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Sāsanavaṃsa -(History of Dharma)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

From that time onwards, their lineages of disciples were many, exceeding the path of counting. This was the second establishment of the Dispensation in the Yona country, due to Mahārakkhita Thera and others. In the Yona country, in the city of Lakunna, five hundred years after the Jinacakka, the Visukamma devaputta had a jeweled Buddha image made and gave it to Nāgasena Thera. Nāgasena Thera made an aspiration that relics should come and be established in that image. By the power of his aspiration, seven relics came and were established there, showing a miracle, as stated in the royal chronicles. And that statement, "my parinibbāna..." After five hundred years, these will arise, as stated in the Milindapañha, and it aligns with the time period. In the Yona country, in the time of King Milinda, exactly five hundred years after the Buddha's dispensation, the Buddha's dispensation, through Thera Nāgasena, grew and became established. This, in the Yona country, through Thera Nāgasena, is the third establishment of the Dispensation. In the Kaliyuga, in the sixty-fifth year, having moved from Labhuñjanagara, in the time of King Baññācomaṅgara, who founded Kyuṅgaranagara, Thera Kassapa came from the Middle Country with five other theras. Then that king built a monastery and gave it to them. And one thera came, bringing relics from the island of Sri Lanka. Seeing a miracle from the relic, he was pleased and enshrined it in the Labhuñja Cetiya. And through these theras, the lineage of the Dispensation came to the Yona country. This, in the Yona country, is the fourth establishment of the Dispensation. In the Kaliyuga, when seven hundred and sixty-two years had passed, the king of China invaded, and the whole Yona country was in turmoil. Then Thera Mahādhammagambhīra, and Thera Rocati from Mahāmedhaṅkara's place, two theras, from the Yona country, went to Sri Lanka with many bhikkhus. And then, being overcome by famine in Sri Lanka, they went again from there to Sokkataya city in Siam. After that, having gone to Lakunna city, they again received training from the modest and virtuous bhikkhus who upheld the Dispensation. And those theras established the Dispensation everywhere in Siam and the Yona country. This, in the Yona country, in Pattalaṅka, through two theras, is the fifth establishment of the Dispensation. In the Kaliyuga, when eight hundred and twenty-five years had passed, King Sirisaddhammalokapaticakkavatti again enlarged the Labhuñja Cetiya, and having built four monasteries near that cetiya, he gave them to Thera Mahāmedhaṅkara and Thera Sāriputta. Then also those two These elders having purified the Dispensation, established it. This is the sixth establishment of the Dispensation in the Yonaka country, concerning the Elder Mahāmedhaṅkarasāriputta. When nine hundred and forty-three years of the Kaliyuga had passed, in the city of Haṃsāvatī, a king named Anekasetibhindo conquered the Yonaka country, took it into his own hands, and to enjoy the tribute, gave it to his eldest son, Prince Anuruddha by name. He went there with many ministers and ruled as viceroy. He also sent the Elder Saddhammacakkasāmi with him to purify the Dispensation. King Anekasetibhinno, it is said, during his conquest of the Yonaka country, did not take the inhabitants of that country as those who had brought tribute, considering this to be the first establishment of the Dispensation. Among the aforementioned lineages of elders, there was one forest-dwelling elder in the city of Lakunna. He would tell the laypeople in that city, "Today, in such and such a place, someone has died," and what he said came true, making him known as one who had attained supernormal powers. In that same city, when King Anekasetibhindo came to fight, the Elder Mahāmaṅgala said even before being summoned, "King Anekasetibhindo will summon me; he will send a messenger of equal status." Since he was summoned exactly as he had said, the fame of his supernormal powers spread. In that city, the Elder Ñāṇavilāsa composed a treatise called Saṅkhyāpakāsaka. Its commentary, however, was composed by the Elder Sirimaṅgala, while residing in the monastery of the Elder Pattalaṅka. The Visuddhimaggadīpanī was composed by an elder named Uttarārāma, a forest-dweller of Saṃññvatta. The Maṅgaladīpanī by the Elder Sirimaṅgala. The Uppātasanti by another elder. It is said that by reciting this Uppātasanti, he defeated the army of the Chinese king. Thus, in the Yonaka country, through the power of elders who had attained supernormal powers and were authors of treatises, the Dispensation of the Conqueror became purified and established. Thus, in terms of cause and effect, the beginning... And by way of connection, by the three methods mentioned, the lineage of Theras should be understood by connecting them. Thus in the chronicle of the Dispensation is the account of the Dispensation in the Yona country. Named Magga, the fourth chapter. 5. The path of the account of the Dispensation in the Vanavāsī country. 5. Now in the Vanavāsī country I shall speak of the chronicle of the Dispensation in the city of Sirikhetta. Indeed, when more than one hundred years had passed in the Buddha's era, these seven: Jaṭila, Sakka, Nāga, Garuḷa, Kumbhaṇḍa, Candī, and Paramīsvara, built a city named Sirikhetta. There, a king named Dvattapoṅka ruled. It is said that he had three eyes. At that time, three thousand Arahant disciples of the Blessed One resided there. That king supported those Arahants daily with the four requisites. And having enshrined six bodily relics, one in each, he built six cetiyas. And having enshrined the right arm, he built one cetiya. And having brought the Uṇhīsa relic from Kaṅgaranna city, he built one cetiya. But that was not yet finished. Later, King Anuruddha took it, brought it to Arimaddana city, and enshrined it in a cetiya named Caññiṅkhu. Therefore, it should be understood that the Dispensation was established even before the arrival of Thera Rakkhita. After that, the Dispensation became weak and remained so. This in the Vanavāsī country was the first establishment of the Dispensation. But Thera Rakkhita, sent by Mahāmoggaliputtatissa Thera, went to the Vanavāsī country, stood in the sky, and gladdened the Vanavāsī people with a discourse on the beginningless round of existence. And at the end of the discourse, sixty thousand attained comprehension of the Dhamma. Thirty-seven thousand went forth into the homeless life. Five hundred monasteries were established. Thus he established the Dispensation there. Therefore, it is said in the commentary: Having gone, Thera Rakkhita, The powerful one, to Vanavāsī; Standing in the sky there, He taught the Anamataggi discourse, it is said. Thus in the Vanavāsī country, the Dispensation was established, having taken root even before. Not but then it spread and was established. This, then, in the forest-dwelling country, in the city of Sirikhetta, is the second Establishment of the Dispensation. In the Jinacakka, then, when four hundred and thirty-three years had passed, a king named Kukkuṭasīsa ruled. In the time of that king, there were five hundred arahat disciples of the Blessed One. That king also supported them daily with the four requisites. Stream-enterers, once-returners, and non-returners, however, were beyond counting. This, in the forest-dwelling country, in the city of Sirikhetta, by way of tradition, is the Third establishment of the Dispensation. Thus, in the forest-dwelling country, with many hundreds of arahat elders, the Dispensation, like the full moon, shone exceedingly brightly. However, no great elder authors of canonical texts are found there. But the arahat elders, at the request of the kings, composed a Dharma treatise, so the ancients say. Thus— Those elders, greatly wise, Having upheld the Dispensation; Like the sun setting, Approached the realm of death. Therefore, a wise person, As long as death has not come; Should always do good, May he not be heedless in all things. Thus ends the discourse on the Dispensation of the Forest-Dwelling Country in the Sāsanavaṃsa, The fifth chapter. 6. Discourse on the Dispensation of the Aparanta Country 6. Now I shall speak of the Dispensation in the Aparanta country, in the Maramma region. Indeed, in our Maramma country, in the port of Suppādaka, in the merchant village, owing to the two brothers Cūḷapuṇṇa and Mahāpuṇṇa, the Dispensation was established from a period of more than twenty years while the Blessed One was still alive. But it was not yet widely spread. Therefore, to re-establish the Dispensation, the great elder Moggaliputtatissa sent the elder Yonakadhammarakkhita. The Blessed One, having accepted the Lohitacandana Monastery, sat for seven weeks and gave the taste of Dhamma to the assembled devas and humans. And in one of the weeks, there were eighty-four thousand beings. For the horses, there was an understanding of the Dhamma. And coming from about five hundred palaces, on the way, to the sage named Saccabandha, seated on Saccabandha Mountain, he taught the Dhamma. And with the six supernormal powers, he led him to arahantship. And in the merchant village, he made Isidinnaseṭṭhi and others drink the taste of Dhamma. Thus, due to Saccabandha, Isidinnaseṭṭhi, Mahāpuṇṇa, and others, the Dispensation was established in our Maramma region. This was the first establishment of the Dispensation in the Aparantara region of Maramma. When two hundred and thirty-five years had passed since the Blessed One's Parinibbāna, after the Third Council was recited, at its conclusion, the Elder Mahāmoggaliputtatissa sent his pupil, the Elder Yonakadhammarakkhita, along with four bhikkhus, to the Aparantara region. And the Aparantara region is indeed our Suṇāparantara region in the Maramma country. We have already spoken of that matter below. And the Elder Yonakadhammarakkhita, having come to the Aparantara region,