The strategies adopted by the Mahavihara monks for the

establishment of Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon

by Joyadip Talukder
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Historical Prologue:
According to two great chronicles of Ceylon the Mahavamsa and the Dipavamsa; and the
Samanthapasadika which record the historical arrival of Mahinda Thera as 236 years after
the passing away of the Buddha. After the arrival of Mahinda Thera he was offered the
monastery called Tissarama in the garden named Mahameghavana, constructed by the
king Devanampiyatissa which is also considered as the first monastery in Ceylon situated
on the southern side of the old inner city of Anuradhapura. At a later period it gained its
popularity as the Mahavihara, the great monastery, the main fortress of Theravada
Buddhist culture and civilization. Later on Tissa Maharama and Situlpavva and Cetiyagiri
vihara also became a center of Mahavihara in the south.

Establishment of Tharavada Buddhism:

Many people embraced Buddhism. Later on one occasion the King asked Mahinda to
establish the Buddha-sasana in Ceylon. Mahinda's answered as in Mahavamsa and
Dipavamsa that the Buddha sasana would be established only if Sima for Uposatha and
other acts were established. But another source said that Buddha-sasana would be
established when a son born of Sri-Lankan parents became a monk. It is said that the
king's nephew named Arittha who had obtained the king’s permission to enter order of
monks on his return from India, did so with five hundred other men and all became
Arahants and the Sangha sasana was established and with the offering of Mahavihara,
Buddhism became the state Religion. With the ordination of Anula and the other women
both the Bhikkhu-sasana and the Bhikkhuni-sasana were established in the island.

In the first few centuries after the establishment of Buddhism, the Sangha sasana headed
by Arittha spread rapidly. The bhikkhuni sasana established by Sanghamitta developed
fast. Monks and nuns grew in numbers and with increase of numbers of temples with
Mahavihara as the headquarters. Every village had a temple and monks worked in close

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relation with the laity. This attracted the attentions of the rulers and the masses. The
people in Ceylon for the first time found an organized religion and with the support it
received from the monarchs and the courtiers it made headway in its first few years of
existence. Moreover to appease the minds of the populace religious cults like the
veneration of Cetiyas and Bodhi trees, found in the practical side of Buddhism. Relics of
the Buddha were brought from India and the first stupa, the Thuparama was built by
Devanampiya Tissa. The popularity which Buddhism received from the masses all over
the country is seen from the details of the reception accorded to the Bodhi Tree and the
relics. When they were brought to Ceylon, people from all quarters of the island gathered
at Anuradhapura to pay homage to these relics and show their faith in Buddhism.

The movement started by Mahinda gradually gathered popularity, and at the time of his
death the Savgha was fully established in the Island. Hence he received the epithet
“Dipapasadaka”. Mahinda not only established the Order of monks but also encouraged
the teachings and traditional monastic practices. Thus he is extolled in the Mahavamsa :
“The great Thera Mahinda, who had taught the peerless doctrine of the
Master, the sacred writings, the precepts of righteousness and the higher
perfection (pariyatti, patipatti, pativedha), full excellently in the island of
Lanka, the light of Lanka, the teacher of many disciples, he who like the
Master, had brought great blessings for the people… while he being sixty
years old passed away into Nibbana”.
This description shows that Mahinda’s mission was to a great extent successful.

During the rule of Devanampiya Tissa, Buddhism was diffused far and wide in the island.
Not only were monastic centers such as Jambukola opened in the North, but Buddhism
also gained popularity in the South and West of the island. In the kingdoms of Rohana in
the South and Kalyani in the South-West there came to be established numerous
monasteries. The Manorathapurani II, p.60, refers to Rohana as a place suitable for
monastic life as there was an abundance of the four requisites in that region. According to
Vajsatthappakasini, there are also instances where monks of Anuradhapura traveled long

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distances to Rohana to study the religious texts from monks of Rohana and seek spiritual
advice and training.

This shows that the Mahavihara from the very early times had connections with
monasteries throughout the island. There is reference to the Mahathupa, the Mahapali
Hall and Mahavihara as the chief monastic establishments in the South. This shows that
they were modelled on the same pattern as the Mahavihara at Anuradhapura.

The Thuparama, Maricavatti, Lohapasada, Issarasamana and Dakkhinagiri were some of

the monasteries which came under the supervisory control of the Mahavihara. The
Nikaya Savgraha refers to the Pabcamaha Viharas, which came under the leadership of
the Mahavihara. Apart from the monasteries in Anuradhapura and Rohana there were
other monasteries scattered throughout the country which owed their allegiance to the
Mahavihara.

Preservation of purity of Theravada Buddhism:

During the reign of King Vattagamini who demolished the monasteries of a Nigantha
(Jain ascetic) named Giri for having mocked him when he was fleeting. He built a
Buddhist monastery called Abhayagiri Vihara over it, which he presented to a monk
called Kupikkala MahaTissa who had helped him while he was hiding in the forest. Later,
the monks of the Mahavihara imposed the punishment of expulsion on Tissa on the
charge of improper contact with lay families. Tissa's pupils, Bahalamassu Tissa, who
resented the punishment imposed upon his teacher, was likewise expelled from the
Mahavihara. He then went away with a following of five hundred monks and lived in
Abhayagiri Vihara, refusing to return to the Mahaviha. Thus started the first schism. The
actual schism occurred only when monks of the Vajjiputta sect in India came to Sri Lanka
and stayed in Abhayagiri Vihara. Tissa and his pupils adopted their doctrines. Thereupon
the monks of the Mahaviha, having compared it with their own texts, rejected the vaitulya
doctrines as being opposed to traditional doctrine. The king, whom had a learned minister
named Kapila examined them and declared Vaitulyavada as heretical teaching. The king
punished the Abhayagiri monks and burnt all the heretical books. Mahavihara monks

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opposed them as unorthodox and heretical. From this time the Abhayagiri existed as a
separate sect opposed to the Mahaviha.

According to the Nikaya Samgraha written in the Kandyan period says that the
Dharmaruci Nikaya which came to Abhayagiri was a branch of Vajjiputtaka Nikaya in
India. At the early stage, they did not have much difference from the Mahavihara but later
they had joined with the Vaitulyakas (Vetullaka) who had accepted Mahayana form of
Buddhism. Therefore Mahavihara accepted Theravada while Abhayagiri Vihara accepted
the Mahayana system. After that they had dispute over difference opinion because of the
difference of opinion of these two centres, the ruler in Sri Lanka were also divided into
two, they developed their institutions they belonged to and tried to contradict the other
sects.

Among the many contributions of the Mahaviharavasins for the preservation of

Theravada Buddhism the council on Vinaya is also worth mentioning. At the beginning of
the sixth century AD a further purification of the Buddhist Sangha took place during the
reign of Moggallana I. His son, Kumara Dhatusena (513-522) also puridied the Buddhist
sangha. Towards the end of the 6th century AD the followers of the Vetulyavada were
defeated by Jotipalathera in a public controversy. The Nikayasangraha states that under a
public controversy, the Vetulyavada had lost its popularity and monks of two nikayas –
the Abhayagiri and Jetavanavihara dismissed pride and lived in submission to the
Mahavihara. This indicate the importance of the Mahavihara in the sixth century AD.

Bhanaka Tradition:
There were from time to time celebrated monks who dwelt in these monasteries. They
were also places of religious instruction, as by the fifth century the Mahavihara came into
possession of a vast number of scriptural works which certainly grew in these monastic
cloisters. The monks in the Mahavihara followed the oral tradition of preserving the
teachings. Amongst them there were the Poranacariyas; Atthakathacariyas and Bhanakas.
The Mahavamsa states :

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 “The texts of the Tipitaka and the Atthakatha thereon did the most wise
bhikkhus hand down in former times orally, but since they saw the people
falling away from religion, the bhikkhus came together and in order that the
same doctrine might endure, they wrote down on books. ”

The Nikaya Sangraha states the venue of this council was Aloka Vihara. This is
confirmed in the Sarathadipani. The council of Aluvihara in the first century BC settled
the Canonical texts and the commentaries to a certain point. The commentaries and the
views of the Poranacariyas received further elaboration and discussions even after the
texts were written down, as the Bhanaka system and the Acariya lineage were carried
down. Buddhaghosa confirmed them as “Yava ajjatana” (up to this date). By the 5 th
century there were as many as twenty-eight such commentaries.

By the 5th century AD., the Mahavihara was in the possession of a vast amount of both
Canonical and commentarial literature written in Pali, Sinhalese and Tamil. The
reputation of the Mahavihara as a centre where the teachings of the orthodox Theravada
tradition was preserved that spread far and wide in India. This brought a number of
scholars from Indian as well as others who were anxious to gain further knowledge in the
original teachings. Among these scholars who came to Mahavihara, Atthakatha Acariya
Buddhaghosa, Visakha, Dhammapala, Buddhadatta and Pitimalla were some of these
famous scholars. The foremost of these scholars was Buddhaghosa. Buddhaghosa arrived
in Sri Lanka and took up residence in the Mahavihara and studied the Tripitaka and the
commentaries from the Thera Savghapala. His first work, the Visuddhimagga, and
followed by the Samantapasadika and the commentary on the four Nikayas. Malalasekera
states:
“Buddhaghosa’s work formed a synthetic unity, deliberately planned as
consistent a scheme for dealing with the traditions which have come down
through the centuries handed down by distinguished monks of the Order.”

Buddhaghosa was followed by other scholars from South India. Dhammapala from
Kanchipura came and studied at the Mahavihara. In his introduction to the commentary

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on the Petavatthu, he states that he followed the traditional interpretation of texts as
handed down in the Mahavihara. He is credited with fourteen commentaries.

The centre was engaged to the Dharma more than twelve centuries. This centre was
famous even in foreign countries as a place where the pristine form of Buddhism has
been protected. The fame of Ceylon as a land of learning had spread far and wide. Hiuan
Tsiang had :
“heard that in the middle of the ocean there was a country called Sinhala; it
was distinguished for its learned doctors belonging to the Sthavira school,
and also for those able to explain the Yoga-wastra.”

Therefore the students who were eager to learn Theravada Buddhism came to
Mahavihara. The fame of Mahavihara had been spread even to China and Burma,
Chappata Thera who came from Burma pronounced that the pure higher ordination only
exists in the Mahavihara. Devasara bhikkhuni went to China from Mahavihara. Even at
the time of its declining, there were more than 3000 monks lived in Mahavihara
monastery and it was recorded by the Chinese traveler Fa-Hian.

Mahavihara as a centre for Theravada Buddhism:

The main centre of Theravada Buddhism was Mahavihara in Sri Lanka. The centre was
engaged to the Dharma more than twelve century. This centre was build by King
Devanajpiya tissa on the instruction of Maha Mahinda Thera, however it was not built
within a day or two, it was developed by various kings in Sri Lanka with the course of ten
centuries. Even at the time of its declining, there were more than 3000 monks and it was
recorded by the Chinese traveler Fa Hsieh. This centre was famous even in foreign
countries as a place where the pure form of Buddhism has been protected. Therefore the
students who were eager to learn Theravada Buddhism came to Mahavihara.

Among these students who came to Mahavihara, Atthakatha Acariya Buddhaghosa,

Visakha, Dhammapala, Buddhadatta and Pitimalla were some of these famous scholars.
The fame of Mahavihara had been spreaded even to China and Burma, Chappata Thera

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who came from Burma pronounced that the pure higher ordination is only existing in the
Mahavihara. Devasara bhikkhuni went to China from Mahavihara. Mahavihara monks
had written vast numbers of commentaries and sub-commentaries to uplift the Theravada
point of view and they had been created many new theories of Buddhism.

Missionary works by Mahavihara Monks outside Sri Lanka:

According to the Sanskrit inscription found in Bodh-Gaya (518 AD.), which records that
a thera named Mahanama from Sri Lanka caused a shrine to be built there. Paranavitana
identifies this Thera who resided in the Mahavihara monastery. This shows that the
Mahavihara had close contacts with South Indian as well as North Indian centers of
Buddhism, to a fairly late date. These contacts enabled the Mahavihara monks to
propagate the orthodox teachings in fairly wide areas.

The relationship between Ceylon, Burma and Thailand is also very noteworthy to
mention. The Jinakamali states that the king Anuruddha having come to Ceylon copied
the tipitaka and the Nettippakarana returned to Burma. According to the Kelani
inscriptions, Uttarajiva and Chappata came to Ceylon in 1170 AD. Chapata received
ordination in Ceylon and was admitted into Sinhalese Sangha which shows that
Sihalasangha was held in high esteem in Burma. Chapata had a firm faith in Sinhalese
orthodoxy and by establishing the Sihala Sangha in Burma, he wanted to bring the
Burmese Sangha in close touch with the Sihala Sangha. The Kalyani inscriptions and the
Sasanavamsa also records that the Buddhavamsa Mahathera and Mahasami Mahathera
more popularly known as Mahanaga from Martaban in lower Burma visited Ceylon and
received reordination at the hands of the monks at the Mahavihara and thus they entered
the Sihala Sangha. During the 15th century AD also, a King called Dhammaceti sent many
missionaries to Ceylon in order to receive a valid upasampada under the Mahavihara
monks in Ceylon and to re-establish it in Burma and to arrange a consecreated sima for
the performance of religious acts in Burma, sent a religious mission, composed of
twenty-two theras. During this period the Sihala sangha played an important role in the
history of Buddhism in Burma. With the help of the king of Ceylon and of the Sinhalese

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monks Burma was able to re-establish the pure form of the religion and to unify the
sangha and to make the Mahavihara sect the only sect in Burma.

Conclusion:
The eleventh century AD begins a very significant period in the history of Theravada
Buddhism. The common bond of Theravada Buddhism brought together Ceylon and
Buddhist south-east Asia, Ceylon Mahavihara monks playing a leading role in the
exchange of ideas between them.

The Mahavihara, the seat of Theravada Buddhism and the citadel of orthodoxy, played an
important role in the history of Buddhism in Ceylon. Its conflict with the
Abhayagirivihara and other rival sects of Buddhism forms the main theme of the
religious history of Ceylon. Although, the Ceylon chronicles and other religious texts
often refer to the rise of new sects opposed to the Theravada and in spite of the patronage
offered to the Abhayagiri vihara by a few rulers and occasional disagreements between
the Mahavihara and the state regarding religious matters, the Mahavihara and its tradition
remained pre-eminent throughout the religious history of Ceylon. The Mahvihara monks
not only played a very important role in religious significance, also in the case of
development cultures, politics, social and in many other aspects.

Bibliography:
1. Hazra, Kanai Lal, History of Theravada Buddhism in South East Asia, Munshiram
Manoharlal Publisher Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 2002
2. Walpola Rahula, History of Buddhism in Ceylon,
3. Hazra, Kanai Lal, the Buddhist Annals and Chronicals of South-East Asia,,
Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 2002