Lanka, the thrice-blessed island

by Justice P.H.K. Kulatilaka

Studying for my University Entrance Examination in the bygone days I was mesmerised by the beauty of the Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Ceylon translated by Wihelm Geiger. I thought I must place before readers the description of the three visits of the Buddha to Sri Lanka as spoken to by its author Mahanama Thera.

Speaking about its authenticity Geiger says, 'Certainly the writers of the Ceylonese Chronicles could not go beyond the ideas determined by their age and social position and beheld the events of a past time in the mirror of a one sided tradition. This is clear from the remarkably objective stand point from which they judge even the moral foes of the Aryan race'.

Mahanama the learned Bhikkhu was well aware of the fact that the Buddha in attaining Enlightenment was possessed of clairvoyant supernormal vision which enabled him to remember his own past lives as well as of other beings, and dealing with the death and rebirth of beings and comprehending of things as they truly are. (Please see Ven. Narada's A Manual of Buddhism).

Speaking of the Buddha's three visits to Lanka the author invites the attention of the reader in the following terms; 'Attend ye now to this Mahavamsa...easy to understand and remember, arousing serene joy and emotion and handed down to us by tradition - [attend ye to it] while that ye call up serene joy and emotion in you at passages that awaken serene joy and emotion'. That is the typical approach of a bhikkhu inviting the attention of the devotees to listen to his sermon.

The first visit

It was on the Full Moon of Phussa in the ninth month of attainment of his Enlightenment, the Buddhahood that he 'himself set forth for the isle of Lanka to win Lanka for the faith'. He had perceived that the isle of Lanka will be the place where the Buddha's doctrine should 'shine in glory'. The Buddha also knew that the place was filled with Yakkhas and that they must be driven forth.

With his divine eye he perceived that on that day on the fair river bank the Mahweli River in the delightful Mahanaga garden which was a meeting place for the Yakkhas they were holding a gathering.

That was going to be the place where the future Mahiyangana stupa would come up. The Buddha embarked on his peaceful mission of freeing the isle of all the Yakkhas. The author describes the episode in the following terms. 'To this great gathering of the yakkhas went the Blessed One and there, in the midst of the assembly, hovering in the air over their heads, at the place of the future Mahiyangana thupa, he struck terror to their hearts by rain, storm, darkness and so forth'. The Yakkhas were terrified. They, overwhelmed by fear, humbly besought the Buddha to free them from terrors.

The Yakkhas agree to leave

On hearing them the Buddha pacified them saying, 'I will banish this fear and your distress, give ye here to me with one accord a place where I may sit down'. They replied 'We all, O lord, give you even the whole of our island. Give us relief from our fear'. Accordingly the Buddha had destroyed their terror, cold and darkness. They bestowed on Him a rug of skin and spread it wide for the Buddha to sit.

Thereafter, by his divine powers settled them in the pleasant Giridipa. According to Geiger the expression is simply that the Yakkhas were sent back to the highlands in the interior of the island . Thus the island of Lanka was freed from the Yakkhas. I have narrated this episode as it appears in the Chronicle.

Mahiyangana Stupa

At this juncture the Mahavamsa speaks of a large number of devas who gathered there taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and observing precepts. Amongst them was the deva prince Mahasumana of Sumanakuta mountains.

Having listened to the Buddha's sermon he 'had attained to the fruits of salvation'. Thereafter Mahasumana Deva begged of Him to give something to worship. The Master passing his hand over his head bestowed on him a 'handful of hair from his 'pure and blue-black locks'.

The deva received the blessed lock of hair in a splendid golden urn and laid it upon a heap of many coloured gems seven cubits round piled up at the place where Buddha had sat and covered them over with 'a thupa of sapphire and worshipped them'. Apparently that was the birth of Mahiyangana Thupa.

The Mahavamsa author had described the different stages how the dagaba developed from that beginning. When the Buddha passed away [ Parinibbana ] a Thera named Sarabhu a disciple of thera Sariputta by his miraculous powers received from the funeral pyre 'the collar bone of the Conqueror and brought it to Lanka and with the bhikkhus all around him and laid it in the same cetiya, covered it over with golden covered stones'.

The Thupa was raised to 12 cubits high.

Thereafter the son of King Devanampiyatissa's brother named Uddhaculabhaya saw the wondrous cetiya and covered it over and made it 30 cubits high.

Mantle cetiya

King Duthagamani dwelling there while he made war upon the Damilas built a mantle cetiya over it 80 cubits high. This was how Mahiyangana Dagaba came up.

Having completed the description of the Buddha's first visit to Lanka, the author pays tribute to Tathagatha in the following terms,

'When he had thus made our island a fit dwelling place for men, the mighty ruler valiant as are great heroes, departed for Uruwela in Jambudipa'.

The second visit

His second mission to Lanka was in the fifth year of his Buddhahood on the Uposatha day of the dark half of the month Citta.

Usually early in the morning the Buddha surveys the world with his divine eye to see whom he could help. He saw a war caused by a gem set throne was like to pass between the Nagas Mahodara and Chulodara, uncle and nephew.

The Buddha through compassion for the Nagas took his sacred alms bowl and his robes exercising his psychic powers proceeded to Nagadipa. The war between them for the splendid throne of jewels was threatening. Both had strong claims for it. Both Naga kings had been surrounded by their supporters.

The author describes how the Buddha made them to give up war and come to peace in the following terms 'Hovering there in the mid air above the battlefield the Master who drives away [spiritual] darkness, called forth dread darkness over the nagas. Then comforting those who were distressed by terror he again spread light abroad. When they saw the Buddha they joyfully did reverence to the Master's feet.

Then he preached the Vanquisher to them the doctrine that begets concord, and both Nagas gladly gave up the throne to the Sage....he had been refreshed with celestial food and drink by the Naga kings, he the Lord, established in the three refuges and in the moral precepts snake spirits, dwellers in the ocean and on the mainland'.

Among the Nagas who had come there was naga King Maniakkika who had been present at the Buddha's first coming to Mahiyangana and had already become established in the refuges and moral duties.

Maniakkika prayed to Thathgatha to visit Kalyani. He paid homage to the Buddha and prayed thus, 'O Master hadn't thou not appeared we had all been consumed to ashes. May thy compassion yet light also especially on me.

O thou who are rich in loving kindness, in that thou shall come yet again hither to my dwelling country..' The Thathagatha assented to this to the Manakkika's request by his silence. To commemorate his mission to Nagadippa a rajayatana tree was planted at the very spot as a sacred memorial. The Buddha gave over the precious throne seat with his blessings to the Naga kings for them to pay homage.

Mission

When this mission was completed the Thathagatha returned to Jetavana in Jambudipa.

There had been instances in Jumbudipa [India] itself where the Buddha had intervened to settle and bring peace to warring kings. War over the waters of River Rohini is a case in point. Two armies of Sakyan clan and Koliyan clan had assembled on either bank of River Rohini and war wae imminent.

The Buddha foresaw with his divine eye the dangers and consequences that would endanger the lives of the combatants went to the battle field all alone. The moment they saw the Buddha they put down their weapons and paid homage to him. He then preached to them the evil results of discord and the benefit of mutual harmony. It is said that 250 people from each side appealed to be ordained and were accepted as his followers.

The mission to Kalyani

The Naga King Maniakkika invited the Buddha who was living in Jetavana at the time to come to his dwelling in Kalyani along with the brotherhood.

The author describes the event as follows, 'In the eighth year after attaining Buddhahood he set forth surrounded by five hundred bhikkhus, on the second day of the beautiful month of Vesakha, at the full moon... when the hour of meal was announced forthwith putting on his robes and taking his alms bowl went to Kalyani country, the habitation of Maniakkika. Under a canopy decked with gems, raised upon the spot where [afterwards] Kalyani cetiya was built, he took his place together with the brotherhood of bhikkhus upon a precious throne seat].

Thereafter, greatly rejoicing Naga king with his followers served celestial food to the Buddha and the Sangha. After partaking with the noonday meal the Buddha preached the Dhamma to the vast gathering.

He then surveyed with his divine eye the other places in the island which needed his blessings. No doubt it was going to be a busy schedule ahead. He proceeded to the summit of Samanthakuta mountains and left ' the traces of his footsteps' there so that the devas and people could pay homage.

Meditation

After that he had spent the day as it pleased him at the foot of the mountain along with the brotherhood of bhikkhus.[ In fact the popular belief is that the Buddha had spent the day at a cave named Divaguhawa which is yet to be discovered].

Thereafter surrounded by the Sangha he proceeded to the place where later on Digavapi cetiya stood [in the Eastern Province] and sat there in meditation to consecrate the place.

Then keeping to his set schedule the Buddha with his retinue of bhikkhus proceeded to Mahamegha - vanarama park in Anuradhapura and seated at the place where the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi came up [afterwards] and spent some time in meditation.

The chronicle the Mahavamsa [Geiger's translation, Chapter 3rd print, Chapter xv] tells us that King Devnampiyatissa poured over the hands of thera Mahinda with the words ' This Mahamegha park do I give to the brotherhood'.

The author Bhikkhu Mahanama describes in detail how the Sacred Bodhi tree was brought to Lanka by Theri Sangamitta accompanied by eleven bhikkhunis. Thereafter, the Thathagatha sat in meditation accompanied by the brotherhood of bhikkhus at the place where during King Dutugamunu's reign the great Ruwanveliseya was built.

This episode had been described in great detail by the author. The next place of desecration was at the place where the Thuparama cetiya was built and then proceeded to the place Celachayitya was built.

At both places The Buddha sat in meditation. Buddhist readers will remember that all these places referred to above have been included in the stanza 'Mahiyanganan nagadeepan Kalyanan Padalanchanan'. Having accomplished his missions the Thathagatha had 'uttered exhortation to the assembly of devas' and returned to Jetavana in Jambudipa [India].

The chronicle Mahavamsa concluded its description of the Buddha's missions to Lanka in the following terms' The Master of boundless wisdom visited this fair island three times.

Therefore, this isle radiant with the light of truth. Came to high honour among faithful believers.

The writer is a former Director of the Sri Lanka Judge's Institute.