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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Chathurarya Saththyaya - චතුරාර්ය සත්ත්‍යය >> Soma Himi

Chathurarya Saththyaya -

Part 1

චතුරාර්ය සත්ත්‍යය 1

Ganngodavila Soma Himi සෝම හිමි


අදුරෙන් එළියට .....................චතුරාර්ය සත්ත්‍යය 1 -සෝම හිමි *****************
U-Tube වෙනුවෙන් ප්‍රියන්ත ද සිල්වා ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමකි. ***********************
අපි නොදන්නා ශ්‍රී සද්ධර්මය , පිරිසිදු සිංහලෙන් දේශනා කල වදාල ගංගොඩවිල සෝම හිමියන්ට ප්‍රාර්ථනීය බෝධිය කින් නිවන් අවබෝධ වීමට මේ පිං උපකාරී වේවා ! වසර ගනනක් මාලග තිබූ මේ කැසට්පටය වැඩිදෙනෙක් සමග බෙදාගැනීමේ අරමුනින් සකස් කරනලද මෙහිදී සිදුවූ සියලු වැරදීම් වෙනුවෙන් සමාව ඉල්ලමි.

බුදුන් වදාල ධර්මය මෙලෙස පතුරාලීමට මඟ සැලැස්වූ www.Youtube.com ආයතනය ටත් , තෙරුවන් සරණයි !



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අදුරෙන් එළියට .....................චතුරාර්ය සත්ත්‍යය 2 -සෝම හිමි *****************
U-Tube වෙනුවෙන් ප්‍රියන්ත ද සිල්වා ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමකි.

Duruthu signifies Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka

Duruthu signifies Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka



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By Premasara Epasinghe


This year’s Duruthu Pura Pasalosvaka Poya Day falls on Wednesday, 19th January, 2011. On this day, thousands flock to temples all over the island to pay their homage to Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. They engage in giving alms to Bhikkhus or needy people (Dana), dedicate this particular Holy Day on behalf of the Triple Gem (Seela) and concentrate on Meditation (Bhavana). They follow the Noble Principle of Buddhism in refraining from evil-doing; indulging in doing good and cleansing the minds. In short, this is what Buddhism is all about:


‘Sabbapapassa Akaranam –


Kusalassa Upasampada –


Sachitta Pariyodapanan –


Etam Buddana Sasanam’


Dhammapada – Verse 183 (Treasury of Truth)


Buddhism and the Sinhala culture are inseparable. With the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka during the reign of the king Devanampiyatissa, he made a world of difference and their lifestyles were made according to the Buddhist principles, Metta, Muditha, Karuna and the loving kindness to the humanity become the corner-stones of life.


Even the yearly Sinhala calendar was inter-woven with significant events of Buddha’s life. It began with Duruthu (January), Navam (February), Medin (March), Bak (April), Vesak (May), Poson (June), Esala (July), Nikini (August), Binara (September), Vap (October), Il (November) and Unduvap (December).


The noteworthy text is that each Poya Day is closely connected to a significant event that took place in the history of Buddhism. For example, two most important Poyas for Sri Lanka are Vesak, the day of the birth of Prince Siddhartha, the Gautama Buddha, the great teacher, and his attainment of the Buddhahood (Enlightenment) and His passing away at the city Kusinara.


Vesak is celebrated among six hundred million people mostly in Asia. Poson signifies the advent of Buddha in Sri Lanka.


Then what is the importance of this Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day?


The Buddhists in Sri Lanka believe that on this Duruthu Purapaslosvaka Poya Day the Blessed One, Buddha, visited Sri Lanka for the first time. According to the chronicle, it states "Buddha arrived in Sri Lanka to free this beautiful, resplendent island from Yakkas."


Buddha gave a clear message to the inhabitants of the country and advised them to mould their lives and follow the five precepts, the cardinal principles of peace and happiness, namely: (a) abstain from destroying living beings, (b) abstain from taking things not given, (c) refrain or abstain from sexual misconduct, (d) abstain from false and (e) refrain from taking anything that beget intoxication or heedless-ness.


In his first visit, Buddha arrived at Mahiyangana nestlings in the banks of Mahaweli River on one side. We believe that Mahiyangana – Mutiyangana stupa was constructed at the place where Buddha laid His footstep in Sri Lanka.


The purpose of His mission to Sri Lanka was to restore peace in this resplendent island. This event took place on Duruthu Pura Pasalosvaka Poya Day. Today, we pay our respect to Gautama Thathagatha.


Another significant incident that took place on the Duruthu Poya Day was the meeting of Buddha and an incumbent deity of Siripada, the God Sumana, at Bintenne, Mahiyangana. When God Sumana kindly requested Buddha for a souvenir, Gautama Buddha has given God Sumana some locks of His hair. It was on a month of Duruthu that God Sumana placed his hair in an urn inside Mahiyangana - Mutiyangana stupa. Many devotees therefore will pay their homage to Mahiyangana stupa on this Duruthu Poya Day.


There are 16 (sixteen) important Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka. Out of these 16, the most significant shrine is considered as Mahiyangana.


The others are: Nagadeepa, Kelaniya, Divaguhava, Dighavapi, Jayasri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanweliseya, Thuparama, Abhayagiriya, Jetavanaya, Sela Chaittya, Kataragama, Mirisawetiya and Tissamaharama.


According to the Mahavamsa, when Gautama Buddha’s passing away, Sarabhu, a disciple of Sariputta, with his miraculous powers, received from the pyre of the Gautama Buddha, with honour and respect, the collar-bone and brought it to Sri Lanka, enshrined it in the Mahiyangana chaitya.


The other Sinhala kings who improved the infrastructure facilities and constructions of Mahiyangana stupa were Greet King Dutugemunu and Sirisangabo. The son of Devanampiyatissa’s brother, Prince Uddachullabaya reconstructed the Mahiyangana stupa. There is evidence that deity Sumana, to safeguard the stupa, constructed a Devalaya. Further, an annual procession was held with pomp and glamour at the vicinity of the Mahiyangana stupa.


The Blessed One made his second visit to Nagadeepa and the third to Kelaniya.


Buddha, through love and compassion to all Sri Lankans, arrived at Kelaniya on a Vesak Full Moon Poya Day.


As a result of the first visit of Buddha to Sri Lanka, on a Duruthu Poya Day, the Buddhist culture was established to a certain extent but the real propagation of Buddhism began with the arrival of Mahinda Arahat Thera from India during the reign of Devanampiyatissa.


The King Voharikatissa (204-225 AD) built a parasol over the Mahiyangana stupa. Further, Sena-II (885-896 AD), Kassapa-IV (896-918 AD), Vijayabahu-I (1059-1114 AD) and Parakramabahu-I (1410-1468 AD) were some of the kings who gave their utmost royal patronage to the development of the Mahiyangana Maha Seya which became the centre of Buddhist activity.


Today, Buddhism is a religion, philosophy and a teaching followed by a large segment of the world’s population. Buddha is undoubtedly classed as one of the greatest religious leaders of the world like Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam.


The Blessed One’s love certainly extended beyond mankind. This great religious leader recognised the rights of the human beings. Even His visit to Mahiyangana on a Duruthu Poya clearly shows His philosophy was to abstain from taking life of human beings, Sabbesatta Bhavantu Sukhitatta. May all living beings be well and happy!


We wish our readers a very Happy New Year of 2011! On this Duruthu Poya, we wish them with a blessing from Jinapagaraya Piritha thus: ‘Sabbava Mangala –


Mupaddava Dunni-mittam –


Sabbiti roga Gahadosa Masesa Ninda – Sabbantaraya Bhaya –


Dussupinam Akantam,


Buddhanu Bhavana – Dhammanu Bhavana – Sangahanu Bhavana –


Paraniena Payatu Nasam’


(All ill luck; misfortunes; ill-omens; evil planetary influences; blame; danger; fears; undesirable dreams; may they all disappear forever with the power of noble Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha!).

Duruthu Poya Gauthama Buddha’s first visit to Lanka

Duruthu Poya Gauthama Buddha’s first visit to Lanka

By Gamini Jayasinghe

Duruthu Full Moon Poya day usually falls on the first month of the calendar year i.e. January and hence the celebration of Duruthu poya is the first Buddhist event of each calendar year. It was on a day like today, nine months after the Enlightenment that Gautama Buddha, the Eminent One, the Exalted One set foot on our land- Sri Lanka for the first occasion. This took place on the first Duruthu full moon poya day after His Enlightenment.

First sixty Arahants of

Gauthama Buddha Sasana
Gauthama Buddha’s first discourse was Dhammacakkapavattana sutta which was delivered on Esala Full Moon poya day. Five Brahmin ascetics Annata Kondanna and four others, who understood the Four Noble Truths and the Eight –fold Path, attained Arahantship. After the conversion Yasakulaputra and his followers they attained Arahantship and by Ill full moon poya day there were sixty Arahants excluding the Buddha. On the first Ill full moon poya day after the Enlightenment, the Exalted One dispatched the first sixty Arahants including the five ascetic monks- Pasvaga Mahanu- to various directions to propagate the sublime Dharma and He Himself went to Uruwela Danawwa to be of service to Jatila brothers and their followers. After subjugating them and putting them on the correct path the Buddha visited Sri Lanka. Thus before proceeding to Sri Lanka Gauthama Buddha put in the correct path, the very arrogant and aggressively asserted or presumptuous Uruvela Kassapa with five hundred followers, Nadi Kassapa with three hundred followers and Gaya Kassapa with two hundred followers.

Significant incidents taken place on Duruthu Full Moon Poya day

Gauthama Buddha’s first visit to Lanka after putting the very arrogant Kassapa brothers in the correct path and offering the Hair Relic to god Sumana Saman are regarded as significant incidents taken place on the Duruthu Full Moon Poya day. Duruthu Perahera of Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya is also conducted on this day. The visit of Gauthama Buddha to Sri Lanka is the most important incident in the history of Sri Lanka after the Rama / Rawana war which is said to have taken place in this country more than three thousand and one hundred years ago.

Settlement of the dispute between Yakkhas and

Nagas who were in

constant confrontation
At the time when the Enlightened One visited Sri Lanka for the first time the inhabitants of this country were Yakkhas who were humans and descendants of Rawana and his brother, Vibhishana. Yakkhas and Nagas were in constant confrontation. There is a belief that god Sumana Saman had invited the Buddha to put an end to that hostility. It was on this invitation that the Enlightened One set foot on Mahiyangana Mahanaga Grove. At that time the Yakkhas had gathered there for a meeting.

Rays of light from the

Buddha’s body more

pleasant, clear, calm and gentle than moon light
The Buddha stood there radiating rays of light from His body more pleasant, clear, calm and gentle than the moon light. The aggregate of six colours forming a halo around the Buddha in separate circles viz. blue, yellow, red, white, crimson and the colour formed by their combination.

Yakkhas turned

submissive
Yakkhas were not prepared to listen to the Buddha as they thought that He was an invader on their hereditary land. Yakkha soldiers were up in arms. It was time for the Buddha to subjugate the Yakkhas and the Buddha terrified them by setting forth a terrible drought, rain thunder and a gale. Yakkhas were terrified and realized that Buddha was a supernatural being and turned submissive. They obeyed the Buddha and begged for His pardon. The Buddha laid His piece of cloth –Pathkada- on the ground and after sitting on it He called the Yakkha and Naga leaders and admonished both parties. According to legends the Yakkhas who dispersed had gone to Giri Divayina not being able to understand the words of the Buddha. Mahiyangana Dagaba which is also known as Miyuguna Seya was built at the site of the Mahanaga grove in Minipe where the Buddha had subjugated the Yakkhas.

Devas and Nagas take
refuge in the Triple Gem –God Sumana Saman to protect Sri Lanka
According to legends Devas and Nagas assembled at Maha Naga grove in large numbers and took refuge in the Triple Gem. Among them was god Sumana Saman. According to legends God Sumana Saman is a member of the Deva tribe from the central hills of Sri Lanka. This god attained “Sowan “or the first of the four paths or stages leading to Nirvana. God Saman begged for a relic for worshipping and the Buddha gave him a lock of His hair relic. God Saman received the hair relic in a gold casket and enshrined it in Mahiyangana chethiya which he built at the place where the Exalted One stayed. This is the first dagaba in Sri Lanka and one of the shrines built during the time of the Buddha.

After forty five years “Greeva Dhathu” the Collar bone relic of the Buddha was enshrined in this dagaba by Arahant Sarabha. This Dagaba had been renovated from time to time by various kings such as Dutugemunu, Dhatusena, Sirisangabo and Agbo.

Buddha’s visit to

Magadha kingdom
During the month of Duruthu the Omniscient One proceeded to Magadha Kingdom accompanied by Jatila Arahants. This visit was made in keeping with an invitation extended by Magadha King Bimbisara to the Buddha before His Enlightenment. Arahant Uruwela Kassapa, Aarahant Nadi Kassapa, Arahant Gaya Kassapa and their followers accompanied the Buddha. Having seen the Buddha with Arahant Kassapa king Bimbisara hesitated to believe that Uruwela Kassapa was a disciple of the Buddha. Realizing the king’s misconception Arahant Uruwela Kassapa performed a perahera to indicate that all the Jatila Arahants including himself were disciples of the Buddha. King Bimbisara and his people were very happy and devotedly embraced Buddhism. Buddha preached Dharma and all of them took refuge in the Triple Gem. King Bimbisara offered Veluwanaramaya to the Buddha. Buddha made a proclamation allowing Bhikkhus to accept monasteries.

King Bimbisara’s dream

King Bimbisara saw in a dream that his deceased relatives were suffering having born as goblins. Buddha preached Dharma to offer merits to those goblins.

On Duruthu Full moon poya day the Omnificent One visited Lanka for the first time and made this land a suitable place for Arahant Mahinda Maha Thera to establish Buddhism. We, the present population of this country are fortunate to have pure Buddhism in our country.

Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya and Kelani Duruthu Perahera

Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya and Kelani Duruthu Perahera

By Gamini Jayasinghe

In the legends there is the story of king Kelanitissa who in the second century B.C. angered over an alleged love affair


between his wife and his brother executed an Arahant by burning him alive in

a cauldron of boiling oil. The king had completely misunderstood the Arahant who had not helped the King’s brother and the queen in the alleged love affair, having no lust remained in him to have an inclination to worldly life. The story continues that guardian deities of Sri Lanka were angered by this rash act and caused the sea to flow inland. This was indeed a Tsunami situation in the past. The land area which was about seven Gawwas (28 miles) from, the coast was reduced to about six Gawwas (24 miles) which means that a stretch of land about four miles in the sea coast had been washed away.

King’s daughter, Vihara Maha

Devi floated in the sea

to appease deities
According to legends the king had to float his daughter, Vihara Maha Devi in the sea to appease the guardian deities. The boat carrying Vihara Maha Devi was washed away to the Southern coast of Lanka and was recovered by the Rohana King, Kavantissa at Magama and he had married her. Their son, Dutugemunu fought against the Chola King, Elara and unified the country. There is historical evidence to the effect that there were many bhikkhus in Kelaniya during the time of the unification of the country by king Dutugemunu and more than five hundred bhikkhus from Kelaniya participated in the Relic depositing ceremony of Ruwanweliseya. According to chronicles king Kavantissa (164-1992 A.D.) had constructed a poyage (house set apart for Buddhist monks ‘private confessions) at Kelaniya Viharaya, King Voharatissa had constructed a parasol over the dagaba.

Kelaniya King
Vibhishana’s capital
Kelaniya has a very interesting history going back to more than 3,000 years. The earliest mention of this historic city, known then as Kalyani, is made in Valmiki’s great epic “Ramayanaya” where it is recorded that Vibhishana who ascended to the throne of Lanka after his brother, Ravana was slain by Rama, an Indian prince. Rama is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu who had descended to the earth to subjugate Ravana. Vibhishana was deified and a shrine consecrated to him was built later within the Kelani Viharaya.

Viharaya picturesquely situated
The Viharaya is picturesquely situated on the bank of Kelani River and it contributes immensely to the beauty of the ancient city. It is believed that the first Chethiya of the Kelani Vihare was built by king Maniakkhika himself on the sacred spot where the Buddha preached Dharma, seated on the gem studded throne. The precious throne which was offered to the Enlightened One had been enshrined itself in the dagaba.

Kelaniya declared a sacred city







Kelaniya was declared a sacred city in 1952 and today the area around the temple has been well developed. Daily hundreds of pilgrims flock to this ancient shrine to pay homage to the Exalted One and thousands of devotees on poya days. Duruthu poya is of special significance because Kelaniya is the place where devotees flock most during this period.

The shrine of Kelaniya is built on a rock platform and the external part of the foundation has three rows of carved figures. There is a row of swans and the middle row is of carved Bhahirawayas- the terrible ones holding up the entire edifice with ugly expression in the faces that shows anger, disgust and pain. The third row is of elephants. Above these rows of figures on the outside walls are statutes of Hindu deities , Gana Deviyo, (god of wisdom), goddess Ganga, god Vishnu and god Vibhishana (Rawana’s brother), god Natha (Maithri Bodhisattva) and god Skanda Kumara (Kataragama deyyo- god of war)

At the entrance of the temple there is the traditional Sandakada Pahana or Moonstone flanked by two Gajasinghe images with the body of a lion and head of an elephant. Inside the halls the walls are painted depicting Jathaka stories, myths and legends including the execution of an Arahant by King Kavantissa in his fit of rage.

Statues
The eighteen cubits long reclining state of the Enlighten One is the main focus of the temple. It is in a darkened hall. The only light during the day is the steam of light peeping from the entrance to the shrine room. There are statues of Buddha including the Buddha statue in the meditating posture in the main hall adjoining the shrine room of the reclining Buddha statue.

Dagaba
To the right hand side of the shrine there is the dagaba built in the shape of a heap of Paddy. This is incidentally the best example of the Dhanyakara style of Dagabas. At the request of the Naga King this dagaba is said to have been built to mark the place where the Buddha sat on a gem studded throne to preach Dharma. The golden throne inlaid with precious stones is believed to have been enthroned in the dagaba.

Bo tree
To the left of the shrine is the Bo-tree of the same species which provided shelter to the Buddha during His meditation.

Thun –Bo
Thus Kelaniya is one of the most important and valuable sacred places with “Thun –Bo”- Sharirika Dhathu, Maha Bodhi and Buddha Rupa of special significance. This is an attractive tourist resort especially during the Perahera season falling at the beginning of the year.

Exotic pageant second only to Esala Perahera in Kandy
Duruthu Perahera held at Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya annually during the month of Duruthu (January) is very colourful and is only second to Esala Perahera held in the hill capital- Kandy. The exotic pageant has taken place annually since 1927 and celebrated the Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka more than 2,500 years ago. This procession is held for three nights with elephants, dancers, drummers, whip crackers and thousands of spectators.

It comprises three perahera (processions) featuring costume actors, dancers, musicians, torch bearers and acrobats, stilt walkers devotees dressed in white and caparisoned elephants. A variety of religious festivities take place for more than a week. On the first day of the perahera the casket of relics is ceremoniously handed over and is placed carefully on a colourful cushion on the back of a caparisoned tusker.

Udmaluwa Perahera

The first day procession is called Udamaluwa Peahera which starts on the upper terrace of the temple with the ritual handing over the casket. Cannon fire marks the beginning of the parade. This cannon fire is also a signal of placing the relic casket on the cushion spread on the back of the Chief tusker of the temple. On the first day the perahera parades only the upper terrace (Udamaluwa)

Pathamaluwa Perahera
On the second day the procession proceeds to the lower terrace or the Pathamaluwa and it is more colourful. It is customary to improve the procession by adding the number of elephants, dancers and other performers. The number of spectators is also increased as the Perahera covers a broader area. This day procession is called, Pathamaluwa perahera and it continues with the tuskers carrying the casket and the divine in sigma.

Randoli Perahera

The festivities reach the climax with the Randoli Perahera, the most magnificent of the procession held on the day prior to the Duruthu Full Moon Poya day. The Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera is now confined to the temple premises and the roads surrounding it but in the nineteen sixties the Perahera paraded the streets starting from the temple premises and proceeding along the Biyagama road and Pattiya junction along Kandy road to Thorana junction and back to the temple. The curtailment of the Perahera is presumably due to security reasons.

The significance of Kelaniya

Duruthu Perahera
As mentioned earlier Kelaniya Duruthu perahera is second only to Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa Esala Perahera. It should be mentioned that while Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa perahera continues for ten days Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera is confined to three days and a limited area is covered on the first two days. It is the most magnificent low country perahera and can be compared well with Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa Esala perahera. Further since Kelaniya is not far away from Colombo thousands of people including a large number of foreigners come to watch the perahera and for religious rites at the sacred place which had been visited by the Exalted One.



Meet the divine messengers

Meet the divine messengers

The traditional legend of the Buddha’s life tells us that throughout his youth and early manhood Prince Siddhatta, the Bodhisatta, lived completely unaware of the most elementary facts concerning human mortality. His father, anxious to protect his sensitive son from exposure to suffering, kept him an unwitting captive of ignorance.

Incarcerated in the splendour of his palace, amply supplied with sensual pleasures, and surrounded by merry friends, the prince did not entertain even the faintest suspicion that life could offer anything other than an endless succession of amusements and festivities. It was only on that fateful day in his twenty-ninth year, when curiosity led him out beyond the palace walls, that he encountered the four ‘divine messengers’ that were to change his destiny. The first three were the old man, the sick man and the corpse, who taught him the shocking truths of old age, illness and death, the fourth was a wandering ascetic, who revealed to him the existence of a path whereby all suffering can be fully overcome.

This charming story, which has nurtured the faith of Buddhists through the centuries, enshrines at its heart a profound psychological truth. In the language of myth, it speaks to us not merely of events that may have taken place centuries ago but of a process of awakening through which each of us must pass if the Dhamma is to come to life within ourselves. Beneath the symbolic veneer of the ancient legend, we can see that Prince Siddhartha’s youthful stay in the palace was not so different from the way in which most of us today pass our entire lives - often, sadly, until it is too late to strike out in a new direction.

Our homes may not be royal palaces, and the wealth at our disposal may not approach anywhere near that of a north Indian rajah, but we share with the young Prince Siddhatta a blissful (and often wilful) oblivion to stark realities that are constantly thrusting themselves on our attention.

If the teachings are to be more than the bland, humdrum background of a comfortable life, if they are to become the inspiring, sometimes grating, voice that steers us on to the great, path of awakening, we ourselves need to emulate the Bodhisatta in his process of maturation. Joining him on his journey outside the palace walls - the walls of our own self-assuring preconceptions - we must see for ourselves the divine messengers we so often miss because our eyes are fixed on ‘more important things,’ i.e. our mundane preoccupations and goals.

When we meet the divine messengers at this level, they become catalysts that can induce in us a profound internal transformation. We realize that because we are frail and inescapably mortal we must make drastic changes in our existential priorities and personal values. Instead of letting our lives be consumed by transient trivia, by things that are here today and gone tomorrow, we must give weight to ‘what really counts,’ to aims and actions that will exert a lasting influence upon our long-range destinies and our ultimate aim as we meander through the cycle of repeated birth and death.

Before such a revaluation takes place, we generally live in a condition that the Buddha describes by the term pamada, negligence or heedlessness. Imagining ourselves immortal and the world our personal playground, we devote our energies to such ‘worldly dhammas’ as the accumulation of wealth, the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, the achievement of status, and the quest for fame and renown. The remedy for heedlessness is the very same quality that was aroused in the Bodhisatta when he met the divine messengers in the streets of Kapilavatthu.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1972, served as longtime editor for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He has translated many texts from the Pali Canon and presently resides at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York.

Mahiyangana Chaitya, the first stupa

Mahiyangana Chaitya, the first stupa

Sakyamuni Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha after attaining supreme enlightenment, the summit of perfection or the Buddhahood at Bodh Gaya, the second sacred place where he gifted the unique teaching to humanity was the charming city of Isipatana in Baranasi, the capital of Kasi kingdom. It was here that he preached his first sermon to the five ascetics, his former companions before his spiritual achievement. They became the first disciples establishing the Buddha sasana.

Subsequently a large number of disciples who listened to him and attained arahantship were sent in different directions to preach the doctrine of the Dhamma for the well being of the mankind. Having sent them on this noble mission the Buddha himself set out for Rajagaha where on his way he met the three brothers the hermit monks who had the good fortune to attain Arahantship with their 1,000 disciples.

Mahiyangana Chaitya

After this celebrated religious event Buddha is said to have focused his attention towards Sri Lanka.

Landmark Gift

It is the most significant and precious event to find that Sri-Lanka was blessed with the presence of Thathagatha the perfect one. His visits are a landmark gift to Buddhist heritage, reflecting the most memorable events of the Buddhist era – the time of the living Buddha. This is certainly a proud moment in the history of the island and the sasana. This sacred event has preceded the introduction of Buddhism to the island by Thera Mahinda in 27 BC. Exactly after 236 years after Mahaparinibbana the sublime message he proclaimed in Jambudweepa appeared here in Dharmadweepa in the month of Poson in 247 BC.

The first visit of Sakyamuni

The very blissful message of the Buddha was brought to the place sanctified by Buddha three centuries after his visit to the island. With the passage of time the sanctity and serenity bestowed by the Thathagatha during his visits had disappeared until it was renewed by Mahindagamanaya as mentioned earlier.

In the pre-Mahinda era however, the greatest blessing to the island was Buddha’s first visit to the island to Mahiyangana on the ninth month of his enlightenment. It was on the first poya in the Buddhist calendar (Duruthu) that the supreme Master had blessed our paradise isle which led it to be identified as Dharmadweepa.

Ancient chronicles reveal that Sakyamuni Gautama Buddha arrived in the Mahanagawana, the splendid park in Mahiyangana located in the vicinity of Mahaweli ganga. Here the inhabitants who belonged to various tribes such as Yakka and Naga opposed vehemently the arrival of the Buddha. But his spirit of tolerance, sympathy and boundless compassion towards all living beings helped them to be good and righteous citizens with the teachings of Dhamma.

They were all miraculously won over by his overflowing Melta. Finally having listened to sermons emphasizing harmony, they worshiped the Buddha with great love. The most significant event at this juncture was the presence of Deva Mahasumana the guardian god of Mount Samanala who attained the state of Sotapanna graspings the sermons of the Buddha. According to Mahavamsa the earliest Buddhist Relic was the Hair Relic, offered to anxious Deva who pleaded the Buddha to give something to worship on his first visit to the island. The Buddha complying with his request gave him a handful of hair from his head.

The overjoyed Deva placed it in a golden casket and later enshrined in a stupa, the biggest milestone in marking the event was this stupa which later came to be called Mahiyangana Chaitya. The greatest event of great historical importance in Buddha Sasana.

Mahiyangana Chaitya

The honour of laying the foundation for the first chaitya in Dharmadweepa goes to Deva Mahasumana. This is given much significance not only because it is the first one built in Sri Lanka, but also the first one built by a devine being on the spot where the Buddha made his first visit to the island. History records that the royalty extended their utmost support and patronage at various times to build up this sacred spot, sanctified by the Buddha. After the Parinibbana of the Buddha and the distribution of the sacred relics the remaining neck relic (Greeva Dathu) was brought to Sri-Lanka by Arahant Sarabhu – a pupil of venerable Sariputta and enshrined in the stupa.

It is said to have been built in stages. First of all Deva Mahasumana had placed the golden casket in the stupa embedded with blue stones and built it to the height of seven riyanas (a measure). Later it was raised to 12 riyanas, enshrining the neck relic. Later it had been raised to a height of 30 riyanas by king Uddachulabhaya, the brother of king Devanampiyatissa.

Still later it had been completed to a height of 80 riyanas by king Dutugemunu hailed as the greatest patron of Buddhism during that era the national hero of Sri Lanka as well as Mahavamsa as mentioned by its author thera Mahanama.

The Chetiya elaborately completed by him, stands as testimony to his lasting contribution to Buddhism. He is said to have constructed a mantle chetiya which exists to this day as an amazing marvel and a landmark gift to Buddhist heritage. Today it has become the most sanctified and venerated place of worship by the devotees and also a national treasure in this Dharmadweepa, blessed with a path leading to peace.

Fa-Hsien: Scholar monk par excellence - Duruthu Features

Duruthu Features

Fa-Hsien: Scholar monk par excellence

Fa-Hsien was born in 374 AD in the village of Wu-yang in China’s Shansi province. His surname, it is said, was Kung. Because his three older brothers had all died in childhood, his father dedicated him to a Buddhist monastery in the hope of safeguarding his life. When Fa-Hsien was ten his father died, and his uncle urged him to return home but he decided to continue the religious life his father had chosen for him.

Abhayagiri chaitya

There are many stories attributed to him to show his wisdom and courage even during his Samanera period. On one occasion he was harvesting paddy with a score of his fellow-disciples, when some thieves came upon them to take away their grain by force. The other Samaneras all fled, but Fa-Hsien stood his ground, and said to the thieves, “If you must have the grain, take what you please. But, Sirs, it was your former neglect of charity which brought you to your present state of destitution; and now, again, you wish to rob others.

I am afraid that in the coming ages you will have still greater poverty and distress;—I am sorry for you beforehand.” With these words he followed his companions into the monastery, while the thieves left the grain and went away.

Intelligence

At the age of twenty, Fa-Hsien was ordained as a fully fledged monk. By that time he has already become a respected young and enterprising Buddhist scholar. However, Fa-Hsien felt that the Chinese translations of the Buddhist texts were of poor quality and wished to make his own translations from the original texts, which were written in Sanskrit. In A.D. 399, when he was about twenty-five years old, he decided to set off on a hazardous quest to India to discover the authentic Buddhist writings. He planned to cross central Asia into India, following an ancient spice trading route.

Travelling with few other monks, Fa-Hsien began his journey towards northern China and after months of walking he made his way town of Khotan located on the southern part of the “Silk Road” trading route that ran between China and India. He crossed present Turkestan and then passed with difficulty through the Pamir Mountains on his way to the Indus River. A second mountain range gave the travellers even more trouble, for it had frequent storms and was deep with snow. Later, in his memoirs, Fa-Hsien would write of the mountains: “There are also among them venomous dragons, which, when provoked, spit forth poisonous winds, and cause, showers of snow and storms of sand and gravel.”

Fa-Hsien and his party managed to reach the great city of Peshawar. Now closer to his destination, he crossed the Punjab plains into northern India. In the holy city of Magadha (near modern-day Patna), he spent the next three years collecting and copying Buddhist texts. During that time he also visited many shrines and holy sites where important events in Buddha’s life had taken place. He is most known for his pilgrimage to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. Travelling down the Ganges River, Fa-Hsien reached the port of Tamralipti, where he spent another two years.

Leaving India, Fa-Hsien sailed to the nearby Sri Lanka, which was an important centre of Buddhism at that time. He spent two more years in Sri Lanka doing extensive research in Anuradhapura and other areas. In 413 AD Fa-Hsien began his journey back to China by sea. It was not destined to an easy trip.

Disasters

Heading eastward across the Indian Ocean, Fa-Hsien’s ship was wrecked on a small island near Sumatra. He managed to make it to the nearby island of Java, where he spent the next five months waiting for a second ship to China. That boat, which was headed for the south Chinese city of Canton, got blown off its course and was adrift for seventy days. Finally, it touched land on the Shantung Peninsula in northern China. The year was 414 AD.

Upon his return, Fa-Hsien went to Nanking (Nanjing), then China’s capital city. He spent the next several years working on Chinese translations of the Sanskrit texts he had brought back. He then retired to a monastery in the province of Hupei, where he wrote the story of his travels, titled Fo-Kwe-Ki (Memoirs of the Buddhist Realms). It was an excellent geographic account of his journey along the Silk Roads, and an comprehensive report of the history and customs of Central Asia and India and Sri Lanka. Fa-Hsien stayed at the monastery until his death at the age of eighty-eight.

About Sri Lanka

Fa-Hsien mentions several events and customs he has seen and experienced during his stay in Sri Lanka. The following are few extracts.

“When Buddha came to this country wishing to transform the wicked nagas, by his supernatural power he planted one foot at the north of the royal city. Over this footprint the king built a large tope, 400 cubits high, grandly adorned with gold and silver, and finished with a combination of all the precious substances.

By the side of the top he further built a monastery, called the Abhayagiri, where there are (now) five thousand monks. There is in it a hall of Buddha, adorned with carved and inlaid works of gold and silver, and rich in the seven precious substances, in which there is an image (of Buddha) in green jade, more than twenty cubits in height, glittering all over with those substances, and having an appearance of solemn dignity which words cannot express. In the palm of the right hand there is a priceless pearl”.

“The king practices the religious purifications, and the sincerity of the faith and reverence of the population inside the city are also great. Since the establishment of government in the kingdom there has been no famine or scarcity, no revolution or disorder.” “In the city there are many elders and merchants, whose houses are stately and beautiful.

The lanes and passages are kept in good order. At the heads of the four principal streets there have been built preaching halls, where, on the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the month, they spread carpets, and set forth a pulpit, while the monks and commonalty from all quarters come together to hear the sermons.

The people say that in the kingdom there may be altogether sixty thousand monks, who get their food from their common stores. The king, besides, prepares elsewhere in the city a common supply of food for five or six thousand more. When any want, they take their great bowls, and go (to the place of distribution), and take as much as the vessels will hold, all returning with them full”.

“The tooth of Buddha is always brought forth in the middle of the third month. Ten days beforehand the king grandly caparisons a large elephant, on which he mounts a man who can speak distinctly, and is dressed in royal robes, to beat a large drum, and make the following proclamation “Behold! ten days after this, Buddha’s tooth will be brought forth, and taken to the Abhayagiri-vihara. Let all and each, whether monks or laics, who wish to amass merit for themselves, make the roads smooth and in good condition, grandly adorn the lanes and by-ways, and provide abundant store of flowers and incense to be used as offerings to it.”

“When this proclamation is over, the king exhibits, so as to line both sides of the road, the five hundred different bodily forms in which the Bodhisattva has in the course of his history appeared. All these figures are brightly coloured and grandly executed, looking as if they were alive. After this the tooth of Buddha is brought forth, and is carried along in the middle of the road. Everywhere on the way offerings are presented to it, and thus it arrives at the hall of Buddha in the Abhayagiri-vihara.

There monks and laity are present. They burn incense, light lamps, and perform all the prescribed services, day and night without ceasing, till ninety days have been completed, when (the tooth) is returned to the vihara within the city. On fast-days the door of that vihara is opened, and the forms of ceremonial reverence are observed according to the rules”.

“Forty le to the east of the Abhayagiri-vihara there is a hill, with a vihara on it, called the Chaitya, where there may be 2000 monks”.

Origins of Buddhist diplomacy - Duruthu Poya

Duruthu Poya

Origins of Buddhist diplomacy

What is the significance of this Duruthu Purapasalosvaka Poya Day? It was on this Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day, over 2500 years ago, after the Buddha attained Enlightenment that the Blessed one, visited Sri Lanka for the first time. According to the chronicle, it states, Buddha arrived in Sri Lanka, "To free the beautiful, resplendent island from the evil doing Yakkas, who were its masters at that time." Therefore, we pay our homage to the Buddha, in memory of his first visit to Sri Lanka. On Buddhas first visit, the Enlightened One, arrived at a spot, where now stands Mahiyangana Stupa.

Mahiyangana chetiya

His mission was to restore peace, to create a state of freedom from war or violence. After a successful mission, before the Buddha departed, Sumana an incumbent Deity of Siripada or Adams Peak, who is a titular deity, who possess a certain title or position, but, no authority of the region - Bintenna-Mahiyangana area, requested the Blessed one to give him a souvenir, to remember him, and so that he could pay his offerings and homage to it.

Thereupon, Goutama Buddha, through compassion towards the Deity Sumana, offered him some locks of his hair. He placed it in an urn as a valuable relic in the Mahiyangana stupa.

The Buddhists in Sri Lanka, consider 16 important places of Buddhist worship. Today 19th of January, the center of attraction will be Mahiyangana Stupa, the place where Buddha placed his footprints, in the island of Sri Lanka for the first time. From time immemorial, we Buddhists humbly pay our homage to 16 very important places of worship by reciting the following stanza. Here the the first place of our worship is Mahiyangana stupa.

For the benefit of readers I give below the important stanza which will be recited by Buddhist devotees, today, specially at Mahiyangana. Out of the 16 holy places for Buddhists in Sri Lanka, number one is Mahiyangana.

Mahiyanganan, Nagadipan
Kalyanam Padalanchanam
Divaguhan, Digavapi
Chetiyancha Muthiyanganam
Tissamaha Viharancha
Bodhin Marichavattiyam
Sonnamali Maha Chettiyan
Thuparama-Bhayagirin
Jetavanam-Sela Chaittyan
Thattha Kachara Gamakam
Ethe Solasa attani
Ahan Vandanami Sabbada

Further, in later years, the learned Bhikkhus composed a special stanza to worship the Mahiyangana stupa.

Lankayam Yattha Pataman
Sugato Nissajja
Yakkhe Dhamesi Nija
Sasana Palanaya
Tine Thahi Nihithi
Kuntala Geevadhathu
Vandami Sadhu Mahiyangan Thuparaja

The devotees who flock to Mahiyangana to worship the Chetiya recite this particular verse or stanza.

These stanzas clearly indicate the importance of Mahiyangana stupa. Out of the 16 most important places of Buddhist worship, Mahiyangana stupa occupies number one position.

The chronicle Mahavamsa records that when Buddha Passed away, a disciple of Sariputta named Sarabhu, by his miraculous powers, received from the funeral pyre of Buddha, with honour and respect collected the Collar Bone, and brought it to Sri Lanka, and enshrined it in the Mahiyangana Chetiya. Later, the son of Devanampiyatissa's brother prince Uddhachulabhaya, improved the height of the Mahiyangana chetiya. Later, the son of Devanampiyatissa's brother prince Uddhachulabhaya, improved the height of the Mahiyangana chetiya. After about 100 years the great king Dutugemunu, improved the Mahiyangana chaitya.

During the reign of Sirisangabo, the pious king, planted a sapling from the Jayasri Maha Bodhi, and there is evidence in history that to safeguard the Chaitya, a Devala was constructed in the name of deity Sumana and a procession was held annually. The Buddha made his second visit to Nagadipa in the Jaffna District to settle a dispute between Mahodhara and Chulodara uncle and nephew.

In his third visit, blessed one arrived in Kelaniya. The king of Kelaniya Maniakkha, met Buddha in Nagadipa in his second visit.

He invited the Buddha to visit his kingdom. Therefor, later, Buddha love and through compassion to all Sri Lankans, Buddha supposed to have arrived at Kelaniya on a Vesak Full Moon Purapasalosvaka Poya Day. Subsequently on an invitation extended by God Sumana, Buddha visited the Siripada.

The King Voharikatissa (204-225 AD) built a Parasol over Mahiyangana stupa. The chronicles record the holy place Mahiyangana, Buddha visited in the Month of Duruthu Poya Day was venerated so much by Sri Lankan kings that Sena II (885-896 AD) Kassapa IV (896-918 AD), Vijayabahu I (1059-1114 AD), Parakramabahu I (1410-1468 AD) were some of the kings who gave the Royal Patronage to improve the development of Mahiyangana Mahaseya.


Duruthu blessing

Du-rithu connotes a change of a season
With cooling breezes, climatic passions
Lush greenery with blossoming flowers
Commencing an year ushering
blissful showers.

The world over a fresh year begins
With religious rites, bells, crackers din
School-goers move gaily pleased
Spick and span, smart clean.

On a bright Duruthu full moon day
Three Jatila Kashyapa brothers
with believes sway
Comprehending the Buddha's
doctrine main
Attained the Supreme Bliss
Super-mundane

King Brinsara of Rajagaha with
thousands of citizens
Pleased with the Exalted One and
the kashyapa disciples
Seeking refuge in the Noble Triple Gem
Offered Veluwana as the foremost
gifted realm.

In Mahiyangana close to the
Mahaweli river
Two factions of Yakkhas, were to
fight each other
The Buddha reached the spot using
His psychic powers
Extolled peace settling their rift
as a tranquilliser.

From the hills the Devas came
there to share
Headed by faithful God Sumana
just and fair
With devotion receiving a strand of
Buddha's hair
Constructed the Mahiyangana
stupa enshrining it with care.

We the Sri Lankans of all clans and creeds.
Flock to Kelaniya to behold the
Duruthu Perahera spree
A glittering pageant showcasing our
artistic cream
Let Duruthu blessings shower on all
the streams.

Sunethra Wijemanne Bandaragama


Agonshu scholarships

A number of scholarships were granted for students of low income to celebrate the 90th birthday of Most Ven Seiyu Kiriyama Thera recently. Representing Most Ven Kiriyama Thera, Ven Fukada Seia Thera participated in the event as the Chief Guest.



http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/01/19/fea20.asp

අන්ධභූත ජාතකය

පන්සිය පනස් ජාතක පොතෙන්
අන්ධභූත ජාතකය

ප්‍රේමසර ඈපාසිංහ
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තිලෝගුරු සම්‍යක් සම්බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ දෙව්රම් වෙහෙරේ දී මහණ දම් පිරීමෙහි උකටලී වූ එක්තරා භික්‍ෂුවක් අරභයා, අන්ධභූත ජාතකය දෙසා වදාළ සේක. රාග කාමයේ ප්‍රබලත්වය නුවණින් විමසා ඉන් මිදීමට කටයුතු කිරීමේ වැදගත්කම ගැන මෙයින් පැහැදිලි කෙරෙයි.

ඇතැම් කාන්තාවකගේ ඇතැයි පැවැසෙන දුර්වලතාවක් ගැන මේ ජාතක කතාවෙන් කියැවෙයි. එනම්, කාන්තාවන් මවුකුස තුළ සිටියදී පටන්ම ආරක්‍ෂා කළ ද ඔවුන් ආරක්‍ෂා කිරීම අපහසුය යන්නයි.

බඹදත් රජතුමා සහ ඔහුගේ පුරෝහිත බමුණා යන දෙදෙනා එක්ව, සූදු ක්‍රීඩා කිරීමට කැමැත්තෝ ය.

දෙදෙනා මුදල්වලට සූදු සෙල්ලම් කරති. රිදී පෝරුවේ රන් පස ඇට දැමීමට පෙර තරගයෙන් ජයගැනීම සඳහා මන්ත්‍රයක් වැනි කවියක් කියා තමාගේ කැට වීසිකිරීම රජතුමාගේ සිරිතය. රජතුමා කියන කවිය මෙසේ ය.

සබ්බානදී වංකගතා - සබ්බේ කට්ඨමයා වනා,

සබ්බිත්ථියෝ කරේපාපං - ලභමානා නිවාතකෙ

එහි අදහස නම්, සෑම ගංගාවක්ම ගලන්නේ ඇදටය. සෑම කැලයක්ම කටු සහිතය, ඉඩ ලද විටෙක සෑම ගැහැනියක්ම වරදෙහි බැඳේ යන්නයි.

මෙකී ගීතය නැතහොත් කවිය කියා කැට විසිකිරීම රජුගේ සිරිතයි. රජු සැමවිට ජයගනී. පුරෝහිතයා සැමවිට පරදී. පුරෝහිත බමුණා, තමාට ජය අත්කරගන්නට උපායක් කල්පනා කළේ ය. එනම්, උපන් මොහොතෙහිදි පටන්ම පිරිමියකු නොදුටු දැරියක සරණ කර ගැනීමයි. ඒ අනුව, ගැබක් දරා සිටි දුප්පත් ස්ත්‍රියකට මුදල් දී, ඇයට උපන් බිළිඳිය ලබාගෙන, දැරිය උපන් මොහොතේ සිටම පුරුෂයන්ට දැක ගන්නට නොහැකි ලෙස, ස්ත්‍රීන් ලවාම හදා වඩවා ගෙන වැඩිවිය පැමිණිවිට ඇය විවාහ කරගත්තේ ය.

පුරෝහිත බමුණා යළිත් දාදු ක්‍රීඩාවේ යෙදෙන විට රජතුමා සුපුරුදු කවිය ගායනය කරත්ම දේවයන් වහන්ස, හැබැයි මගේ බිරිඳ නම් කෙදිනකවත් අන් පුරුෂයෙකු සේවනය කරන්නේ නැතැයි කීය. දැන් ක්‍රීඩාවෙහි පුදුම වෙනසකි. රජු දිගටම පරාජයට පත්වේ. පුරෝහිත බමුණා ජය පිට ජය ලබයි. ඇත්තටම, මේ බමුණා දිනන්නේ පතිවත රකින කාන්තා රත්නයක් ඔහු සතු නිසා බැව් රජු අවබෝධ කරගනී. මා දිනවන කවිය දැන් බොරු වී ඇත. ඒ රජුගේ සිතුවිල්ලයි.

දාදු කෙළියෙන් ජය ලබාගන්නට උපායක් යොදයි. එනම්, පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ බිරිඳගේ පතිවත බිඳීම සඳහා සල්ලාල මිනිසකු යොදාගන්නට තීරණය කරයි.

එම මිනිසා රජුගෙන් මුදල් ලබාගෙන පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ නිවෙස අසල රන්, රිදී, මුතු මැණික්, සුවඳ වර්ග හා මල් වර්ග විකුණන වෙළෙඳ සැලක් විවෘත කරයි. කාන්තාවන් වඩා පි‍්‍රය කරන විවිධ වර්ණයේ සළු පිළි මේ වෙළෙඳ සැලේ විකුණනු ලැබේ. රජතුමා උපාය ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්නට කුලියට ගත් සල්ලාලයාට, බමුණාගේ ලාබාල බිරිඳ සමඟ මිත්‍රවීම, විශාල අභියෝගයකි. පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ සත්මහල් ප්‍රාසාදය රැකවල්ලන්ගේ කාන්තාවන්ය. නව යොවුන් දැරිය දකින එකම පිරිමියා පුරෝහිතයා පමණි. මේ ප්‍රාසාදයට ඇතුළුවීම මහා අභියෝගයකි. උපායශීලී සල්ලාලයා අපූරු සැලසුමක් පිළියෙළ කරගනී. ඔහුගේ සැලසුම ක්‍රියාත්මක වීම නිසා වෙළෙඳ සැල ගැන ආරංචිය පුරෝහිතයාගේ පතිවත සුරකින බිරිඳට අසන්න ලැබෙයි. ඒ මෙසේය.

තම සේවිකාවන් ලවා මල්වර්ග ඇය වෙළෙඳ සැලෙන් ගෙන්වා ගනී. කාන්තාවන් කිහිපදෙනකු සමග මල් ගෙනයන්නට තරමක් වයසක සේවිකාව නපැමිණි විට වෙළෙඳසැල පවත්වාගෙන යන මිනිසා ඇය දැක, ඇයගේ දෙපා වැළඳගෙන මහ හයියෙන් හඬන්නට විය.

“අනේ අම්මේ ඇයි අම්මේ මාව දමලා කොහෙද ගියේ? මගේ රටක් වටින අම්මායි කියමින් වැළපෙන්නට විය. ඔහු සමඟ සිටි සහායකයෝද අම්මයි පුතයි එකවගේමයි පැවසූහ. ගමන බිමනත් දෙදෙනාගේම එකවාගෙයි ඔවුහු පැවසූහ. කාන්තාවගේ සිතෙහි පුත්‍ර සෙනෙහස උතුරාගලායන්නට විය. මේ උපක්‍රමයෙන්, වියපත් සේවිකාව සමඟ මිත්‍ර වූ සල්ලාල වෙළෙන්දා පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ බිරිඳට වැඩිපුර මල් යවන්නට පටන්ගත්තේ ය. ඒවාට මුදල් ලබාගත්තේ ද නැත. එක් දිනක් බොරු අසනීපයක් මවාගෙන මොහු වැතිරී සිටියේ ය.

අනේ මගේ රත්තරන් පුතාට තියෙන අසනීපය, අමාරුව කුමක්දැයි මහලු සේවිකාව විමසුවා ය. “අම්මේ, පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ ලාබාල බිරිඳ ගැන අම්මා මා සමඟ නිතර කතා කළා රූමත් යැයි කීවා. මට ඇයගේ ඇසුර, පහස ලබන්නට නොහැකි නම් මා මැරෙනවා යයි කීවේ ය.

පුත්‍ර සෙනෙහස නිසා ඇය තම දරුවාගේ ජීවිතය බේරා ගත යුතුයි. “මං කොහොම හරි උඹට ඇය හඳුන්නල දෙන්නම්” අම්මා පැවසුවා ය.මහලු සේවක කාන්තාව තමාගේ පුතුගේ බරපතළ ප්‍රශ්නය බමුණාගේ ලාබාල බිරිඳට කීවා ය. ඔහුරහසේම රැගෙන එන්නැයි ඇය උපදෙස් දුන්නාය.

ප්‍රාසාදය රැකවල් ලන කාන්තාවන් උපායෙන් මුළා කළ මහලු කත සලෙල පුරුෂයා ප්‍රාසාදයට රැගෙන යෑමට ඉඩ කඩ සලසා ගත්තා ය. මහලු කාන්තාව විසින් ප්‍රාසාදයට ගෙන යනු ලබන විශාල මල් පෙට්ටියක් තුළ සැඟවී ප්‍රාසාදයට ගොස් රහසේම තරුණිය මුණ ගැසීමට පුරුෂයා සමත් විය. ඔහු එහි සැඟ වී දින කිහිපයක් නතරවද සිටියේ ය.

මඳ දිනෙකින් ඔහු යා යුතු වේලාව මේ යැයි තරුණිය ඔහුට මතක් කර සිටියා ය. සලෙල පුරුෂයා එහිදී කියා සිටියේ බමුණාට පහරක් ගසා යන්නට තමන්ට ආශාවක් ඇති බවයි. තරුණිය මේ පුරුෂයාගේ මනදොළ සපුරාලනුවස් උපායක් යෙදුවා ය.

ඈ බමුණා ප්‍රාසාදයට පැමිණි පසු ඔහු වීනා වයන විට තමන් නටන්නට කැමැති බව කීවා ය. බමුණාද එසේ කරන්නට ඉඩ දුන් විට තමන් ඔහු දකින විට නටන්නට ලජ්ජා බව කියා බමුණාගේ අවසරය ද ඇතිව රෙදි කඩකින් දැඩිව ඔහුගේ දෑස් බැන්දා ය.

පි‍්‍රය බිරිඳගේ අදහසට ඉඩ දුන් බමුණාට ඊළඟට ඇය කියා සිටියේ තමන් නටමින් සිටින අතරතුර ඔහුගේ හිසට එක්වරක් පහරක් ගසන්නට ආශාවක් ඇති බවයි. ඇය කෙරෙහි බැඳුණාවූ පුරෝහිත බමුණා ඊට ද අවසර දුන් කල්හි, සැඟව සිටි සල්ලාල පුරුෂයා, පිටුපස්සෙන් පැමිණ බමුණාගේ හිසට දැඩිව වැලමිටෙන් ඇන්නේ ය. අනතුරුව පලා ගිය මිනිසා තමාගේ සපන්කම රජුට දන්වා සිටියේ ය.

පුරෝහිත බමුණාගේ බිරිඳගේ පතිවත බිඳුණු පසුව, රජු සුපුරුදු ගීය ගයා දාදු කෙලියේ යෙදෙමින් යළිත් ජය ලබන්නට පටන් ගත්තේ ය.

රජතුමා ජයග්‍රාහී ලීලාවෙන් පුරෝහිත බමුණා ඇමතීය. “පුරෝහිත බමුණ ඔබේ බිරිඳගේ පතිවත බිඳිල නේද?එදා ඔබ ඇස් බැඳ වීනාව වාදනය කරනවිට දී ඔබේ හිසට පහරදුන්නේ ඔබගේ බිරිඳගේ සොර සැමියා” යයි කීවේ ය. පුරෝහිත බමුණා අන්දමන්ද විය.

මෙය සත්‍යයක්ද? පුරෝහිත බමුණා මේ ගැන තම බිරිඳගෙන් විමසුවේ ය. “ඔබතුමා මා ගැන සැක පළ කරන්නේ ඇයි? මා කවදාවත් වෙනත් පිරිමියකු දැකලත් නැහැ. අතින්වත් අල්ලා නැහැ. ගිනිමැලයක් සකසන්න මා ඒ බව ඔප්පු කරන්නම් මා වෙනත් පිරිමියෙකුගේ පහස විඳ ඇත්නම් මා මේ ගිනිමැලයේ පිච්චී දැවීයාවි. මා සත්‍ය ක්‍රියා කරනවායි” පැවැසුවාය.

මේ අතර තරුණිය කදිම උපදෙසක් මහලු සේවිකාවට රහසේම දුන්නාය. මා ගිනිමැලයට පනින්න සූදානම් වන අවස්ාථාවේ නුඹේ පුතාට කියාපන් ගිනිමැලයට පනින්න පෙර මාගේ අතින් අල්ලා ගිනිමැලයෙන් පිටතට අදින්න කියලා”.

ඒ පුරුෂයා අපූරුවට ඔහුගේ කොටස රඟපෑවේ ය. මේ සියල්ල සිදුවුණේ පුරෝහිත බමුණා, ඉදිරියේ ය. “ස්වාමිණී, දැන් කරන්න දෙයක් නැහැ. මේ මිනිහා මාව අතින් ඇල්ලුව නිසා මාගේ සත්‍යක්‍රියාව බිඳ වැටුණා.

මෙතෙක් කවදාවත් පිරිමියෙකු මාගේ අත අල්ලා තිබුණේ නැහැ. ඔබතුමා පමණයි මාගේ අතින් අල්ලා තිබුණේ. එහෙත්, මා දන්නේ නැහැ මේ. මිනිසා කොහේ සිට පැමිණියා ද කියා. මේ පුද්ගලයා මගේ අතින් ඇල්ලුවා බැවින් මා මෙතෙක් රැක්ක පතිවෘතාව කැඩුණා යැයි පැවසීය. මේ කාන්තාවගේ කපටි උපාය කෙතරම් ප්‍රබලද? අද සමාජයේ වූවද මෙවැනි අසම්මත සබඳතා පවත්වන ස්ත්‍රී, පුරුෂයන් ගැන අපි අසා ඇත්තෙමු. අද සමාජයට මේ කතාව සමානාත්වයක් දක්වයි.

මෙම කතා පුවත වර්තමාන සමාජ ස්වරූපය නිරූපණය කරන කෙටි කතාවක් වැන්න. සමාජයේ මෙවැනි සිදුවීම් දක්නට ලැබේ. කාන්තාවන්ද පුරුෂයන්ද මෙවැනි ගැටලුවලට ප්‍රශ්නවලට පැටලි දුක්ඛිත තත්ත්වයන්ට පත්වේ. මෙවැනි දුර්වලතා වටහාගෙන උකටලී නොවී ඉන් මිදීමට ක්‍රියා කළ යුතු බව මෙයින් අපට පැහැදිලි වේ.


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මූ පොඩි පැටිය කාලෙ මගෙ හොඳ තරුන කාලෙ
තවමත් මට සිහිවෙනවා
ළිඳ ලඟ හරක් ගාලෙ සෙල්ලම් කෙරුව තාලෙ
අම්මප පුදුම හිතෙනවා
වෛරෝ නුබ නාඩන් තව පොඩ්ඩක් නැගපන්
මම උබට විවේක දෙනවා
වලිගය කරකවපන්..හොඳ හැටි ගාය ගනින්
ඔන්න බොල කරත්තෙ යනවා...

පොත්ටික පොඩි කෙලීට අරගෙන දෙන්නට මට
දෙයිය මගෙ මූන බලනවා..
පාසල වෙත යන්නට මිරිවැඩි සඟලක් මම
පුතේ උබට අරගෙන දෙනවා..
උබ පෙර ආත්මයක කර ඇති මහ පාපෙට ණය මට
තවමත් ගෙවපන්
මේ මහ ස්ංසාරෙට නොදන්න මනුස්සකම
උබවත් වටහල දීපන්.......

උබට වාරු නැතිවෙනකොට..
උබ නාකිවී එනකොට මම උබගැන දුක් වෙනවා..
උබ අඩපන වෙනකොට. මස්කඩ මුදලාලිට ..
උබේ වටිනකම වැඩිවෙනවා..
උබයි මට කන්න දුන්නෙ..උබයි මට බොන්න දුන්නෙ
ඒ ගැන මම දිවුරනවා..

නුබෙ මස් මිනිස්සුන්ට කවදාවත් නොදෙන්න
මම උබට පොරොන්දු වෙනවා !

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