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The Mahā Vihāra

I. Introduction

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the third century B.C. from India, where it had

been established by Siddartha Gautama three centuries earlier. The powerful Indian monarch,

Asoka, nurtured the new comprehensive religio-philosophical system in the third century

B.C. Asoka's conversion to Buddhism marks one of the turning points in religious history

because, at that time, Buddhism was elevated from a minor sect to an official religion

enjoying all the advantages of royal patronage. Asoka's empire, which extended over most

of India, supported one of the most vigorous missionary enterprises in history.

The Buddhist tradition of chronicling events has aided the verification of historical figures.

One of the most important of these figures was King Devānaṃpiyatissa (250-c. 207 B.C.).

According to the Mahāvamsa, Asoka's son and emissary to Sri Lanka, Mahinda, introduced

the monarch to Buddhism. Devānaṃpiyatissa became a powerful patron of Buddhism and

established the monastery of Mahāvihāra, which became the historic center of Theravada

Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Subsequent events also contributed to Sri Lanka's prestige in the Buddhist world. It was on

the island, for example, that the oral teachings of the Buddha, the Tripiṭaka were committed

to writing for the first time.

Devānaṃpiyatissa was said to have received Buddha's right collarbone and his revered alms

bowl from Asoka and to have built the Thūpārāma Dagoba, or stupa (Buddhist shrine), to

honor these highly revered relics. Another relic, Buddha's sacred tooth, had arrived in Sri
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Lanka in the fourth century A.D. The possession of the Tooth Relic came to be regarded as

essential for the legitimization of Sinhalese royalty and remained so until its capture and

probable destruction by the Portuguese in 1560. The sacred Tooth Relic (thought by many to

be a substitute) that is generated in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy links legendary Sri

Lanka with the modern era. The annual procession of Perahera held in honor of the sacred

Tooth Relic serves as a powerful unifying force for the Sinhalese in the twentieth century.

Asoka's daughter, Saṅghamittā, is recorded as having brought to the island a branch of the

sacred Bodhi-tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

According to legend, the tree that grew from this branch is near the ruins of the ancient city

of Anuradhapura in the north of Sri Lanka. The tree is said to be the oldest living thing in the

world and is an object of great veneration.

The connection between religion, culture, language, and education and their combined

influence on national identity have been an age-old pervasive force for the Sinhalese

Buddhists. Devānaṃpiyatissa employed Asoka's strategy of merging the political state with

Buddhism, supporting Buddhist institutions from the state's coffers, and locating temples

close to the royal palace for greater control.

With such patronage, Buddhism was positioned to evolve as the highest ethical and

philosophical expression of Sinhalese culture and civilization. Buddhism appealed directly

to the masses, leading to the growth of a collective Sinhalese cultural consciousness.

In contrast to the theological exclusivity of Hindu Brahmanism, the Asokārāma missionary

approach featured preaching and carried the principles of the Buddha directly to the common
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people. This proselytizing had even greater success in Sri Lanka than it had in India and could

be said to be the island's first experiment in mass education.

Buddhism also had a great effect on the literary development of the island. The Indo-Aryan

dialect spoken by the early Sinhalese was comprehensible to missionaries from India and

facilitated early attempts at translating the scriptures. The Sinhalese literati studied Pali, the

language of the Buddhist scriptures, thus influencing the development of Sinhala as a literary

language.

II. The Mahā Vihāra

The vihara built by King Devānaṃpiyatissa (276-236 BC) at Mahāmevna Uyana continued

to be the headquarters of Mahāvihāra Bhikkhus till the reign of Vattagāminī Abhaya (89-77

BC). The original plan of Mahāvihāra was cited by Ven. Mahinda. King's Minister Arittha

with 500 hundred men and Queen Anulā with 1000 women ordained and established the

communities of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunīs respectively on a day close to the 13th day of

December (Unduvap) in the Buddhist era 236.

It is, moreover, reported that by the 5th century AD the number of Bhikkhus at Mahāvihāra

had risen to 3000. This was a masterly construction of nine-story and 1000 rooms. This was

also the Pohoyageya where Bhikkhus performed Vinaya karma.1

The story of Mahāvihāra crows with historical events of over 14th centuries from the arrival

of Ven. Mahinda. In Anurādhapura period runs from 6th century BC to 11th-century AD-17

1
Adikari, A., The Classical Edcation and The Community of Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka, pp. 17 – 18.
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centuries. Prosperity reached its zenith in every respect during the period from King

Devānmpiyatisssa to King Valagamba Mahāvihāra became an abode of Dhamma, a Buddhist

center of world fame with a host of institutions providing a broad education where

opportunities were available for the study of arts and sciences accepted as "unobjectionable".

Dvára Pandita (Dean) Yasapāla Thera resided at Dūra Sankara Granthākara Pirivena.2

In the meantime, a teacher by the name of Dhammaruchi of India Vajjiputra etc. came with

his followers and associated closely with Abhayagirῑ Bhikkhus. History records that these

Vajjῑputrakas were those who resided at Palavarama temple in South India. Theravadins of

Mahāvihāra called the Abhayagirῑ Bhikkhus unrighteous Dhammarucihans.

Another reason for the progress of Abhayagiriya as an educational institution was that seven

warriors of King Valagamba built five institutions and handed them over to the Vihāra.

Abhayagiriya had given an important place to subjects outside the Pirivena syllabus.

Therefore, it became a Centre that helped propagate secular philosophies, arts, and sciences.

Just as Mahāvihāra by such synonyms as Pāli Magadhῑ, Tantibhāsā, and Pāvacana so did the

learned theories of Abhaygiriya make Sanskrit their medium for writing.3

During the reign of King Deputies (323-333 AD) a Chola Bhikkhu named Saṅghamittā

arrived in Sri Lanka and having failed to win over the king against Mahāvihāra returned to

India. He came back once again during King Mahāsen’s reign (334-361AD), counseled him

in the Vaitulya doctrine and through deceit got the king to destroy Mahāvihāra. Abhyagirī

2
Adikari, A., The Classical Edcation and The Community of Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka, p. 19.
3
Adikari, A., The Classical Edcation and The Community of Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka, pp. 33 – 34.
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Bhikkhus became so influential as to impose fines on laymen who offered alms to

Mahāvihārains.

As a result, Theravādi Bhikkhus of Mahāvihāra shifted to Ruhuna and lived there. In the

meantime, Abhayagiri Bhikkhus appropriated the treasures of Mahāvihāra and Tissa Thera

of Sāgala sect residing at Dakunugiri Vihāra made use of the opportunity, built Jetavana

Mahāvihāra within the Mahāvihāra premises and resided there. This created the third Nikāya

which came to be known as Jetavana fraternity. They were also known as Mahānaka,

Bagirinaka, and Denanaka respectively.4

An intermingling of Pāli, the medium of Theravāda Buddhist Education and Sanskrit the

medium of Mahāyāna Buddhist Education led to a change in the Mahāvihāra Education

System that came down the ages. There came up in Mahāmevuna not only Vihāra and

Pirivena for Mahāvihārins who sought freedom from desire through meditation but also

chambers for the incantation of enchantments.

There is no mention of any serious sectarian conflicts for nearly two centuries-from the reign

of Kitsirimevan (362-369AD) to the reign of Kassapa I (526-552 AD).5

According to Samantapāsādikā teachers at that time were categorized into three grades, as

Nicoya Samuccagata, Pariyutthapana, and Bhikkhunovadaka.

4
Adikari, A., The Classical Edcation and The Community of Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka, p. 38.
5
Adikari, A., The Classical Edcation and The Community of Maha Sangha in Sri Lanka, p. 39.
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Conclusion

The Mahāvihārin was regarded as an Educational Institution, during the reign of the Great

King Devānaṃpiya Tissa with the arriving of the Mahā-thera Mahinda who is the Son of the

Great king Asoka, a Buddhist missionary, came to propagate the Buddhism in

Tambapannatipa which is known as Sri Lanka today.

Due to the above reason we said the Mahāvihā was established by Mahinda-Thera, under the

donation of the Great King Devānaṃpiya Tissa, in the 4th century B.C. During the reign of

King Devānaṃpiya Tissa, Mahāvihā is the place where the Mahā-thera celebrated the Fourth

Buddhist council. Mahāvihā is a very famous secret not only for Sri Lankan lay devotees and

also for other Buddhist around the world.

Reference

- Adhikari A., The Classical Education and the Community of Mahasnga in Sri

Lanka, ISBN: 955-207409-6, Publication by S. Godage and Brothers, Colombo 10,

First Edition: 2006.

- Devananda J. L., From Barbaric Buddhism to Civilized Buddhism, Sri Lanka

Guardian, 10 March, 2010.