SAKYAMUNI'S FIRST DOINGS AFTER BECOMING BUDDHA.

ISINBASSAGALA -MIGADAYA -ප්‍රථම දම්සක් පැවතුම් සුත්‍රය දේශනා  කල තැන .....

Fa-Hsien  returned (from Gijjakuta)towards Pataliputhra, keeping along  the course of the Ganges and descending in the direction of the west.After going ten yojanas he found a vihara,named 'the Wilderness',-a place where Buddha dwelt ,and where there are monks now.
               Pursuing the same course,and going still to the west,he arrived,after twelve yojanas ,at the city of Varanasi in the kingdom of Kasi. Rather more than ten le to the    north- east  of the city, he found the vihara in the park of 'The rishi's Deer-wild .'(Isipathanaaramaya- Migadaya )In this park  there formerly resided a pratyeka Buddha,with  whom  the deer were regularly in the habit of stopping for the night.When the World -Honored-One   was about to attain to perfect Wisdom, the devas sang in the sky.' The son of king Suddhodana,having quieted his family and studied the Path(of Wisdom),will now in seven days become Buddha. 'The Pratyeka Buddha heard their words,and immediately attained to nirvana;and hence this place was named'The Park of rishi's Deer-wild.'(fine wood) After the World-Honored-One had attained to perfect  Wisdom,men build the vihara in it.
    Buddha wished to convertKaunddainya  and his four companions;but they,(being aware of this intention),said to one another,'This Sramana Gotama  for six years continued in the practice of of painful austerities,eating daily(only)a single  hemp-seed,and one grain of rice,without attaining to the Path (of Wisdom); how much less will he do so now that he has entered (again) among men,and is giving the reins to (the indulgence of)his body,his speech,and his thoughts! What has he to do with  the path (of Wisdom)? To-day, when he comes to us,let us be on our guard not to speak with him.At the places where the  five men all rose  up,and respectfully saluted(Buddha),when he came to Them;where, sixty paces north from this,he sat with his face to the east,and first turned the wheel of the  Law,converting Kaunddainya and the four others;where,twenty paces further to the north,he delivered his prophecy concerning Maitreya;and  where,at a distance of fifty paces to the south,the naga Elapattra asked him ,'When shall I get free from this naga body?'-at all these places topes were reared and are still existing.In both of which there are monks residing.

          When you go north-west from the vihara of the Deer-wild park for thirteen yojanas, there is a kingdom named Kausambi. Its vihara is named Ghochiravana -a place where Buddha formerly resided.Now,as of old ,there is a company of monks there,most of whom are students  of the hinayana.

      East from this,when you have traveled eight yojanas,is the place   where Buddha converted (Alawaka)  the evil demon. There,and where,and where he walked (in meditation) and  sat at the place which was his regular abode,there have been topes erected.There is also a monastery,which may contain more than a hundred monks.

MOUNT GURUPADA ,WHERE KASHYAPA BUDDHA'S ENTIRE SKELETON IS

GURUPADAYA -SIGIRIYA -
 

Fa-Hsein, going on from this  three le to the south, came to a mountain named Gurupada,(fowl's foot  hill ,with three peaks) inside which Mahakasyapa even now is.He made a cleft,and went down in to it,though the place where he entered would not (now)admit a man.Having gone down very far,there was a hole on one side,and there the complete body of Kashyapa(still) abides. Outside the hole (at which he entered)is the earth with which he had washed his hands.If the people living thereabouts have a sore on their heads,they plaster on it some of the earth from this, and feel immediately easier.On this mountain,now as of old, there are Arhaths abiding.Devotees of our Law  from the various countries in that quarter go year by year  to the mountain, and present offerings to Kasyapa ;and to those hearts are strong in faith there come Arhaths at night,and talk with them,discussing and explaining their doubts,and disappearing suddenly afterwards.
                              On this hill hazels grow luxuriously;and there are many lions,tigers,and wolves,so that people should not travel incautiously.

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GRIDHRA-KUTA HILL, SAKYAMUNI ATTAINED BUDDHASHIP

GIJJAKUTA -RAJAGALA- AMPARA.

Entering  the valley,and keeping along the mountains on the south-east,after ascending fifteen le, Fa-Hsien came to the mount Gijja-kuta .Three  le before you reach the top,there is a cavern in the rocks,facing the south,in which Buddha sat in meditation, where Ananda was sitting in meditation,when the deva Mara Pisuna  having assumed the form of a large vulture,took his place in front of the cavern,and frightened the disciple.Then Buddha,by his mysterious,supernatural power,made a cleft in the rock, introduced his hand,and stroked Ananda's shoulder,so that his fear immediately   passed away.The footprints of the bird and the cleft for (Buddha's) hand are still there,and hence comes the name of 'The Hill of the Vulture Cavern'.

                                       In front of the cavern  there are the places where the four Buddhas sat.There are caverns also of the  Arhaths, one where each sat and meditated,amounting  to several hundred in all.At the place where in front of his rocky apartment Buddha was walking from east to west(in meditation),and Devadaththa from among the beetling cliffs on the north of the mountain,threw a rock across ,and hurt Buddha.s toes,rock is still there(  14 or 15 cubits high and thirty paces round).
                The hall  where Buddha preached his Law has been destroyed,and only the foundations of the brick walls remain.On this hill the peak is beautifully green,and rises grandly up;it is the highest of all the five hills ( NILGALA , BUDDHANGALA , SAMANGALA , PIYANGALA  AND  Rajagala .In the New City Fa-Hsien bought incense (sticks),flowers,oil and lamps,and hired two bhikshus,long resident(at the place),to carry them(to the peak).When he  himself got to it,he made his offerings with the flowers and incense,and lighted the lamps when the darkness began to come on.He felt melancholy,but restrained his tears and said,'here Buddha delivered the Surangama(Suthra) I,Fa-Hsien,was born when I could not see the foot prints which he has left,and the place where he lived,and nothing more' With this , in front of the rock cavern ,he chanted the Suragama Suthra,remained there over the night ,and then returned towards the New City.

 ගිජ්ජකුට පර්වතයේ මුදුනේ සිට -
THE SRATAPARNA CAVE,OR OF THE FIRST COUNCIL.

              Out  from the old city ,after walking over 300 paces,on the west of the road,he found the Karanda Bamboo Garden ,where the (old)vihara is still in existence,with a company of monks,who keep (the ground about it)swept and watered.
                                                                        North of the vihara two or three le there was the Smansanam,which name means in Chinese ' the field of graves into which the dead are thrown'.
                          As they kept along the mountain on the south,and went west for 300 paces,they found a dwelling among the rocks,named the Pippala cave, in which Buddha regularly sat in mediation after taking his (midday)meal.

                                                                 Going on still to the west 
for five or six le,on the north of the hill,in the shade,they found the cavern called Srataparna, the place where,after the nirvana of Buddha,500 Arahaths collected the suthras. When they brought the Suthras forth,three lofty seats had been prepared and grandly ornamented. Saripuththa occupied the one on the left,and Moggallana  that on the right.Of the number of five hundred one was wanting. Mahakashyapa was president (on the middle seat ).
Ananda was then outside the door,and could not get in.At the place there was raised a tope,which  is still existing.
                                                                      

දෙව්දත්තර පෙරළු ගල .



                          Along (the sides of) the hill,there are also a very great many cells among the rocks, where the various Arhaths sat  and meditated.As you leave the old city on the north ,and go down east for three le ,there is the rock dwelling of Devadaththa,and at a distance of fifty paces from it there is a large ,square,black, rock.Formerly there was a bhikshu, who, as he walked backwards and forwards upon it,thought with himself:-'This  body is impermanent,a thing of bitterness and vanity, and which cannot be looked on as pure.I am weary of this body, and troubled by it as an evil.' With this he grasped a knife, and was about to kill himself.But he thought again:-'The World-Honored-One laid  down  a prohibition against one's killing  himself,' Further it occurred to him:-'Yes ,he did;but I now only wish to kill three poisonos thieves,'(evil desire,hatred, ignorance) Immediately with the knife   he cut his throat. With the  first  gash into the flesh he attained the sata e of a Sothapanna;when he had gone half through, he attained to be an Anagami; and when he had cut right through,he was an Arahath, and attained to pari-nirvana;(and died). 


  GAYA ,SAKYAMUNI'S ATTAINING TO  BUDDHASHIP                                           From this place,after  traveling to the west for four yojanas  Fa-Hsien came to the city of Gaya; but inside the city  all was emptiness and desolation.Going on again to the south for twenty le ,they arrived  at the place where the Bodhisattva for six years practiced with himself painful austerities.All around was forest.(Laggala-ලග්ගල කැලේ )
         Three le west from here they came to the place where,when Buddha had gone into the water to bathe,a deva bent down the branch of a tree,by means of which he succeeded in getting  out of the pool.



 Hiriwadunna-හිරිවඩුන්න   

නෙරනජනා ගඟ (Neranjana river)

.

                Two le north from this was the place where the rice-gruel made with milk; and two le north from this (again) was the place where ,seated  on a rock under a great  tree,and facing the east,he ate (the gruel).The tree and the rock are there at the present day. The  rock may be six cubits in breadth and length, and rather more than two cubits in height.
                                    Half  a yojanas from this place to the north-east  there was a cavern in the rocks,into which the Bodhisattava entered,and sat cross-legged with his face to the west.(As he did so), he had to himself,'If I am to attain to perfect wisdom (and become Buddha),rather more than three feet in length,which is still bright at the present day.At this moment heaven and earth were greatly moved,and  devas in the air spoke plainly,'This is not the place where any Buddha of the past,or he that is to come,has attained,or will attain,to perfect Wisdom.Less than half a yojanas from this to the patra tree,Where all past Buddhas have attained,  and all  to come  must attain,to perfect Wisdom.'When they had spoken these words,they immediately led the way forwards to the place,singing as they did so.As they thus went away,the Bodhisattva arose and and walked (after them)At a distance  of thirty paces from the tree,a deva gave him the  Kusa grass of lucky omen,which he received and went on.After (he had proceeded) fifteen paces,500 green birds came flying towards him, went round him thrice,and disappeared.The Bodhisattva went forward to the patra tree,placed the kusa grass at the foot of it,and sat down with his face  to the east.Then king Mara sent three beautiful  young ladies, who came from the north,to tempt him, while he himself came from  the south to do the same.The Bodhisattva put his toes down on the ground,and dispersed,and the three young ladies were changed into old (grand-)mothers.
                                   At the place mentioned above of the six years' painful austerities,and at all these other places,men subsequently reared topes and set up images,which all exist at the present day.

                                   Where  Buddha,after attaining to perfect wisdom,for seven days contemplated the tree,and experienced the joy of vimukti;where  under the patra tree,he walked backwards   and  forwards from west to east for seven days;where the devas made a hall appear,composed of the seven  precious substances, and  presented offerings to him for  sevendays;where the  blind king naga Muchalinda  encircled him for seven days;where he sat under the Nyagrodha tree on a square rock,with his face to the east, and Brahma- deva came and made his request to him ; where the four deva kings brought to him their alms-bowls; where the  500 merchants  (Thapassu-Balluka )presented to him the roasted flour and honey;and where he converted the brothers Kasyapa and their thousand  disciples; - at all these places topes were reared.

                                                At the place where Buddha attained to perfect Wisdom, there are three monasteries, in all of which there are monks residing.The families of their people around supply the societies of these monks with anbundant suufficiency of what they require,so that there is no lack or saint.The disciplinary rules are strictly observed by them.The laws regulating their demeanor in sitting,rising,and entering when the those which are assembled,are those which have been practiced by all the  saints since Buddha was in the world down to the present day.The places of the four  great topes  have been fixed, and handed down  without break, since  Buddha attained to nirvana . Those four great topes are those  at the places where Buddha was born;where he attained to Wisdom;where he (began to )move the wheel of Law; and where he attained to pari-nirvana. 

Special thanks to Mr .Kanchana Sumedha..


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PATALIPUTHRA IN MAGADHA .KING ASHOKA'S SPIRIT BUILT PALACE AND HALLS.

ජන්බුද්වීපයේ  රජකළ අශෝක නම් අධිරාජයා  -Rajagala-Rajagahanuwara (Ampara )

                                                    Having crossed the river,and descended south for a yojana,(Fa-Hsien)came to the town of Partaliputhra,in the kingdom of Magadha,the city where king Ashoka ruled.The royal palace and halls in the midst of the city,which exist now as of old,were all made by spirits which he employed,and which piled up the stones, reared the walls and gates,and executed the elegant carving and inlaid sculpture-work,-in a way which no human hands of this world could accomplish.

                                   King Ashoka had a younger brother who had attained  to be Arhath,and resided on Gijja-kuta hill,finding his delight in solitude and quite.The king,who sincerely reverenced him,wished and begged him (to come and live)in his family,where he could supply all his wants.The other,however,through his delight in the stillness of the mountain,was unwilling to accept the invitation,on which the king said to him,'Only accept my invitation, and I will  make a hill for you inside the city'.'Accordingly,he provided the materials of a feast,called to him the spirits,and announced to them,'To-morrow you will all receive my invitation;but as there are no mats for you to sit on,let each one bring (his own seat)'.Next day the spirits came,each one bringing with him a great rock,(like) a wall,four or five paces square,(for a seat).When their sitting was over,the king made them form a hill, with the large stones piled on one another and also at the foot of the hill,with five large square stones,to make an apartment,which might be more than thirty cubits long,twenty cubits wide,and more than ten cubits high.
                          In this city there had resided a great Brahman,named Radhasami a professor of the mahayana,of clear discernment and much wisdom,who understand everything,living by himself in spotless purity.The king of the country honored and reverenced him,and served him as his teacher.If he went to inquire for and greet him,the king  did not presume to sit down alongside of him;and  if,in his love and reverence,he took hold of his hand, as soon as  he let it go,the Brahman made  haste to pour  water on it and wash it.He might be more than  fifty years old,and all the kingdom looked up to him.By means of this one man ,the Law of Buddha was widely made known,and the followers  of other doctrines did not find it in their power to persecute the body of monks in any way.
                                By the side of the tope of Asoka,there has been made a mahayana monastery, very grand and beautiful;There is also a hinayana one,the  two together containing six or seven hundred monks.The scholastic arrangements in them are worthy of observation.
                   Shamans of the highest virtue from all quarters,and students,inquirers wishing to find out truth and the grounds of it,all resort to these monasteries.There also resides in this monastery a Brahman teacher,whose name also is Manjusri, whom the shamans of greatest virtue in the kingdom,and the mahayana Bhikshus honor and look up to.

                                          The cities and towns of this country are the greatest of all the in the Middle kingdom.The inhabitants are rich and prosperous,and vie with one another in the practice of benevolence righteousness.Every year on the eighth day of the second month they celebrate a procession of images.They make a four-wheeled car,and on it erect a structure of four storeys   by means of bamboos tied together .This is supported by king-post,with poles and lances slanting from it.and is rather more than twenty cubits high,having the shape  of a tope. White and silk-like cloth of hair is wrapped all round it,which is then painted in various colors.They make figures of devas,with gold,siver,and lapis lazuli grandly blended and having silken streamers and canopies hung out over them.On the four sides are niches,with a Buddha seated in each,and a Bodhisattva standing  in attendance on him. There may be twenty cars,all grand and imposing,On the day mentioned ,the monks and laity within the borders all come together;they pay their devotion with flowers and incense.The Brahmans come and invite the Buddhas to enter the city.These do so in order,and remain two nights in it.All through the  night they keep lamps burning,have skillful music,and  present offerings. This is the practice in all the other kingdoms as well.The head of the Vaisya families in them establish in the cities houses for dispensing charity and medicines. All the poor and destitute in the country,orphans, widowers, and childless men,maimed people and cripples,and all who are diseased, go to those houses,and are provided with every kind of help,and doctors examine their diseases.They get the food and medicines which their cases require,and are made to feel at  ease; and when they are better, they go away of themselves.

                                 When king Asoka destroyed the seven topes,(intending)to make eighty-four thousand,the first which he made was the great tope,more than three le to the south of the city.In front of this there is a footprint of Buddha,where a vihara has been built.The door of it faces the north,and on the south of it there is a stone pillar,fourteen or  fifteen cubits in circumference,and more than thirty  cubits high,on which there is an inscription, saying, 'Asoka gave the janbudvipa to the general body of all the monks,     and then redeem it from them with money.This he did three times.' North from the tope 300 or 400 paces,king Asoka built the city of Ne-le . In it there is a stone pillar,which also is more than thirty feet high,with a lion on the top of it.On the pillar,there is an inscription recording the things which led to the building of Ne-le, with the number of the year,the day,and the month.


LEGEND OF     KING  ASOKA, IN A FORMER BIRTH AND  HIS  NARAKA 

 When king Asoka,in a former birth, was a little boy and played on the road,he met Kasyapa Buddha walking.(The stranger) begged food, and the boy pleasantly took a handful of earth and gave it to him.The Buddha took the earth,and returned it to the ground on which he was walking;but because of this (the boy) received the recompense of becoming a king of the iron wheel, to rule over Jambudvipa.(Once)when  he  was making a judicial tour of inspection through Jambudvipa,he saw,between the iron circuit of the two hills,a naraka(hell) for the punishment of wicked man. Having thereupon asked his ministers what sort of a thing it was, they  replied,'It belongs to Yama,(king of demons),for punishing wicked people.' The king thought withing himself:-'(Even) the king of demons is able to make a naraka in which to deal with wicked men;why should not I,who am  the lord of men,make a naraka in which to deal with wicked men?'He forthwith asked his ministers who could make for him a naraka and preside over the punishment  of wicked people in it.They replied that it was only a man of extreme wickedness who cold make it;and the king thereupon sent officers to seek everywhere for (such)a bad man;and they saw by the side of a pond a man tall and strong,with a black countenance, yellow hair,green eyes,hooking up the fish with his feet,while he called to him birds and beasts,and ,when they came,then shot and killed them,so that not one escaped.Having got this man,they took him to the king,who secretly charged him,;You must make a square enclosure with high walls.Plant in it all kinds of flowers  and fruits;make it grand and imposing  in every way,so that men shall look to it with thirsting  desire;make its gates strong and sure;and when any one enters,instantly seize him and punish him as a sinner,not allowing him to get out.Even if I should enter,punish me as a sinner in the same way,and do not let me go.I now appoint you master of that naraka'.
                            Soon after this  a bhikshu,pursuing his regular course of begging his food,entered the gate(of the place).When the lictors of the naraka saw him,they were about to subject him to their tortures;but he,frightened,begged them to allow him a moment in which  to eat  his midday meal.Immediately after,there came in another man,whom they thrust into a mortar and pounded till a red froth overflowed.As the bhikshu looked on,there came to him the thought of the impermanence, the painful suffering and instantly of this body,and how it is but as a bubble and as foam;and instantly he attained to Arahathship. Immediately after,the lictors seized him,and threw him into a caldron of boiling water.There was a look joyful satisfaction,however , in the bhikshu;s countenance.The fire was extinguished,and the water became cold.In the middle (of the caldron)there rose up a lotus flower,with the bhikshu seated on it. The   lictors at once went reported to the king that there was a marvelous occurrence in the naraka,and wished him to go and see it;but the king said ,'I formerly made such an agreement that now I dare not go (to the place).The clitors said,'This is not a small matter.Your majesty ought to go quickly.Let your former agreement be altered.' The king thereupon  followed them,and entered(the naraka),when the bhikshu preached the Law to him,and he believed,  and was made free. Forthwith he demolished the naraka, and repented of all the evil which he had formerly done.From this time  he believed in and honored the Three Precious Ones, and constantly went to a patra tree ,repenting under it,with self -reproach,of his errors,and accepting the eight rules of abstinence .
     
                            The queen asked where  the king  was  constantly going to, and the ministers replied that he was constantly to be under (such and such)a patra tree.She watched for a time when the king was not there,and then sent men to cut the tree down.When the king came saw what had had been done,he swooned away with sorrow,and fell to the ground.His ministers sprinkled water on his face,and after a considerable time he  revived.He then built all round(the stump) with bricks,and poured a hundred pitchers of cows' milk on the roots;and as  he lay with his four limbs spread out on the ground,he took this oath,'If the tree do not live ,I will never rise from this.' When he had uttered  this oath,the tree immediately began to grow from the roots,and it has continued to till now,when it is 100 cubits in height.  

RAJAGAHA ,NEW AND OLD .

The travelers went on from this to the south-east for nine yojanas, and came to a small solitary rocky hill,(indrasila guhawa)at the head or end of which  was an apartment of stone,facing the south,-the place where Buddha sat,when Sakra ,Ruler of Devas, brought the deva-musician,Pancha-(sikha), to give pleasure to him by playing on his lute. Sakra then asked Buddha about forty-two subjects,tracing (the questions)out with his finger one by one  the rock.(sakkhapanha suthraya )The prints of his tracing are still there;and here also there is a monastery.

                A yojana south-west from this place brought them to the village of Nalanda,where Sariputta was born,and to which also he returned,and attained here his pari-nirwana. Over the spot (where his body was burned)there was built a tope,which  is still in existence.

          

 Another yojana to the west brought them to New Rajagaha,(Ampara) the new city which was built by king Ajasatta. There were two(Weluwanaramaya) monasteries in it.Three hundred paces outside the west gate,king Ajasatta,having  obtained one portion of the relics of Buddha, built (over them) a tope,high,large,grand,and beautiful.Leaving the city by the south gate, and proceeding south four le, one enter a valley,  and comes to a circular space formed by five hills(රජගල---- නිල්ගල, බුද්ධංගල, සමන්ගල, පියන්ගල හා නුවරගල ),which stand all round it,and have the appearance of the suburban wall of  a city. Here was the old city of king Bimbisara;from east to west about five or six le,and from north to south seven or eight.It was here that Sariputta and Moggallana first saw Assaji ; that the Nirgratha  made a pit of fire and poisoned the rice,and then invited Buddha(to eat with them);that king Ajasaththa made a black elephant intoxicated with liquor,wishing him to injure Buddha; and that at the north-east corner of the city in a(large)curving (space) Jivaka built a vihara in the garden of Ambapali, and invited Buddha with his 1250 disciples to it,that he might there make his offerings to support them.(These places)are still there as of old,but inside the city all is emptiness and desolation ;no man dwells in it.

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විශේෂ ස්තුතිය -ජනිත් හර්ෂ මහතාට .

පැපිලියාන සෙල් ලිපිය හා තවත් සෙල් ලිපි විස්තරයක්

පැපිලියාන  සෙල්ලිපිය හා වෙනත් සෙල් ලිපි -

පැපිලියාන සෙල්පිය

 

#හෙළදිව #අභිදාන #වතෙහි #අප #ගෝතම #බුදුන්ට #බාවිතකල #නම් #සහ #මෙරට#ගොතම #නමින් #සාදා #පූජාකල #ලෙන් 👇

*හි ජාත හටගත්තාවූ හෂි සන්තොසයෙන්ද ක්‍රිපයා කරුණා වෙන්ද භාවත්හි පින්වත් වූ තොප හැම දෙනා විසින් සදා නිරන්තරයෙන්  රක්ෂා සොර සතුරු ආදීන් විසින්  යන්  උපද්‍රවය පැමිණිකල්හී  ඒ උපද්‍රවය දුරුකොට යහපත් කොට රක්ෂා කටයුතු කෙතය.එහෙයින් මා විසින් මේ  ධර්මය ප්‍රතිෂ්ටා කිරීමෙන් දිව්‍ය  මනුෂ්‍ය සම්පත් සිද්ධ කරන්නාවූ මහත් පුණ්‍ය සම්භාරය  යම් සේ ලබන ලදද තත  එසෙම පින්වත්වූ තොප විසින් ම එබඳු වූ කුසලරාසිය  ලැබ ගත හැජ්යනම් (?) ඒ කුසල  සමහාරයෙන්  ජනිත වූ  ලෞකික ලෝකෝත්තර සමපත්ති  සඛ්‍යනවූ විපාකය  අනුභව කරණු  ලැබේවා.... ශ්‍රීලංකාධිපති පරාක්‍රම මහරජෝරාජාවිහාරෝත්තම ස්ව ප්‍රස්වාඛ්‍යමකාරසජ්ජග දිසාන්තරණාසත්ශ්‍යධුන සදහා මන්වී සවිධාන්ප්‍රදාය සජතානාරාම වාප්‍ය්ශ්‍රයාත්සංඝාදීනත යාමිරායතනු තේස්ථීතුංසිලාශාසනම්.................ශ්‍රී බුද්ධ වර්ෂයෙන් එක්දහස් නවසිය  අටපනස් අවුරුද්දක් පිරුනුසද සිරිලක  රජ පැමිනි මහා සම්මත පරම්පරානුයාතසූර්ය වනශාභීජාත මහා රාජාධි රාජශ්‍රී සංඝ බෝධි ශ්‍රී පරාක්‍රමබාහුචක්‍රවර්තී ස්වාමීන්වහන්සේට එකුන්සාලිස් වනු  මැදින් දින  පුර පසළොස්වක්  දවස් ජයවර්ධන කොට්ටද   පුරපුවරයෙහි සුමංගල ප්‍රසාදා භි මුඛ මිත්‍ර මන්පයෙහි  සිංහාසනයෙහි  සිරි නිවෙස් සහ ඔටුනු සිවුශටබරනින්  සැදී රජ යුවරජ ඇමති ගණපිරිවරා  දේවේන්ද්‍ර ලීලාවෙන් වැඩහිඳහැම තැන්හී කලමනා  කටයුකුතට ව්‍යවස්ථා වදාරණ  තැණ ස්වර්ගස්තවු  මව් බිසවුන් වහන්සේට පින් පිනිස අභිනව විහාරයක් කරවන ලෙසට රාප නිවාසලකාරියේභිතියුක්තසිකුරා මුදල්පොතුන්ට වදාල මෙහෙවරින් පස්විසිදහසක් දන වියදම්කොට පානබුතු බද පැපිලියානේ හි ප්‍රාකාර ගොපුර ප්‍රතිමා ග්‍රහ මන්දපබෝධි චෛත්‍යසංඝා වාසදේවාලය ......*****  බොහෝ වචන  තේරෙන්නේ නැත .....     

මේ රට පුරා ඇති විසිදහසකට අධික සෙල්ලිපි අතරින් කි.පූ. 6 වන සියවසේ ලියන ලද සෙල්ලිපි කිහිපයක් පහතින් දැක්වේ.

1.බගවත ගොතම ශමන මොගලි පුත තෙරශ ශරි පුත තෙරශ පුශ තෙරශ පුණ තෙරශ ශදී විහරිය අගත අනගත චතුදිශ ශගශ දිනෙ පරුමක අබය පුත පරුමක එරක ,
(ගෝනගල සෙල්ලිපිය).

බගවත් ගෝතම ශමනයන් (ගෞතම බුදුන්) මුගලන් තෙරුන් සැරියුත් තෙරුන් පුශ තෙරුන් පුණ තෙරුන් වැඩිසිටි තැන වැඩි නොවැඩි සතර දිශාවේ සංඝයාට ගෞරවනීය අබයගේ පුත් ගෞරවනීය එරක විසින් පුජ කරන ලදී.

2.ගොතම ශමන බඩකරික අනද තෙරශ චා පුණ තෙරශ පුශ තෙරශ අගමගශ ලෙනෙ මනපදශන නම අගත අනගත චතුදිශ ශගශ. ( දඹුල්ල සෙල්ලිපිය)
ගෞතම බුදුන්ගේ භාණ්ඩාගාරික ආනන්ද තෙරුන් සහ පුණ්ණ තෙරුන් පුශ තෙරුන් වැඩසිටි මනප දශන නම් ලෙන වැඩි නොවැඩි සතර දිසාවේ සංඝයාට පුජාකරන ලදී3.

3.පරුමක අබය පුත තිශහ නවිකන ලෙනෙ ගොතම ශමණෙ කරපිත. (හදපාන්විල්ලුව සෙල්ලිපිය)
ගෞරවනීය අබයගේ පුත් තිස්ස නම් නාවිකයාගේ ලෙන ගෞතම බුදුන් උදෙසා කරවන ලදී

4. බමන මිශ කුට ගොතම ශමණෙ අගත අනගත චතුදිශ ශගශ (දෙකුන්දරවැව ලෙන් සෙල්ලිපිය.)
මිස්ස බමුණාගේ කුටය ගෞතම බුදුන්ට වැඩි නොවැඩි සංඝයාට පුජා කරන ලදී.

5. පරුමක ශුමන කුට ගොතම ශමණෙ අගත අනගත චතුදිශ ශගශ. (බෑනසමනල සෙල්ලිපිය )
ගෞරවනීය සුමන විසින් කූටය(සමනල කන්ද) ගෞතම බුදුන්ට වැඩි නොවැඩි සංඝයාට පුජා කරන ලදී. සුමන යනු දෙවි කෙනකු නොව දේව ගොතික මිනිසෙකි. පනිත රජුගේ භාණ්ඩාගාරිකය

6. ගපති පුත තිශහ දෝ බතිකින ලෙනෙ ගොතම නම ශමණෙ පිතට පිත. (කලිමඩ සෙල්ලිපිය)
ගෘහපති තිස්සගේ පුත්, දෙසොහොයුරන්ගේ ලෙන ගෞතම බුදුන් උදෙසා කරවන ලදී

7.ගපති තොපශ ලෙනෙ ගොතම ශමණෙ පිතට පිත.
ගෘහපති තොපශගේ ලෙන ගෞතම බුදුන් උදෙසා කරවන ලදී

8.බත තිශ ගුතහ ලෙනෙ ගොතම ශමණෙ කරපිතෙ (ගෝල තිස්ස ගේ ලෙන් පුජාව), (ගලගෙදර බගවා ලෙන)
9, චොරීකිය මහ මහ ලෙනෙ ගොතම ශමණෙ පතිට පිත. (චොරීකිය මහ රජාගේ ලෙන් පුජාව) (මුල්ලුකුදලුමලෙයි)

10. උපශක පුඩචහ ලෙනෙ ගොතම ශමණෙ දිනි. (උපාසක පුඩචගේ ලෙන් පුජාව ), බු. වැ, වඩිනාගල, සෙ 4/

11.ගපති තිශ පුත පරුමක උතරශ ලෙනෙ ගොතම නම ශමනේ පිතට පිතෙ. (ගෘහපති තිස්සගේ උතුරාශ ගේ ලෙන් පුජාව) බු. වැ, වඩිනාගල, සෙ 4/

12..බඩකරික අනද තෙරශ ලෙනෙ ශගශ. (බහ්මනගම සෙල්ලිපිය)
භාණ්ඩාගාරික ආනන්ද තෙරුන්ගේ ලෙන සඟසතු කිරීම.

13..උතපලා ශමනිය ලෙනෙ ශගශ. (මුල්ලුකුලුමයිල සෙල්ලිපිය)
උත්පලා තෙරණිය ලෙන සඟසතු කිරීම.
ජීවමාන බුදුන්ට හෝ එකල ජීවත්වූ සන්ඝයවහන්සේලට ලෙනක්, විහාරයක්, ස්ථානයක් පුජා කල බවට ලියවුන කිසිම සෙල්ලිපියක් ඉන්දියාවට නැතත් ලංකාවට නම් එවනි සෙල්ලිපි වලින් අඩුවක් නැත. එමෙන්ම යමක් පුජාකරනවිට එය වැඩි නොවැඩි සතර දිශාවේ සංඝයාවහන්සේලා නමින් පුජා කරන ලෙස බුදුන්වහන්සේ උපදෙස් දී තිබේ. බුදුන්වහන්සේ උපදෙස් දී තිබෙන ආකාරයෙන් දන් දී ඇති බවට සාක්ෂි සටහන් වන සෙල්ලිපි දහස් ගණනක් මේ රටේ පවතී. එලෙස දන්දුන් බවට කිසිම සෙල්ලිපියක් ඉන්දියාවෙන් නැත.

උපුටාගත්තේ Suseema Wijesekara ගෙනි.

Kanchana Sumedha විශේෂ ස්තුතිය.

WHERE BUDDHA FINALLY RENOUNCED THE WORLD. -PARINIRVANA

RAMA AND ITS TOPE

East from Buddha's birthplace,and at a distance of five yojanas, there is a kingdom called Ramagrama. The king of the country, having obtained one potion of the relics of Buddha's body, returned  with it and built over it a tope,named the Rama tope.By the side of it there was a pool,and in the pool a dragon,which constantly kept watch over (the tope),and presented offerings to it day and night.When  king Ashoka came forth  into the world ,he wished to destroy the eight topes(over the relics),and to built (instead of them)84,000 topes. After he had thrown down the sevens(others),he wished to next to destroy this tope.But then the dragon showed itself,took the king into its palace; and when he had seen all the things provided for  offerings,it said to him,'if you are able with your offerings to exceed these,you can destroy the tope, and take it all away.I will not contend with you'.The king,however,knew that such appliances for offerings were not to be had anywhere in the world,and thereupon returned (without carrying out his purpose).(Afterwards ),the ground all about became overgrown with vegetation,and there was nobody to sprinkle and sweep (about the tope);but a herd of elephants came regularly,which brought water with their trunks to water the ground ,and various  kinds of flowers and incense,which they presented at the tope.(Once)there came from one of the kingdoms a devotee to worship at the tope. When he encountered the elephants he was greatly alarmed,and screened himself among the trees;but when he saw them go through with the offerings in the most proper manner,the thought  filled him with great sadness-that there should be no monastery here,(the inmates of which)might serve the tope,but the elephants have to do the watering and sweeping.Forthwith he gave up the great prohibitions (by which he was bound), and resumed the status of a Sramanera. With his own hands he cleared away the grass and trees,put the place in good order,and made it pure and clean.By the power of his exhortations,he prevailed on the king of the country to form a residence for monks;and when  that was done,he became head of the monastery.At the present day there are monks residing in it. This event is of recent occurrence;but in all the succession from that time till now,there has always been a Sramanera head of the establishment. 

PARI-NIRVANA

East from here four yojans,there is the place where the heir-apparent sent back Kanthaka,with his white horse;and there also a tope was erected .

                           Four yojanas to the east from this,(the travelers came to the Charcoal tope,where there is also a monastery.
           Going 12 yojanas,still to the east Kusanagara(බුදුගල ),on the of which,between 2 trees,on  the bank of the Hiranyavati(වේලිඔය)  river,is the place where the World-honored-One,with his head to the north, attained to pari-nirvana.There also are the places where Subhadra, the last (of his converts),attained to Wisdom (and became an Arhath);where in his coffin of gold they made offerings to the World-honored-One for seven days,where the Vajrapani laid aside his golden club,and where the 8 kings divided the relics(of the burnt body);-at all these places were built  topes and monasteries,all of which are now existing.
                                                             In the city the inhabitants are few and far between ,comprising only  the families belongings to the  (different)societies of of monks.
                                                    Going from this to the south-east  for twelve yojanas,they came to the place where the Lichchavis wished to follow Buddha to (the place of)his pari-nirvana,and where ,when he would not listen to them and they kept cleaving to him,unwilling to go away,he made to appear a large and deep ditch which they could not cross over,and gave them his alms-bowl,as a pledge of his regard,(thus)sending them back to their families. There a stone pillar was erected with an account of this event engraved upon it.

VAISALI. THE TOPE CALLED 'WEAPONS  LAID DOWN'
  East from this city ten yojanas,(the travelers)came to the Kingdom  of Vaisali(විසාලා මහනුවර -කැබිලිත්ත). North of the city so named is a large forest, having in it the double-galleried vihara where Buddha dwelt, and   the tope over half the body of Ananda. Inside the city the woman Amapali built a vihara in honour of Buddha,Which is now standing as it was at first.Three  le south of the city,on the west of the road,(is the)garden (which)the same Ambapali presented to Buddha, in which he might reside.When Buddha was about to attained to his pari-nirvana,as he was quitting the city by the west gate,he turned round,and beholding the city on his right,said to them,'Here I have taken my last walk'.Men subsequently built a tope at this spot.
                          Three le north-west of the city there is a tope  called,'Bows and weapons laid down.'The reason why it got that name was this:-The inferior wife of a king,whose country lay along the river Ganges,brought forth from her womb ball of flesh.The superior wife,jealous of the other,said,'You have brought forth a thing of evil men',and immediately it was put into a box  of wood and thrown into the river.Farther down the stream another king was walking and looking about,when he saw the wooden box (floating) in the water.(He had it brought to him),opened it,and found a thousand little boys,upright and complete,and each one different from the others .He took them  and had them brought up.They grew tall and large,and very daring,and  strong , crushing all opposition in every expedition which they undertook.By and by  they attacked the kingdom of real father,who became in consequence greatly distressed and sad.His inferior wife asked what it was that made him so ,and he replied,'The king has a thousand sons,daring and strong beyond compare,and he wishes with them to attack my kingdom;this is what makes me sad'The wife said,'You need not be sad  and sorrowful. Only make a high gallery on the wall of the city on the east; and when the thieves   come,I shall  be able to make them  retire.' The king did as she said; and when the enemies came,she said to them     from the tower,'You are my sons; why are you acting so  unnaturally and rebelliously'?They replied,'If you do not believe me ,'she said,'Look all of you,towards me,and open your mouths'.She then pressed her breasts with her two hands,and sent forth 500 jets of milk, which fell into the mouths of the thousand sons.The thieves(thus)knew that she was their mother, and laid down their bows and weapons.The two kings,the fathers, there upon  fell into reflection,and both got to be pratyeka Buddhas.The  tope of the two pratyeka Buddhas still existing. 

                                   In a subsequent age,when the World-Honoured -One had attained to perfect wisdom(and become Buddha),he said to is disciples,'This is the place where I in a former age laid down my bow and weapons.' It was thus subsequently men got to know (the fact ),and raised the tope on this spot,which in this way received its name.The thousand  little boys were the thousand Buddhas of this Bhadra-kalpa.

                 It was by the side of the 'Weapons-laid-down' tope  that Buddha,having given up the idea of living longer,said to Ananda,'In three months from this I will attain to pari-nirvana '; and king Mara had so  fascinated and stuperfied Ananda, that he was not able to ask Buddha to remain longer in this world.
                         Three or four le east from this place there is a tope (commemorating the following occurrence):- A hundred years after the pari-nirvana of Buddha,some Bhikshus of Vaisali went wrong in the  matter of the disciplinary rules in ten particulars,and appealed for their justification to what they said were the words of Buddha. Hereupon the Arhaths and Bhikshus observant of the of the number in all of 700 monks,examined afresh and collated the collection of disciplinary books.Subsequently men built at this place the tope (in question),which is still existing.

REMARKABLE DEATH OF ANANDA.

Four yojanas  on from this place to the east brought the travelers to the confluence of the five rivers.When Ananda was going from Magadha to Vaisali,wishing his pari-nirvana to take place (there),the devas informed king Ajasaththa of it,and the king immediately pursued him,in his own grand carriage ,with a body of soldiers,and had reached the river.(On the other hand),the Lichchavis  of Vaisali(විසාලා මහනුවර ) had heard that Ananda was coming (to their city),and they on their part came to meet him.(In this way),they all arrived together at the river ,and Ananda considered that,if he went forward,king Ajasaththa would be very angry,while,if he went back ,the Lichchavis would resent his conduct.He thereupon in thee very middle of the river burnt his body in a fiery ecstasy of samadhi,and his pari-nirvana was attained.He divided his body (also)into two,(leaving)the half of it on each bank;so that each of the two kings got one half as a (sacred)relic,and took it back(to his own capital),and there raised a tope over it.

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KAPILAWASTHU PURA - LEGENDS OF BUDDHAS' BIRTH PLACES

බුදුවරු උපන් ස්ථාන-  -Bambaragala-Digana

Fifty le to the west   of the city bring Fa-Hsien to a  town named Too-wei,the Birth place of Kasyapa Buddha.At the place where he and his father met,and at that where he attained to pari-nirvana,topes were erected.Over the entire relic of the whole body of him,the Kasyapa tathagata a great tope also erected.

                    Going on south-east  from the city of Sravasti  for twelve yojanas, (the travelers)came to a town named Na-pei-kea(Nabhiga),the birth place of Kakusanda Buddha. At the place where he   and his father met ,and at that where  attained  to pari-nirvana,topes were erected .Going north from here  less than a yojana,they came to a town which had been the birthplace  of Konagama Buddha. At  the place where he and his father met,and where he attained to Pari-nirvana,topes were erected.

          Less than a yojana to the east from this brought to the east from to the city of Kapilavasthu;but in it there was neither king nor people .All was mound and desolation.Of inhabitants there were only some monks and a score or two of families of the common people.At the spot where stood the old palace of king Suddhodana there have been made ages of the price (his eldest son)and his mother;and at the places where that son appeared mounted on a white elephant when he entered his mother's womb,and where he turned his carriage round on seeing the sick man after he had gone out of the city by eastern gate, topes have been erected.The places (were also pointed out) where (the rishi)A-e (Ashitha) inspected the marks (of Buddhaship on the body)of the heir-apparent (when an infant);where,when he was in company with Nanda the others,on the elephant being struck down and drawn to one side,he tossed it away;(8)where he shot an arrow to the south -east,and it went a distance of thirty le,then  entering the ground and making a spring to come forth,which men subsequently fashioned into a well from which travelers might drink;where,after he had attained to Wisdom,Buddha returned and saw the king ,his father;where five hundred Sakyas quitted their families  and did reverence to Upali while the earth shook and moved in six different ways;where Buddha preached his Law to the devas,and the four deva kings   and others kept the four doors (of the hell),so that (even)the king,his father ,could not enter;where Buddha sat under a Nyagrodha tree,which is still standing,with his face to the east,and (his aunt)Maha-Prajapathi presented  him with with a Sanghali (nun) and (where)king Vidura slew  the seed of Sakya ,and they all in dying became sothapanna. A tope was erected at this last place,which is still existing.

               

                                               Several le north-east from the city was the king's field ,where the heir-apparent sat under a tree,and looked at the ploughers.

                                        Fifty le east from the city was a garden named Lumbini, where the queen entered the pond and bathed.Having come forth from the pond on the northern bank, after (walking)twenty paces, she lifted up her hand,laid hold of a branches of a tree,and with her face to the east,gave birth to the heir-apparent. When he fell to the ground,he (immediately) walked seven paces.Two dragon-kings(නාරජවරු)(appeared) and washed his body.At the place where they did so,there was immediately formed a well,and from it,as well as from the above pond,where(the queen)bathed, the monks(even)now constantly take the water drink it.

                       There are four  places of regular and fixed occurrence (in the history of )all Buddha:-first ,the place where they attained to perfect wisdom(and became Buddha);second,the place where they turned the wheel of the Law;third,the place where they preached the Law, discoursed of righteousness,and discomfited (the advocates of) erroneous doctrines;and fourth,the place where they came down,after going up to the Trayatrimasas heaven to preach the Law for the benefit of their mothers.Other places in connection with them became remarkable,according to the manifestations which were made at them at particular times.

                                                     

                                            The country of Kapilavasthu is a great scene of empty desolation.The inhabitants are few and far between. On the roads people have to be on their guard against white elephants and lions,and should not incautiously.     

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