We have identified Sinhala Buddhism as a
culture and the main question that has drawn our attention is the survival of
this culture in Sri Lanka while many forms of Theravada cultures had
disappeared from the face of the earth. We have also said that prior to the
arrival of Arhant Mahinda there had been a Hela Buddhist culture according to
Varigapurnikava which even claims that Rathnavali or Agnipali, the mother of
Kuveni (Mahapali according to Varigapurnikava. It should be mentioned that
Kuveni is a degrading name coined by non Yakshas. Even Yaksha is a name given
by the non Yakshas as the inhabitants of the country had called themselves Yagu
Kaurana) had been an Arhant Therin and that Arhant Yashodhara Therin had
visited Lanka during the time of Arhant Rathnavali Therin. It is also said that
Agnipali or Rathnavali Therin was ordained by Arhant Yashodara Terin and Arhant
Rathnavali Therin had lived where Ruvanveliseya is found today, and the Seya
had been named after the Arhant Rathnavali Therin.
In the history of Hela Buddhist culture
and Sinhala Buddhist culture in this country there are a few incidents that
stand above the rest. They in chronological order are as follows. Introduction of Bududahama to the country
probably by a merchant by the name Punna during the time of Budunvahanse. It is
said in Varigapurnikava that Rathnavali, the mother of Mahapali (Pali is
apparently a name associated with queens or leading – elite- women in the
country) had listened to Punna and attained the status of Sovan. When
Budunvahanse arrived in Lanka Rathnavali had become an Arhant after listening
to Budunvahanse. It can be said that the Hela Buddhism with Bhikku and Bhikkuni Sasana was established
after the Yagu Kaurana people had become Buddhists.
We have to depend on stories to
understand what has happened in history more than in any other subject and our
conjecture is that though the Yagu Kauranas became Buddhists they would not
have given up their rituals to become rationalists or empiricists or any other
category that is identified in western terms. They would have been happy to
continue with worshipping (for want of a better word) their deceased relatives
and no Arhant, not being a rationalist or empiricist or any other western ist
would have objected to these rituals of the Yagu Kauranas. It can be safely
assumed from the very beginning “gods” not only those found in Suttas such as
Mahamangala Sutta, but gods such as Saman, Upulvan had been associated
with the Hela Buddhism.
The next important event in the history
of Hela (Sinhala) Buddhism in the country was the arrival of Arhant Mahinda
after the third Sangayana (Council) with Theravada Buddhism of Vibhajjavadins. It
is clear that the king Ashoka had wanted a different culture to be established
with even Rajabhisheka (coronation) according to Maurya tradition. Arhant
Mahinda Thero would not have been associated with Rajabhisheka, and the rituals
would have been carried out by some Brahmins who came from Pataliputhra. The
Brahmins would have had some say in governing the country after this, and the
story of Pandula Brahmana who was apparently the teacher of the Prince
Panduhabhaya has to be doubted. Probably there was some group of teachers among
the Yagu Kauranas and they were also referred to as Brahmins by those who came
from Pataliputhra.
The culture introduced by King Ashoka (Ashokan
Buddhism) had flourished with Mahavihara as the centre competing with the Hela
Buddhist culture of Yagu Kauranas, and Abhayagiriya supposed to be established
by the King Valagamba with Yagu Kaurana connections had been the centre of Hela
Buddhism. The Ashokan Buddhism had not remained a static phenomenon and
gradually the Bhikkus appear to have replaced the Brahmins not only as teachers
but kingmakers as well. It may have happened as a result of the competition
between Hela Buddhism and Ashokan Buddhism, and an aggressive Sinhala Buddhism
with the Bhikkus, the King and the People forming the corner stones of the
culture had been evolved by the fifth century defeating Hela Buddhism. The
defeat of the King Mahasen who also had Yagu Kaurana connections and who sowed
Undu in the Mahavihara premises symbolizes the ascent of Sinhala Buddhism over
Hela Buddhism. The Ashokan Rajya
mentioned by Trevor Ling, after all may be a product of this island and not of
Pataliputhra, resulting from the competition between Hela Buddhism and Ashokan
Buddhism.
The third important event is the
interaction between the Mahavihara Theravada Bhikkus and the Andra Pradesh
Theravada Bhikkus such as Ven. Dhammapla Thero and Ven. Buddhagosha Thero. (I
am not learned enough to refer to Ven Buddhaghosha Thero as Buddhaghosha). It is not clear as to what happened during
this period to warrant Bhikkus from Andra Pradesh to come to Mahavihara and confer
most post probably to evolve a scheme to protect Theravada Buddhism. As anybody
else I can only speculate. Theravada Buddhism or Buddhism of the third
Sangayana (Council) or Vibhajjavadi Buddhism appears to be a scholastic type
Buddhism without much ritual involved. This Buddhism cannot be said to be the
purest or even pure Buddhism as the word Vibhajjavadi implies a analytical
Buddhism not in accordance with the Bududahama of Budunvahanse. A very thorough analytical Buddhism is not in
keeping with Bududahama as analysis mainly depends on two valued two fold
logic. Budunvahanse had very often, though not always, rejected dualities
associated with two valued two fold logic and an analytical Buddhism would not
have survived and the third Sangayana Bududahama was doomed to vanish.
Andra Pradesh and Anuradhapura had been
the main centres of Theravada Bududahama in the ancient world and from about
the second century Ven Nagarjuna Thero of Andra Pradesh had attacked the
Dhammavada, Kshanavada Svabhavavada that could be easily associated with
atmavada. The Andra Pradesh Theravada Bududahama had to give into
Madhyamikavada which itself had to be replaced by schools of Mahayana that were
finally replaced by Hinduism after Shankaracharya in the sixth century. The
Andra Pradesh Theravada Bhikkus who could not defend Theravada Bududahama
against Madhyamikavada would have seen by the fifth century that Theravada
could not survive for long in their country. Naturally they would have turned
their eyes to Anuradhapura fortunately far away from the country of
Madhyamikavada and would have attempted to evolve a scheme to make sure that
Theravada survived at least in Lanka.
However in Lanka
though Hela Buddhism had been defeated by Ashokan Buddhism that had evolved to
become Sinhala Buddhism, the former was not dead. The rituals associated with
Hela Buddhism as a culture were still practiced by the people who were not fond
of two valued two fold logic unlike the present day pundits produced by an
English Christian education irrespective of the schools they attended or the
medium of instruction. The Sinhala language has no word to express the abstract
noun. For example, with respect to tooth, in English there are three terms to
express a tooth, the tooth and tooth, whereas in Sinhala there are “datha’ (the
tooth), dathak (a tooth) but no word for tooth as such. I have found that an
Emeritus Professor from the Faculty of Dental Sciences not knowing what to say
when confronted with abstracted tooth. He does not know whether to fill it or
extract it. Probably he becomes nervous thinking of nerve filling the abstract
tooth. (To be continued)
Nalin De Silva
28-05-2014