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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Mihintale : The centre of Poson festivities
The Poson Festival, which will commence on the Poson Full Moon Poya Day on June 21, commemorates the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka during the third century BC. Although religious activities are held on a grand scale throughout the country during Poson, the place to be in is Mihintale. It was in this ancient city close to Anuradhapura that King Devanampiyatissa (247 - 207BC) was converted to Buddhism by Arahat Mahinda Thera, the son of India's Emperor Asoka, in 247 BC. As the king was hunting deer in the wilderness around Mihintale, then known as Missaka Mountain, Mahinda Thera, accompanied by the Theras Itthiya, Uttiya, Sambala and Bhaddasala, Sumana Samanera and the layman, Bhanduka Upasaka, appeared before the king. Mahinda Thera asked him a riddle about mango trees. After the king had answered the riddle, he converted to Buddhism and declared it the state religion. Thus, Poson commemorates the anniversary of the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
Mahinda Thera made Mihintale the centre of his religious activities. The king placed at his disposal a part of his royal park and built preaching halls and alms halls, which in time gave rise to the Maha Vihara, the monastery which became famous throughout the world as a centre of Theravada Buddhist learning. The king constructed 1840 steps from the foot of the hill up to the rocky pinnacle where he first encountered the monks, and this stone stairway had been described by the English writer Mitton as a "Stairway to Heaven". Devanampiyatissa converted all the cave-like structures in the mountain as dwelling places for the monks. The whole area of Mihintale became an abode of the Bhikkhus.King Devanampiyatissa reigned for 40 years. Today, Mihintale is one of the most sacred sites in Sri Lanka, comprising many important religious structures including the great Meditation Rock, and some large statues of the Buddha. The ancient monastery contains some important relics said to be from the body of Mahinda Thera, and even some of the Buddha himself. During the month of June, thousands of devotees climb the steps of Mihintale to pay their respects to Arahat Mahinda.
The Mihintale complex boasts five stupas. The Maha Thupa is said to be the repository of a hair relic of the Buddha, the uma roma that grew between his eyebrows, signifying that he was a Maha purusha or great being. The Ambastale Chetiya comes under a special group of circular stupas called vatadages, of which there are only 10 in Sri Lanka. The Kantaka Chetiya has some of the earliest sculptures which can be seen on the vahalkadas. The Mihindu Seya, after restoration, was found to contain the ashes and some bone fragments of Mahinda Thera. The Indikatuseya, which is so named because it's a needle or date-thorn shaped stupa, contained relics known as the Dhamma Dhatu. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House) has been conducting the Aloka Pooja, which illuminated Mihintale during Poson, since 1963. **** The riddle Before preaching the Dhamma to King Devanampiyatissa, Arahat Mahinda posed a riddle to the King to gauge his intelligence. Pointing to a nearby tree, the saint asked what the tree was. The king replied, "It is a mango tree". "And are there other mango trees besides this?" asked the Thera. "There are many other mango trees," replied Devanampiyatissa. "Are there any other trees besides this mango tree and other mango trees," the Thera asked. "Indeed, there are many other trees besides mango trees," replied the king. "And are there, besides these mango trees and those which are not mango trees, any other trees," the Thera asked the king, who replied, "There is this mango tree". Mahinda Thera was pleased with the king's answer and realised he is intelligent enough to understand the Dhamma. |
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