Advent of Arahat Mahinda

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

This is the month of Poson. The advent of Arahath Mahinda during this month in history brought a religiously and politically regenerated Sri Lanka within the bounds of possibility. Buddhism, the supreme gift from Arahath Mahinda practically translated a tribal state into a well-organised, politically independent state.

Even King Devanampiyatissa did not stick religiously to Buddhism before the arrival of Mahinda Thera even though he had probably been open to Buddhist ideals.

However, the king had despatched a mission to King Asoka with an appeal to introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

King Devanampiyatissa further developed the city of Anuradhapura and fashioned an elegant park replete with ponds and trees laden with flowers and fruit. This was the Mahameuna Park.

Mechanism

The park added a more grandiose dimension to the city of Anuradhapura during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. Arahath Mahinda's preplanned encounter and his sharp dialogues with the king convinced. him that the King was very much with the intellectual level to grasp the value of Buddhism.

After listening to Chullahatti Padopama Sutra, King Devanampiyatissa developed a missionary zeal to embrace Buddhism and declare it as the State religion.

Thus, Arahath Mahinda's historic journey to Sri Lanka was a landmark event which marked the beginning of an advanced cultural and political mechanism in Sri Lanka.

Mahinda Thera was 32 years when he made the epoch-making journey to Sri Lanka. After 80 year's life time, he passed away at Mahintale and was cremated in the centre of city of Anuradhapura with the highest State honours. The overall importance of Arahath Mahinda lies in the high degree of political and religious stability achieved by Sri Lanka as a civilised country. Thus, he was the mastermind behind Sri Lankan culture.

Historical records prove that Mahinda Thera made preliminary arrangements to plan and develop the city of Anuradhapura as the focal point of Buddhism. It was the 'Mahavihara' launched by Mahinda Thera that subsequently became the most important centre of Buddhist heritage and Theravada Buddhism. Thus he was the chief architect of the blueprint to develop the city of Anuradhapura, the spring of Sri Lankan culture and politics.

Here, the original ideas possessed by Mahinda Thera about artistic planning of the city seem to have been inspired by great works of art that existed in India at the time. In planning stupas (Tuparama) and gardens of the city, he must have borrowed some concepts from 'Ashokarama' built by his father (King Asoka) and from Sanchis Stupa built by his mother.

Mahinda Thera strolled throughout the city with the king and indicated ideal places for erecting buildings and stupas associated with Mahaviharaya. Arhath Mahinda's journey to Sri Lanka opened up new dimensions for a new religion and introduced a new culture which was dignified one. He was thus the pioneer of a tradition of art which promoted architecture, literature and probably painting.

Atmosphere

Arahath Mahinda created a perfect atmosphere for a Sinhala literature written in contemporary Sinhala language. At the same time a new writing system based on Asoka's letters was introduced for the benefit of Sri Lankans.

The advent of Arahath Mahinda nourished the concept of supreme Kingship and politics of Sri Lanka. King Devanampiyatissa, under the counselling by Mahinda Thera, was ever more alert to expedite unprecedented improvements in social, economic, political and cultural aspects of Sri Lankan State.

King Devanampiyatissa brought about these improvements because he had unified Sri Lanka and was in full possession of political control. Arahath Mahinda's ideology about a just government must have impressed the king in his political administration of the country.

Through this mission, the ruler of neighbouring country (Asoka) must have kept king Tissa well alert to certain principles by which King Tissa maintained his political authority strongly in Sri Lanka.

The arrival of Arahath Mahinda not only brought about a revival of Buddhist atmosphere in the country but also schooled the ruler how to exercise his ultimate power and authority in a central government. But this ideal political power and authority was expected to be exploited solely for the benefit of people and for the upgradation of democracy. Arahath Mahinda's knowledge about this father's political administration was much more helpful in counselling King Devanampiyatissa about the political authority.

Moreover, Arahath Mahinda counselling must have guided King Devanampiyatissa in extending power to the remotest corner of the country and in winning complete support from the pubic. Thus Buddhist principles became the supreme symbol of the State.

From the beginning of the third century BC, (When the Buddhism was brought to Sri Lanka), the city of Anuradhapura achieved massive developmental success to last for the successive centuries. It was a significant city with a prominent political and economic stability among cities in South Asia.

During the historic periods that followed, various invasions drastically damaged all traditions associated with Arahath Mahinda's principles. Therefore, the successive rulers of Sri Lanka were compelled to inscribe declarations which spelled out the importance of Buddhist principles in political administration of Sri Lanka.

For instance, Robert Brownrigg, a Governor of Sri Lanka under British colonial rule, clearly identified that Sri Lankan politics were closely connected with Buddhist principles. In a special missive he sent to British colonial secretary, Robert Brownrigg claimed that there was a close link between the independence of Kandyan Kingdom and Buddhism.

This was the foundation laid strongly by Arahath Mahinda.

When he preached Chullahatti Padopama Sutra to the King. This encouraged the King to disseminate just principles and enrich the people's minds with right ideals before strengthening the political mechanism.

Thus, Arahath Mahinda is the pioneering spirit to have shaped Sri Lanka's cultural and political set up.