English
The king, being skilled in the Vinaya due to the elder, said, "This is what is found in the Pāli, and this is what is found in the commentaries and so on. Your teaching of a single robe is not seen in the Pāli commentaries and sub-commentaries. Even so, why did you act in this way?" he asked. Then those elders of the single-robe faction, like thieves caught red-handed in a four-cubit room, or like crows pursued by people, being unable to say anything, merely looked in all directions and said, "Our practice has never been seen in the Pāli and so on; rather, we have practiced only according to the tradition of our teachers." Having said this, they were defeated and covered themselves. they entered the inner chamber. And from that time onwards, the king established a royal command that bhikkhus should be made to wear the robe in the manner of the pārupana, and that sāmaṇeras should be advised accordingly. From that time onwards, the elders of the single-shouldered faction could not even raise their heads at dawn, like owls. To the east of the Sokasarabhūmahācetiya, he had a four-storied monastery built, adorned with two palaces, named Bhūmikittivirāma, and gave it to the elder Nandamāla, also bestowing upon him the title Narindābhidhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru. That elder, it should be known, belonged to the lineage of Chappada. Even in his newly ordained period, he composed an explanation in Burmese of the Vinayavinicchaya, the Suttasaṅgaha, and the Mahāvaggaṭṭhakathā, and also wrote a book called Sāsanasuddhidīpikā. Thereafter, when one thousand and forty-three years had passed in the Kaliyuga, on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Phagguna, the middle son of King Ratanasikhamāpaka reigned. At that time, the king thought thus: "The dispute that arose concerning the single-shouldered wearing of the robe could not be settled in the time of previous kings. Even in the time of King Siripavarasudhammamahārājindādhipati, though assemblies were held in the royal palace and discussions took place in the king's presence, they did not get the opportunity to speak freely, and being unable to speak as they wished, it was a defeat. There might be an opportunity to make such a claim. But in my time, without doing so, I will send messengers to the monasteries of those elders and have them state their respective views. In this way, those elders will speak freely." Having thought thus, he appointed the minister, the chief of the internal army, and sent him to those elders, announcing: "Speak your respective views freely." Then the elders of the single-shouldered group admitted: "The words we speak are not found in the Pāli texts and so on, but rather, we practice according to the tradition of our teachers." And the Great King, having thus allowed the elders When there is nothing to do, there is nothing to be done. Now, without violating the precepts of perfect covering, let the novices enter the village. Thus he sent royal decrees here and there. Later, from the village of Sahassorodha, he brought a monk named Ñāṇa, who had been ordained for seven years, and had a monastery named Antoyudha Vihāra built, and gave it to him. He also bestowed the title Ñāṇābhisāsanadhajamahādhammarājaguru. Then, requested by the king, he revised the royal coronation text and translated its meaning into Burmese. Later, the Blessed One, while still alive, came, tamed the four yakkhas, received the meat and rice given by them, went to the foot of the mountain, ate, looked at that place, and smiled. Then the Elder Ānanda asked the reason. In the future, Ānanda, a great city will arise in this place, and these four yakkhas will be kings in that city, he declared. According to that very prediction, when the Kaliyuga reached one thousand four hundred and forty-four years, on the twelfth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Māgha, on a Tuesday, under the Uttaraphaggunī constellation, he built the great royal capital city named Amarapura. He also received the title Siriparavijayānantayasatribhavanādityādhipatipaṇḍitamahādhammarājādhirāja. The monastery named Jeyyabhūmi Vihāra Kitti, built by the chief queen, he gave to the Elder Guṇābhilaṅkārasaddhammamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who is called 'Me O Sayāḍo'. The monastery named Vihāraramaṇīyavirāma, built by the royal princess, the lady of Kannīnagara, he gave to the Elder Guṇamunindādhipati Mahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who is called 'Māṃ Le Sayāḍo'. The monastery named Maṅgalāvirāma, built by the queen of the viceroy, he gave to the Elder Tipiṭakasaddhammasāmimahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who is called 'Soṃ Ṭhā Sayāḍo'. The Maṅgalāvā built by the queen residing in the middle palace He gave the monastery named Satula to the Elder Ñāṇajambudīpaanantadhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who is called 'Meṃ Jvā Sayāḍo'. And these four great elders he appointed to the position of Saṅgharāja. The monastery named Maṅgalabhūmikitti, built by the queen residing in the northern palace, he gave to the Elder Kavindābhisaddhammadharadhajamahādhammarājaguru, who is called 'Ñyoṃ Kāṃ Sayāḍo'. The monastery named Atulabhūmivāsa, built by the prince, the lord of Sirikhetta city, he gave to the Elder Kavindābhisaddhammapavaramahādhammarājaguru, who is called 'Sve Ṭoṃ Sayāḍo'. The monastery built by a certain minister of the interior he gave to the Elder Ñāṇālaṅkārasaddhammadhajamahādhammarājaguru, who is called 'Seṃ Ṭe Sayāḍo'. The monastery built by the minister, the commander of the left wing, he gave to the Elder Paramasirivaṃsadhajamahādhammarājaguru, who is called 'Me Ṭhī Sayāḍo'. The monastery built by a certain minister of justice he gave to the Elder Kavindasāradhajamahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who is called 'Lokā Mhāṃ Keṃ Sayāḍo'. Thus, he bestowed favor by giving monasteries with their names to many great elders skilled in the Pariyatti. But since, if the names of all the elders were mentioned one by one, this Sāsanavaṃsappadīpikā story would become too extensive, therefore, having omitted them here, we shall speak only of what must be said. Later, thinking that the four great elders would be able to purify the Sāsana as they wished due to the king's weakness, he again appointed eight elders, along with these four great elders, to the position of Saṅghanāyaka to purify the Sāsana. Namely, the Elder Kavindābhisaddhammapavaramahādhammarājaguru, the Elder Tipiṭakālaṅkāradhajamahādhammarājaguru, the Elder Cakkindābhidhajamahādhammarājaguru, the Elder Paramasirivaṃsadhajamahādhammarājaguru, Janindābh... Ippavaramahādhammarājagurutthera, Mahāñāṇābhidhajamahādhammarājagurutthera, Ñāṇālaṅkārasaddhammadhajamahādhammarājagurutthera, Ñāṇābhisāsanadhajamahādhammarājagurutthera. Then, knowing that even an Arahant, if lacking the quality of being free from dependence, is not permitted to reside without a teacher of dependence, he ensured that the qualities of dependence for the elders who were suitable as teachers of dependence and the qualities of being free from dependence for the Arahants who were free from dependence were complete. He then allowed those dependent to reside only after taking their dependence. Thereafter, in the Kaliyuga, when one thousand and fifty years had passed, he appointed only Ñāṇābhisāsanadhajamahādhammarājagurutthera to the position of Saṅgharāja. From then on, he alone became the Saṅghanāyaka and purified the Dispensation. Thereafter, when one thousand and fifty-one years had passed, in the month of Phagguna, to the south of the Mahāmuni Cetiya, he had a very large five-storied monastery built, enclosed by two brick walls, named Ratanabhūmikitti, in the Asokārāma, and gave it to Ñāṇābhisāsanadhajamahādhammarājagurutthera. He also bestowed upon him the title Ñāṇābhivaṃsadhammasenāpatimahādhammarājādhirājaguru. He also gave him many other monasteries, such as Jeyyabhūmivihārakitti and Maṅgalavirāma. That elder, residing in those monasteries in turn, recited the Pariyatti. He also committed both Vibhaṅgas to memory. He constantly undertook the ascetic practice of eating at one sitting. That elder, having been ordained for five years, even before becoming Saṅgharāja, composed a new commentary called Peṭakālaṅkāra, an explanation of the Nettipakaraṇa. He became Saṅgharāja at the age of eight years (since ordination). Having become Saṅgharāja, he composed the Dīghanikāyaṭīkā called Sādhujjanavilāsinī. He also composed a text called Ariyavaṃsālaṅkāra. Requested by the Great Dhamma King, he composed an explanation of the meaning of the Jātakaṭṭhakathā, the story of the four novices, the story of the king's advice, the praise of the three thickets, and the Chaddanta Nāgarāja. He also composed works such as the "History of Origins" and the "Rājādhirāja Vilāsinī." Then, in the Kali Yuga, when one thousand two hundred and sixty-two years had passed, six novices—Ampagahapatissa, Mahādampo, Koccha Godho, Brāhmaṇavatto, Bhogahavatto, and Vāturagamma—came from the island of Sri Lanka to the royal capital city called Amarapura, bringing ten relics to establish the Dhamma, accompanied by one lay follower. Then, the Sangharāja, the preceptor, Ñāṇābhivaṃsadhammasenāpatimahādhammarājādhirājaguru, along with royal guru elders such as Kavindābhisaddhammadharadhajamahādhammarājagurutthera and Janindābhidhajamahādhammarājagurutthera and Munindaghosamahādhammarājagurutthera, who were the reciters of the kammavācā, performed the ordination ceremony in the Sīmā of Hatthirajjusuvaṇṇaguha. He also established the lay follower in the state of a novice. Thereafter, he repeatedly had the monks who came perform the re-taking of the precepts, had the novices perform the ordination ceremony, and had the lay followers perform the going forth ceremony.