Buddhist Spectrum

Royal patronage in Buddhism

Miran PERERA

In Buddhism and its dispersion in early times there were four royal personages who figured prominently apart from the great teacher of Buddhism the Buddha. They are the Emperor Asoka, Arhat Mahinda, Princess Sangamitta, and the King of then Ceylon King Devanampiyatissa.

Two significant incidents that took place in the 3rd century BC stand out in Sri Lankas more than 2550 year old history as the ones which brought about a social, religious and a cultural revolution in the country. As a messenger of Emperor Dharmasoka of India Arhat Mahinda of royal lineage arrived in Lankadeepa on a Poson full moon poya day with the gift of the Dhamma which was soon embraced by King Devanampiyatissa and his citizens. Arhat Mahinda's historic visit was soon followed by the arrival of Arhat Sanghamitta with a sapling of India's Jaya Sri Mahabodhi under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Diplomatic ties

According to chronicles Emperor Asoka and Sri Lanka's King Devanampiyatissa though they had never seen each other they were good friends even before the arrival of Arhath Mahinda Thera. On the Esala Full Moon poya day two months after the enlightenment of the Buddha he preached the Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutta the first discourse of the Buddha at the invitation of the Sahampathi Brahma at the Migadaya deer park near Benares. Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutta means the founding or establishment of wisdom or it can be interpreted as the turning of the wheel of truth Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutta enunciates the two extremes, the middle or eightfold path and the four noble truths. It is the essence of Buddhism.

The two extremes are constant addiction to self mortification and constant attachment to sensual pleasures. (Attakilamathanu yoga and the other Kamasukhallikhanu yoga). The Buddha having experienced both found that they were not helpful in realizing the truth.

Records show that Emperor Asoka of India like his grand father Chandragupta Mayura was a war like monarch. He was converted to Buddhism by Arhat Samanera Nigrodha by a brief but highly illuminative discourse of Appamada, earnestness and unremitting mindfulness the crux of the Buddhas teaching. In the words of H.G. Wells, Asoka is the only military monarch on record who abandoned war fare after victory.

He had invaded Kalinga a country along the East Coast of Madras perhaps with some intention of completing the conquest of the tip of the Indian peninsular.

The expedition was successful but he was disgusted of what he saw of the cruelties and horrors of war. He declared in certain inscriptions that still exist that he would no longer seek conquest by war and the rest of his life was devoted to the spreading of Buddhism.

It was on Poson full Moon day that the Sinhalese people accepted the teachings of the Buddha. The old chronicles of Sri Lanka describe the meeting of Mahinda Thera and King Devanampiya Tissa (beloved of the Gods) and his people becoming followers of the teachings of the Tathagata (Buddha). King Devanampiya Tissa proclaimed this day as a day of festival.

Chronicle opinion

It was essentially the festival of Mahinda and hence the official introduction of Buddhism is associated with Arhat Mahinda Thera son of Emperor Asoka therefore royal in lineage. Be that as it may there is ample evidence in our Sinhala chronicles to believe that Buddhism had been known in Sri Lanka much previous to this event. It was Arhat Sangamitta who pioneered the order of Bhikkuni Sasana in Sri Lanka.

Upon the request of King Devanampiyatissa his nephew Aritta gave his consent to undertake a tour to India in order to meet Emperor Asoka and make arrangements to bring a Bo Sapling from Sri Maha Bodhi provided he was permitted to enter the order on his return. As the mission was a success Arhat Sanghamitta and retinue arrived in Dhambakola Patuna Port with the Bo Sapling placed in a golden bowl.

As the Bo Sapling reached the shores of Sri Lanka Arhat Mahinda had preached 'Naga Damana' to King Devanampiyatissa who arrived in Dhambakola Patuna to receive Arhat Sangamitta and the Bo Sapling. Lankas proper establishment in Buddhism reflects four historical personalities of royalty in essence in fact a quadrophonic which spread the Dhamma in this island. They were Emperor Asoka, Arhath Mahinda, Arhat Sanghamitta and King Devanampiyatissa.

Emperor Asoka's mission signals his motifs of extending foreign relations with the neighbouring countries through the propagation of Buddhism as many scholars observe.

His propagation procedure however remains unique and can be singled out in history. When King Devampiyatissa with a retinue of 40,000 went on a hunting expedition to the Missaka mountain in Mihintale he met Arhath Mahinda who had come to the island. Mahinda posed a few questions to the King and tested whether he was intelligent enough to understand what Buddhism meant.

Dhamma propagation

Here the first sermon of Arhath Mahinda which is the Chullahattipadopama Sutta was delivered for the benefit of all gathered. The Buddhist propagation scheme for Sri Lanka was planned to be carried out during Devanampiyatissa's father King Mutasiva's regime but the Arhat Mahinda called it off as the King was not in a healthy position to embrace and grasp the Buddhist doctrine.

Arhat Mahinda's emissary role is a result of the third Council of Buddhism held during Emperor Asoka's period. The background for the third Council of Buddhism was created 218 years after the Buddha's demise in Emperor Asoka's regime. Asoka grew interested in Buddhist religion and its philosophy. He used a great deal of state funds on the welfare of Buddhism earning the wrath of powerless Brahmins.

Arhat Mahinda planted the noble truth in this country and established the Bhikku Sasana the order of the monks then there came the urge from the women to enter the order of nuns - the Bhikkuni Sasana. Arhat Mahinda delivered many inspiring discourses such as - Chullahatthipadopama Sutta, Vimana Vattu, Petha Vattu, Devaduta Sutta and Balapandita Sutta. When Sangh amitta brought the Bo Sapling it was ceremoniously carried to Maha Mevuna Uyana in Anuradhapura and was planted at an auspicious time during Rehena Nekatha.

Over a thousand men entered the order on that histoic day reveals the Mahavamsa. Maha Mahendra Thera, King Devanampiyatissa and Arhat Sangamitta participated in the historic ceremony along with Kshatriyas of Kataragama, Chandana grama, Thiwakka and Brahmins.

The seeds of the tree (Bo) which was given to the King by Maha Mahendra Thera was sown on his advice. Later the eight saplings were planted in areas like Thiwakka, Bamunugama, Kataragama, Chandanagrama, Thuparama, Isurumuni Vihara, Palamu Sa Maluwa and Sagiri Aramage.

Foreign missions

Emperor Asoka worked on extending his foreign relations by spreading Dhamma in the neighbouring countries. To spread the Buddha Dhamma Emperor Asoka sent Majjhantika/Mahyantika Thera to Kasmira-Gandhara Mahadhammarakkita Thera to Maharastra, Maharakkita Thera to Greece, Majjhima Thera to Himalayas, Sona Thera and Uttara Thera to Thailand and Maha Mahinda Thera to Sri Lanka among others.

The Buddha who was born in the 6th century BC after attaining enlightenment at 35 until his Mahaparinibbana at 80 spent his life preaching and teaching. For 45 years he taught and preached day and night sleeping for only about 2 hours a day. Buddha spoke to all kinds of people and his teachings were tailored to the experiences levels of understanding and mental capacity of his audience. What he taught was called Buddha Vacana - Word of the Buddha.

There was nothing called Theravada or Mahayana at the time. After establishing the order of monks and nuns the Buddha laid down certain disciplinary rules called the Vinaya for the guidance of the order. The rest of his teachings were called the Dhamma which included his discourses, sermons to monks nuns and lay people.

SL delegation visits Japan

Anura Priyantha

Prince Siddhartha's birth will be commemorated at Agon-shu Temple in the city of Kyoto on May 5 and 6. The event will be a mixture of culture and religion of Japan. A special delegation from Sri Lanka Agonshu Friendship Foundation (SLAFF) will be leaving the country to take part in the ceremony.

The delegation is scheduled to leave for Japan on April 30.

Most Venerable Seiyu Kiriyama Thera

Founder of Agon-shu sect, Most Venerable Seiyu Kiriyama Mahathera, will be the chief guest of the ceremony. The delegation, headed by SLAFF Director General Somasiri Addarapathirana, includes Venerables Bopitiye Vijitha, Gulawita Sirinivasa, Varadivela Dharmarama and Urugamuwe Assaji Theras. The delegation also consists of seven dancers.

Direct teachings

The Agon-shu is a Buddhist faith that takes its principles directly from the Buddha's teachings, the Agon Sturas. In the original Sanskrit language, these are called the Agamas or the Agama Sutras, literally meaning 'the teaching of the Buddha'. These sutras are known to be the only true records of the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

In modern Buddhist scholarship, the principles of Buddhism found in the Agon Sutras are formally classified as Original Buddhism. After the death of the Buddha, for hundreds of years there was great confusion over what his teachings meant. This confusion resulted in an apparent split in Buddhist philosophy, a split between the so-called Mahayana and Hinayana schools.

Mahayana means 'greater vehicle'. It is the name used by a massively popular off-shoot of Buddhism that was created in the centuries after the Buddha died. This as the form in which Buddhism spread to China. In China, this Mayahanism became what is now mainstream Japanese Buddhism. Hinayana literally means 'lesser vehicle'. It is a derogatory term of disrespect, used specifically by the Mahayanists to refer to the kind of Buddhism based on the original principles given by te Buddha in the Agon sutras.

Popularity

The original Buddhism of the Buddha got left behind in the great surges of mass religious fashion surrounding the Mahayanist popularizations of Buddhism in China and Japan in the centuries after the death of the Buddha. Up until the past two decades or so, Buddhist studies had been heavily influenced by the Mahayanist doctrines, primarily the mainstream Chinese and Japanese orthodoxy.

As a result, in both the academic world and in the mind of the general public, Buddhism throughout the world came to be classified into these two types-Mahayana, the great popular religion of the masses, and Hinayana, a sort of quaint archaic cousin.

Recently, however, great breakthroughs in Buddhist studies and in the linguistic analysis of the original language of the sutras, have shown that this view of Buddhism is inappropriate. Now, Buddhist scholars have rejected the Mahayana-Hinayana classification; instead they refer to the split in Buddhist philosophy as one between Original Buddhism and the later Mahayanist of-shoots. The Agon-shu is this Original Buddhism.

Buddhism and modern world

Andrew Scott

There is a misconception among some that Buddhism is a so lofty and sublime way of life that in order to practice it one should totally retire from the world and go into seclusion. This is mainly due to the poor understanding of the knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma. The Blessed One's teaching is not only meant for monks in seclusion in the monasteries and forest abodes but it is also a way of life for laymen and lay women living in this complex world with their lovable homes and families. If one understands the principles of Buddhism in the correct perspective you can practice it while living the life of an ordinary worldly being.

The common belief that to follow Buddhism one has to retire from life is a serious misconception. There are many references in the teachings of the Buddha where laymen living ordinary family lives mastered and practised Buddhism and ultimately realized high spiritual states.

Six directions

In this regard the Sigalovada Sutta shows how the laymen's life, family and social relations should be maintained as clearly explained by the Buddha in his discourse to Sigala who was in the habit of worshipping six cardinal points in the heavens - east, south, west, north, nadir and zenith. The Buddha explained to Sigala that in his teaching the six directions are: east (parents), south (teachers), west (wife and children), north (friends) relations and neighbours), nadir (servants, workers and employees), zenith (religious men). These groups are treated as sacred in Buddhism and the way to regard and honour them is to perform one's duties towards them.

Parents and children: The parents are the most sacred to their children. The children should take care of their parents especially in their old age. They should obey them should maintain and respect their family, should protect the wealth earned by their parents. Parents too in their turn have to perform certain duties towards their children.

They should instruct their children on correct lines, should engage them in good and profitable activities, should give them a good education and settle them into good families.

Teacher and Pupil: Pupils should obey their teachers and respect them and they should study with diligence and attend to the teachers' needs, if any.

The teachers in turn should instruct their pupils on correct and noble lines and should be guides to the pupils in their difficulties.

Husband and wife: The husband should respect his wife and should be devoted and helpful to her on all occasions. The wife in turn should supervise her household activities, should be faithful to her husband and protect his hard earned wealth.

Relations with neighbours: They should be on equal terms with each other and talk to each other, should help each other and should not quarrel among themselves.

Master and servant: The master has certain duties and responsibilities towards his employees. He should see to the medical and financial needs of his employees and should give them work according to their ability and capacity. The servants too should be honest, obedient and trustworthy and energetic in their work.

Monks and laity: The lay people should look after the material needs and respect and honour them. The monks should transmit knowledge and learning to the laity and should wean them away from evil.

Accepting faith

The above facts go to prove that the Buddhist way of life includes the lay life too. Another important aspect of Buddhism is that in order to become a Buddhist there is no initiation ceremony. In order to become a Buddhist one should only understand correctly the Buddha's teaching, accept it and to follow it faithfully. When one becomes a Buddhist he takes the 'Triple Gem', - The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha as his refugees.

He should also observe the five precepts namely, not to tell lies, not to destroy life, not to steal, not to commit adultery and not to take intoxicating drinks. The basic factor in Buddhism is that a Buddhist should follow the Noble Eightfold Path - Right understanding, Right Purpose, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Vocation, Right Effort, Right Alertness and Right Concentration.

Buddhism is a way of life for all human beings and it centres on the welfare of the common man. The Buddha was very much interested in the happiness of the people which he noted could be achieved only on pure moral and spiritual principles. Thus the Buddha viewed life in all its social, economic and political aspects.

Happiness

Buddha advocated that and layman leading a normal family life has four kinds of happiness and enumerated on them in the following manner. First: economic security through right means. Second; spending the money thus earned on his family, relations and meritorious deeds.

Third: to be completely free from debts. Fourth: to live a pure life free from evil thoughts in word or deed. It is in this manner that Buddhism lays stress on the development of both the moral and spiritual character for a happy family life.

It is well known that Buddhism preaches and advocates non-violence and peace. In the very society in which the Buddha lived there was constant competition between countries and individuals.

Kings often engaged themselves in fierce wars and ruled their subjects unjustly and exploited them. Deeply moved by these atrocities and sinister activities the Buddha diverted his attention to good governance. This advice holds good even for the modern society and its administrators. He elaborated on them in the 'Ten Duties of a King' (Dasa-rajya-Dharma).

Taken briefly the ten duties of the king (or ruler) are described as liberality and generosity; high moral character; sacrificing everything for the good of the people; honesty and integrity; kindness and gentleness; leading a humble life and having self-control; to have no grudge, ill-will and enmity to anybody, even to his enemies; complete non-violence; patience and understanding and being able to bear insults and criticism without losing the temper; always conduct himself in such a way to do everything conducive to the welfare of his subjects.

If countries are ruled by administrators and governments possessing these qualities it is clear that the country so ruled will be a happy one where the citizens will be one happy family. King Asoka, the Great Emperor of India, ruled his kingdom based on these principles.

The modern world has developed much in science and technology but all humanity is living in constant fear and tension of mutual annihilation of the great powers along with the total destruction of all humanity. In the face of this unfortunate situation, human beings are trying to seek ways and means to find some solutions to this universal problem.

The noble message and teachings of the Buddha, where tolerance and compassion predominate is the surest solution to this problem.