Poson, a spiritual heritage

By Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

“Buddha was the embodiment of all the virtues he preached. During his successful and eventful ministry of 45 years he translated all his words into action; and in no place did he give vent to any human frailty. The Buddha’s moral code is the most perfect which the world has ever known”
- Prof. Max Muller, German scholar.

The Poson season, rekindles spiritual fervour. In a way, religious zeal is much more pronounced during Poson than perhaps during the Vesak festival. Ubiquitous decorative displays, multi-hued pandals, narrating religious tales in alluring pictorial arrangements and the illuminated vistas, lead Vesak to an emphatic carnival atmosphere.

In the days of Poson, the focus seems to shift, at least minutely. Arrays of people in subdued white religious clothes, assemble and move around in well-disciplined throngs.

Pilgrimages and spiritual observances are more extensively indulged in than during Vesak. The religious masses are drawn to issues relating to the doctrine, the days of Poson with a perceptibly keener enthusiasm than in the Vesak season.

Special adoration

Although Vesak is the most predominant religious festival for any Buddhist community in Sri Lanka, Poson receives a special adoration, because of the memories associated with this specific period.

The historical celebration of a ruler of this country, experiencing a sudden spiritual transformation is deeply etched in the folk heritage of this land. And the deep appeal of this compelling episode in the evolution of the nation has enabled an unfading mythical halo to surround it.

The miraculous and spiritual aspects of the formal introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka have a way of exuding an undiminishing allure and freshness in spite of endless repetitions.

The mystery of the friendship between Emperor Dharmasoka and the ruler of Sri Lanka, Devanampiya Tissa, can never be fully fathomed.

What, in the first instance, persuaded Sri Lankan King Devanampiya Tissa to gift the precious treasures, that mysteriously appeared in this land, to his unseen friend Emperor Dharmasoka of India?

Reason

Then again, what really was the reason that prompted Emperor Asoka, to arrange a consecration of King Devanampiya Tissa.

Then comes the religious mission sent out by the Emperor to Sri Lanka. The Emperor directed an array of religious dignitaries to take the message of Buddhism to various mighty nations.

But the missionary group sent as his personal spiritual emissaries was largely a chosen few, dominated by the emperor’s closest kith and kin.

The mission was headed by his son Arahat Mahinda. Bhikkhu Sumana, the son of the emperor’s daughter Sanghamitta, was also included in the group of emissaries. The lay devotee Bhanduka, who also came along, was the emperor’s grandson.

This seems to deepen the mystery. The emperor sent along a group, made up of people near and near to him.

Mystery

But the mystery is not over yet.

Eventually he sent along his own daughter Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, bearing a sacred gift. This is a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree, in the shade of which ascetic Siddhartha achieved Supreme Enlightenment.

Ven. Bhikkhunis Sangamitta was accompanied by people skilled in a vast range of arts and crafts. These too were part of the emperor’s domestic retinue, who attended to various allotted tasks, rites and rituals.

The outcome of all this is an inescapable reality.

Heritage

The emperor endowed upon Sri Lanka a unique Buddhist heritage.

In the course of Sri Lanka’s long history, our rulers, safeguarded this heritage, imparting to it a royal dignity in addition to its high spiritual grandeur.

This Buddhist tradition, possesses events and personalities, that have a universal stature.

One specific ruler who made a tremendous contribution not only to Buddhism and to the cultural traditions linked to it, back to the totality human culture was King Valagamba (Vathagamini Abhaya). His rule had a double tenure. At first he reigned from 43 B.C. for a brief period.

In the segment of his reign from 29 to 17 BC he had the Sangha community of Sri Lanka to commit the teachings of the Buddha into writing.

This symbolises a grand event in the whole history of human culture.

This is an outcome of the institution of Buddhism to Sri Lanka, during the days of King Devanampiyatissa in a Poson season.

While, remembering that sacred Poson event, we must turn our unflagging attention to the need to safeguard the heritage of Poson. One specific move is to make a thorough study of the writing down of the oral tradition of the Buddha’s dispensatia.

As a noble Poson duty, Sri Lankan Buddhist leaders could persuade a group of scholars to make substantial and comprehensive study of the epic episode of the committing of the Buddha wow with writing here in Sri Lanka.

If this is not done urgently, a Sri Lankan event that adorned world culture, will totally fade from memory.