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Poson features

Upasampada ceremony: Then and now
By L.B.Senaratne
Upasampada or Higher Ordination starts on Poson Poya this year. In most other years, this ceremony, the crowning moment for any member of the Sangha begins on Vesak Day.

At a time when Sri Lanka had no Bhikkhus who had received Upasampada, a Chapter of Burmese monks visited Sri Lanka during the reign of King Wimaladharmasuriya and having been informed that there were no Bhikkus who had been bestowed with Upasampada, decided to conduct a ceremony to revive these rites. A ceremony of High Ordination was held at the scenic location of Getambe, on the banks of the Mahaweli. It was Suriyagoda Unnanse on whom the first rites were performed. He was later to become the mentor of Welivita Saranankara Sangharaja.

The country suffered a decline of Buddhism especially in the Kandyan region due to several factors, the main being the entry of Catholic and Christian missionaries. The few Buddhist monks were also divided into "Ganninanses" and "Silvats". It was during this time that Welivita who later became the Sangharaja was born at Galagedera in Tumpane in the Kandy district.

Young Welivita whose name was Kiri Hamy, displayed a religious attitude from a young age and was tutored at the age of five by Eramuduliyadde Gurunnanse. When he was 12, Welivita decided to enter the order of Ganninanses and his parents ordained him at Suriyagoda Temple in Udunuwara, whose head was Suriyagoda Kirthisirimevan Rajasundera Unnannse. Welivita Saranankara led the revival of Buddhism at the risk to his life due to the displeasure of Kings when he decided to end the order of Ganninanses and re-establish higher ordination.

But his tutor fell foul with King Narendrasinghe who accused the priest of high treason and had him executed. Without a tutor, Welivita with another young boy retired to the mountain region of Balana and resided in two caves one for meditation and the other for bathing etc. The villagers provided him with alms. These two caves are still to be seen.

Having heard of a Leuka Ralahamy who knew the " Balavatharaya " and “Namankada” and had also mastered Pali, taught by the Burmese monks who visited Sri Lanka earlier, Welivita approached him and became his pupil. In the course of time he was joined by four others and they were called " Silvatennas " (the pious ones).

King Narendrasinghe had a fiery temper and listened to 'tales' carried to him by his courtiers. The Ganninanses sent word to the king that Welivita was gathering people to oust him. The furious King sent Welivita to the Laggala forests.

But, later when he realized the truth, he decided to recall Welivita. Welivita appealed to the King again that Higher Ordination be re-established in the Kandyan Kingdom first. But this request was ignored as by this time, he had problems with the Dutch.

In the meantime the King entrusted the education of his brother-in-law of a Nayakkar Dynasty - Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe to be tutored in matters of State as to how a Buddhist King should rule the country. When the King died Welivita Saranankara was instrumental in enthroning Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe as the King. This terminated the Sinhala reign for which in later years Welivita was accused of, for enthroning a member of the Nayakkar Dynasty.

The power struggle in the Kandyan Court at that time was to enthrone Unnambuwe Bandara, alleged to be an illegitimate son of King Narendrasinghe. But, the sole purpose of Welivita was to re-establish Upasampada, either from Burma or Thailand.

Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe negotiated with the Dutch East India Company to obtain a vessel to proceed to Siam (now Thailand). In February 1741, a delegation left the country on board the vessel "Constantine ", but perished on the high seas. Then a second delegation was led by Vilbagedera Rala, Meedeniya Rala and Dorengama Rala with a number of others through Batavia. They left for Siam or Thailand in May 1741. But the Siamese were not ready to send back a delegation for this purpose, since there were no proper credentials from the King of Kandy.

In the meantime Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe also died and King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe ascended the throne ( 1747-1781). This period was the golden years for Buddhism with the revival spearheaded by Welivita Saranankara.

King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe negotiated with the Dutch again, for a ship to send a third delegation to Siam. The third delegation which left Kandy on July 12, 1751 finally reached their destination and two years later, the Sri Lankan delegation with Upali Maha Thera was able to set sail back to Sri Lanka, on January 21, 1753 and reach Trincomalee on May 14. They entered Kandy on May 18 and Upali Maha Thera was offered accommodation at Malwatta Vihare, but there was not much rejoicing at the Asgiri Maha Vihare.

The present Upasa-mpada rites do not vary much from the original rites as practised by Upali Maha Thera in 1753. An account by a Britisher J. A. Dickson who had recorded the event of higher ordination or Upasampada at Malwatta Chapter in 1872, was published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Very little differs from that account in 1872 and the rituals practised now. The only difference is that the novices in laymen clothes of a “Nilame” sans the jacket, wend their way to the Sri Dalada Maligawa and are crowned with the ceremonial crowns either by the Diyawadana Nilame or the Kariya Korale who is the next important official in the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

From the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the novices now crowned, are mounted on tuskers and taken in procession to the Chapters they represent. They circle the Temple Square thrice. Again the laymen's clothes are undone at the respective Poyages where the ceremonies are held.

The basics for the Upasampada ceremonies is in the "Upasampada Kammavaca" which sets out the form and manner of the ceremonies connected with the monks who perform this rite. According to Dickson, this manual had been translated to Italian in 1776 under the title "Kammava ossia trattato della ordinazlio dei Yalaponini del seconde ordine detti Penzi" by Padre Maria Percoto.

I was able to witness the same rituals described by Dickson - in practice in the Poyages of Asgiri and Malwatta Chapters. The novice, accompanied by the Tutor, was in the dress of a layman, but carried the yellow robes of a priest.The Tutor recites the ten precepts followed by the novice before the Mahanayake or the presiding member of the Sangha, after which the ceremony begins. The presiding member of the Sangha gives an opportunity for anyone present to speak out as to why this particular novice should not be given Upasampada.

At the end of the ceremony, the tutors officially inform the presiding members of the clergy that the novice has received Upasampada. During the entire ceremony all electrical connections to the Poyage are disconnected and the ceremony is conducted with petromax lamps.

A relic of peace and luck
Thousands of people in Hong Kong have flocked to see a rare Buddhist relic on loan from China. A finger bone, purported to be one of the Buddha's, is being exhibited in the territory's Wanchai district to mark the anniversary of the Buddha's birthday on Wednesday.

A senior Communist Party official from Beijing presided over the lavish celebrations, saying she was reaching out as a "friend" to all segments of Hong Kong. But critics have dismissed the move as a political gesture to appease the Hong Kong people, many of whom are angry after China refused to let the territory directly elect its next leader in 2007.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and opposition leaders claim Beijing has not honoured a promise to give it a high degree of autonomy.

Buddhist monks in saffron robes blew horns at the ceremonial opening of the exhibition, while thousands of devotees stood and watched. "I am sure all of you will be proud to be Chinese after you see [the finger]," Liu Yandong, director of the Communist Party's United Front Department, told the assembled crowd.

"The quick approval of the central government in allowing this exhibition of Buddha's finger bone shows its sincere love for Hong Kong people," Ms Liu told Reuters news agency. The loan of the finger certainly seems to have had a positive impression on some people in Hong Kong.

"I would have been delighted just to see a high priest. But to see the Buddha's finger, that is a dream come true," Cheung Yee told Reuters. But others were more sceptical. Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy lawmaker, said Liu Yandong's presence at the ceremony was nothing more than a "political public relations exercise".

The finger was found among a number of other Buddhist relics discovered in an underground shelter at Famen Temple in central China in 1987. It is believed to bring peace and luck. Several other relics thought to be parts of the Buddha's body - including a number of teeth - are preserved in various monasteries in Asia. - (BBC News)

That full moon day when Buddhism came to Lanka
By Chandrani Fernando
Of the noble seven weeks immediately after the enlightenment, the fifth week dawned on a Poson full moon day. Gautama Buddha who spent four weeks close to the Sacred Bodhi tree left there and reached the banyan tree called "Ajapaala". He sat under this tree and contemplated that the Dhamma (the doctrine) he realized should be regarded as his teacher.

In the meantime Vasavarthi Maara, the god in charge of death was in a pensive mood as he could not persuade Gautama Buddha not to attain enlightenment. His three daughters who saw their father's plight told him that they would conquer Gautama Buddha.

On the Poson full moon day, these three, Tanha, Rathee, and Raga went in front of Gautama Buddha and started to dance and sing. But Gautama Buddha did not pay any attention to them. Realising their error they retreated in shame to their heavenly abode - Parinimmitha Vasavaththi.

On this very same day a Brahmana who was reputed to be a vain person came up to the Ajapaala banyan tree. This Brahmana often talked ill of others. He asked Gautama Buddha how one becomes a Brahmana. The Buddha replied that a person who has no vanity and who does not talk ill of others could be regarded as a Brahmana. The Brahmana realizing his fault, thanked Gautama Buddha and went on his way.

Poson full moon day was regarded as an auspicious day during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. The king with a retinue of 40,000 went hunting to the Missaka Rock, which got its name as it was a mixture of stone and sand.

Legend has it that the god in charge of the Missaka Rock changed himself into a deer, crossed the path of the king and started to graze. The king who thought that it was not appropriate that he should kill a grazing deer made a noise to make it run.

The deer started to run and the king gave chase. It was then that the king heard the call, "Tissa, Tissa.' He was surprised and looked up to find a saffron robed monk looking down at him. "Samanamayan Maharaja -Dhammarajassa Savaka Thameva Anukampaya -Jambudeepa Idhagatha" Arahath Mahinda,the son of the emperor of India uttered this stanza introducing himself.

The king at once realized that this was a messenger from his pen friend King Dharmasoka. He had already heard about how King Dharmasoka became a Buddhist realizing the evils of war. Later he saw the retinue of Arahath Mahinda namely Arhath Ittiya, Uththiya, Sambhala , Bhaddhasaala and Sumana (the novice monk) and Bhanduka, the lay person (Upasaka).

The king threw down his bow and arrows, and so did his retinue. Then they sat to listen to the first sermon of Arahath Mahinda. Arahath Mahinda recited the "Chulla Haththi Padopama Sutta" (The Sutta of the elephant footprints)to the king and the king and his retinue became Buddhists. The king invited the Arahath Mahinda and his retinue for alms in his palace the next day; and returned to the capital Anuradhapura .

"Ambasthale", the jungle area where the Missaka rock is situated thus became Mihintale on this Poson full moon day. The rocky cave in which the Arahath Mahinda slept became Mihindu Guhava. The rock from which Arahath Mahinda looked down at King Devanam Piyatissa became Aradhana Gala (invitation rock).

After the king went away Arahath Mahinda ordained Bhanduka (the lay person) of the king's group as a monk. He was also given the higher ordination then and there. Bhanduka, who was an Anagami attained Arahathhood with the higher ordination. This is believed to be the first ordination and attainment of Arahathhood on the soil of SriLanka.

The next day Arahath Mahinda and his retinue went to the city to fulfill the king's invitation for alms. The king built a dagabo- Patthamaka Chethiya- to mark the spot on which the retinue descended.

Once Arahath Mahinda and his retinue finished partaking of alms, the queen of Mahanaga the deputy king and a retinue of 500 ladies worshipped the arahaths and awaited eagerly for a sermon. Arahath Mahinda in order to explain how one gains merits by doing good and how one gets sinful results by doing evil deeds described incidents from "Petha Vaththu' and "Vimana Vaththu' and "Sachcha Samyuththa'.Later he recited the Devadutha Sutta and Baala Panditha Sutta to those who came to listen to him.

On the second day Arahath Mahinda and his retinue stayed at Maha Megha Gardens. On a later date the king built "Nivanthaka Chethiya " to commemorate the event. King Devanampiyatissa built Kaala Prasada (a hermitage) and offered it to Arahath Mahinda and his retinue according to the great chronicle "Mahavamsa".

With the advent of Buddha Dhamma, our island followed in the footsteps of our closest neighbour India. The greatest gift we received from India on a Poson Full Moon Day is a doctrine based on non-violence.

"Mindful keep active,
Don't delight in settling back,
They renounce every home,
Like swans taking off from a lake."
-Dhammapada

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