The five senses paved the way for Daha Ata Sanniya

by Uswatte Liyanage Gunaratne

Until very recently, the western world was under the impression, that the cause for mental happiness is the enjoyment of carnal pleasure. But the Buddhist approach is different, that is - when the mind is healthy the body too is healthy.

The main cause for innumerable mental ailments is the unlimited desire of the senses and the body. When such mental diseases spread, body ailments too will occur. Some rituals cure mental sickness and that leads to the curing of physical sicknesses too.

Daha Ata Sanniya was a popular healing ritual prevailing in varous parts of Sri Lanka, specially, in the Southern and Western Provinces, until the mid twentieth century. There are various types of masks used for different rituals. Although there had been differences in the qualitative control of the original creation, it is still being performed in these areas. There is a demand for different types of masks used for the Daha Ata Sanni ritual dances, specially, among foreign tourists, as an artistic creation which has drawn their attraction. However, there are various opinions among the public regarding the ritual.

Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra, points out in his book. Sinhala Gemi Natakaya (Sinhala Folk Dance) that there is no influence of Buddhism on healing rituals in Sri Lanka. However, a deep study in this regard, will show that Buddhism has a say for ritual forms of dances for the healing ailments.

Healing

There is yet another way of explaining this traditional system. That is Daha Ata Sanniya is a traditional dance ritual, held to drive out demons which then drive out 18 types of disease, from the body. This is an extremely colourful and vibrant pagent.

The origin of this Shanthi Karma (blessing) took place in the times of our ancient kings and was performed mainly in the southern and western parts of the country.

According to the story, while King Sankapala was at war, his wife who was pregnant had a sudden craving for a certain variety of mango. As she was eating the mango her maid of honour too had wanted a piece of the fruit, but had been refused by the queen. Angry at this refusal, the maid cursed her and when the king returned after the war, told him that the queen had conceived out of wedlock.

The story was believed and the queen was sliced into two with a sword. The baby was born and ate off his mother and so, a devil was born.

As the story goes, led by this devil, 18 other devils were created and they in turn came to towns and cities and began to spread in the form of disease. It is to counter this type of sickness that the Daha Ata Sanniya originated. Daha Ata Sanniya is performed in two sections where the first part consisits of seven palis, while the second is performed as the 18 sannis.

It is an opinion so far prevailing that these demons are a very strong and powerful group of demons, in accordance with the well-known legend of Mahakola Yakka, which made residents of Visala maha Nuwara (great city of Visala) sick and also made them frightened. These demons were so powerful that even a mere glance was sufficient to make them sick. They spread the three fears, Viz:- famine, disease, and demons among the people.

Demons

All demons making the people sick are called to the stage by the charmer and due offerings are made to all demons and to Mahakola through the patient and the demons are made to go away leaving the patient safe. However, present day society does not believe that diseases are caused by demons, and can be cured by making sacrificial rituals.

However, on further investigation about this Daha Ata Sanniya it becomes clear that the source of these masks and the ritual performances has been the Girimananda Sutta found in Buddhist criptures.

Accordingly, it is possible to understand the meaning of how Daha Ata Sanniya was originally created.

The fact that it has been used as a curative method for mental ailments is clear. The exorcist generally believe that the appearance of ghosts (seeing fearful figures) hearing terrifying sounds, getting a foul smell continuously, affected by a greedy on-looker, touching sensation of a fearful ghost would cause deadly ailments.

These too, are the results of the activities of the five senses of the body getting afflicted with the mind. This makes it possible to give a more reliable interpretation to Daha Ata Sanniya leaving out the information provided by legend. It is also very clear that the background for naming of most of the eighteen sicknesses or Daha Ata Sanniya has been the Girimananda Sutta. According to the recodes available at the mask – museum in Ambalangoda.

These eighteen Sanni have been created and brought down with direct relation to the six sense organs, viz eye, ear, nose, tongue,body and mind. As a result of mental illnesses caused by never ending unlimited desires of the five sense organs, external sicknesses may occur. By curing mental sicknesses, external sicknesses will also be cured. It is an accepted fact by Western Medical Science that 80 percent of sicknesses people suffer are mental sicknesses.

The Buddha has preached in Roga Sutta that every human being will be subject to a mental ailment. They are also subjected to five carnal desires, that is pancha – kama viz. Visual objects : Rupa (Rupa) Sabda (Sounds) Ganda (Smell) Rasa (Tastes) and Sparsha (Touch). These sicknesses can be very easily understood when compared with the details given in the Girimananda sutta. The relevant analysis would be as follows.

Treatment

Let us commence with the Deva Sanniya referred to as Utuparinamaja Abada in Girimananda Sutta, and in common usage as the illnesses caused by the Devas (deiyange Leda). It is the general belief that these sickensses get cured without any specific treatment but after a long resting period (These are ailments such as – mumps, measles and chicken pox like contagious diseases). The main cause for these ailments is said to be the seasonal climatic changes taking place.

Daha Ata Sanniya can be counted as an Indian origination, when connected with details contain in the Girimananda Sutta in Buddhism.

Vatha Samutthana Abada (Watha Sanniya) Piththa Samauthana Abada (Pith Sanniya) Semma Samuthana Abada (Kapala Sanniya) and Sannipathika Abada (Naga Sanniya) are sicknesses caused by arousing of the imbalance of the three ills of the human body viz gas, phlegm and bile.

Our Medical system recognises that many a sicknesses could be caused by this. The Ayuveda medical system recognises that many sicknesses are caused by arousing of the three ills of the himan body – (thun dos).

This situation can be further analysed as the blindness of the mind, caused by the strong love or attachment towards an extremely lovable thing or a person.

According to Buddhist doctrine, this can be termed as blind love which can easily be overcome or suppressed by deep and patient thinking. Kana Sanniya gives the truth and value of real love as against blind love.

Healing dance

There is a healing dance ritual, known as Sanniyakuma and when it is being performed, the exorcist (Yakadura) brings to the stage thorough his dance a visually impaired demon but as explained in the original version of Daha Ata Sanniya, what should be presented as Kana Sanniya is not a visually impaired demon.

In present day performance of Kana Sanniya a demon with a mask with protruding pupil – less eyes present a dance together with the connected dialogue.

It is presented in the presence of the patient suffering from visual impairment. How can this visually impaired patient see this demon and derive relief, mentally or otherwise? Therefore, according to the original creation what Kana Sanniya does is not curing a visually impaired, but providing relief to a person who is mentally blind due to excessive greed for visual objectives (Rupe Thanha).

Similarly other illnesses also can be referred to as thus: Sicknesses connected with hearing (ear) as Sotha Roga (Bihiri Sanniya) illnesses associated with smell (nose) as Ghana Roga (Slesma Sanniya) illnesses associated with taste (tongue) as Givha Roga (Golu Sanniya) and illnesseses associated with touch (body) as Kaya Roga (Kola Sanniya) Thus:

Kana Sanniya - Ruponmadya (Mental Sickness on Seeing)
Bihiri Sanniya - Shabdonmadaya (Mental Sickness on Hearing)
Slesma Sanniya - Ghandonmadaya (Mental Sickness on Smell)
Golu Sanniya - Rasonmadaya (Mental Sickness on Taste)
Kola Sanniya - Kayonmadaya (Mental Sickness on Touch)

Sense organs

There are ailments connected to the five sense organs. They should therefore be analysed as bofore in the same way as Kana Sanniya was explained as connected to the five sense organs of the human body.

The increase of carnal offences in our society today can be attributed to this mentally degenerating condition of society.

There is a very appropriate “Jataka Story called Asathamantha Jataka among the Jataka Stories, that can be cited as an appropriate example to confirm the blindness of love arising from the five senses.

A teacher leading a very peaceful and pious life was teaching his students and also looking after his aged mother who was 120 years old. Among his students, there was one pupil who was also attending to the needs of his teacher’s mother, while doing his studies.

For a long time carnal desire takes place in the mother’s mind as a result of the touch of the youth’s body the fresh smell of his body, praising made by the youth and the tasty food given byhim. This ended in a disastrous manner. The old mother had taken action to kill her son, the teacher to make room for her to live with the young pupil according to her liking.

She has acted in this manner as she had suffered from Sabdonmada (Sound insanity) Ghandondaya (Smell insanity) Rasonmada (Taste insanity) Kamonmadaya (Carnal insanity) collectively due to the aforesaid mental sickness.

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