Account of Sripada in Mahavansa

| by Dr. Sripali Vaiamon

( May 19, 2012, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) Isn’t it a timely suggestion to put forward to the government to install cable cars from Hatton to this Peak. With the modern engineering capability available a solid platform could be constructed about 15 meters below the Peak, where rest rooms,(wash rooms) a restaurant for vegetarian food and beverages minus liquor and a souvenir shop could be set up. Flow of the tourists to the Island is gradually increasing and our local rich people who are so clumsy to climb about 2000 footsteps will readily avail this service. I had the opportunity twice to use the cable car from Bavaria to Alps Zugspitze when I was in Munich and Feldafing. It was an excellent experience.

Hindus believed their God Shiva while practicing the Thandava dance, his foot struck on the peak. Muslims also believed it to be that of Baba Adamalai. All are nothing but merely beliefs. Tamil literature, Manimekalai too has made a reference to Sri Pada. However, the Archaeological Dept. who now possessed ground penetrating equipments could ascertain if necessary. If they desire to do so, otherwise let it be as it is. So that all the communities and all those who observe Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam could pay homage.

Young and old, men and women of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim climb the mountain from December to To May. I have climbed 8 times during my school days. It was a delightful journey. Reciting poems in high octave along with the others and then you don’t get exhausted. Truism is not an essential factor for this type of pilgrimage.

Mahavansa depicted Buddha in his third trip to Lanka accompanied 500 Bhikkus or Arahaths ( this is grossly unbelievable.) There are no Arahath in the world to quote as examples. In Mahayana Arahath concept gives and entirely a different connotation. Theravadins belive like a bright student obtain BA, MA and a Doctrate, Monks of yesteryear have become Sowahan, Sakkradagami, Anagami and Arahath who have the power to move in the air with psychic power like television waves. There aren’t a single monk in present day that has achieved these prestigious position as Mahavansa mentions in many a place. Mahavansa Compiler has not defined properly the mode of transport for 500 Arahaths. So it has to be assumed by psychic power. The term Arahath is quite alien to all the other religions except Buddhism. Incidentally in one of the popular songs of the drama, Sri Sangabo, playwriter, John de Silva composed Danno Budunge….in which there is a line depicted—there are so many Arahaths move through the air and cast a shadow.

In the folklore it says women in Anuradhapura could not whither their paddy spread out on mats in their compounds because Arahaths are flying in the sky very often and cast a shadow. That suggests they fly like birds. This picture is beyond comprehension.

When the Buddha and 500 Arahaths were in Kelaniya, the sumana saman, the deity of Samanola mount, approached the Buddha and requested him to implant his footprint on the peak for them to do veneration. It may have been a jungle those days, absolutely no steps, anyway he has obliged it seems. He kept his left foot print on a sapphire, a solid mineral where you can’t draw even a line with a needle and it was covered subsequently with a rock. So it is not visible. It has been discovered by King Valagamba later when he was in exile. If it was not visible how on earth was it discovered?

Our great grand relatives when they make pilgrimage to Sri Pada, transfer their deeds to dependants as they are not sure to return.

The cutting of steps were started in 1880 but still there was a very steep section where thick chains had to be installed by some foreign seamen, who visited the peak. Some writers say it was Alexender the Great, but I don’t know whether he came towards the Indian ocean. Anyway John still in his jungle tide, which was a text book for us had poetically described the beauty of the mountain which sailors have seen from a distance at the Indian ocean. Tissa Devendra demonstrated an experience of the pilgrims exquisitely. They hang over to cliffs exposed to the full fury of the monsoon gods. Their link was formed like stirrups and the pilgrims used to climb then as a kind of swinging ropes ladders, a whole family of Sinhalese villages set out on a pilgrimage, children and their grand parents too; when they came to the precipice, all were hanging on the long chain like a living rosary. A violent storm sprang up suddenly and the chain was swinging fiercely from side to side. But they still hung on through they dared not to move in either direction, up or down. Then came a tremendous gust like the breath of an angry god and the chain was swung so far to one side that hung no longer over the pilgrims’ path, but clear above a frightful fall into a valley far below.(curtsey Tissa Devendra)

There had been so many cases of sad demises of pilgrims when the chains sway due to gales they dropped down and sang the swan song.

Now let’s peep into the history of it without acceptable evidence. Buddhist belief of it I have related above, the Christians believe it to be the foot print of Adam. Their first imaginary man who got a punishment and expelled from Eden. As a penitent he had to stand with one leg on the peak, consequently his footprint has implanted. So they climbed up to venerate their first man, Adam.

Hindus believed their God Shiva while practicing the Thandava dance, his foot struck on the peak. Muslims also believed it to be that of Baba Adamalai. All are nothing but merely beliefs. Tamil literature, Manimekalai too has made a reference to Sri Pada. However, the Archaeological Dept. who now possessed ground penetrating equipments could ascertain if necessary. If they desire to do so, otherwise let it be as it is. So that all the communities and all those who observe Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam could pay homage.

Unity of all will be there and it is praiseworthy.

Now let’s look into the story of Maha Mahinda, the son of Dharmasoka who was selected to delegate the Mission to Sri Lanka To introduce Buddhism as recorded in the Mahavansa , although it earlier says Buddha who visited the Island thrice preached his Dhamma to the country people. Rev.Mahinda memorized the entire Tri Pitaka which was revised and codified after the third Sangayana conducted by Moggaliputta Thera with 700 others and travelled to his mother’s country at Videha and learned the language of the people of the country from traders who had connection with Sri Lanka. A few extracts from my recent publication, Prehistoric Lanka to end of Terrorism, would be useful to convince the readers: pps.143 -148:

This episode was illustrated by the Compiler of Mahavansa in kavya style which could be treated as an artistic creation rather than historicity. Art is not reality. Art is beyond the truth. It is superficial. But history is reality. It should be based on facts and evidence.

Now let us consider the dramatic and artistic situation created in the Mahavansa the encounter of Ven.Mahinda and the king Devanampiyatissa.

King with his soldiers or supporters were indulging in a sinful sport of killing innocent animals in the jungle. When he was chasing a deer with his bow and arrow somebody on the very high peak of a mountain addressed him as Tissa. The deer disappeared as in the Ramayana. He looked up to see who is this person had guts to address him by name. Mind you the occasion here is to break the first precept of Buddha’s commandments. To kill. Killing is a sin. However this was an occasion not so congenial for a saint to meet the king of the country. The saint who called over here to exhort the sublime Dhamma of the compassionate Buddha. This situation has created in the form of a fiction, however dramatic and artistic not authentic.

Ven.Mahinda, the only son of the great Emperor, Asoka, was definitely brought up on the lofty principles of the father, Dharmasoka who had become a man of non-violence and philanthropic administrator. Sirima Kiribamuna refers to Dr.Senarath Pranavithana who says he is totally agreeable with the introduction of Buddhism to lanka by Ven.Mahinda but not prepared to believe unrealistic embellishments decorated in this event………..

The Emperor may have informed that he was planning to send missionaries to several other countries to spread Buddhism and further he is being planned to construct 84,000 monasteries and Stupas in india to spread Buddhism and build a Sanga Society. Tissa who got inspired on this words may have started building a temple at Mihintale, for the missionary monks to stay and spread Buddhism among the countrymen. King Tissa with great expectation was awaiting the arrival of the missionaries, may have arranged everything necessary to receive them with a great enthusiasm…………

Rev.Maninda started his journey along with his colleagues, Iththiya, Uththiya, Sambala, Baddasala and Sumana samanera via South India. According to Pundit Hisselle Dharmarathana and Dr.Shu Hikosake South India was a Buddhist country. He sojourned there with his retinue and created building seven viharas at Kaveripattanum. Dr.Hikosaka believed they might have gone to Sri Lanka by sea route. Incidentally, Dr.Shu Hikosake, Director and Professor of Buddhism, Institute of Asian Studies in Chennai has written extensively on Buddhism that was prevailing in South India. It would be useful to Sri Lankan Buddhists to familiarize with particularly who seem to be not aware with the existence of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism in Tamil Nadu. While Thera Mahinda and retinue were en route to Sri Lanka that they have laid foundations for seven Viharas in Kaveripattanam where as Mahavansa says only one. At that time Kaveripattanam, Kanchipuram and Uragapura were not only centers of Buddhism but were important centers of Pali learning. It refers one of the colleagues of Buddhgagosha , the Thera Buddhadatta was a Tamil who lived during the time of Accyutarikkanta, the Kalabara ruler of the Chola.

From South India, Mahinda and his retinue arrived at Dhambakolapatuna in the island. A port in the North of Sri Lanka now known as Sambilithurai………..

The illustrious apostle of Buddhism Ven. Mahinda thero and his five colleagues, arrived at the northern sea port and walked all the way up to the northern boundary of the king’s town Anuradapura. With the help of the security guard at the entrance to Anuradhapura, for the courtesy sake, he would have sent one of the colleagues to inform the king their arrival to Lanka to offer the sublime doctrine of Tri Pitaka to the king and his subject. All these days king was awaiting with a great enthusiasm for the arrival of the missionaries and was greatly exited. Immediately summoned his chief ministers and with them in a chariot would have come over to the place where missionaries were waiting. Ven.Mahinda who introduced himself and explained the king the purpose of his mission extensively, not as samanamayang maha rajadhamma rajassa savako…but more appropriate way as the king was already aware with the mission and to his amazement Reverend conducted his conversation with him in the same way his country people speak, in Deepa Bhasa.

King who was extremely delighted accompanied them to the Palace. Arranged everything necessary for them who were exhausted after coming all the way although they were quite used to walking, to have an ablution and served with food. Made them to relax and get comfortable themselves.

Thereafter the Ven.priest may have preached from Tri Pitaka, Chulla haththi padopama sutta as recorded in Mahavansa to king and his subjects who were present at the Palace, in Deepa Bhasa, their own language. The king and the crowd were so convinced embraced the Buddhism.

That day itself king would have accompanied the missionaries to the temple built at Mihintale. There after it became their temple and they organized themselves to propagate the Tri Pitaka Dhamma with the profound support of the king.

Mahinda mission made an evolution of a civilization, cultural foundation and an environmental renaissance in the country. As such Mihintale became the cradle of the island’s civilization.

Buddhism was propagated since then in Deepa bhasa and not in Magadhi/Pali as it was absolutely not required at that time. Mother tongue was easier to comprehend, however as Tri Pitaka Dhamma was somewhat difficult for laymen to understand properly. he started keeping commentaries for day to day preaching in Deepa Bhsha. He built a Monks Society. His sister Sangamiththa who arrived later continued to spread Buddhism in the language of the country. Meheni Sasna established by Sangamiththa was responsible for establishing an Order in China too. Although now it has disappeared from Sri Lanka and monks are not in favourable for a revival. Monks were able to studied Magadhi only after the arrival of Buddhagosha and his colleagues who were compelled to study Deepa Bhasha from Mahavihara Bhikkus and in return they got the opportunity to study Pali/Magadhi.

J.L.Devananda who contributed an article to Sri Lanka Guardian quotes the Chinese traveler, Tsuan Tsang ,wrote that there were around 300 Sri lankan monks in the southern sector of Kanchipuram . Ancient Kanchipuram during the time of Buddhagosha was a major seat of Tamil and Pali learning where there was a city of thousand temples.

Rev.Revatha of South India who instructed Buddhagosha, Buddhadattha and Dhammapala to translate Buddhist material available in Sri Lanka at Mahavihare to Pali for their use also may have advised to translate for them the Tri Pitaka which was in pristine purity as old monks in the region are dying and younger monks may not have the same capacity to memorize like senior monks. Our Samasamagist, Dr.Lesli Gunawardana had the view, that the Co-operation between the Buddhist Sangas of South India and Sri Lanka produced important results which are evident in the Pali works of this period. He also has said that the Tamil Buddhist monks were more orthodox than their counterparts in Sri Lanka.