states of decline due to the actions of the Kings. The
university flourished right through the reign of
Devanampiya Tissa (307-267 BC). During the reign of
Dutthagamani (161-137 BC), the Chola invaders where
expelled after a 76-year rulership and the capital of
Anuradhapura was restored, the independence of the
country was again established. Magavihara became
functional again.
Mahavihara again produced great scholar monks. The reign
of Vattagamani (104-88 BC) saw his reign interrupted
after five months by rebellion of Brahaman Tissa,
famine, invasion and King’s exile. The bhikkhus of
Mahavihara sought refuge in Rohana (South Sri Lanka) and
South Indian places like Kanchipuram and Amravati in
Andhra Pradesh. The King regained power after 14 years
and Bhikkhus returned to Anuradhapura. The King founded
Abhayagiri a Monastery and Abhayagiri Monastery broke
away from the Mahavihara and became schismatic.
The bhikkhus of Mahavihara, committed the Tripitaka in
writing away from the capital Anuradhapura and also in a
place beyond the King’s rule, namely, ‘Alulena in
Mathulu Danavoya.’ Herein ‘Alu’ does not mean ashes but
‘aloka’ or light, in Sinhala ‘Alu-yama’ bright sector of
the day (morning). Alulena, is not at Aluvihara Matale,
which was in the kingdom of Anuradhapura, but at
Mawanella, which was an independent principality called
‘Satara-korale.’ This recording of the Tripitaka in
writing the Third Council to be held was under a local
chieftain’s patronage, as King Vattagamani was a patron
of Abhayagiri the rival institution to Mahavihara.
Abhayagiri was founded by this King. Abhayagiri
Monastery adopted the Dhammaruci Nikaya of the
Vajjiputtaka Sect of India, who held the Second Buddhist
Council at Vaishali, under the patronage of Kalasoka,
100 years after the demise of the Buddha. This council
resulted in the Buddhist Order breaking up to 18 sects
and finally dichotomizing into (Theravadi and Mahayana).
The later adopted Sanskrit and Theravada continued with
Pali, the original language in which the first Buddhist
Council was held at Sattaparni caves, Gajagaha (Bihar
State).
In the reign of Bhatikhabhaya (20 BC-09 AD) a dispute
arose between Mahavihara and Abhayagiri over Vinaya (Bhikkhu
Discipline) and Brahaman Dighakaryana adjudged in favour
of Mahavihara. King Khanirajanu (AD 30-33) punished 60
bhikkhus over treason. Thereafter, King Cajabahu 1,
(113-135 AD) supported the Abhayagiri and it was
enlarged by him. In the period of six years (135-215 AD)
six kings supported both the main monasteries.
This support was continued by King Voharika Tissa
(215-237 AD). Abhayagiri during this period adopted
Vetulya doctrine (Mahayana). The King being enraged
suppressed the Vetulya doctrines, their books were burnt
and heretic monks were disgraced in public. Mahavihara
was supported by King Gothabhaya (254-267 AD). Sixty
bhikkhus in Abhayagiri were banished by the King for
upholding Vetulya doctrine. There was also a secession
from Abhayagiri, and a new sect was formed. The Indian
bhikkhu Sanghamitta supported Abhayagiri. However, King
Jettha-Tissa (267-277 AD), favoured Mahavihara and
Sanghamitta fled to India. During the reign of Mahasena
(277-304 AD) Sanghamitta returned and was protected by
the King. The King persecuted bhikkhus of Mahavihara and
they were driven away from the capital Anuradhapura for
9 years and bhikkhus sought refuge in Rohana which was
an independent kingdom. Sanghamitta was assassinated.
The Mahavihara was restored and Vetulya and books were
burnt again. A dispute arose as regards the boundaries
of Mahavihara in relation to Abhayagiri and bhikkhus
went elsewhere over this dispute for 9 months.
The reign of Siri Meghavana (304-332 AD) was a golden
age in the annals of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Since the
introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century
BC, and the planting of the southern branch of the Sri
Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura by Theri Sanghamitta and the
planting of saplings of the Bodhi tree, first in the
ashram of Brahaman Tivanka in Jaffna Peninsula, and in
38 places in the island as recorded in the Bodhivamsa,
both monks, nuns and lay devotees of the island were
inspired to visit and venerate the original Sri Maha
Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya.
According to Rasavahini the route taken by Sri Lankans
to Buddha Gaya was as follows: from Anuradhapura to
Kottapattana (Sadharmalankara calls it Mavatu-patungama)
namely Jambukolapattana, in Jaffna peninsula, now called
Sambalthurai, the main port of entry to Sri Lanka from
India 4 months from Kottapattana to the Indian shore (paratira
by sea 2 months), 2 months from there to Buddha Gaya by
land walking 4 months, as there were no public transport
systems and only caravans loaded with merchandise of
Vaishya - Setti (wealthy merchants and bankers) who
moved about on the roads that connected all cities in
the Gangetic plains, to central and western and southern
sectors of India.
During the reign of Siri Meghavanna, as recorded in a
Chinese report and in Culavagga, a group of bhikkhus,
had proceeded, through this arduous route taking nearly
10 to 11 months of travel to venerate the Sri Maha Bodhi
at Buddha Gaya. On their arrival, they were refused
accommodation in existing Sangharamas at Buddha Gaya. On
their return, having complained to the King Siri
Meghavanna, the King sent a mission of envoys with gifts
of gems and jewellery to the Emperor Samudragupta of
India and sought permission to build a Sangharama
especially for the Sinhala devotees including bhikkhus.
This was granted and Siri Meghavanna had a four-storeyed
Sangharama built at Buddha Gaya.
The building of this Sinhala Sangharamaya, is recorded
in a fairly long inscription on the stone railing of
Buddha Gaya, in Brahmi script of the Gupta period, which
inscription concludes with - ‘Srimat maha Bauddho
Sinhala Sanyas Sadaye setaan - meaning built for the
Sinhala Maha Sangha. Further, there are four more
inscriptions on the same surface, in the same script
giving the names of Sinhala devotees or bhikkhus who
visited Buddha Gaya, viz., ‘Siha deepejanminava’;
‘Sinhala deepaya Rudradeva’; ‘Sirimata Gangadeva Sihala
Deepa Janmina’; ‘Guttena Siihala deepa Janminaa.’
Herein Sri Lanka is called Sihadeepa or Siihala Deepa
and not Sri Lanka. (In fact, there is a village in
Benares called Lanka, still existing called Lanka, where
Ravana is supposed to have ruled and another village in
Nepal, in the neighbourhood of Lumbini called ‘Lankapur.’
Thus ‘Lanka’ in Indian languages meaning ‘beautiful’,
was given to the island, replacing the old name of
Sihaladeepaya or Heladeepaya, the latter name in Tamil
of South India came to be pronounced as Helam, and later
‘Eelam’ which means a corrupted form of the earlier name
Sihala or Sinhala deepa. The second notable event in the
reign of King Sri Meghavanna was the bringing of the
left Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha from Kalinga
(Modern Orissa) Dantapura built by King Brahamadatta who
was brought and given the Sacred Tooth Relic from
Kusinara, funeral pyre of Lord Buddha in the 6th century
by one Khema and the King naming his new capital
Dantapura. Kalinga was devastated by King Asoka in his
eighth regnal year and thereafter too there were bitter
feuds between regional Kings to take over the entire
Kalinga land.
අමාවක
පුර අටවක
පසෙලාස්වක
අව
අටවක