Mahavamsa – Tripitaka and the language of the Buddha

Gautama Buddha preached Dhamma to the world using Maghadi language here in this Helabima  for forty five years. This Buddha Dhamma was arranged in to the form of lines, Pela. So then, it was easy to refer and study them by heart and take them from one generation to another. This particular process was set up during the time of Buddha himself.  A group of Bhikkus including the great Arahant Maha Kassapa and Arahant Ananda Thero, who represented the Asu Maha Srawaka, The Great Eighty Disciple of Buddha, worked towards this formation of Dhamma.

It is the third chapter of Mahavamsa written in Lanka reveals the world about the historical news of the arrangements of the first Dharma Sangayana, the Dhamma Council. If it is guaranteed that the Mahavamsa was a book written in Lanka, if it is guaranteed that it contains the information of history in Lanka, if this story of the first Darma Sangayana which had been held in the city of Rajagaha is stated in Mahavamsa, anyone can understand and decide that this incident had been occurred here in this Helabima, in Rajagala in the city of Rajagaha. If a Darma Sangayana of this nature had been held in Barath Desha in the past, it could have been mentioned in the contemporary books written in the Baratha Desha. But no one can present any information with regards to that. The most learnt, erudite and knowledgeable 500 Arahants who participated in this Sangayana, had come there from 28 monasteries situated around the city of RajagahaRajagala – and also from Aaranya Senasanas which are known today as Sithulpawwa in Ruhuna, Maaligavila, Deegavapiya and Kudumbigala. It’s a great false to say that a Darma Sangayana of this nature was held in India.

The Tripitaka written in the Alu Lena says that the first Darma Sangayana had been held in Rajagala in Ampara, in the city of Rajagaha after three months of the Parinibbana of the Buddha in the city of Kusinara (today its Budugala). Hence, I am glad to mention that this incident of the first Darma Sangayana which is mentioned in two books written in Lanka, Mahavamsa and Tripitaka, is a historical incident happened in Helabima, but not an incident happened in India or Baratha Desha. If someone says so, it is nothing but a mindless thing.

Any one goes to Rajagala in Ampara, can still observe the Sapthaparni Cave and other supportive caves which were arranged for the first Drama Sangayana by King Ajaasaththa, the ruler of the kingdom of Magadha, and also the other facilities provided for 500 Arahants.

The Sapthaparni Cave found in Helabima  is an extraordinary creation. The cave had been designed purposely for the Darma Sangayana, having a shape of an umbrella and Arahants could sit comfortably as a circle. This is well secured and preserved in Rajagala, even to this date.

Making wrong interpretations based on assumptions and passing out all these incidents to India were done by the authors lived in our country in the mediaeval period through the books such as Bodhivamsa, Thoopavamsa, Daathuvamsa which written 800 years after Mahavamsa & Tripitaka, also through many Buddhist literature books written in the Polonnaruwa era. That is the nature of Padaparama[1]person who has no any clear idea over the absolute truth. All the authors who wrote Sinhala and Pali books in the Polonnaruwa era, Dambadeni era and in Gampala era were influenced by India and the Mahayana Buddhism. They did not have the wisdom in Dhamma to differentiate Buddha Dhamma and Buddhism. This is evident positively by the erotic commendations used by them in their Buddhist literature book which were written in these eras.

I want to emphasize again the fact that it was only in this Helabima  that sacred Buddha Dhamma was originated, was existed, exists and will be existing.

I would like to mention here genuinely that the Padaparama persons who hold on to conventional views and act behind the label of Buddhism attempt harder in the present day to suppress, to cover up the absolute truths disclosed by the sacred Buddha Dhamma. It is not surprising to see that they will do the same in the future as well. But now it’s the time to disclose all, it’s the time for the truth to come out.

A very long period like 400 years, from the time of the Parinibbana of Gautama Buddha to the time of writing this sacred Buddha Dhamma in Alu Lena in the reign of King Walagamba, this Tripitaka Dhamma was taken down through an unbroken oral tradition by a generation of Heladiva Bhikkus who had experienced the fruitions of the supermandane path, who lived in Aaranya Senasan as of Heladiva located in Ruhuna, east and in the central region of the country representing Rajagala, Sithulpawwa, Kudumbigala, Deegawapiya, Budugala, Haburugala and  Mulkirigala.

When all the books containing pure Buddha Dhamma were burnt-out, when all the Buddhist, Hela and Pali texts stored in the library, Pothgula, of Maha Vihara in Anuradhapura were burnt – out , what left for the reference for the Hela Buddhists was the 17 books written by Buddhagosha Thero which were protected and stored at the Mahayana Abayagiri monastery. The Bhikkus lived in Abayagiri monastery were biased to Mahayana Buddhism. The Sinhala king who ruled the county by that time and destroyed the Mahavihara monastery was biased to Abayagiri monastery. Both these parties were Mahayanians. In the era which came after the destruction of this series of Hela commentaries, most of the Buddhist Bhikkus and the kings lived in Helabima praised and considered these texts with Mahayana views as Buddha Dhamma. The Tripitaka Canon was written and stored at the Alu Lena. If the copies of them had been stored in Anuradhapura, they too could have been burnt-out by the fire of Mahavihara.  We were lucky to have them stored in Alu Lena and the enemies could not touch the originals of Tripitaka. They were not burnt out and up to this date they are used for new copies.

Later, the Tripitaka was translated in to Sinhala language by our scholars. But, in interpreting the Maghadi terms in Tripitaka, most of them used the views of the translations of the Artha Katha by Buddhagosha Thero which were filled with worldly religious concepts and also analysis such as Teeka, Tippani and Sammatha written later for these same Artha Katha. Because of this reason, it should be mentioned here that the learnt Bhikkus who worked in the Editorial Board of the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka were suppressed by the Pathanjali Theory, Pathanjali Waada, which was mainly indicated by 17 books including Vishuddhi Magga and translated the Tripitaka text in to Sinhala language. And also because these learnt Bhikkus who translated Tripitaka were the masters in Sanskrit language, in translating Maghadi language in to Sinhala they have used more than 50 percent of Sanskrit  terms taken from Sanskrit language.  Because of these alterations, it is sorry to say that the Sinhala people living today face the difficulties in understanding the true Tripitaka Dhamma.

An excellent person who could read Maghadi language, who can analyze Dhamma in Maghadi language, who had realized Dhamma is a true Noble person, Aarya Pudgala.

A very long period of 2100 years ago, in the reign of King Walagamba, Hela Bhikkus who were learnt, pious and knew Dhamma well and had experienced the fruitions of supermandane path were engaged in writing the Dhamma as Tripitaka texts which included many information related to our Hela history such as the names of people, the places, also the way of life of the people lived in this country etc and its time now for us to analyze, understand and accept these information. I emphasize on the fact that all the names of the people, villages, kingdoms, kings, the Counts, the Noble ones who experienced the fruitions in the supermundane path, the Arahants and also the incidents of the past, the future and the present mentioned in the Tripitaka Canon are not related to India or Maha Barath Desha but they are related only to this Siw Hela.

In his history book Professor A L Basham says, the time period between 589-543 BC, what we conventionally accept as the era that Buddha was living, or the period closer to that, the political circumstance of Barath Desha was going through great complexities and disputes, Greek & Persian invasions had given the extreme pressure and the country had been pushed away from peace, and this unstable, disturbed environment would not be suitable enough in any way for a birth of a Buddha. 289 years after the Parinibbana of the Buddha, until such time that Ashoka the Great brings the Barath Desha under the sovereignty of one flag, there had been an interregnum filled will disputes and complexities. This can be very clearly understood by the fact that no any book carries any information related to the political environment of Baratha Desha in this period.

The Englishmen such as Rhys Davids, Geory Turner, James Prinsep, H C P Bell and Codrington wrote the history with the narrow and misleading understanding which they gathered by reading Mahavamsa, Deepavamsa and Tripitaka Canon which were written in Lanka and the books written in the preceding  periods namely Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya era. Today, a history of this nature which is written with assumptions is entered in to the Indian history books as well. Accordingly, it was by the ordinary men who lived in those respective eras had written the history by restricting the Helabima history to the era of Vijaya and all what happened prior to him had been transferred and handed over to India. Now it’s time to correct this mistake.

Even to this date, we have genuine historical evidences written in our Helabima which are related to those respective eras. Our historians, archeologists and also lay and non-lay scholars who hold different religious views do not show any interest in accepting them as they think in English and are obliged to the west or to the Baratha Desha.

The Englishmen such as James Prinsep, Geory Turner, Strongs, Rhys Davids, Codrington, H C P Bell and Wilhelm Gaiger wrote our history. We appreciate their service up to some extent. But the great loss experienced by us due to their ignorance also should be seriously taken in to our consideration. This situation should be corrected at least now.

Sometimes back a book called Lokopakaraya was written by Venerable Ranasgalle. The four islands explained by the poem number 189 poem of this Lokopakaraya were situated within this Helabima. The four islands surrounded by the sea shore mentioned in Lokopakaraya were as follows.

  1.  Uthuru Kuru Divaina.
  2. Janbudveepaya (Dambadiva).
  3. Poorvavidehaya.
  4. Apara Goyaanaya.

In the most ancient era prior to the ear of Anuradhapura or in other words in the time of Buddha, this country has been divided in to four parts and conventional names of this nature had been given to them. What was known as four islands (the regions) was the Siw Helas. Later, following the tribes of tribal kings of each Hela, Janbudveepa was named as Deva Hela, Uthuru Kuru Divaina was named as Yaksha Hela, Apara Goyaanaya was named as Naaga Hela and Poorvavidehaya was named as Ghandharva Hela.

Chaththaaro Mahaaraajaas who were mentioned in the Aataanaata Sutta and Mahasamaya Sutta very specifically reigned in the regions in this Siw Hela. Gautama Buddha attended in to his Enlightenment in Janbudveepa (Dambadiva) and that region was coming under Deva Hela. Hence, the names such as Janbudveepa and Dambadiva were used for a particular region of this same land in very ancient eras. It got the name Janbudveepa as it suggested the meaning that ‘The island where all the Buddhas are born’. The name Dambadiva was used as it suggests the meaning ‘The island of Dhamma’.

All the islands mentioned in Lokopakaraya are surrounded by the sea shore. Because of this it is guaranteed that in the ancient times all these four islands were situated in this Helabima.

All the books written in Baratha Desha in the period of BC, all those literature books had discussed the worldly advices and the matters which would arouse the erotic emotions of the ordinary world. The Rig Vedha texts, Vishnu Puraanaya, Iskandha Puraanaya and many more ancient texts, Bahamian and Upanishad texts and also the special book called Bhagavad Gita were written with the aim of advising the worldly success. These were literature books or complimentary books which were written for the purpose of making a better world. But, all the books written in the contemporary ear in Helabima  i.e. all the Tripitaka texts and all the commentaries were aimed at the supermundane path which would lead to the renunciation from the world. They were written to explain the Dhammaanudhamma Patipadhaa[2]which will lead to the total cessation of the impermanence of life. These two objectives are different to each other. If the sacred Buddha Dhamma had been spread out in India or Baratha Desha that day, it could have been seen at least some indication of these supermandane Dhamma in those books written in that period. But, it is not mentioned in any book written in India.

Anyone who reads the Bhagavad Gita would easily understand that the objective of the ancient literature written in Baratha Desha was to provide the required advices for a better living. The most interesting, erotic and complimentary poems in the Bhagavad Gita are studied by heart and recited them as Bajan songs. Even to this day, this is a custom or a habit followed by the Indians. But the sacred Dhamma stated in the Tripitaka should be listened well, should be digested in to the mind well, and should be experienced well. It’s a Darmatha of Yathaawadi Thathaakaari and Athaakaari Thathaawadi. Buddha Dhamma was a Dhamma which teaches to understand Dukkha, teaches to find out the root for Dukkha and teaches to eradicate the root of Dukkha. Or in other words, it can be considered as a doctrine of cause and effect, it can be understood only by following it, only by comparing anything with the cause and effect. According to the divine concepts in Barath Desha, the effort was changed temporally by changing the cause. Because of this, the literature in Barath Desha written in the past was limited to a complimentary literature.

The Buddha Dhamma preached the human being to use his mind in action, to become someone who acts on Yoniso Manasikaara and to find out the path for emancipation. The religions in Barath Desha aimed at the emancipation by suppressing the sorrow temporally through the changing of things in the world. A supermandane doctrine was not seen in them.

In the Pali Commentaries translated by Buddhagosha Thero, and also in other books written in the preceding eras i.e. in Anuradhapura era , especially in the Sinhala books written in Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya era it contained the Sammatha Dhamma (The Conventional Dhamma) which would help to make a better world, would help for the augmentation of Bhava, but not the Paramartha Dhamma, (The Objective Dhamma) which would advice to compare every with Vinaya (the discipline) and with cause and effect as preached in Buddha Dhamma. It was the time that Helabima  was tremendously influenced by the complimentary poems in the worldly religions which were spread in Barath Desha.

Hence, most of the books left for our reference today are the historical Buddhist literature books written in the mediaeval period and the Commentaries (Atta Katha) & also many other literature books written later with the influence of Barath Desha. They were not the books of objective Dhamma which would disclose the Nibbana as it was highlighted in the sacred Buddha Dhamma or in Tripitaka Canon. The Jathaka Katha literature written later in the era of Dambadeniya too was purely aimed at the happiness of the ordinary mass but not something which helped the mankind to think in wisdom and compare things with the doctrine of cause and effect and act accordingly. It is very clear that these too were in the same category of compliment literature.

Next Chapter…


[1] Padaparama –  ‘one for whom the words are the utmost attainment’, Whoever, though having learned much, speaking much, knowing many things by heart, and discoursing much, has not penetrated the truth, such a man is called by that name.

[2]The teaching to explain how to follow Dhamma and act accordingly.

Share Button