**** NOTICE ****
We have moved to a new Home.
Please Click Here or type
www.amazinglanka.com at the address bar to access
the most up-to-date information.
- Abhayagiri Dagoba one of the oldest monastic complexes of Anuradhapura -
“Over the footprint north of the royal city, a great stupa 400 feet high was built adorned with gold and silver and studded with all kinds of jewels. By the side of the stupa a monastery was erected which is called Abayagiri and here are 5000 monks. It contains a hall for the worship of Buddha engraved with gold and silver and adorned with precious stones. In it stands an image of Buddha green jade, some 20 feet high. The entire image sparkles with the seven precious substances and its splendor and magnificence defy description. In its hand the image holds a priceless pearl. A former king of Sinhala had sent a messenger to the middle kingdom to fetch a seed of pattra tree (Bo-tree) to plant besides the hall, and this grew some 200 feet high….. under this tree is a rest house containing a seated image of Buddha, to which monks and laymen pay homage continuously.”
This is what the 5th century Chinese traveler monk Fa Hsien wrote of the Ahbayagiri dagoba, the colossal centre of one of the oldest monastic complexes of Anuradhapura.
Stupa under restoration
It is believed that the Chinese monk Fa Hsien lived in this monatery during his stay in Anuradhapura. He says that there were five thousand monks living in the Abhayagiri Vihara or monastery during that time. He also describes the annual festival in honour of the Sacred tooth relic conducted at the Abhayagiri Vihara.
The Abhayagiri Vihara was established by KingVattagamini Abhaya popularly known to us as King Valagamba, in the first century BC, on the site of a Jain temple called Tirtharama built by Pandukabaya in the 4th century BC. The King then gave it as an offering to a monk named Mahatissa of Kupikkala.
A story is related thus:. King Valagamba had just ascended the throne. Threatened by the invading Tamils the king was fleeing the capital. When the king’s chariot was passing the hermitage of one Jain ascetic named Giri, the latter had shouted insultingly ‘Lo the great black Sinhala is in flight’. The king ignored the insult then. But when he returned victorious after 14 years he did not forget to punish the ascetic. The hermitage was razed to the ground and in its place a dagoba and twelve parivena buildings were constructed. The name of the new dagoba was coined by the fusion of the names of the two rivals – Abhaya and Giri - Abhayagiri. The dagoba and the parivena residences thus constructed were bestowed to Mahatissa thera by the king in his personal capacity as a token of gratitude at a time of adversity.
Stupa under restoration
The monks of the Mahavihara however accused Mahatissa of accepting the vihara as a personal gift and charged him with the offence of frequenting lay families and expelled him from the Mahavihara. A disciple of Mahatissa protested against this decision and broke away from the Mahavihara together with a large following of monks. They refused to believe that they had broken the Vinaya rules as claimed by the monks of the Mahavihara. They joined Mahatissa and laid the foundation for a new centre. Originally these monks who lived separately had no difference between them.
However with time a group of monks who were disciples of a teacher called Dhammaruci belonging to the Vajjiputra sect in India arrived in Anuradhapura. They were received at the Abhayagiri monastery where their teachings some of which were quite opposed to the Theravada teachings, were also accepted. Thus the monks of the Abhayagiri became known as the Dhammaruci Nikaya. The monks of the Abhayagiri kept regular contact with various Buddhist sects and new Buddhist movements in India. The monks of the Abhayagiri were liberal in their views and were open to new ideas. They were open to both Theravada and Mahayana teachings. While the monks of the Mahavihara confined themselves to the orthodox teachings of the Theravada teachings. This led to the monks of the Abhayagiri being branded as heretics by the monks of the Mahavihara. Abhayagiri Vihara became the seat of Mahayana Buddhismin Sri Lanka some years after its founding and the rival institute of the Mahavihara.
A "Bath Oruwa" ( Rice Vessel) in the mastic complex
Source : www.greatmirror.com
Slowly the dissentions, competition and turmoil between the two groups grew, followed by inquisitions and banishments of the monks of the Abhayagiri.
However the Abhayagiri Vihara is said to have achieved its greatest triumph during the reign of King Mahasena in the 4th century when the beautiful temples of the Mahavihara were dismantled on the order of the king and re erected at Abhayagiri.
By the 5th century the Abhayagiri Vihara had surpassed the Mahavihara membership. It is at this time that Fa- Hsien reports. The Abhayagiri Vihara also had been vested with the custodian ship of the Tooth Relic and the Alms Bowl of the Buddha, to which Fa Hsien refers. Fa Hsien also reports that the Bo tree of this monastery was an offshoot of the Bo tree in India and brought here by a deputation specially sent for this purpose. The main stupa of the Abhayagiri Vihara was built over a foot impression of the Buddha and was larger than the Ruwanvelisaya of the Mahavihara.
It is also said that the liberal attitudes of the monks also attracted many intellectuals both here and abroad. Consequently the fame of Abhayagi Vihara as a centre of Buddhist scholarship spread far beyond the shores of the island. Similarly there is evidence of the monks from the Abhayagiri visiting China.
One of the most important monasteries that came under the influence of the Abhayagiri Vihara was the Cetiya Pabbata at Mihintale. It is recorded that the monks of the Dhammarucikas occupied this monastery during the reign of Mahasena During which time 2,000 monks lived at the Cetiya Pabbata .
The Abhayagiri Vihara has been referred to by many names including the Uttara, Abhayuttara, Abhayatura, Abhagiri Mahavihara, Bagirivehera in historical and literary writings and inscriptions.
Some celebrated ruins of a Monastic complex
The monastic complex at the Abhayagiriya is conceded as the most extensive amongst all the ruined monasteries in the island. The ruins of a danasalas or refectory, A bodhi tree shrine, a Buddhist university, Jantagara or sauna baths for the Buddhist monks, Sannipata Sala or assembly hall, Asanaghara or Throne House where a very old form of worship was practiced, and even a metal factory are some of the lesser talked about ruins found in this complex. But today we dwell on a few of the more celebrated ruins of the complex.
The largest mansion of the Abhayagiri Vihara is called the Ratnaprasada.
What the Lohapasada or copper palace was to the Mahavihara, the Ratnapasada or Jem palace was to Abhayagiri.
The Ratnapasada was the uposatha house of the Abhayagiri Vihara.
It is recorded that king Kanittha Tissa (164 -192 AC), being pleased with the thera Mahanaga of Bhutarama constructed the Ratnapasada at Abahayagiri Monastery.
King Mahinada II (777 – 797 AC ) rebuilt it on a splendid scale. many storied like unto a heavenly mansion; in it he housed a golden image of the Buddha.
A 10th century inscription of Mahinda IV (956 -972 AC) describes the Ratapasada as the Ruwan maha paha of the Abayatura maha sa. It says:
…there rises in splendour the Ruvan maha paha surrounded by the noble pirivena, like unto the golden Meru centered by the Kula-gal; where around the residence of the four fraternities is shed the effulgence of the shrine of the image of the Ruwanpav around the abodes of the four great gods; where dwell bands of scholars directing their wisdom to great literary works and adorning the Abayathura maha sa, ……which resounds with the voice of those versed in the scriptures, expounding the Dharma; which is adorned by virtuous men as by mines of gems; ……
The present remains of the building stands on a stone platform. Immense monolithic pillars are evidence to an massive building. Until recently it was called the elephant stable because of these pillars.
The guard-stone at the entrance of the Ratnapasada is considered as the best specimen of all guard-stones found in the country. It represent a Naga king holding a vase of plenty. The guard-stone is attributed to the 8th century.
In a rectangular area enclosed by a wall are four small buildings at the four corners with a larger and fifth building at the centre. For no logical reason it is known as Bisomaligaya or the Queens Palace.
The larger building is thought to be an image house due to a lotus pedestal found in its centre which originally may have held a standing Buddha statue .
However today the building is famous for its moonstone at the bottom of its main flight of steps. The moonstone is recognized as an exquisite work of art and in an excellent state of preservation. .
This is the bathing tank of the Abhayagiri Vihara. This is the largest bathing pond found in Anuradhapura measuring 150 ft. by 500 ft. The stone walls of this large tank are impressive.
In 1886 this Buddha statue was discovered fallen to the ground with some damages including a broken nose. Archaeologists attribute it to the 4th century. It represents the Samadhi attitude of the Buddha in deep meditation.
The 7 foot 3 inches image is sculptured out of dolomite marble seated in the virasana and displaying the dhyana mudra.
The hollow carved eyes are believed to have been inset with crystal or precious stones.
According to archaeological excavations conducted at the site the image was found to be one of the four statues originally placed around a bodhi tree growing there. A bodhigara or a Bodhi-house , an asanagala or stone-seat, and a siripatulgala or foot-print stone were also discovered from this site.
The popularity of the site is mostly due to the late Indian Prime Minister Shree Jawaharlal Nehru who had seen the statue and found great solace in meditating on it at the time of his imprisonment by the British.
Kuttam pokuna or the twin ponds are considered the most beautiful amongst all the ancient ponds discovered in Sri Lanka These comprise of two rectangular ponds built in tiers of large granite blocks in two sizes yet constructed to form a single pond.
The smaller referred to as the northern pond retains older features. It measures 91 feet in length while its bigger twin referred to as the southern pond measures 132 in length. The width of both ponds remain at 51 feet. The ponds are separated from each other by 9 feet.
Its ancient name is not known and is popularly referred to as the twin ponds. It is thought to belong to a time between the 8th and 10th period.
The twin ponds were used for bathing by the monks inhabiting the Abhayagiri Vihara.
The naga stone sculpture found here is considered a master piece. Its handsome flights of steps to reach the bottom of the ponds, balustrades, its makara spouts and the pot of plenty which adorns the entrances to the ponds are a delightful treat. for the lover of ancient sinhala architecture.
by Kishanie S. Fernando
Daily Mirror, January 29, 2007
