Revival of Buddhist monk order in Sri Lanka

Premasara Epasinghe

According to Buddhism’s history, many important events were recorded on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day.

Many Buddhist devotees will observe Ata-Sil, listen to Buddhist sermons and discussions, and observe religious rituals. The temples in the country will be filled to a capacity on this day.

It was on this historic Poya Day, the Buddha delivered the discourse on the inauguration of reign of righteousness, setting the motion the wheel of righteousness, or Dhamma, popularly known as Dhammachakkapavattana sutta. the blessed one delivered this Sutta, seven weeks after the attainment of Buddhahood.

Furthermore Esala signifies a number of important events in the Life of Gautama Buddha, as well as a number of landmarks in history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

To begin with, the Blessed One was hesitant about delivering his doctrine. Maha Brahma, seeing the state of mind of Buddha, with all due respect to him, made a kind request to deliver his philosophy.

Sir Edwin Arnold’s ‘Light of Asia’, in his usual poetic language, describes this event in the following manner.

“Oh supreme! let thy great law be uttered!

whereupon, the master cast his vision forth on flesh,

saw who should hear and who must wait, hear,

as the keen sun gliding the lotus lakes,

seath which buds will open to his beams,

and which are yet risen from their roots. then spoke divinely smiling.

yeah I preach! who so listen let him learn the law!”

To follow a chronological order, firstly it was on an Esla Full Moon Poya Day, Bodisattva was conceived in the womb of Queen Mahamaya. According to the Buddhist Literature, Queen Mahamaya had a rare dream. The four guardian deities of the world, carried her in a beautiful couch to the snow clad foothills of the Himalayan Mountain Range, where a white baby elephant, who had a white lotus in his trunk walked thrice round the couch of the sleeping Queen Mahamaya. Then the baby elephant entered into her womb from the right side of her abdomen. This dream indicated the conception of Bodisattva.

Thus, Queen Mahamaya, conceived Bodisattva on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day. The King Suddodhana and Queen Mahamaya, did not have a child for 20 years. Therefore Mahamaya’s conceiving was a joyful event for both of them.

Prince Siddhartha was born on Vesak Full Moon Poya Day. He lived a luxurious life. This great Maha Purusa was a Philosophical Thinker.

He realised that this life is impermanent and full of suffering. Therefore, he was always determined to find a path or a way to solve the problem of universal suffering.

At the young and youthful age of 29, Prince Siddhartha took a bold decision to leave the household life and went in search to explore the possibilities in finding the truth and the path of non-suffering and the ultimate bliss of Nibbana. Prince Siddhartha’s renunciation took place on the day his son Prince Rahula was born. Nowhere in history you find such a great sacrifice by any human being. If he lived a household life, he would have ended up as Emperor Siddhartha of India.

Deliverance

Out of all the sermons the Blessed One delivered, the most important and the philosophical deliverance titled Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta, wherein he expounded the four noble truths; suffering, course of suffering, cessation of suffering and path leading to the cessation of suffering.

The Buddha delivered this noble Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta to the five-fold ascetics: Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji. In his address, the Blessed One explained that the extremes, Kamasukallikanu Yoga, worldly enjoyment in respect of sensual pleasures as low, common, belonging to ordinary man, ignoble, connected with misery. In the same way, the other extreme Attakilamatanu Yoga, attachment to self mortification, is also suffering, ignoble, connected with misery. In his philosophical utterance the Buddha stated:

“Oh monk! Without approaching these two extremes, Middle Path has been realised by wayfarer, that path, producing insight, producing knowledge, which leads serenity, special knowledge, highest enlightenment, Nibbana. The Buddha further explained “Oh Monk! this is none other than the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

This is the middle path realised by the Wayfarer producing insight, producing knowledge, highest Enlightenment - Nibbana.

Further, In the seventh year of Buddhahood, the Enlightened One, preached Abhidhamma to Maathru Diviyaraja Mahamaya Devi in the Heavenly abode of Thusita on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day.

Wisdom

A remarkable feature of Buddhism is that it is a plan for living in such a way as to derive highest benefit from life. The Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta is a good example to show that Buddhism is a religion of wisdom, where knowledge and intelligence predominate.

The Blessed One, Gautama Buddha, the Great Mahapurisa did not wish to preach converts, but to enlighten the listener. The Esala Full Moon Poya bears very special significance to Sri Lankan Buddhists. After the advent of Buddhism to the island, Anubudu Arhat Mahinda preached Watthupama Sutta to King Devanampiyatissa and his retinue.

Arhat Mahinda observed Vas (Rainy Retreat) and they dwelled in 68 caves in Mihintala or Missaka Pabbota during the rainy season. Further, on the same day Aritta, nephew of the King and 55 others entered the order. This marked the inauguration of Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka.

Tradition

It was on Esala Poya Day, the most venerated and blessed Tooth Relic (Dhantadatunvahense) was brought to the island by Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha. This occurred during the reign of Kirthi Sri Megha.

The first ever exposition of the Tooth Relic was held in Anuradhapura followed by the Dalada Perahera on Esala Poya Day.

This tradition continues to this day and the greatest cultural pageant, Dalada Perahera in Kandy, will be held in July. Added to Esala Perahera, in Kandy, the annual Esala Peraheras, will be held countrywide. Out of those, Kataragama and Bellanwila Raja Mahavihara Peraheras take the pride of place.

As mentioned in the Mahavamsa Chronicle, King Dutugemunu laid the foundation stone to construct the majestic Ruwanweli Mahaseya on Esala Poya Day. There was a general decline in Vinaya (Discipline), during the Kandyan period.

To arrest this deterioration, King Kirthi Sri Rajasiinghe invited 18 monks from Siam, present Thailand, to revive the Upasampada or Higher Ordination in Sri lanka. Ven Welivita Saranankara Thera received the Upasampada with great respect.