Sri Lanka Hotel Guide

Sri Lanka’s Contributions to the World Heritage 1

Perseverance of Theravada Buddhism
“From its inception, the Tipitaka, the universal and sacred scriptures of the Buddhasasana [Sinhala: Buddhist doctrine], and Pali, its sublime language, enlightened the Asian civilization. It is through the Tipitaka and the bearers of the Tipitaka that both South Asia and Southeast Asia learned to read and write, found peace and prosperity, and developed cultural and friendly ties among civilized countries of the world.”
Don Percy Mahendra Rajapakse aka Prince Diyasena, the Hero of Modern Sri Lanka at the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Colombo on March 6, B.E. 2549 (2006)

1st century BC
While the hoards of painted barbarians were still fighting the two legions of Julius Caesar at the beachhead (modern Wilmer) on the coast of Kent (55 BC) of England, Sinhalese of Sri Lanka had already emerged a civilized and highly literate nation.
The epitome of Theravada Buddhism, the Pali canon called Tipitaka (3 books) was committed to writing by 500 Buddhist monks on processed and polished Ola palm leaves in Pali language, a Middle Indo-Aryan language of north Indian origin, related to Old Indo-Aryan Vedic and Sanskrit dialects, at Aluvihara Temple in Matale, close to Kandy during 88 -76 BC, under the patronage of Sinhalese King Vattagamini Abbaya (Valagambahu) [108 BC, 89-76 BC] , the builder of Golden Dambulla Rock Cave Temple.
Until then the words of Buddha (6th century BC), the most profound religion ever, had been handed down by means of committing to memory and oral recitations for generations.
5th century AD
The most significant contribution in translation and dissemination of Theravada Buddhism was made by Indian Buddhist scholar named Buddhaghosa (Pali: Voice of Buddha), who arrived in Sri Lanka Holidays Anuradhapura in the 5th century AD. Buddhaghosa settled down to peruse his studies on an enormous volume of commentarial texts that had been assembled and preserved by the monks of the Mahavihara at Sri Lanka HolidaysSacred City of Anuradhapura, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buddhaghosa, a panel of the murals at Kelaniya Temple, Sri Lanka

While Tripitaka was preserved in Pali language (a literary form of the vernacular which the Buddha used in his discourses), the commentaries elucidating it were produced in Sri Lanka in Sinhala language. Having studied the text in its entirety, the indomitable Buddhist scholar sought permission to synthesize the assembled Sinhalese-language commentaries into an all encompassing, encapsulating single commentary composed in Pali language.
Taken aback with Buddhaghosa’s request, the Sinhalese Buddhist monks at Aluvihara put the Indian scholar to the test: he was assigned the task of elaborating the doctrine regarding two verses of the suttas (discourses). The result was an unparalleled classic: Visuddhimagga (Pali: Path of Purification), a comprehensive manual of Theravada Buddhism that is still read and studied today.
The Sinhalese Buddhist monks at Mahavihara, Anuradhpura, having reviewed the works of Buddhagosha and pleased to no ends, acceded to his request and provided him with the entire mass of their Sinhalese commentaries.

12th century AD
In the 12th century, during the glorious reign of King Parakramabahu the Great, the Sinhalese Buddhist monk Sariputta added his own interpretations imbued with literal accuracy as well as essential meaning to the works of Buddhaghosa enhancing the reputation of Theravada traditions of Sri Lanka throughout Southeast Asia.

20th century AD
2500th anniversary of the final extinction (end of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth-cause and result) of Shakyamuni Gauthama Buddha fell in the Vesak (May) month of the 1956 AD. In commemoration of Buddha Jayanthi, Myanmar rose to the occasion to host the sixth Buddhist Convention (Chatta Sangayana) in Myanmar, to recite the Pali Tripitaka (The Buddhist Canon).
Buddhists all-over the world drew up programs to contribute to the celebrate Buddha Jayanthi. Sri Lanka, the custodian of pure Theravada Buddhism in the world launched the literary project of translating Tripitaka Pali language into Sinhala language. Sri Lanka Holidays provides you the opportunity to visit Aluvihare rock temple, where the Tripitaka was first committed to writing.

Perseverance of an unparalleled Historical Chronicle of Sri Lanka: Mahavamsa
“One of the greatest contributions of the Sinhalese people to the cultural development of South & South East Asia & to world literature is the creation of a historic literature. It is well-known that on the Indian sub continent before the invasion of the Islamic conquerors virtually no historic literature had developed. Sri Lanka tells a different story. In the Dipavamsa & Mahavamsa & in various other Sinhalese texts, we are given an account of the political & cultural history of the island from earliest times until the present time’
(Wilhelm Geiger- His Life & Works, Heinz Bechert, 2nd ed., 69)

The Sinhalese of Sri Lanka are adorned with the unrivaled distinction of being in possession of uninterrupted chronicled history of theirs exceeding monumental 2550 years, which commenced with the arrival of Prince Vijaya from Bengal, East India in 543 BC. No nation in the world, inclusive of India and China, has a historical chronicle comparable to Mahavamsa. The Mahawamsa is written in Pali-the lingua franca of the Theravada Buddhist world at different times in Sri Lanka’s history by a succession of learned and pious Buddhist monks beginning with Mahanama Maha Thera (sixth century AD). Buddhist scholar Mahanama Maha Thera is believed to be an uncle of King Dhathusena, whose flamboyant son Kashaypa (479-497 AD), who reigned in great splendor and aspired to be god king, is credited with the glory of Sri Lanka Holidays Lion Rock Citadel of Sigiriya.
Today, Mahanama seems a man ahead of his time: definitely he must have valued to no ends propagating the cause of fledging Aryan Sinhalese nation to the world. His medium of publicity was the language of Pali: his eye was focused on a wider readership, at least South-East Asia; he opted to make matters easier for would be touring scholars of the caliber of Buddhgohsa who had, first of all, to be proficient in Sinhala language to translate Sinhalese commentaries on the epitome of Theravada Buddhism, the Pali canon called Tipitaka (3 books) into Pali.
The first part of Mahavamsa narrates the era spanning the reign of 54 rulers of Sri Lanka from King Vijaya (543-505 BC) to King Mahasena (273-301 AD). The second part of Mahavamsa named Chulavamsa narrates the era spanning the reign of 111 rulers beginning with King Sirimeghavanna (302-330 AD) to the last King of Lanka Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe (1798-1815 AD).
It is believed Mahanama Maha Thera made use of Dipavamsa, a historical chronicle written a couple of centuries before and Sinhala-Attha-katha-Mahavamsa, composed in Sinhala from various earlier sources, which included Purana-style genealogies & lineages of the Buddhist order. Author of commentaries upon Mahavamsa called Mahavamsa Tika that was written between 1000 AD & 1100 AD is not known. Since Mahavamsa Tika contains information not found in Mahavamsa or Deepavamsa, it is believed that the author of Tika had access to Mahavamsa Attha-katha. From his narrations, it could be deduced that author of commentaries (tika) also supposed Mahavamsa Attha-katha to be known to his readers & accessible to all.

Authenticity of history of Sri Lanka chronicled in Mahavamsa is amply borne out by archaeological, epigraphical and numismatic evidence which corroborates supplements and clarifies the wealth of information recorded in it. The Aryan civilization in Sri Lanka, at least two centuries before the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka (Third century BC) and emergence of learned Buddhist monks as historiographers, had already taken to record the dynastic history of the then fledging island nation of the Sinhalese. If such stuff is for the scholars and serious readers of archeology and history, we can make it much easier to the Tourists at Sri Lanka Holidays.

Ruins, renovated and restored monuments, thousands of restored ancient irrigation networks that consists of man-made rainwater reservoirs of epic scale, stupendous Buddhist stupas (dagobas) at UNESCO World Heritage Sites (cultural of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and numerous other cultural sites throughout the island bear tangible and living testimony to the records of Mahavamsa. Visits to Golden Sand Stupa (Ruwan Weli Seya) and The Sea of Parakrama (Parakrama Samudraya) rainwater reservoir of Sri Lanka Holidays alone would give credence to your satisfaction as to the veracity of Mahavamsa.

Construction of The Sea of Parakrama (Parakrama Samudraya) Quote Chulavamsa.
To put away the sufferings of famine from living creatures that most excellent of men hand many tanks and canals made in diverse places. By damming up the Karaganga river by a great barrier between the hills and bringing its mighty flood of waters hither by means of vast canal called the Akasaganga river, the Ruler created that king of reservoirs continually filled with water and known by the name of Parakama Samudra in which there was an island resplendent with a superb royal palace and which was like to a second ocean. He also built the great Parakrama Samudra with a sluice of a hundred cubits, and which was made fast by stone construction.
Unquote Chulamvamsa, being the more recent part of the Mahavamsa. Translated from Pali to English by Dr. Wilhelm Geiger, 1929, London. The hills referred above are Sri Lanka Holidays Central Highlands.

Construction of Golden Sand Stupa (Ruwan Weli Seya) Quote Mahavamsa.
When the resources were thus obtained he commenced the work for the Great Thupa as the Visakha constellation appeared on the full-moon day of the month of Vesakha (April-May). Having got the pillar removed, the ruler of the earth had the site of the thupa there dug to a depth of seven cubits so as to make it firm in various ways. He who knew the advantages and disadvantages, had round stones brought there by warriors and had them broken with hammers; then for the sake of firmness of the site, he had the crushed stones stamped by elephants with feet covered in leather.
The clay at the place where the celestial river descends-being ever drenched-is fine all around there for thirty yojans; on account of its fineness, it is called ‘butter-clay.’ Arahant samaneras brought clay from there. He had clay spread there over the layer of stone. The lord over the clay, rough plaster over it, quartz over that, network of iron over it and, above that, fragrant marumba brought by samaneras from the Himalayas.
Unquote “The great chronicle of Sri Lanka Mahavamsa chapters one to thirty seven. An annotated new translation with prolegomena” by Dr. Ananada W. P. Guruge. 2005, Colombo.

The identification of the most inspiring and stirring appeal to eschew war and violence
Mahavamsa’s comprehensive account resulted in identification of Devanam Piadassi narrated in the edicts and pillar inscriptions of Mauryan Emperor Asoka of India. The identification of great missionaries whose relics were found enshrined in the stupas of Sanchi Sonari of India could never have been made without the information recorded in Mahavamsa on the missions sent out to propagate Buddhism in the reign of Emperor Asoka. Edict attributed to Emperor Asoka are of no mean contribution to the world heritage and the future of the world: the most inspiring and stirring appeal to eschew war and violence ever by a king was made in the Kalinga Edict of Asoka the Great.
In the year 1815, the last king and the island nation was betrayed by king’s own ministers in Kandy led by Pilimathalawwe, to the heinous and hypocritical invader, the British ending the 2357 years of sovereignty of Lanka. The Kandyan nobles disinherited the tradition of the heroic lion-hearted kings of Sri Lanka who repulsed intermittent invasions from Southern India at Anuradahapura and Polonnaruwa of north central plains and then repulsed the Portuguese and Dutch at Sitawake and Kandy for 2357 years.

The modern extension (period: 1815- 1948 AD) at its best is disappointing; at worst is incompetent.
Each chapter of Mahavamsa ends with stating the objective for the compilation of the historical narrative: “for the serene joy and emotion of the pious”. In 2003, Mahawamsa was extended by a few modern historians to include the period from1815 AD to 1948 AD, the year of independence from the British. The modern extension brings about dismay and disappointment at the act of omission and commission contrary to the serene joy and emotion that was intended by the succession of its previous authors.

An acknowledgement
Some of the content above owe much to the narrations by Dr. Ananda P. Guruge:  The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka, Mahavamsa. Chapters one to thirty seven. An Annotated New Translation with Prolegomena. ISBN 955-20-8963-8