English
Thus, it should be understood that the noble elders like Buddhaghosa and others, having supported the Dispensation of the Pariyatti according to their strength and ability, stand firm for a long time, like a great banyan tree supported by many roots, many branches, and many trunks, growing and flourishing. This is the establishment of the Dispensation in the island of Sihala after it was written in books. These great elders, according to their ability and strength, having made the Commentaries and so on, approached the mouth of death. Just as in the world, the moon, having shone, having brought benefit and welfare to beings, then sets. Even so, the great elders, having shone with the light of knowledge, having brought benefit and welfare to beings, then pass away. Thus ends the second chapter, named the Discourse on the History of the Dispensation in the Island of Sihala, in the History of the Dispensation. 3. Discourse on the History of the Dispensation in Suvaṇṇabhūmi 3. Now, the occasion for the Discourse on the History of the Dispensation in the country of Suvaṇṇabhūmi, according to the established outline, has arrived. Therefore, I shall begin the Discourse on the History of the Dispensation in the country of Suvaṇṇabhūmi. Among these, Suvaṇṇabhūmi is the name of one of the three Ramañña countries. The three Ramañña countries are Haṃsāvatī, Muttima, and Suvaṇṇabhūmi. By one part, the entire Ramañña country should be taken. There, however, starting with Tapussa and Bhallika in the Ukkalāpa region, after seven times seven days had passed since the Blessed One’s enlightenment, from the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Āsāḷha, the Dispensation was established in the Ramañña country. This is the first establishment of the Dispensation in the Ramañña country. Before the time of the Blessed One’s enlightenment, in the country of Aparaṇṇaka, in the city of Subhinna, In the time of King Tissa, a certain minister had two sons, Tissa and Jaya. They, having gained spiritual urgency in household life, went forth into homelessness on a mountain called Gajjagiri, near the great ocean, and settled there as ascetics. At that time, a female nāga, a Vidyādhara, having become pregnant, laid two eggs. Ashamed, the nāgī abandoned them and left. Then the elder, Prince Tissa, took them, divided them with his younger brother, and each kept one. As time passed, two humans were born from these eggs. When they reached the age of ten, the one born from the younger brother's egg died and was reborn in the Middle Country, in the city of Mithila, as a prince named Gavaṃpati. At the age of seven, he was entrusted to the Buddha, the Blessed One, and ordained. Soon after, he became an Arahant. As for the one born from the elder brother's egg, when he was twelve years old, Sakka, king of the gods, came, built a city called Sudhammapura in the Ramañña country, and had him rule there under the name Sīharāja. In the inscriptions, however, he is called Sirimāsoka. Then, Gavaṃpatitthera, desiring to see his mother, began to come from the city of Mithila. At that time, knowing through his divine eye that his mother had passed away, he reflected, "Where is my mother reborn now?" He realized she was reborn in a place mostly inhabited by hunters and fishermen. Thinking, "If I do not go and instruct her, my mother might accumulate unwholesome karma leading to the lower realms and be reborn in one of the four lower realms," he requested the Blessed One and came to the Ramañña country by air. Reaching Sudhammapura in the Ramañña country, he taught the Dhamma to his brother, King Sīharāja, and the inhabitants of the country, establishing them in the five precepts. Then King Sīharāja said, "Venerable sir, you are the foremost person in the world." "No, great king, I am not the foremost. But there is my Teacher, named Gotama, who is like a crown to all beings in the three realms. Now, he is in the Middle Country, Rājagaha, p He resides. Then, Venerable Sir, if it is so, are we worthy to see your teacher or not? he asked. And Venerable Gavaṃpati said, "Yes, Great King, you are worthy to see the Blessed One. I will go and invite him," and he invited the Blessed One. And the Blessed One, having attained full enlightenment, in the eighth year, came through the air to Sukhammapura in the Ramañña country with many hundreds of monks. In the royal lineage, it is said he came with five hundred monks. But in the stone inscriptions, it is said with twenty thousand monks. And here, since the Blessed One came with his entire retinue, it should not be desired that there was only one group. Therefore, due to various accounts, mental confusion should not be created. Then, having come and sat in the jeweled pavilion, he gave the taste of immortality to the royal citizens. He established them in the three refuges and the five precepts. Then the Blessed One gave six hair relics for worship to the six ascetics who had come to see him. Thereafter, having completed seventy-seven years, even at the time of the Blessed One's Parinibbāna, in accordance with his resolve, Venerable Gavaṃpati took thirty-two teeth from the funeral pyre, brought them to Sudhammapura, gave them to the Lion King, and established thirty-two stupas. Thus, in the eighth year after the Blessed One's Parinibbāna, Venerable Gavaṃpati established the Sāsana in Sudhammapura in the Ramañña country. This is the second establishment of the Sāsana in the Ramañña country. Two hundred and thirty-five years after the Blessed One's Parinibbāna, having come to the Ramañña country named Suvaṇṇabhūmi, the two elders, Soṇa Thera and Uttara Thera, together with five groups of artisans and monks, established the Sāsana. And these elders are mentioned in the commentaries as disciples of Mahāmoggaliputtatissa Thera. In Tapussa and Bhallika, and concerning Gavaṃpati Thera, the Sāsana was thus established. And that was not completely pervasive, but those who were faithful and confident, they, by their own will, the Sāsana were pleased with him. Later, the Elders Soṇa and Uttara, with great zeal, at the command of their teacher, strove to establish the Dispensation and established it. Therefore, in the commentaries, it is said, "Go to that country and establish the Dispensation there," using the causative suffix and the imperative mood. At that time, in the country of Suvaṇṇabhūmi, in Sudhammapura, a king named Sirimāsoka ruled the kingdom. That Sudhammapura stands on the summit of Mount Kelāsa, in the south-eastern direction, with one part on the mountain summit and the other part on the ground. Its houses were mostly like the houses of sugar-boilers, and therefore it was also called Goḷamittika. Because that city was situated near the great ocean, a water-ogress always came and devoured every child born in the royal palace. On the very day the Elders Soṇa and Uttara arrived, a son was born in the royal palace. The water-ogress came, intending to devour him, with five hundred ogresses. Seeing this, the people were terrified and cried out loudly. Then the Elders, creating a terrifying human-lion form, with a lion's head and a body with two heads joined, showed it, and put the ogress and her retinue to flight. The Elders then recited protective verses to prevent the ogress from returning. And at that assembly, they preached the Brahmajäla Sutta to the people who had gathered. Sixty thousand people became stream-enterers and so on. Two and a half thousand sons of good families went forth into the homeless life. One and a half thousand daughters of good families. One thousand five hundred princes went forth. The remaining people also took refuge. Thus, he established the Dispensation there. And it is said in the commentaries: Having gone to Suvaṇṇabhūmi, Soṇa and Uttara, of great power, Having driven out the ogres, preached the Brahmajäla. From then on, the princes were named after Soṇa and Uttara. The remaining children also, the ogres... To free the horse, they showed a human-lion image, made by the elders on palm and birch bark, and placed it on its head. And people made a stone human-lion image and placed it near Sudhamma City. That exists even today. Thus, when two hundred and thirty-five years had passed since the Buddha's Parinibbāna, the Elder Soṇuttara came, established the Dispensation, and gave his support. This was the third establishment of the Dispensation in the Ramañña country. After that, when one thousand six hundred years had passed, the Ramañña country, the birthplace of the Dispensation, became troubled by three fears, due to the three reasons mentioned before: the fear of rebels and thieves, the fear of plague, and the fear of enemies of the Dispensation. At that time, the Dispensation there was weak, just as a lotus born in water is weak when the water is shallow. There, even the bhikkhus could not fulfill the Dispensation as they wished. But during the time of the charming King named Sūriyakumāra, the Dispensation became extremely weak. When one thousand one hundred years had passed in the Jinacakka, and four hundred and nineteen years in the Kaliyuga, King Anuruddha of Arimaddana City brought the Saṅgha with the Piṭaka from there. After that, when one thousand seven hundred and nine years had passed in the Jinacakka, the Great King Sirisaṅghabodhiparakkamabāhu purified the Dispensation in Laṅkādīpa. Then, six years later, when five hundred and thirty-two years had passed in the Kaliyuga, an elder named Uttarājīva became prominent in the Dispensation. He was a disciple of the Elder Ariyāvaṃsa, who lived in the Ramañña country. The Elder Ariyāvaṃsa was a disciple of the Elder Mahākāḷa, who lived in Kappuṅga City. The Elder Mahākāḷa was a disciple of the Elder Prānadassi, who lived in Sudhamma City. This was stated to illuminate the lineage of the Elders Uttarājīva and Chappada. That Elder Prānadassi obtained worldly supernormal powers.