English
From the island of Sihala, he brought Elder Saddhammacārī along with five bhikkhus, received new ordination, and established the Sihala Island lineage of the Dispensation in Sirikhetta City. The disciple of that Elder Mahāsāri was an Elder named Atulavaṃsa. He traveled in the four directions, mastered the Pariyatti (scriptures), and established the Dispensation in Sirikhetta City itself, near the Tambulabhuñjamātikā. The disciple of that Elder Atulavaṃsa was an Elder named Ratanaraṃsī. He attained skill in the Pariyatti and established the Dispensation in Sirikhetta City itself. And that The elder named Abhisaṅketa, a disciple of the elder Ratanaraṃsi, and a teacher of the king of the law, Satvavadhammarāja, having attained mastery in the scriptures, established himself in Sirikhetta city, upholding the Dispensation. He had a disciple, an elder named Munindaghosa. When nine hundred and seventy years of the Kaliyuga had passed, the Western King, having conquered Sirikhetta city, together with his minister named Nandayodha, brought that elder Munindaghosa and established him in Ratanapura. That Western King, it is said, spoke thus: "Having obtained Sirikhetta city, I have obtained only one bhikkhu and only one layperson." That elder, as a novice, was named Munindaghosa. At the time of his higher ordination, he was named Upāli, after his maternal uncle elder. By his given name, he was Tipitakālaṅkāra. And by his dwelling place, due to his residence in Tiriyapabbata Monastery, he was named Tiriyapabbata Elder. He, it is said, first resided in the four-storied monastery on the bank of the Erāvatī River, and later, when a thousand years of the Kaliyuga had passed, being sixty years old, he resided in Tiriyapabbata Monastery. As a novice, fearing Jalumasāma, he left Ratanapura and reached Ketumatī city, where he studied texts under the elder Dhammarājaguru, who was a disciple of the elder Tisāsanadhaja. Due to his great skill in Pāḷi, commentaries, and sub-commentaries, and because he composed the Vessantara Jātaka with poetic embellishment even as a youth, he became very famous. That elder's disciple, the elder Mahātissa, a resident of Uccanagara, dwelt in the forest in the Saṅgira region, taught the scriptures, and upheld the Dispensation. His disciple was the elder Canda, a village resident in Reminagāma. His disciple was the elder Guṇasiri, a resident of that village. His disciple was the elder Kalyāṇadhaja, a resident of that village. That elder resided, teaching the scriptures, in Padumanagara, and in the villages of Sahassorodha and Bodhodadhi. His disciple, Indobhāsakalyāṇa, a resident of Bodhodadhi village, The elder Cakkavimalācāra, resident of Sahassorodha village, the elder Guṇasāracanda, resident of Vaṃtuma village, the elder Varaesi, resident of Kanninagara, the elder Guṇasiri, resident of Jararāja village— these elders, having again received training from the elder Kalyāṇadhaja, and having learned the scriptures, became skilled. A disciple of that same elder Kalyāṇadhaja, an elder named Dhammadhara, residing in Samivana village in Saṅgira district, in his old age, residing in Kusumamūla village in Padumanagara, taught the texts and upheld the Dispensation. Among them, the elder Guṇasiri, during the time of the king who was the second in command of Amarapura, received the title Guṇābhilaṅkārasaddhammamahārājādhirājaguru and resided in the Kittivihāra in Jeyyabhūmi. A disciple of that elder was the great elder named Ñāṇābhivaṃsadhammasenāpatimahādhammarājāguru. During the time of that same king, he became the Saṅgharāja. That elder was the founder of the Amarapura Nikāya in the island of Sihala. A disciple of that elder Guṇābhilaṅkārasaddhammamahādhammarājādhirājaguru was the elder named Tipiṭakālaṅkāramahādhammarājaguru. His disciple was the elder named Sūriyavaṃsābhisiripavarālaṅkāradhammasenāpati Mahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who became the Saṅgharāja during the time of the second king who was the second in command of Amarapura. His disciple was the great elder Ñeyyadhammābhivaṃsamunivarañāṇakittisiripavarālaṅkāradhammasenāpati- Mahādhammarājādhirājaguru, who became the Saṅgharāja during the times of the second king who was the second in command of Amarapura, and King Ratanapuṇṇamāpaka. He was also a disciple of the Saṅgharāja, the elder Ñāṇābhivaṃsadhammasenāpatimahādhammarājādhirājaguru, and a disciple of the elder Varaesi. This is the narrative showing the lineage of elders, from the great elders who were the last to arrive from the island of Sihala and upheld the good Dhamma, up to our own teachers. This other lineage of elders should also be known. An elder named Saddhammakitti, of the Chappada lineage, came to Jeyyapura and resided in the place of the four islands. Having learned the scriptures from the Elder Mahā-Ariyavaṃsa, he then moved to the Jetavana Monastery, and sitting there, he recited the scriptures and upheld the Dispensation. The disciple of that Elder Saddhammakitti was named Tisāsanadhaja. His disciple was named Dhammarājaguru. His disciple was named Munindaghosa. His disciple was named Mahātissa. His disciple was named Candapañña. His disciple was named Guṇasiri. His disciple was named Ñāṇadhaja. His disciple was named Dhammadhara. His disciple was named Indobhāsa. From then on, the lineage of the Dispensation is to be known through the Elders Kalyāṇacakka, Vimalācāra, Guṇasāra, Candasāra, Varaesī, Guṇasiri, Ñāṇābhivaṃsa, and Ñeyyadhammābhivaṃsa. This is the story of the succession of elders, starting from Elder Saddhammakitti, who was a disciple of the Elder Chappada of Pattalaṅka. This is the establishment of the Dispensation in Ratanapuṇṇa City. Thus, taking the entire Maramma country as one region called Aparantaraṭṭha, the lineage of the Dispensation should be shown. For the Blessed One himself, residing in the Candana Monastery in Aparantaraṭṭha, traveled by psychic power to various places in the Tambadīpa country, and taught the Dhamma to beings. Thus, in the Sāsanavaṃsa, the path of the story of the Dispensation in Aparantaraṭṭha, The sixth chapter by name. 7. The path of the story of the Dispensation in Kasmīra-Gandhāra country. 7. Now, the opportunity has arisen to speak of the path of the story of the Dispensation in Kasmīra-Gandhāra country, according to the previously mentioned summary; therefore, I shall speak of it. Indeed, at the end of the Third Council, the Elder Mahāmoggali-puttatissa sent the Elder Majjhantika to Kasmīra-Gandhāra country, saying, "Go to this country and establish the Dispensation there." And this Kasmīra-Gandhāra country is situated near the Cīna country. Therefore, even now, the people of Kasmīra-Gandhāra country and the people of Cīna country, from the time of the appearance of the Nāga king named Aravāḷa up to the present day, make Nāga images and with reverence they worship and revere, and mostly make images of nāgas even in their clothes and vessels. And that Elder Majjhantika, with four bhikkhus, being the fifth, rose into the air from Pāṭaliputta and descended above Aravāḷa Lake in Himavā. At that time, in the country of Kasmīra-Gandhāra, during the season of ripening crops, the nāga king named Aravāḷa, residing in Aravāḷa Lake, would cause a hailstorm, destroying the crops, and sending them to the great ocean. But the Elder, descending above Aravāḷa Lake, walked, stood, sat, and lay down on the surface of Aravāḷa Lake. The nāga youths, seeing him, reported to the nāga king Aravāḷa: "Great King, a certain shaven-headed one, wearing torn robes, is polluting our water." At that time, the Elder revealed himself to the nāgas. The nāga king, overcome with anger, immediately came forth, and seeing the Elder, filled with resentment, created many terrifying illusions in the sky. Fierce winds blew from all directions, trees were broken, mountain peaks fell, clouds thundered, lightning flashed, thunderbolts struck, water poured down as if the sky had burst, frightful nāga youths gathered, he himself smoked and blazed, he unleashed a shower of weapons, and threatened the Elder with harsh words, saying, "Who is this shaven-headed one, wearing torn robes?" and so on. He commanded his nāga army, "Come, seize, strike, drive away this ascetic!" The Elder, repelling all that terror with his psychic power, said to the nāga king: Even if the world with its devas, were to come and terrify me; It would not be able to generate fear and dread in me. Even if you, great nāga, were to lift up the whole earth, with its oceans and mountains, and hurl it upon me; You would not be able to generate fear and dread in me; On the contrary, it would be your own destruction, O lord of serpents. When this was said, the nāga king, his power thwarted, n The effort was fruitless, he was sorrowful and dejected. The elder, with a Dhamma talk suitable for the occasion, instructed him, persuaded him, encouraged him, and gladdened him, and established him in the three refuges and the five precepts, along with eighty-four thousand Nāgas. Many other Yakkhas, Gandharvas, and Kumbhaṇḍas living in the Himalayas, having heard the elder's Dhamma talk, were also established in the refuges and precepts. The Yakka Pañcaka, along with his wife, the Yakkhinī, and five hundred sons, was established in the first fruit. Then the venerable Elder Majjhantika, addressing all the Nāgas, Yakkhas, and Rakkhasas, spoke thus: Do not now generate anger, from now on, as before; Do not destroy crops, for beings desire happiness; Cultivate loving-kindness towards beings, may humans dwell happily. All of them, saying "Very well, venerable sir," listened to the elder's words and practiced as instructed. That very day was the time for the Nāga king's offering. Then the Nāga king had his jewel-studded couch brought and prepared it for the elder. The elder sat on the couch. The Nāga king also stood nearby, fanning the elder. At that moment,