by Nemsiri Mutukumara

People all over the world both Buddhists and non-Buddhists as well, here in Sri Lanka and in foreign lands are enjoying the most privileged occasion of paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Sakyamuni Buddha.

The Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Mahanayaka Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siyam Mahanikaya and the Most Venerable Rambukvelle Sri Vipassi Mahanayake Thera of the Malvatta Chapter of the Siyam Mahanikaya and the Lay Custodian of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Diyavadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne made the first Buddha-dhatu puja and paid homage to initiate the Sacred Exposition.

Within a few days over two million devout Buddhists have paid Sri Danta dhatu puja. The popular belief of the people of Sri Lanka is with the Exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a myriad of multi-faceted benefits will be experienced by all people everywhere in the country.

This phenomenon has been the tradition of this country from the day Princess Hemamala accompanied by Prince Danta stepped out of their father's Kingdom of Dantapura conveying the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha to be presented to the monarch of Lanka, King Kirti Sri Meghavana - King Kit Siri Mevan.

The present name of Dantapura is Orissa - a State in India, Orissa is dotted with Stupas, dagabas, Viharas, Buddha statues and Buddhist paintings and sculptures.

Chronicles of Sri Lanka record the bringing of the Sacred Tooth Relic vividly and truthfully - both along the highway and throughout the voyage. Particularly, the voyage across Indian ocean has been extremely miraculous which has even threatened the very lives of Princess Hemamala and Prince Danta.

Both these members of the Royal family undaunted, unsullied and with unshaken mind sailed across with firm determination to fulfil the sacred responsibility their Royal father entrusted them. They accomplished the noble task with tremendous success.

In the Jambudipa - Dambadiva in Sinhala - the Sacred Tooth Relic is the palladium of the King - the ruler.

With the arrival in Sri Lanka, the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha became the palladium of the King or the Queen. Until, the British by treacherous means, handed over the custody of the Sacred Tooth Relic to the Udarata Nilames.

Today, the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Sakyamuni Buddha is in the Sri Danta Dhatu Maligava.

The external construction is the Pattirippuva - the Octagon - built by King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last King of Sinhaladipa. King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha was neither a Sinhala; nor was he a Buddhist. He was a Nayakkar from Southern India. He was a faithful Sainte-Hindu.

However, he learnt the language of the people whom he was ruling. He learnt their manners and customs, traditions and culture so that the people found absolutely there was no difference between them and their King.

He signed all documents in Sinhala language to enable his people to know that, that the Signature belonged to their own King.

In the Western Calendar the New Year begins on January 01. That is the beginning of the year.

The Buddhist Calendar - the Sri Buddha Varsha commences in the middle of the year.

That is in May. The Buddhist Year begins with the date of Maha Parinibbana - the great passing away of Sakyamuni Buddha. And the 2548th year after the Maha Parinibbana, thus dawn on May 04 Tuesday.

In all Mahayana countries, the sacred relics are enshrined in pagodas and are not visible before or after the puja.

The Vajrayana Lamas of Tibet, led by His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed on many occasions, publicly and privately their noble and devout wish to visit the Buddhist Land of Lanka to pay homage to the Living Buddha at the Sri Dalada Maligava.

He said, any other country on this earth including India and Nepal, in the Jambudipa, do not possess the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, in the form of the Bodhi's Southern branch, the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Sacred Collar-bone relic, the patra-dhatu from an alms-bowl and many other sacred relics.

All these most sacred monuments have found a precious home in Sri Lanka. Many Buddhist groups led by the Mahayana Bhikkhu Sangha and Mahayana Bhikkhuni Sangha have already intimated to the Diyavadana Nilame of their devoted wish to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The same organizations have contacted the state institutions their keenness to join together in the Sri Lanka National Vesak celebrations.

Their own traditional Vesak pujas like the Lotus Lantern parade of Korea will also be included as an offering.

The amazing array of events and activities that will be operational on during the National Vesak Period from May 01 to May 09 have provided.

In four different parts of Asia, particularly in our region, Four Sacred Tooth Relics of the Sakyamuni Buddha have found to be deposited.

According to this ancient gatha:

"Eka datha Tidasapure
Eka Nagapure ahu
Eka Gandhara visaye
Eka Si puna Sihale" 

- Sihale is the reference to Sihaladipa.

Gandhara is referred to Afghanistan where the Colossal Bamiyan Buddha statues were sculptured. Bamiyan is a cave Temple with numerous bhavana kuti of several hundred bhikkhus leading disciplined Buddhist Way of Life.

I will be very gratefully welcome any crudite Buddha-putra, a historian or an archaeologist or a researcher to shed light on the location of Tidasapura and Nagapura, please.

From ancient times, the experience of the people of this country is that hitherto drought-stricken, parched up areas of the country found sudden winds and torrential outpour of rain restoring a salubrious climate producing fruitful fauna and flora.

Similarly, areas in the highlands which cause havoc in the villages, hamlets, cities and towns uprooting houses and buildings suddenly find the havoc ends with the ceasing of the disaster-causing rain.

All these annual or periodical experiences can be verified through the relevant state institutions and compilers.

Buddha Sasana has not dismissed miracles. But miracles are not performed at every whim and fancy. All these events connected with the Exposition of the Sacred Dalada Vahanse are miraculous indeed.

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