It was the Golden Age of Buddhism in India under Emperor Asoka. Its radiance shed light further afield with the decision made at the Third Buddhist Council initiated by the Emperor to spread Buddhism in countries outside India. Sri Lanka is still lit up by that glow.
Nine delegations were picked by the Council held for the purpose and Mahinda Thera was listed for the task in "Thambapani" (as Sri Lanka was then known.) His arrival in 236 BC in Sri Lanka for the establishment of Buddhism on Full Moon Poson Poya Day, turned out to be the event that turned round Sri Lankan history with Buddhism introduced by him still lasting for over 2500 years.
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Although following the decision adopted by the Buddhist Council, the delegations left Jambudveepa (India) on their missions almost immediately, one may ask as to why Mahinda Thera took nine years to arrive in Sri Lanka. History states that he patiently waited for the most appropriate time to launch his mission as through the networking of agents of his father - Emperor Asoka, Mahinda Thera had been made aware that the Lankan ruler at the time - King Mutasiva (307-250 BC. according to the Mahavamsa) was too advanced in age and may not be able to stand up to the task of accomplishing such a mammoth task as establishing a new religion in this country.
Therefore, while biding time for nine years until the younger, energetic Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BC) was crowned king, Mahinda Thera, spent time studying the situation that prevailed in Sri Lanka in order that he would know best as to how he would set about his task of establishing Buddhism.
In India, Buddhism apart, Jainism and Hinduism had spread widely. What was the situation that prevailed in Sri Lanka and what were the impediments that stood in the way when introducing a new religion?
The Mahavamsa holds evidence of Sri Lanka being a tribal state in her early history with the indigenous Yaksha, Raaksha, Naaga and Deva tribes worshipping the sun, the deities, demons and cobras. Jainism in the meantime, had arrived from India around the time of King Panduvasdev (nephew of Vijaya) in the third century BC.
Mahavamsa describes how King Pandukabhaya went about with the construction of Anuradhapura as the capital city following Vedic tradition. On the advice of the Jain monk, Jothiya Niganta, Pandukabhaya had erected four entrances facing the main directions with temples at each entrance. The temple in the north and the north west were dedicated to Jothiya Niganta and on the east was the Temple of Kaalaveda. There was also a Chapel of the Queen on the west entrance along with a temple of a slave and a House of Great Sacrifice. Inside the city was the Temple of the Demon, Vaalamukhee.
It is therefore apparent that at the time of Pandukabhaya - 130 years before the arrival of Buddhism, there was no evidence of the presence of Buddhism in the newly-planned city of Anuradhapura. Instead there had been varied rituals and poojas of other faiths carried out under royal patronage.
The cults, rituals and the worship of the sun and other deities of the Yaksha clan had to a large extent waned with Vijaya who was a Hindu devotee having destroyed Yaksha leaders with the help of Kuveni. The vendetta came a few generations later according to Mahavamsa at the time when Pandukabhaya fought with his uncles of the Shaakya clan at which point the Yaksha descendents had supported Pandukabhaya against the grandnephews of Vijaya. On Pandukabhaya gaining victory, the king accommodated the Yaksha clan in his governing bodies in return for the services rendered and these clans it is said, may have with time, ceased to follow their cults and rituals but embraced other faiths that existed at the time.
Panduvasdev, Vijaya's nephew, arrived in Sri Lanka in the guise of an ascetic (paribbujaka.) His future wife - Baddhakachchana - a blood relative of the Buddha, arrived later as a nun (Pabbajita.) At the time of Panduvasdev's arrival in Sri Lanka from the state of Magadha, chronicles hold evidence of the fact that it was Jainism that had held sway in the island. With Panduvasdev himself being a Jain-devotee, his Queen - Baddhakachchana, inspite of her close kinship with the Buddha, may have embraced the king's faith and failed to awaken the Lankans to the Teachings of the Buddha.
Three generations before Mahinda Thera, Buddhism was making waves in India with even the Greeks who found themselves in North West India converting to Buddhism. In spite of this, Jainism seemed to have had a firm hold as Chandragupta (324-300BC) - the Mauryan founder, who was the grandfather of Emperor Asoka, had been converted to Jainism. An epidemic in North India during the last years of Chandragupta had forced one group of Jains to come down to South India. The other group had remained in the North.
Historians believe that some of these Jain-devotees who went to South India, ended up in Sri Lanka during the reign of Pandukabhaya (377-307BC.). Jainism however had existed even earlier, at the time of Panduvasdev.
Winds that blew from India always engulfed Sri Lanka and if Pandukabhaya as Mahavamsa documented had constructed the Giri Temple in Anuradhapura and also made three more temples for Jain monks - Jothiya, Kumbhanda and Giri with even monasteries constructed for them, Pandukabhaya too may have surely been a Jain-devotee.
Evidence exists of there being even Jain viharas and sthupas while rock inscriptions written before the arrival of Buddhism state that caves had been donated to monks.
Buddhism however had been too strong a force for Jainism. It disappeared altogether when the Giri Temple which Pandukabhaya built, was destroyed by King Valagamba 350 years later. He built Abhayagiri on the same premises.
Needless to say therefore, there were overwhelming challenges which Mahinda Thera had to face in Sri Lanka when spreading the teachings of the dhamma, and strategies that needed to be employed bringing together all forces to accomplish a mission that has lasted for over 2500 years. He may however, not have reached the goal without the unstinted support rendered by King Devanampiyatissa and the people of Sri Lanka. |
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