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Mahāvaṃsa -(Great History)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

Meghavaṇṇābhaya, however, M He built many residential cells in the Great Monastery. 30. When Abhaya, the fearless one, had settled down, the monks from here and there came and inhabited the Great Monastery. 31. The king, in the Great Bodhi House, on the western side, had two iron images made and placed them there. 32. He, favoring the evil-minded, the deceitful Tissa Thera, who lived in Dakkhiṇārāma, and was unrestrained, 33. even though he was forbidden, built the Jetavana Monastery in the Joti garden, on the border of the Great Monastery. 34. Then he asked the Sangha of monks to remove the boundary. Unwilling to grant it, the monks departed from the monastery. 35. To provoke those who were removing the boundary here, some monks hid themselves here and there. 36. Thus the Great Monastery was abandoned by monks for nine months. The other monks thought, "We have removed the boundary." 37. Then, when the business of removing the boundary was finished, the monks came here and inhabited the Great Monastery. 38. The accusation against Tissa Thera, who had seized the monastery, was, in truth, a final matter, brought before the Sangha. 39. The great minister, having judged, and being approved as righteous, expelled him according to the Dhamma, against the king's wish. 40. That same king built the Maṇihīraka monastery. He built three monasteries, destroying a temple. 41. Gokaṇṇa, Erakāpilla, in Kalandabrāhmaṇagāma, and Migagāma monastery, and Gaṅgasenaka mountain. 42. Then, on the western side, Dhātusena mountain, and the king built a great monastery in Kokavāta. 43. He built Rūpāramma monastery and Cūḷaviṭṭa, and two monks' residences in Uttarābhaya. 44. He built a stupa at the place of the Kālaveḷaka yakka. And he repaired many old dwellings on the island. 45. He gave a thousand pieces of gold to a thousand Sangha elders. And gifts to all elders, and robes every year. 46. Of gifts of food and drink, there was no limit. Prosperity... he had sixteen reservoirs built. 47. The Maṇihīra Great Reservoir, Jallura, named Khāṇu; Mahāmaṇi, Kokavāta, Morakaparaka Reservoir. 48. Kubbāhaka, Vāhaka, Rattamālakaṇḍaka too; Tissavaḍḍhamānaka, Veḷaṅgaviṭṭhika too. 49. Mahāgallacīra Reservoir, Mahādāragallaka too; Kāḷapāsāṇa Reservoir, these are the sixteen reservoirs. 50. He built the Gaṅgā Pabbava-avhaṃsa, and Mahāmāti; Thus, much merit and demerit he accumulated. 51. Through association with the wicked, thus, good and bad throughout his life; Having done, he went according to his karma, that King Mahāsena. 52. Therefore, association with the wicked, one should avoid from afar; Like a snake, or swift poison, a wise person should do what is beneficial. 53. There was a king, Sirimeghavaṇṇa, his son thereafter; Like Vandhātā to the world, a bestower of all prosperity. 54. By Mahāsena, through the power of evil, all the great monasteries destroyed; Having gathered all the bhikkhus. 55. He approached and worshipped, then sat down and asked respectfully; "By my father, with Saṅghamitta as his companion, what was destroyed?" 56. "What, what indeed?" the bhikkhus said to that king; "Your father, though he tried to remove the boundary. 57. Could not, because bhikkhus were present within the boundary; Bhikkhus were there, hidden in the ground's interior. 58. The minister Soṇāmacca, and Saṅghamitta, the wicked one; Having persuaded the king, made him commit demerit. 59. Having broken the Lohapāsāda, the excellent seven-storied building; And various kinds of dwellings, they moved them to Abhayagiri. 60. In the cetiya courtyard, where the four Buddhas were enshrined; The foolish ones sowed seeds, see the gathering of fools." 61. Hearing his father's deeds, he was disgusted by the association with fools; All that his father had destroyed there, he restored to its original state. 62. Like a mountain, he built the Lohapāsāda, an excellent palace; As if showing it to King Mahāpanāda on earth. 63. All the destroyed monasteries, he restored. He placed the comforts of the attendants in their proper places. 64. Since the provisions of his father were cut off by the unwise, the wise one made the monastery a place free from holes, a solid dwelling. 65. All the unfinished work in the monasteries built by his father in the Joti Grove, the king completed. 66. Having heard the entire story from the beginning of the Elder Mahinda, the son of the Lord of ascetics, 67. the king, delighted by his virtues, which inspire great faith, thought, "Truly, this Elder is the lord of the island." 68. Having made a golden image of him, of his exact measure, on the seventh day of the bright half of the month of Pubbakattika, 69. he brought it to the Cetiyamba-thala, known as Theramba, and having placed it there on the eighth day, then on the ninth, 70. he took a great army, like a divine host, excluding only the royal women and the house guards in the city. 71. Having gathered all the bhikkhus in the entire island of Lanka, and having released the people who were imprisoned in the city, 72. he established a great offering for all beings, and making an incomparable offering with all kinds of gifts, 73. he made a welcoming procession for this teacher, the teacher of the island, the excellent son, just as the king of gods for the Teacher. 74. From Cetiyambathala to the city, he beautifully adorned the path, just as the path from Vesali to the city of Savatthi. 75. Having given all the wealth there to the Elder's father, just as King Moggaliputta at the arrival of the Elder, 76. and having given a great offering there to the poor, the destitute, and the beggars, and having satisfied the bhikkhus with the four requisites, 77. so that the great multitude might see the arrival of the Elder, the greatly renowned one took him with great honor. 78. Having descended from that great one, he himself became the leader, and having made the bhikkhus his retinue all around, 79. the golden image of the Elder shone like a golden Meru in the midst of the ocean of milk, surrounded by clouds at sunset. 80. From Vesali to hear the teaching, the Leader of the World; Thus he came, and showed it to the great assembly. 81. Doing thus, that chief of men, with honor and respect, made it himself at the eastern gate of the city. 82. Approaching in the evening, the monastery that brought well-being, he stayed there for three days, that image of the Buddha's son. 83. Having well adorned the city, then on the twelfth day, at the first entry of the Teacher, like the city of Rājagaha. 84. Having brought out that image, to the monastery that brought well-being, while a great festival was taking place in the ocean-like city. 85. Having taken it to the Great Monastery, for three months at the Bodhi tree courtyard, having kept it there and then brought it into the city, by that same method. 86. Near Rājagaha, in the south-eastern corner, he made a beautiful dwelling for that image. 87. Having made images of powers and so forth, the great lord, being skilled, established them there with the Elder. 88. Having set up a guard, and expenses for offerings, he arranged for it to be done annually in this very way. 89. Guarding his command, the kings of his lineage here, preserve that custom even to this day, without destroying it. 90. Having taken it from the city to the monastery on Pavāraṇā day, he arranged for a festival to be held on the thirteenth day, every year. 91. In the Abhaya monastery, at the Tissa-Vasabha Bodhi tree, he made a stone altar and a charming wall. 92. In his ninth year, a certain Brahmin woman brought the Tooth Relic of the Great Sage from Kalinga to here. 93. Having taken it with great respect, as described in the lineage of the Tooth Relic, and having made a supreme offering, with great honor. 94. Having placed it in a casket, called the pure crystal urn, in the house called Dhammacakka, built by Devānaṃpiyatissa in the royal precinct. 95. The king increased it; from then on, that house became the Tooth Relic House. 96. The king, with a full mind, donated nine hundred thousand, and then held the great festival of the Tooth Relic. 97. Annually, leading him, to the northern monastery; To perform his worship, he appointed this very image. 98. And the king had eighteen monasteries built; Out of compassion for beings, and reservoirs with lasting water. 99. Having performed immeasurable merits, such as Bodhi worship; In the twenty-eighth year, his destiny was fulfilled. 100. Then Prince Jeṭṭhatissa, his younger brother; Assumed the royal umbrella, skilled in ivory craft. 101. Having performed many difficult tasks, the king; He sharpened this art for many people. 102. Commended by his father, he made it as if created by psychic power; An image of the Bodhisatta, truly charming and beautiful. 103. A reclining couch, a throne, an umbrella, a jeweled pavilion; Some of it made of carved ivory, his work here and there. 104. Having ruled the island of Lanka for nine years; And performed many merits, he passed away according to his karma. 105. Then Buddhadāsa, his son, became king; A mine of virtues, like the ocean of all jewels. 106. Bringing happiness to the islanders by all means; Protecting the city like a garland, wealthy like a rain-cloud. 107. Endowed with wisdom and meritorious qualities, a pure abode of compassion; And endowed with the ten royal virtues. 108. Abandoning the four wrong paths, making decisions; He gathered the people with the four means of conciliation. 109. Showing the conduct of Bodhisattas to living beings; The king had compassion for beings, like a father for his sons. 110. He fulfilled the wishes of the poor by giving wealth; And for the happy, for the protection of all possessions and life. 111. Then he conciliated the good, and suppressed the bad; He helped the sick with medical treatment, the great lord. 112. Then one day the king,