Chapter 5 - The Golden Age and Tradition of Royal Dynasty

The Dīpavaṃsa claims that the Island of Laṅkā was chosen by the Buddha himself as the unique place in terms of religion. He entrusted the god Sakka with the duty to protect Vijaya and the Island of Laṅkā for the purpose of establishment and propagation of Buddhism. Lord Buddha was the first religious teacher who went to the battlefield personally to prevent the outbreak of a war between the people of Sakya clan and that of Koliya clan over the distribution of water of Rohiṇī River. According to Dīpavaṃsa, the Buddha came to Sri-Laṅkā three times for resolving the battle arose between the Yakkhas and the Nāgas. He brought peace in the Island and esblished Dhamma.

It is not certain when the religion of the Buddha actually entered in Ceylon. But it is accepted by the scholars that Buddhism was firmly established here by the life long effort of Mahinda and the endless support of King Devānāmpiya-Tissa. Mahinda brought in Ceylon not only the Buddhist religion but also the complete Buddhist culture.Well known monasteries established by Devānāmpiya-Tissa included: Mahāvihāra, Cetiya-pabbata, Issarasamnaka, Vessagiri, Tissamahāvihāra, Jambukolapattana-vihāra, Mahāpāli, which is a refectory.

The bringing of the branch of the Bo-Tree and the relics of the Buddha along with the alms bowl further strengthened the establishment of Buddhism and Buddhist culture in the Island. In most part of the country, Buddhism rapidly progressed. Gradually Buddhist Saṅgha became an independent and unrival institution in Ceylon. It was the duty of the king and his people to maintain and to defend the Saṅgha at all costs.

Arrival of Saṅghamittā Therī gave new direction in the life of Lankan women. Giving up cultural wildernessness, they step in the world of social-culture. Gradually they became literate persons and took significant role in spreading the Dhamma and culture in the society. Apart from the performance of religious customs, and the tasks of construction, arts and crafts, Anuradhapura became a famous seat of learning, by the tremendous effort of Mahinda Thera and Saṅghamittā Therī. Discourses on Buddhism were conducted in the monasteries. Discussions and debates on the Buddhist doctrines brought participation and interaction of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Due to such activities, these monasteries had reached to a level of renowned place of higher learning and scholares of India started reaching there to follow them.

But, it was the era of oral tradition. The great Thera Mahinda preached the Dhamma in Sinhalese. But the language used by the clergy even Saṅghamittā Therī was Pali. Bhikkhunīs, who were eager to learn the Dhamma, learnt Pāli which helped them to understand the Dhamma and interact with scholars. This was the first step taken by the women of Sri-Lanka to the progress of literacy. Learning Pali had been continued. After the commencement of documentation, the first Pali chronicle on the history of Island, the Dīpavaṃsa, was written by a group of nuns in the 4th century A.D. This was endorsed by G.P.Malalasekera, Wilhelm Geiger etc. Besides the historical events, the Dīpavaṃsa has given a detailed description of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha from the inception of Mahāpajāpati Gotami, through Saṅghamittā along with every missionary who accompanied Saṅghamittā to Sri Lanka.

Devānāmpiya-tissa’s four brothers who ruled in succession after him built many vihāras and tried their level best to spread the religion. Kākavaṇṇa-Tissa of Rohaṇa and other rulers built a large number of vihāras and mentained as well as protect the Saṅgha and the Bhikkhus. Among these, Tissamahārāma, Cittalapabbata (the famous centre of meditation) and Kiri-Vehera at Kataragama are important. Tissa of Kalyāṇi did for the religion in the western principality. Tissa, the younger son of Kākavaṇṇa, was in charge of Dīghavāpi in the eastern province of the Island.

But soon there came a period of political unrest in the early 1st century B.C. when adventures from South India seized Anuradhapura. These Tamil rulers were not interested in Buddhism and the malific approach of their supporters retarded the progress of Buddhism in the Island. Eḷāra, a Cola prince who invaded Ceylon about the middle of the second centiry B.C. ruled Anurādhapura for about forty-five years. Except Rohaṇa most of the northern part of the Island was under foreign rule.

Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇīi the son of Kākavaṇa-Tissa of Rohaṇa, undoubtedly the greatest national hero of early Buddhist Ceylon, began a 15 year campaign to liberate Buddhism from foreign rule. The young prince declared to his countrymen that he was not fighting for the pleasure of kingship but it was for the reestablishment of Buddhism 10.

According to Walpola Rahula—

“The entire Sinhalese race was united under the banner of the young Gāmaṇi. This was the beginning of nationalism among the Sinhalese. It was a new race with healthy young blood, organised under the new order of Buddhism. A kind of religio-nationalism, which almost amounted to fanaticism, roused the whole Sinhalese people. A non-Buddhist was not regarded as a human being. Evidently, all Sinhalese without exception were Buddhists.

After the defeat of Eḷāra, the victorious Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī repented of the destruction of many thousands of human lives. Eight arahants from Piyaṅgudīpa are reported to have assured the king that there was no cause for repentance, that only one and half human beings had been slain—one who had taken refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha, and the other who had observed the five precepts—and that the rest, who were wrong believers and men of evil life were equal to animals!”

But thou wilt illumine the doctrine of the Buddha in many ways; therefore dispel care from thy mind”.

Throughout the pre-colonial history of Sri-Lanka, the king is regarded as the official supporter of Buddhism. The king had to protect the Sangha, provide all materialistic requisites, and judge the disputes among the orders of the monks, foster education in the Pali Buddhist tradition.

Walpola Rahula stated that,—

“Orthodox religious opinion encouraged Buddhist nationalism. For the first time in the history of Buddhism, Bhikkhus officially entered the field of political and mundane interests. At the request of Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇi they accompanied the liberating army, ‘since the sight of the Bhikkhus is both blessing and protection for us’. Bhikkhus were encouraged even to leave their robes and join the army for the sake of religion and the nation.For instance, one of Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇi’s ten generals, Theraputta-Abhaya, formerly a Buddhist monk, was persuaded to give up his robes and join the army. After the victory this general entered the Order and became an arahant. Gāmaṇi himself had a relic of the Buddha put into his spear. Duṭṭhagāmaṇi seems to have exploited to the utmost all the religious and national sentiments of the masses in order to unite the people and to rid his mother land of foriegn rule. He can justly be regarded as the originator of religio-nationalism which has persisted through the whole history of Ceylon–down to even the present day”.

According to Dīpavaṃsa, Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī attained the paramount position in the early history of Ceylon.The period of Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī (161-137 B.C.) marks one of the finest spells of Buddhism and is regarded as the golden age in the history of Buddhism in Sri-Lanka. This was a period when a large part of the Island came under one political banner and ushered in an era of orderly government and progress. Dutthaha-Gamani was able to establish Buddhism at the zenith of its glory. Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī erected many religious edifices, such as the Mahāthūpa (Ruvanvalisāya), Maricavaṭṭi (Mirisavatiya) and the nine storyed Lohapāsāda which was the Uposatha house of the Mahāvihāra. He made Buddhism the pride of his people. It is known from Mahāvaṃsa that many Buddhist monks from foreign countries came to the Island to attend the foundation laying ceremony of Mahāthūpa. This probably signifies that Sri-Lanka was gradually becoming a great centre of Buddhism. During this period the Vesak festival was introduced and King Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī performed twenty-four Vesak puja.

After Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī his younger brother Saddhātissa did a great deal for Buddhism and acquires the epithet Saddhā. He built the Dakkhiṇagiri-vihārawhich later played an important role in Ceylon’s Buddhism.

From the time of King Duṭṭhagāmaṇī bhikkhus began to take part interestingly in the affair of state. King Sadhā-Tissa should have to succeed by his elder son Lajjā-Tissa, by the usual custom of succession after his death. But when Saddhātissa died, the Bhikkhus of the Thūpārāma consecrated the younger son, Thulaṭhāna, as king in preference to the elder. Lañjā-Tissa deposed him, and being displeased with the Saṅgha neglected it for three years. After reconcilation many vihāras were built under his patronage.

Ceylon Buddhism had faced occasional disturbance in its way of development. Among many causes two main hindrances were: repeated invasion of the Coḷas from South India and recurrent occurance of droughts and famines. From the chronicles like the Dīpavaṃsa and Mahāvaṃsa and other literary Sinhalese works, it appears that at least four remarkable famines had happened up to the reign of King Mahāsena. The first was the Akkhakhāyika famine in the mountain region of Koṭṭa during the period of Duṭṭhagāmaṇī. The second was the Brahmana-Tissa famine or Bāmiṇitiyāsāya during the reign of King Vaṭṭagāmaṇī. The third was the Ekanālika famine during the reign of Kuñcnāga or Khujjanāga. The fourth was at the time of King Siri Sanghabodhi.

The period of Vaṭṭagāmaṇi Abhaya, the youngest son of King Saddhatissa, was remarkable in many ways. This period was disastrous due to the simultaneous occurance of famine and foreign invasion from south-India. The country from the south to the north was devastated by war. From 103 B.C. for fourteen years five Tamils ruled at Anurādhapura in succession. King Vaṭṭagāmaṇī lay in hiding in remote places during the period. These fourteen years of Tamil domination was unfortunate to the cause of Buddhism.

It was the period of Vattagamani Abhaya when two outstanding events in the entire history of World Buddhism took place. One is the establishment of Abhayagiri vihāra and another was the writing of Tipiṭaka for the first time breaking the convention of oral tradition.

Rev. Walpola Rahula said: As a result of the Bamiṇitiyāsāya famine most learned monks died and the very existence of Buddhism was going to be abolished from the Island.

“There was no Sinhalese king to support it. The continuation of the oral tradition of the three Piṭakas appeared no longer possible under the prevailing adverse circumstances. Seeing the danger, to preserve the teaching of the Buddha which they valued above all, the members of the Saṅgha and the leaders of the Sinhalese under the patronage of a local chief, assembled at Ālu-vihāra at Mātāle, in the central province and for the first time in history committed to writing the whole of the Tipiṭaka with the commentaries”.

Next important work done by Vaṭṭagāmaṇi-Abhaya was the establishment of Abhayagiri-vihāra on the northern side of Anurādhapura, demolishing the Giri monastery of the Jains, for having mocked him when he was fleeting and pre fixing his name to it.

Whatever may be the motivation behind the creation of Abhayagiri-vihāra, it played an important role in the later period of Ceylon’s Buddhism. Gradually, it became a great seat of learning. The liberal ideas of Mahāyāna Buddhism were warmly received by the learned monks of the Abhayagiri-vihāra. But the monasteries of Ceylon were related to the religious, political and civil power of the nation. A balanced state of affairs is needed for their existance. Towards the end of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī’s reign, Abhayagiri-vihāra get separated from the orthodox Mahāvihāra centering a dispute over the relations between the monks and the lay community.

Contribution of two great monks, named Kupikkala Mahatissa and Tissa, worth mentioning during the ruinous period of Tamil invasion. These two great Theras guided the king and his generals who left the king in rage because of his impetuous nature and brought about a lasting reconciliation between them.

According to Walpola Rahula—

‘It was none but the king and his generals knew—what they owed to the learned theras. Out of gratitude, therefore, they spoke feelingly to the theras thus: “If our understanding prospers, then must you come to us when a message is sent to you.” That was why Abhayagiri and the other vihāras built by the king and the generals were given to Mahātissa and Tissa Theras. This is the first record of a vihāra being given to any monk as a personal gift’.

Mahātissa Thera might have significant influence over the king and ruling class. Until this time the centre of Ceylon Buddhism was the Mahāvihara who followed the purest form of Theravāda Buddhist teachings. This evidently disturbed the prestige and authority of the Mahāvihāra monks. Being offended they accused Mahātissa Thera with having frequented the families of laymen and expelled him from the Mahāvihara. This perhaps was also indirect disapproval of the action of the king and the generals.

Mahātissa’s disciple Bahalamassu-Tissa –(‘Big bearded Tissa’)–did not agree that the charge was justifiable, and with a large following of monks went to the Abhayagiri and resided there refusing to return to Mahāvihāra.

Abhayagiri afterwards became a symbol not only of religious, but also of national resurgence, as it signifed the end of Brahmin and Jain influence in the country. Initially, there were no discernible differences from the Mahāvihara in its theory or religious practices until, an Indian monk called Dhammaruci, of the Vajjiputtaka sect, arrived at Sri-Lanka and were warmly received at the Abhayagiri. After that time, the monks came to be known as Dhammaruci sect as they accepted the theory of ‘attavada’ of the Vajjiputtaka sect, differing from the orthodox Mahāvihāra, which is absolutely against the ‘anatta’ theory of the Theravāda. A later attempt in the third century AD.,to introduce Vaitulyavāda, another school of Buddhist thought, was subsequently obstructed.

According to Walpola Rahula,

‘the Abhayagiri monks had close connections with various Buddhist sects and new movements in India and they were influenced by them. Theravāda and Mahāyāna were studied by them and they widely diffused the Tripiṭakas. The Mahāvihāra, the seat of Theravāda Buddhism and the citadel of orthodoxy, occupied a prominent place in the history of Buddhism in Sri-Lanka. Its conflict with Abhayagiri-vihāra and other rival groups of Buddhism were considered as important events in the religious history of Sri-Lanka. Many kings played important roles in Sri-Lankan Buddhism and they supported either Abhayagiri-vihāra or Mahāvihāra.

From the Sinhalese chronicles and other religious texts we learn the rise and development of new sects which were against the Theravāda and several rulers even supported the Abhayagiri-vihara, but even then The Mahāvihāra and its tradition occupied pre-eminent place through-out Sri-Lankan Buddhism. The Mahāvihāra became well known for its conservative ideas and its followers used to study only Theravāda and used to speak against any king of innovation. It was faithful to the very letter of the orthodox teachings and traditions acccepted by the Theravādins. The Abhayagiri monks therefore appeared in the eyes of the Mahāvihāra to be unorthodox and heretic.............

Mahāvihāra was the original and first centre of Budhism, hallowed by Mahinda himself. Its monks were proud of the great traditions, and jealously guarded the honour and authority of their Vihāra. They had enjoyed the undivided regard and respect, loyalty and support of the state and the public and did not like mew elements entering the field to share their priviledges and dividing the attention.But it was not possible to suppress new develpoments, which were the natural outcome of various changes, religious political and social. The dissensions in the Sangha were by no means a symptom of decay and degeneration, but a sign of movement and progress’.

“The following period of about three centuries was attended with the usual vicissitudes of history. Vaṭṭagāmaṃi’s son Coranāga was hostile to the Saṅgha and destroyed eighteen vihāras where he had not been given refuge during the days of his rebellion against his cousin Mahācuḷika Mahatissa. The damage done by him to the cause of Buddhism was so great that the author of Mahāvaṃsa was convinced that “the evil-doer was reborn in the Lokantarika-hell”.

The idea of study as a particular vocation for monks is implemented for the first time during the reign of king Bhatikābhaya. He was a religious person and supplied requisites for Bhikkhus engaged in gantha-dhura i.e. occupation with books, that is study.Under his patronage twenty-eight Vesak festivals were held.

The famous festival of Giribandha-pujā was originated by Bhatikābhaya’s successor, Mahādaṭhika-Mahānāga. He gave himself, his queen; his two sons, his state elephant and his state horse to the Saṅgha, though the Saṅgha forbade him. He did a lot to spread the Dhamma.

His son Āmaṇḍagāmaṇi was the first to issue the order of “māghāta’ or non-killing of animals all over the Island.

His brother and successor Kanirajānu-Tissa, ordered about sixty monks to be thrown down the caves of a rock in Cetiya-pabbata (Mihintale) who had plotted to kill the king within the Uposatha house 37.

Rev. Rahula described that

“After this ill-fated incident, for a period of about three and a half decades, no king seems to have paid any attention to Cetiyagiri till Vasabha who belongs to Lambakaṇṇa dynasty, did some improvements there. Soothsayers told him that he would live just twelve years more. To lengthen life, on the advice of the Saṅgha, he patronized all vihāras impartially, and did a great deal to further the cause of Buddhism by providing for the preachers of Dhamma and building new cetiyas and images repairing old monasteries. Vihāras were built even in Nāgadīpa (now the Jaffna peninsula) in the north during the reign of this king. He is said to have celebrated forty-four Vesak festivals. He also improved the civic, economic and health condition of the country.

Between the reigns of Vasabha and Vohārika-Tissa of, for about a century, nothing of importance in the history of Buddhism seems to have taken place. Almost all the kings supported the vihāras of either sect and did what they could in favour of Buddhism”.

“During the time of Vohārika-Tissa, the Vetullavādins appeared in the religious history of Sri-Lanka. The king patronized both the Mahāvihāra and the Abhayagiri-vihāra, but is said to have suppressed Vaitullavāda, keeping heretics in chek with the assistance of his minister Kapila, who was well versed both in law of the Buddha and in that of the land. The Dīpavaṃsa mentions the term Vitandavāda in place of Vetullavāda’.

‘The Vetullas of the Mahāvaṃsa and the Vitaṇḍavādins of the Dīpavaṃsa who had come in the 3rd century B.C. held the unorthodox views with regards the subtle points of Dhamma, particularly the Abhidhamma. They interpreted the sūtras of the Tripiṭaka in their own way to support their views’.

There was an anti Buddhist wave in India during the time of Aśoka.

‘From Nikāya-Saṅgraha we learn that in order to ruin Buddhism, the heretic brahmanas called Vaitulyas composed the Vaitulya-piṭaka as the teaching of the Buddha. The Dhammarucika monks of Abhayagiri accepted the Vaitulyans who came to Ceylon in the days of Vohārika-Tissa and declared their views as the teaching of the Buddha. The Vaitulya-Piṭaka that came to Ceylon was composed in Sanskrit, and the Mahāyāna sūtras are all in Sanskrit’.

According to Walpola Rahula——

‘The author of Dīpavaṃsa used the word Vitaṇḍa-vāda to denote any sect of Mahāyānism that represented new interpretations not acceptable to Mahāvihāra.The great Mahāyāna teacher Nāgārjuna flourished in India somewhere about the later half of the second century A.D. Vaitulyavāda entered, for the first time in Ceylon during the days of Vohārika-Tissa, after the tremendous activities of Nāgārjuna. The term Vetulla or Vaitulla literally means “dissenting” or “different”. The Vaitulyas or Mahāyānist as an organized body was supressed by political authoroties under the instructions of the Mahāvihāra, whenever their influence was active in Ceylon. As time went on Mahāyāna ideas and practices crept slowly into the Theravāda system and were accepted and incorporated into the orthodox teaching without question of their validity’.

‘Vohārika-Tissa had not only supressed the Vaitulyas; he had also purified the Saṅgha as a whole. Buddhism seems to have been in a bad state and the Saṅgha was corrupt. The king is said to have paid three hundred thousand and freed many bhikkhus who were in debt. Such a thing was unheard of in early days. Why and how the bhikkhus fell into debt is a problem. Was it due to any corrupting influence of the Vaitulyavādins? About two decades earlier, during the time of Kuddanāga there was a famine known as Ekanālika and Kuddanāga is reported during this period to have maintained five hundred monks at the Mahāpāli, the famous public refectory of the Saṅgha. But what of the other monks! How did they live! Living on piṇḍa-pāta (alms giving) was not easy during a famine.It may so happen that some of the bhikkhus who did not get their food either at the Mahāpāli or elsewhere had to maintain themselves even by falling into debt! Or could it be that some bhikkhus had to look after their helpless parents or close reletions during the famine! Vohārika-Tissa is also said to have established alms giving in all places over the Island where the Ariyavaṃsa-sutta was preached. The preaching of the Ariyavaṃsa-sutta was a sign that Buddhism was in an unsatisfactory state’.

Vohārika-Tissa also abolished the infliction of physical pain as penaltyand held a great Vesaka festival.His reign was followed by about four decades of uneventful history.

In the first half of the fourth century A.D., again a very troublesome period in the history of Buddhism in Ceylon appeared. The Vaitulyas, despite their suppression by Voharika-Tissa, began to assert tmemselves again at the Abhayagiri-vihāra in the days of Goṭhābhaya who forced his way to the throne. Before Gothabhaya, a short period of King Siri Sanghabodhi was remarkable in the religious life of Ceylon Buddhism. Without any public work or any military statesmanship his name achieved a parmanent place in the heart of Sihala Buddhist people. The act of offering his own head for the welfare of a poor people gave rise to the creation of the popular chronicle, Hatthavanagallavihāra-vaṃsa. His life though unsuccessful as a ruler, but was the examplar of true Buddhist life.

In striking contrast to his predescessor, Goṭhābhaya was a strong king and did a great deal to improve the material conditions of Buddhism. He provided abundance of requisites for Bhikkhus, repaired old monasteries, built new ones and used to hold Vesaka festivals.

Mahāthera Ussiliya-Tissa, a leader of the Vaitulyavādins, left the Abhayagiri-vihāra; to avoid the unpleasant situations as had happened in the days of Vohārika-Tissa, with about three hundred monks and started living at Dakkhinagiri vihāra.He, actually, wanted to stay away from the followers of Dhammarucika sect. So, new groups happened to appear at that time in the Dakkhinagiri-vihara and a mahāthera named Sāgala began to teach religion there. As a result a new sect, called Sāgaliya, came into existence at the Dakkhinagiri.

Goṭhābhaya suppressed the Vaitulyakas, burnt their books and banished sixty of their leaders from the Island. Some of them left Ceylon and resided in Kāvīrapaṭṭana in the Coḷa country in south India.

It was about this period that the activities of the Yogācāra school of Asaṅga and Vasubandhu became powerful in India and mystic and magical practices began to enter into the Buddhist system.

According to Mahāvaṃsa, a young monk named Saṅghmitra, who was well versed in the spirit culture, became the champion of Mahāyānism in Ceylon Buddhism. The Ceylon Bhikkhus who were in exile in Kāveri became intimated with that powerful monk in India. Learning the then situation of Ceylon from the exiled monks, Saṅghamitra was greatly moved and went to Ceylon with the firm determination of spreading Mahāyānism in the Island. Goṭhābhaya received this learned foreigner, entrusted to him his two sons for their education.

Among the two sons of Goṭhābhaya, Jeṭṭha-Tissa and Mahāsena, Saṅghamitra started liking Mahāsena, the younger prince. When Jeṭṭha-Tissa ascended the throne after his father‘s death, Saṅghamitra left Ceylon in fear. He returned to the Island again as soon as Mahāsena succeeded his brother.

Walpola Rahula says,

“Mahāsena figures in Ceylon history not only as a strong and able king who did a great deal for the country, but also as a man who had the courage of his conviction to stand against the mighty authority of the Mahāvihāra, which no rular ever before dared to attempt.

Saṅghamitra, who resided at the Abhayagiri-vihara, tried in vain to convert the Mahāvihara monks to Mahāyānism. Thereupon, he persuaded his pupil to issue an order forbidding the public to provide alms to the monks of the Mahāvihāra on pain of a fine. The bhikkhus of the Theriya sect left Anurādhapura and went to Rohaṇa in southern part of the Island and to the Malaya hills, which always stood firm by the Mahāvihāra.

For nine years the Mahāvihāra was deserted. Saṅghamitra, with the approval of the king and the help of a minister named Soṇa, demolished the seven-storyed Lohapāsāda and many other buildings of the Mahāvihāra, and utilized their materials to erect new buildings at the Abhayagiri. The premises of the Mahāvihāra were ploughed and sown with beans. Meanwhile Cetiya-pabbata (Mihintāle) was occupied by the Dhammarucikas of the Abhayagiri.

The whole country was absolutely shocked by the action of the king. The popularity of the Mahāvihāra was so great that public opinion turned against him. Even those closely connected with the king were full of resentment. The king couldn’t realize the influence of the Mahāvihāra over the people. His most intimate friend, the minister Meghavaṇṇa-Abhaya fled to Malaya, raised an army, and declared war on the king. Mahāsena was thus brought to his senses and realized the importance of the situation. The two old friends, the king and the minister, met in private conference; the king admitted his error and promised to restore the Mahāvihāra. Mutual apologies were exchanged and a happy reconcilliation was brought about.

But Saṅghamitra was killed by a carpenter who was appointed by the king’s wive, the daughter of a scribe. Sanghamitra’s friend, minister Soṇa was also slain by angry masss. The Mahāvihāra was restored chiefly by the good offices of the minister Meghavaṇṇa-Abhaya.

Yet, the King Mahāsena was not in favour of the Mahāvihāra. He built the great Jetavana (Jetavana-vihāra) within the boundaries of the Mahāvihāra. But the followers of the Mahāvihāra strongly protested against it. The king ignored the protest and dedicated it to a thera named Tissa of the Dakkhinārama or Dakkhinagiri, a follower of the Sāgaliya sect. He was a friend of the king. He accepted the Jetavana-vihāra. On account of this the Mahāvihāra was once again abandoned for nine months.Tissa theara, who accepted the Jetavana-vihāra, was charged in the assembly of monks with having committed an offence of greavest kind. The Minister of Justice (vinicchaya mahāmacco), who was regarded by the public as just and fair, disrobed Tissa—even though it was against the wish of the king.

Mahāsena’s power as the secular head of the religion was evidently weakened by his rash acts; thus he had to submit to his minister Meghavaṇṇa Abhaya on the previous ocassion, and now a minister dared to ignore the king’s wishes, and disrobed a monk whom the king had highly honoured. This was possible only because the Mahāvihāra and the public opinion were against the king.

Mahāsena was even known in contemporary India, perhaps because of his leaning towards Mahāyānism. Reference, for the first time, to an image of a Bodhisattva is found during this period, which is a clear proof of the Mahāyāna influence that was powerful at the time”.