Mahā Vihāra untranslated

Mahā Vihāra. The great monastery at Anurādhapura, for many centuries the chief seat of Buddhism in Ceylon. It was founded by Devānampiyatissa, on the counsel of Mahinda, and included the Mahā Meghavana. The Mahā Meghavanārāma henceforth came to be included in the Mahā Vihāra. The boundary of the vihāra was marked out by the king ploughing a circular furrow starting from near the Gaṅgalatittha on the Kadambanadī and ending again at the river (Mhv.xv.188ff.; Mhv­ṭ.361; Mbv. 135, 136 says that the ford on the Kadambanadī was Pāsāṇatittha).

A list is given in the Mahā Bodhivaṁsa (pp. 135f) of the places through which the sīmā (boundary) of the Mahā Vihāra passed – Pāsāṇatittha, Kuddavāṭakapāsāṇa, Kumbhakāra-āvāta, the Mahā Nīpa tree, Kakudhapāli, Mahā Aṅgaṇa tree, Khujjamātula tree, Marutta pokkharaṇī, the northern gate of the Vijayārāma park, Gajakumbhakapāsāṇa, then passing Avaṭṭimajjha, Bālakapāsāṇa on the Abhayavāpi, Mahā Susāna, Dīghapāsāṇa, the left side of Caṇḍālagāma, the Nīcasusāna to the left of Kammāradeva, Sīmānigrodha, Veḷuvaṅgaṇa, round the hermitages of the Nigaṇṭhas Jotiya Giri and Kumbhaṇḍa, to the right of the various hermitages of the Paribbājakas, by Hiyagalla, along the shrine of the Brahmin Dīyavāsa, through Telumapāli, Tālacatukka, to the right of the stables (assamaṇḍala), on to Sasakapāsāṇa and Marumbatittha. It then proceeded up the river to Sīhasinānatittha, on to Pāsāṇatittha, ending at Kuddavāṭakapāsāṇa.

The Mahā Vihāra contained thirty-two Mālakas (Mhv.xv.214) and had numerous buildings attached to it, apart from sacred shrines, such as the Mahā Bodhi-tree, Thūpārāma, Mahā Thūpa, etc. In its early period, the precincts of the Mahā Vihāra contained other buildings besides those dedicated to the service of Buddhism e.g., the hermitages of the Nigaṇṭhas and the Paribbājakas (as mentioned above) and the shrine of the guardian deity of Anurādhapura (Mhv.xxv.87). In the time of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī, the Mahā Vihāra monks divided into two factions, and one party occupied Abhayagiri, built by the king (Mhv.xxxiii.97f). At first the differences between these two factions were trivial, but, as time went on, Abhayagiri grew in power and riches and proved a formidable rival to the older monastery.

From time to time various kings and nobles made additions and restorations to the Mahā Vihāra. Thus Vasabha (Mhv.xxxxv.88) built a row of cells, and Bhātikatissa erected a boundary wall (Mhv.xxxvi.2), while Kaniṭṭhatissa removed the boundary wall and constructed the Kukkuṭagiri pariveṇa, twelve large pāsādas, a refectory, and a road leading from Mahā Vihāra to Dakkhiṇavihāra (Mhv.xxxvi.10f). Vohārikatissa appointed a monthly gift of a thousand to the monks of the Mahā Vihāra (Mhv.xxxvi.32), while Sirisaṅghabodhi built a salāka house (Mhv.xxxvi.74). Goṭhābhaya erected a stone pavilion and made a padhānabhūmi to the west of the vihāra (Mhv.xxxvi.102,106).

Towards the latter part of Goṭhābhaya’s reign, a dispute arose between the Mahā Vihāra and Abhayagiri on matters of doctrine, and sixty monks of Abhayagiri, who had adopted the Vetulyavāda, were banished. They obtained the assistance of a Coḷa monk, named Saṅghatissa, and at a solemn assembly of the monks concerned, at Thūpārāma, Saṅghamitta expounded his heretical doctrine, refuting the opposition of the Mahā Vihāra monks, and succeeded in winning over the king, who was present, in spite of the efforts of his uncle, Goṭhābhaya Thera, to bring him round to the orthodox party. Saṅghamitta became tutor to the king’s sons, and when one of these, Mahā Sena, became king, he prompted him to destroy the Mahā Vihāra. A royal decree was issued forbidding the giving of alms to the Mahā Vihāra. The monks thereupon left the monastery, and for nine years it remained deserted. Many of the buildings were destroyed, and various possessions belonging to the Mahā Vihāra were removed to Abhayagiri; but the people, led by the king’s minister and friend, Meghavaṇṇābhaya, revolted against the impious deeds of Mahā Sena and his admirers, Saṅghamitta and Soṇa, and the king was forced to yield. Saṅghamitta and Soṇa were slain by one of the queens, and the king, with the help of Meghavaṇṇābhaya, rebuilt several pariveṇas and restored some of the possessions, which had been removed. But Mahā Sena’s allegiance to the Mahā Vihāra teaching was not lasting; acting on the advice of a monk named Tissa, he built the Jetavanavihāra in the grounds of the Mahā Vihāra, against the wish of the monks there; the latter left again for nine months as a sign of protest against the king’s attempts to remove the boundary of the vihāra. This attempt, however, he was forced to abandon (Mhv.xxxvi.110f.; xxxvii.1-37).

Mahā Sena’s son, Sirimeghavaṇṇa, on coming to the throne, exerted himself to undo the damage which had been wrought by his father. He rebuilt the Lohapāsāda and restored all the demolished pariveṇas, together with their endowments (Cv.xxxvii.54ff). Mahā Vihāra had, by now, become famous as a seat of learning; it was the centre of Theravāda Buddhism, and was the repository of various Commentaries, of which the chief were the Sīhalaṭṭhakathā on the Pāli Canon. Thither, therefore, came scholars from various countries, among them Buddhaghosa (q.,v.), who resided in the Ganthākara pariveṇa and compiled his Pāli Commentaries (Cv.xxxvii.215ff).

When Dhātusena became king he had the walls of the Mahā Vihāra painted with various ornamental designs (Cv.xxxviii.43). The Dhammarucikas seem to have been favourites of this king and to have occupied the Mahā Vihāra, later moving to Ambatthala vihāra (Cv.xxxviii.75). Mahā Nāga instituted a permanent distribution of soup to the inhabitants of the Mahā Vihāra (Cv.xli.99) and Jeṭṭhatissa III. planted another Bodhi-tree there, called the Mahā Metta (Cv.xliv.96).

Udaya I. built a new salāka hall (Cv.xlix.14). Aggabodhi IX. discontinued the habit of the monks of the smaller vihāras surrounding Anurādhapura from coming to Mahā Vihāra for their supply of medicines and made other arrangements for their distribution (Cv.xlix.88). Sena I. and his queen Saṅghā erected and endowed the Saṅghasena pariveṇa (Cv.l.70), while Kassapa IV. built the Samuddagiri pariveṇa and gave it for the use of the Paṁsukūlikas, while for the forest dwelling monks of the Mahā Vihāra he built forest dwellings (Cv.lii.21f.; Cv.Trs.i.163, n.8). Kassapa’s kinsman, the general Rakkha, built a vihāra in the village of Savāraka and gave it to the incumbents of the Mahā Vihāra, to be used as a padhānaghara, while Mahā Lekhasena built, in the Mahā Vihāra itself, the Mahā Lekhapabbata (Cv.lii.31ff). Udaya IV. gave a diadem of jewels to the Buddha image in the Mahā Vihāra, while his wife Vidurā added to it a network of rays made of precious stones (Cv.liii.49ff).

During the invasions of the Coḷas and the Paṇḍus from South India, and owing to the consequent confusion prevailing in the country, the Mahā Vihāra seems to have been neglected. Many of the buildings were destroyed and their priceless possessions plundered. Discipline among the monks became slack and there were many dissensions. Later, when Parakkamabāhu I. had restored peace, he wished to purify the religion, but met with great opposition, and it was only after strenuous efforts that he brought about a reconciliation between the different parties (Cv.lxxviii.11ff).

It is said that the king could not find one single pure member of the Saṅgha (Cv.lxxviii.25). He, therefore, held a special ordination ceremony, admitting many monks into the Saṅgha.

After the removal of the capital from Anurādhapura to Pulatthipura, the Mahā Vihāra lost its importance; the centre of activity was now at Pulatthipura, and later, at other capitals, and the Mahā Vihāra fell into neglect and decay, from which it has never recovered.