Dhammaruci untranslated

Dhammaruci 01. Dhammarucikas. One of the heterodox sects of Ceylon which branched off from the Theravāda (Mhv.v.13).

According to the Nikāya Saṅgraha (p.11) this secession took place four hundred and fifty-four years after the death of the Buddha, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī Abhaya. The Nikāya Saṅgraha gives an account of the origin of this sect. A monk called Mahā Tissa, incumbent of Abhayagiri, was convicted of living in domestic intercourse and expelled by the Mahā Vihāra fraternity. He thereupon left with his followers and lived apart at Abhayagiri. They were strengthened by the arrival of some monks from Pallarārāma in South India, descendants of the Vajjiputtakas. Their teacher was Dhammaruci, and when they joined the Abhayagiri monks, Mahā Tissa himself took the name of Dhammaruci and his followers became known as Dhammarucikas.

The Mahā Vaṁsaṭīkā (p.176) says that Dhammarucika was the name given to the monks of Abhayagiri when they seceded from the Mahā Vihāra, and gives elsewhere (p.676f) the points on which they differed from the Theravādins. These points concerned minor teachings of the Vinaya. The Dhammarucikas became active in the time of Meghavaṇṇābhaya, and the king, after an enquiry into the matter, sent sixty of them into exile. They again became powerful in the time of Mahā Sena, through the influence of Saṅghamitta, and almost succeeded in destroying the Mahā Vihāra. But this disaster was averted by the intervention of the king’s friend and counsellor, Meghavaṇṇābhaya, and Saṅghamitta was killed by one of the queens (Mhv.xxxvii.17ff).

In spite of Saṅghamitta’s untimely end, the Dhammarucikas seem to have enjoyed favour in Ceylon during a long period. Dhātusena gave over to them the Ambatthalavihāra, which he built on Cetiyapabbata (Cv.xxxviii.75), and Kassapa I, bestowed on them the vihāra he built in the Niyyanti garden, and made all provisions for their comfort (Cv.xxxix.17). Moggallāna I, gave over to them the Daḷhavihāra (Cv.xxxix.41) and Aggabodhi V. the Rājinādīpikavihāra (Cv.xlviii.1). Sena Ilaṅga, general of Kassapa IV., built for them the Dhammārāma and the Hadayuṇhapariveṇa (Cv.lii.17, 18).

The Sāgaliyas were an offshoot of the Dhammarucikas.

Dhammaruci 02. Dhammaruci Thera. An Arahant. In the time of Dīpaṅkara Buddha he was a young man named Megha, and on hearing the Buddha’s declaration regarding Sumedha, he entered the Saṅgha under the latter. But, owing to wrong association, he left the Saṅgha and murdered his mother. For this he suffered in Avīci and was later born as a fish. One day he heard some shipwrecked sailors calling on the name of Gotama Buddha for protection, and, remembering Dīpaṅkara’s prophecy, the fish died. He was then born in Sāvatthī, and hearing the Buddha preach at Jetavana, he entered the Saṅgha and became an Arahant. Ap.ii.429f.

Dhammaruci 03. A Nāga king who gave grass to Atthadassī Buddha for his seat. Bv­a.178.