SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: Sinhalese influence abroad:

SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: Sinhalese influence abroad.

The spread of Buddhism

Following is an excerpt from the book “Ceylon Past & present” by C. M. Enriquez

The introduction of Buddhism into Sri Lanka in the third century B.C. was an event that has profoundly influenced the destinies of Southern Asia. A philosophy so wise, so benevolent, has never failed to mitigate the natural ferocity of the human animal: & if, instead of curbing passion, it has sometimes produced a sort of fatalism that is only because men have adopted it merely in the letter & not in the spirit. For centuries it has been misunderstood & misinterpreted by priest & layman alike. That has been the fate of other revelations also: but Buddhism, as it left the Master’s lips, must have been a clear & simple appeal that arrested immediate attention. Otherwise it could not have inspired such wide-spread response. To-day, through the fog of ignorance & superstition, we hear but an echo of that message: yet, it is sufficient to have “made our Asia mild.”

In India, Buddhism did not long survive the death of King Asoka. Having succumbed to the hostility of the Brahmans, it soon degenerated into crude Shamanistic devil worship, & in that form was introduced into Tibet & China. In that form also it first reached Burma, Siam, & Cambodia

It is this that lends significance to the fact that the lamp of pure Hinayana Buddhism was lit in Sri Lanka by Mahinda in 307 B.C., & that in spite of flickerings, it has continued to shine (though now dimly) for all the world to see. In that 1^st century B.C. the Law, which hitherto had been passed down orally for four hundred years, was committed to writing by order of King Wattha Gamani Abhaya at the Rock temple of Aluwihare, Matale, & from that time Sri Lanka has been the source which many countries have derived their religion, & at which they sought information & instruction from time to time.

Once of the first countries to receive Buddhism (at least partially) from Sri Lanka was Southern Burma, which in the early centuries of our era was inhabited by a Mongoloid race, called Mon. Their capital at Thaton was one of the gates through which, at a very early date, & before the dawn of authentic history, Burma received the literature, architecture & pure southern Buddhism. Thaton now 20 miles from the sea, was then a port of a country known as Ramayana. Ramayana included Thaton, Hanthawaddy, Muttama (Martaban), & Kuthein (the modern Pathein or Bassein). It is popularly believed that Asoka sent the missionaries Sona & Outtara to Thaton in 306 B.C. There is, however, no proof at all that Buddhism was introduced so early, or until the beginning of our era. The adoption of this myth by authoritative writers illustrates the danger of an uncritical acceptance of legend. The mission to Burma or Suvannabhumi which term, by the way, embraces the whole coast from Hanoi & Malaya to Bassein) is indeed mentioned in Mahavamsa (Chapter X11) & on that venerable authority has been accepted by men like Bigandet & Forchhammer. But, as Duroiselle has since pointed out, the Sinhalese of A.D. 500 could not read Asoka’s edicts: & those edicts, so precise & exact in detail, are now found to contain no reference whatever to the supposed mission to Burma. We may, however, accept the fact that a missionary, or missionaries, came to Burma at some early period, & probably from Ceylon, but not till long after Asoka’s time.

Buddhism was probably introduced into Burma orally: & there by another popular legend to the effect that the written text was brought from Ceylon in A.D. 400 by Buddhaghosa. One of the caves at Aluwihare, as we have sen, is dedicated to him, & Burmese pilgrims are fond of visiting it. Unfortunately, even Buddhaghosa’s mission to Burma is now questioned; but in any case, the Lopburi inscription show that Mons (better known as Talaings) wrote & used Pali & Sanskrit words in the 6^th & 7^th centuries A.D.

Buddhism in Sri Lanka has survived, without a break, since its introduction. But, as we have seen, it was beset with heresies at an early date: & the Anuradhapura period was filled with disputes between the orthodox Hinayanists priests & the heretical ones of Mahayana, who were ready & anxious to adopt any sort of slack or subversive doctrine. Nearly all these innovations tended towards the relaxation of priestly discipline. The Mahayanists, or as they were called the Dhammaruci, were a strong party with rich endowments; & in the reign of King Mahasen (A.D.275-302) they so far excelled, that the orthodox priests fled from the capital in a body. The King, who had pandered to the heretical priests, now returned to the old faith-possibly in deference to public opinion. Disturbances of this kind were probably semi-political, & their importance may be inferred from Fa Hien’s estimate that in the 5^th century the priests numbered from fifty to sixty thousand. These early disputes are significant because they seriously weakened Buddhism, & the taint of indiscipline remains to this day. Even now, the priests of Burma & Sri Lanka do not all observe their vows of celibacy.

Ambitious voyages were made across the Indian Ocean at a very early date. In Java, Hinduism was introduced in the first century of our era, but in the 5^th century Buddhism took root-Buddhism of the Hinayanists type, which we may suppose was of Sinhalese origin, since it came to Java from Sumatra. Sumatra, we know, from the writings of the Chinese historian Chao Ju, had a colony in Sri Lanka

This Hindu-Buddhist civilization expressed itself in the great temples of Brambanan & Boro Bodeo, & left a deep & lasting impression on the history, literature & society of Java. In the 5^th century also, we find Fa Hien visiting Sri Lanka; & Chinese pilgrims studied, & copied book, in the island of Sri Lanka for next two hundred years. Cambodia received Hinayana Buddhism much later. Whatever Mahayanists forms it may originally have possessed, were submerged early in our era by Hinduism. The Khmer reached the zenith of their power under Jayavaraman 111. The royal city of Angkor Thom was completed about A.D. 900; & in the 10^th century Buddhism superseded Hinduism. The great temple of Angkor Vat probably dates from the beginning of the 12^th century. But here we must return to Sri Lanka.

During the Dravidian invasions that had culminated in the abandonment at Anuradhapura, Buddhism had suffered so severely that indeed it had been almost extinguished. When King Vijayabahu (A.D.1071) had expelled the enemy, restored the capital at Polonnaruwa, he found the priesthood so depleted that it was impossible to conduct the authorized forms of ordination. In this difficulty he turned to Burma, where the religion had recently undergone one of the most remarkable revivals in its history.

Fourteen years previously (A.D.1057) Anawratta (Burmese Napoleon) having ascended the throne, raided the old Talaing capital at Thaton, carried off books, priests, & architects & then proceeded to turn his Burmese capital at Pagan into a great Buddhist metropolis. Anawratta had none of the finer Buddhist sentiments, but he developed the fanaticism of a convert; & he soon turned his attention to the degraded Shamanistic priests who, before this revival had flourished at Pagan. They were called Ari, & they had much the same pretensions as the Dhammaruci of Sri Lanka. The Ari had probably been introduced from Bengal in the 6^th century, & were occupying themselves with sorcery, alchemy & animal sacrifice. Among their immoralities, they even claimed the right of jus primae noctis, or violating brides, & it is probably this that brought down upon them the wrath of Anawratta. He suppressed them: but unfortunately this persecution only scattered them over the country, or drove them underground.

These abuses-notably the jus primae noctis- continued up to the 13^th century amongst certain priests in Siam, Laos, & Cambodia, & are believed still to exist amongst the Hkamti Shans of Burma. According to Harvey’s History of Burma. According to Harvey’s History of Burma, they were exercised by the Myothugyis of Popa (Central Burma) up till three generations ago. Like King Mahasen of Sri Lanka, King Alaungsithu of Burma continued to countenance the heresy, which was still largely political; & the Ari suffered no further check till the religious movement under King Dhammacheti in the 15^th century, & until a hundred years later King Hsinbyu Shin prohibited intoxicating offerings & bloody sacrifices. The last direct mention of the Ari occurs in the 14^th century, when, at Pinya (Ava), they are represented as soldier=priests. But in Burma, as in Sri Lanka, the old spirit survives, & is at the bottom of half the lawlessness & depravity amongst certain sections of the priesthood.

Thus we see how natural it was for King Vijayabahu the first to relight the torch of Sinhalese Buddhism from Burma. In return he sent to that country a ‘duplicate’ of the Tooth which was landed at Lawkananda near Pagan. King Anawratta met it in state, placed it on an elephant; & where the elephant stopped, enshrined the relic in his now famous Shwezigon Pagoda (stupa). So we have a direct connection between Polonnaruwa & Burma’s celebrated shrine-the Shwezigon. At both capitals an orgy of stupa building was about to break out.

King Vijaya Bahu’s successor, King Parakrama Bahu the great (A.D. 1153-1180), was also a revivalist; & under his patronage Buddhism resumed its ancient sovereignty in Sri Lanka. Like Anawratta just a century before him, he dealt summarily with the heresy, & as far as can be ascertained, this is the last heard of it in Sri Lanka. However, Hindu influence had greatly increased, & not at leas two shrins at Polonnaruwa are frankly Hindu. Traces of this Hinduism are also evident at Pagan. At the end of King Parakrama Bahu the Great’s reign, or soon afterwards, King Narapatisithu of Burma (A.D.1173-1210) sent a priestly mission tom Sri Lanka. It was headed by Uttarajiva who took with him a young monk called Chapada. Chapada remained ten years, & returned to Burma ‘well equipped to teach the Law.’ His Sinhalese training is immediately apparent from the small stupa (the Chapada) which he built when he got home to Pagan. Above the dome is the characteristic box-like structure of Sri Lanka.

We have now to turn to Siam where, according to tradition, a form of Mon or Talaing Buddhism had been introduced at Lampan. It was spread thence to Northern Siam by Princess Cham Thewi of Lawo (Lopburi) in the 7^th century. Lopburi was first a Mon, & then a Khmer capital; & in Ayudhayan (Siamese) times was a summer residence of Siamese Kings. The Siamese, it should be understood, are a slow growth out of Shan & Khmer elements, which only assumed shape in the 13^th century during the decay of Angkor. Southern Buddhism was not introduced till the 14^th & 15^th centuries, when much priestly intercourse between Sri Lanka & Northern Siam is on record.

In about 1730, Buddhism, having been once more nearly extinguished during the Dutch & Portuguese wars, we find Sri Lanka again so depleted of priests that application had to be made to Burman. This was I the reign of the Sinhalese king Koondasala. A few years later a Burmese King, Hsinbyu Shin (A.D. 1763-1765) built a distinctly Sinhalese Stupa, the Hsin-mya Shin at Sagaing (Upper Burma). It is a stupa, surmounted by the characteristic ‘box’ of Sri Lanka; the whole structure being supported by a fresco of elephants. It is very evidently a small-scale replica of the Ruwan Weli Seya at Anuradhapura-or was, until a misdirected restoration in about 1920 destroyed its original design.

This marks the close of direct Sinhalese influence abroad. Troubles at home had overwhelmed Sri Lanka, & the now feeble Government had been chased from one capital to another by the maruading Dravidian invaders from Southern India. Indirect relations, however, continue to this day; & Sri Lanka, the ancient, the vulnerable, is still looked by all Buddhist nations as their Spiritual Home, just as the nations of Europe look to Rome.

There is, after all, noting in the least bit extraordinary in all the intercourse which we have here described between Sri Lanka & her neighbours. We are apt to suppose that the high seas were impassable before the advent of P. & O. & Biby. But formerly there were other routes & other means, sufficient at least for adventurous, in days when time was less consequence, & men had not yet learned to travel de luxe.

The crazy sailing ships we still see leaving Trinco for Madras, Rangoon & Moulmein, are merely the descendants of ancient dhows whose crews had learned, centuries ago, to avail themselves of the calm winds of the Bay. Just as to-day I & Maung Ba Kye (my Burmese servant) are taking back to Burma a leaf of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Tree at Anurdahpura, a picture post card of Thuparama, & a book full of incoherent notes, so have Burmese, Chinese, Javanaese, Siamese, & Malays carried away impressions of Sri Lanka since the days of Chapada & Fa Hien. There is nothing new in it, nothing wonderful. But possibly those leisurely adventurers of old were better travelers than ourselves. Perhaps their observances were less superficial.