Importance of the Maha Vihara

As far as historiography is concerned, the arrival of Buddhism, with its unique institution of the self-renewing intellectual community of monks and nuns, together called the Samgha, gave an unprecedented stimulus. If the court historians recorded events to assert and maintain national cultural identity, Buddhism found in historical recording two major uses.

Ancient ruins with the Ruwanweli Maha Seya in the background

The Samadhi statute

First, as Buddhism spread in and outside its region of origin, it became necessary to establish the authenticity of its doctrine by tracing the history of the linear descent of the tradition.

Second, Buddhism subsisted on public charity, and grateful recording of services rendered to it was a sine qua non for drawing in more donors.

If, with the introduction of Buddhism, Sri Lanka entered the phase, which scholars tend to call 'writing history for a purpose', the benefit has been remarkable.

Buddhism gave Sri Lankans a serene philosophy of life, which served as an enduring source of inspiration for their creativity in art, architecture and literature.

During the reign of Devanampiya Tissa, the establishment of two main monasteries at Anuradhapura (Maha Vihara) and Mihintale (Cetiyapabbata) and the construction of Thuparama as the first Stupa were followed by a network of Buddhist shrines throughout the country at regular intervals of seven or eight miles. Each of them was a veritable educational institution where the Sangha exerted its remarkable role as an agent of civilization.

The promotion of Buddhism came to be recognised consciously or otherwise as the national mission. Thousands of early Brahmi inscriptions recording donations to Buddhist shrines by people of all races, classes and occupations testify to the extent of popular patronage which Buddhism received.

A lasting contribution

Declaring his effort to be motivated by a commitment to promote Buddhism, Dutthagamini Abhaya led a successful campaign against King Elara, in Anuradhapura whom he slew in single combat.

His reign of twenty-four years (161-137 BC) saw the heyday of Buddhism. He built the Mirisavatiya Stupa and set up a monastery around it.

For the Maha Vihara, he constructed the Lovamahapaya (Brazen Palace), the ten-storeyed, thousand-roomed dwelling place for monks.

The pinnacle of his achievements as a great builder was the Ruvanvalisaya, the oldest of the three giant brick stupas of Anuradhapura. Buddhist India had nothing of the magnitude of either this stupa or the Brazen Palace. Elsewhere, only the two great pyramids of Egypt surpassed them in height. As far as brick structures are concerned, however, they had no parallel anywhere.

Just four decades later, chaotic conditions caused by a Brahmin in revolt, an invasion from South India, the usurpation of the throne by five Tamil rulers in succession and a twelve-year drought tested the ingenuity of the Buddhist Samgha.

Depleting ranks and the hazards of sickness and death convinced them that the practice of preserving the Buddhist Canon and its commentaries through oral transmission had to be rethought. Thus, when Valagamba (89-77 BC) regained the throne, the monks assembled at Aluvihara near Matale and committed all the texts to writing.

Impact

The far-reaching impact of this exercise could best be gauged by the fact that only the Theravada Pali canon of Sri Lanka has been preserved in its pristine form. The Sinhala Commentaries lasted for several centuries, even after they were translated into Pali, the lingua franca of the Buddhist world, in the fifth century, and are found quoted in Sinhala works of the tenth and twelfth centuries.

Another major event in the reign of Valagambahu was the establishment of the Abhayagiri monastery on the site of a Jaina temple. Up to the reign of Valagambahu, the Buddhist monastic system was unitary in character and all institutions were affiliated to the Maha Vihara, which jealously guarded its rights and privileges as the custodian of orthodoxy. Abhayagiri unintentionally became the seat of dissident monks and developed into a parallel institution. In due course, it adopted a more open policy to new developments in Buddhism.

The rivalry between the conservative Maha Vihara and the progressive Abhayagiri provided the stimulus for the spiritual and intellectual life of the nation for several centuries. Royal patronage was usually extended to both, although major conflicts occurred when that impartiality was not observed. Vasabha's grandson, Gajabahu I, who is credited with victory in a raid against the Colas, befriended the Cera (Kerala) king Senguttuvan and was present when he consecrated a shrine for the Goddess Pattini. Not only did he introduce the Pattini cult to Sri Lanka, but he also supported the Abhayagiri.

The original stupa of this monastery built by Valagamba was enlarged to be larger than the Ruvanweliseya of Dutthagamani. But apparently to maintain the policy of impartiality, he fitted a mantle to the Mirisavatiya stupa of the Maha Vihara. But a measure of special attention to the Abhayagiri is recorded in the reign of one of his successors when facilities for it were built by encroaching on the premises traditionally held by Maha Vihara.

Dynastic changes within the Lambakanna clan

A dynastic change with in the Lambakanna clan itself, caused most probably by a severe famine when grain had to be rationed, brought Sirinaga I (195-214) to the throne. His first decree was to abolish a grain tax. He appears to have favoured the Maha Vihara in that he rebuilt the Brazen Palace, added a stone parasol to the Ruvanvalisaya and restored the stairway of the Bodhi-tree.

Gothabhaya (253-66), established a dynasty which lasted several centuries and produced some of the most able monarchs of Sri Lanka. He was partial to the Maha Vihara and remodelled its buildings, besides renovating dilapidated monastic residences throughout the island.

Challenge to the Mahavihara

The Mahayana form of Buddhism was introduced again to Sri Lanka and this time it actually received the support of the Abhayagiri monastery. Gothabhaya was determined to suppress the heretics. Not only did he rebuke sixty monks who upheld Mahayana doctrines but had them branded and exiled to South India. This incident was the cause of a most serious conflict between the Maha Vihara and the Abhayagiri in the reign of his second son a decade later.

His elder son, Jetthatissa, is remembered particularly for the dastardly massacre of his enemies at the time of his father's funeral, although he, too, was a patron of the Maha Vihara. He completed the seven -storeyed Brazen Palace which his father had begun.

When Mahasena (277-303) became king, he began his campaign against the Maha Vihara, the seat of orthodoxy.

A royal decree was obtained to forbid charity to it on pain of heavy fines. Without lay support, the monastery could not last and it was closed for nine years. Using the law that unoccupied property belonged to the crown, buildings of the Maha Vihara were torn down and the material used to erect new buildings for the Abhayagiri. The Chronicle says that this monastery became rich with buildings and very attractive.

The destruction of the venerable monastery reached such a point that one of the king's ministers, who was also his closest friend, took up arms. On the eve of the battle, however, their friendship prevailed over their differences. The minister found in his dinner hamper a curry which the king enjoyed most. So he walked over to the royal camp, shared the dinner with the king, talked things over and convinced the king. Bereft of Mahasena's support Sanghamitta fell victim to the people's wrath.

But the tranquillity of the Maha Vihara was short-lived. Another monk, who had become the king's favourite, persuaded him to carve out a part of the premises of the Mahavihara and build a monastery for him.

This monastery, the Jetavana, with a stupa larger and taller than the two gigantic stupas of Dutthagamani and Valagamabahu/Gajabahu, became the third monastics system of the island, rivaling both the Mahavihara and the Abhayagiri for separate recognition.

As this monastic complex itself shows, Mahasena was an unrivalled builder. He established at least nine monasteries and two nunneries.

Pix: ANCL Library

Courtesy: Central Cultural Fund

PM pledges to complete Maha Vihara project

Ruins of the ancient civilisation of Anuradhapura

The Maha Vihara in Anuradhapura is only second to Lumbini, Buddha Gaya, Saranath and Kusinara in its unique religious significance. It is the epicentre of Buddhism in our country, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after inaugurating the Aloka Pooja at Mihintale last week.

Tracing its history the Prime Minister said, "King Devanampiya Tissa established the Maha Vihara only after the arrival of Arahat Mahinda. The Maha Vihara is also known to the world especially to the Buddhists in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Singapore and to those converted to Buddhism in Europe, America and Australia as the haven for Theravada Buddhism.

"I regret very much to note that no work has been started at Maha Vihara despite my instructions to the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Triangle as Prime Minister in 2002 and 2003. Adequate funds and other resources will be provided in the next Budget to complete all excavation work within a specified period of time. Perhaps it would take 6-9 years but the project needs to be launched", the Prime Minister reiterated.

He said he hoped to negotiate foreign aid to develop Anuradhapura and other places of religious, cultural, historical and archaeological value. Much has to be done to restore the pristine glory of Anuradhapura. The work done by former Presidents J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa and the then Cultural Affairs Minister, E.L.B. Hurulle, to develop Anuradhapura are commendable, he said.

The Prime Minister said the second Ran Weta at the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi was installed during his tenure as Prime Minister, in 2003. He thanked Ministers P. Harrison and Chandrani Bandara and Minister of Agriculture for their dedication to help complete all construction projects in Anuradhapura.