They came, they saw, they wrote

Attracting global travellers is no tantalising trend in the saga of our island lying in the nexus of sea routes connecting the East and the West. Some just passed by and others were fascinated by the island and stayed on to pen their travel tales.

As time went on, the number of these travelling scribes increased. But those who underwent much travail and trauma to reach our shores when sea and land travel were equally hazardous deserve to be made immortal through pen and paper. Our own historical researchers such as H.A.J. Hulugalla have taken the trouble to list them labelling them the early travellers.

Among the early travellers who qualify for the above title stands out Fa-Hsien, not only time-wise but even as regards the momentum of the mission for he was in search of Dhamma texts. But this did not preclude him from day-to-day observations of the land. He even notes the lasses drawing water.

Fabrications

He was a writer famed for recording what he actually saw as an alternative to fabrications and he was yet a Shakyaputra. That title he earned, not here but in his homeland of China of the 4th century around 399 - 414 AD when Buddhism had begun to flourish in the mainland. He is well-known among us as the Chinese pilgrim who has touched popular imagination too by a rock in Bulathsinhala area named after him.

Though legends ascribe a visit by him to this area from Anuradhapura, scholars have qualms about it as this pilgrim traveller had stayed in the main city then, only for two years and that too absorbed in collecting texts on Theravada Buddhism. His chief haunt had been the Mahavihara, the centre of learning then.

A trip from China to Lanka is nothing to write on, these days. But this was the 4th century AD and his intended destination was at first India from where he planned to procure texts on Hinayana or Theravada Buddhism.

One can only imagine the hazards he faced as he crossed the Himalayan range and such inhospitable areas as the Gobi desert, all for a very salutary and noble cause. He had landed in India through the gateway of Kashmere. With his retinue, for 10 years he had then wandered through the territories connected to Buddha’s life.

Episodes

The city of Kapilavasthu, connected to birth and youth of Siddartha, according to this traveller had become denuded of thronging population and was home to only about 10 families. He also travelled to Gaya (Buddhagaya) and Benaris, resonating of the Buddha's life episodes and then on to Pataliputra, now Patna, where he studied Sanskrit and monastic codes.

Using river transport he reached the port of Tamluk where he studied Buddhist Suttas and transformed into visuals all what he saw and heard. But his mission was not yet complete and he had a hankering to sail to the island of Ceylon to complete his Buddhist studies. So he set sail here from Tamluk port with the aid of a large merchant ship drifting in the Arabic and Indian oceans. From Tamluk port to a port in the island the distance is reckoned as 700 Yodun (approximately 16 miles).

His final terminus was Anuradhapura, the capital and main city, political and religious wise. The accounts he has given of this city are very elaborate and also credible. His travel tales that have been translated into many languages bespeak a very prosperous city that attracted traders from all parts of the world and this is still the 4th century AD.

The Abhayagiri Dagoba and vihara where dwelt 5,000 monks earns his attention most. The exquisite jade silicate Buddha statue here radiating an emerald sheen had attracted many visitors.

It is now 12 years since leaving China’s shores and he seems to have been forsaken by his team who probably did not have his stamina to wander about in this adventurous style.

Stamina

Twelve years had passed since his exit from China. Perhaps he had come to be sensitive about his solitude that when he saw a Chinese pilgrim in the hallowed place offering a Chinese silk fan to the jade statue he begins to cry. He writes with gushing sentimentally, ”the sight of another Chinese so far away made me cry”.

Fa-Hsien

Right from the start he was very observant of his surroundings and notes the prosperity of the city’s traders who lived in mansions. The Sri Maha Bodhi as early as 400 AD., according to him, had assumed a precarious posture and arches had been put up to strengthen it.

The contemporary citizenry showed signs of extreme piety and congregated on special days to listen to exhortations by the Bhikkhus.

Wherever roads criss-cross, sacred edifices were constructed.

The Sacred Tooth Relic brought to the island about a 100 years back during the reign of Sri Megavanna also had assumed a revered place equal to the Sri Maha Bodhi.

No rebellion or famine disrupted the well being of the people except for acts of avarice by the rulers when they acquire property owned by the ecclesiastical bodies.

However, the king was the patron of religion and also went on to patronise agriculture by taking part in all ceremonies connected to this sphere.

Gold hewn implements were used then. Fa-Hsien's real motive in coming to the island was to collect all the texts connected to Hinayana Buddhism, a feat that he could not accomplish to the full while in India.

He assiduously set about this task and acquired Sanskrit copies of the Dhamma and set sail home to experience more adventures when strong gales began to rip the ship.

Prayers

Fa-Hsien let all his worldly possessions drift in the oceanic maelstrom but stuck to his Dhamma books praying to the gods to preserve them. His prayers seem to have been answered despite opposition by certain sections of the passengers who found his behaviour and frequent prayers irritable.

Back he came safely to China having fulfilled his mission.

“He spent one whole year travelling to Central India from Wang (in China). Later he visited nearly 30 land units. It was a mission, noble and very fruitful and very holy”. Fa-Hsien no doubt referred here to his mission of collecting the Dhamma texts. But he has a surprising bit of news to give at the end.

“Exhaustive indeed were the turmoil gone through in this voyage but the monks back home were not at all interested in my travel accounts!” Some sources, however, refer to royal acknowledgement of his travels and works.

Fa-Hsien was followed to the island by Cosmos, Marco Polo, Marignolli, Ibn Batuta, Ching-Ho, Varthima, Spilbergen, Boschower, Ribeiro, Knox, De Lanerolle, Sweitzer, Pybus, Cleghorn and Doyly.

The circumstances that propelled each of them belonging to varied nationalities to land here are different but they are distinguished by this description, “They came, they saw and they wrote”.