English
Going always, constantly, early in the morning, to the Magadha country, to Uruvelā village, to the Great Bodhi, having swept the Bodhi courtyard, then returning, he went for alms in Sudhammapura. This was the elder’s regular practice. And this meaning is understood because those who went from Sudhammapura to the Magadha country, doing merchant work in Uruvelā village, saw that sight and told the residents of Sudhammapura upon their return. At that time, the Elder Uttarājīva, together with the novice named Chappada, who was fully twenty years old, went to the island of Sri Lanka. And the bhikkhus residing in Sri Lanka said, “We are descendants of the Great Elder Mahinda, and you are descendants of the Elders Soṇa and Uttara, therefore we are of the same lineage, of the same tradition.” And they performed the ordination ceremony for the novice Chappada. After that, having completed acts such as venerating stupas, the Elder Uttarājīva, together with the community of bhikkhus, returned to Arimaddana city. But Chappada thought, “If I were to go to Jambudīpa with my teacher, there would be an obstacle to learning the scriptures due to many relatives and worldly ties. Therefore, I will stay in Sri Lanka, learn the scriptures, and then return.” Then, having asked his teacher’s permission, he remained in Sri Lanka. Having stayed in Sri Lanka and learned the scriptures until he received the elder’s designation, he then wished to return to Jambudīpa. Then he thought, “If I go alone, and if my teacher is not there, even if I do not wish to perform Vinaya acts with the community of bhikkhus in Jambudīpa, in such a case, I would not be able to perform acts separately. Therefore, it would be good if I went with four elders who are masters of the Piṭakas.” Having thought thus, he went with these four elders: the Elder Sivali, a resident of Tāmalitti village; the Elder Tāmalinda, who was the son of the King of Kambojā; the Elder Ānanda, a resident of Kiñcipura; and the Elder Rāhula. He returned with the boat. And those elders were versed in the Piṭakas, skillful and strong. Among them, Elder Rāhula was especially strong. When they reached Kusima City, it was time for the rains retreat, and not having reached their teacher in Arimaddana City, they entered the rains retreat right there in Kusima City. The site of their rains retreat, the monastery walls, are still there today in the southern part of Kusima City. When the rains retreat was over, after the great Pavāraṇā ceremony, those five elders went to Arimaddana City. And Elder Uttarājīva performed Sangha acts separately with the monks residing in Arimaddana City. Although Elder Uttarājīva and others returned from Sri Lanka and resided in Arimaddana City, supporting the Dispensation, they are mentioned here because they were born in the Ramañña country and had previously resided there. At that time, a senior novice named Sāriputta, born in the village of Padīpajeyya in Dala City, went to Arimaddana City, received ordination from Elder Ānanda, and completed his studies. He was very learned, skillful, and strong. Hearing of this, King Narapaticaññisūra thought, "If he were perfect in limbs and organs, I would appoint him as a teacher and support him." Thinking thus, the king sent royal officials to investigate. The royal officials, seeing that his big toe was cut off, reported this to the king. Hearing this, the king thought, "Since he is thus defective in limbs and organs, it is not proper to appoint him to the position of chief teacher," and did not make him chief teacher. He only gave support through offerings and honors. At one time, giving him the title Dhammavilāsa, he sent him to the Ramañña country, saying, "Purify and make pure the Dispensation in the Ramañña country." And he went to the Ramañña country, taught the Dhamma and Vinaya to many monks in Dala City, and upheld the Dispensation. And there he The Mon people call the disciples and grand-disciples of that Dhammāvilāsa Thera the group of Sinhala bhikkhus. Thus, because of Dhammāvilāsa, the disciple of the Sinhala islander Ānanda Thera, the path of the Dispensation came to the Mon country from the Sinhala island. This is the fourth establishment of the Dispensation in the Mon country. At that time, in the city of Muttima, the teachers of the chief queen, Buddhavaṃsa Thera and Mahānāga Thera, went to the Sinhala island, and having again received training from the bhikkhus who belonged to the Mahāvihāra lineage, returned to the city of Muttima. Having separated themselves from the bhikkhus of Muttima, they performed Saṅgha-kamma and uplifted the Dispensation. And because of these elders, the Dispensation again came to the Mon country from the Sinhala island. This is the fifth establishment of the Dispensation in the Mon country. After that, in the city of Muttima, the elder named Medhaṅkara, who was the teacher of King Setibhindha's mother, went to the Sinhala island. Having again received training from the great elders who were forest dwellers on the Sinhala island, and having mastered the scriptures, he sat in the monastery made of gold and silver, covered with tin and lead, which was built by King Setibhindha's mother, and supported the Dispensation. He also composed a book named Lokadīpakasāra. And another elder, named Suvaṇṇasobhaṇa, also in the city of Muttima, went to the Sinhala island. Having again received training from the elders who belonged to the Mahāvihāra lineage, he returned to the city of Muttima. That elder, however, dwelt in the forest. He was an observer of the ascetic practices, content with little, satisfied, modest, conscientious, desirous of training, skillful, and strong. In the Sinhala island, in the pond named Kalambu, at the water-throwing boundary, with more than five members, he received ordination, with the Saṅgharāja named Vanaratana as his preceptor, and the elder named Rāhulabhadda, who was the teacher of King Vijayabāhu, as his Kammavācācariya. That elder, having returned, dwelt in the city of Muttima, increased the community, and supported the Dispensation. was. And because of these two elders, the Dispensation came to the Mon country from the island of Sri Lanka. This was the sixth establishment of the Dispensation in the Mon country. After that, in the matter of the Dispensation, when two thousand and two years and eighty-one years had passed since the Kaliyuga, in the city of Hamsavati, King Dhammaceti, who was known by the name Siriparamamahadhammaraja, ruled the country, protecting the inhabitants of the Kusima district, the Hamsavati district, and the Muttima district with righteousness and equality, as if they were his own children. And that king was skilled in the three Pitakas and the four Vedas, and in grammar, metrics, rhetoric, and so on. He was learned in various crafts, and proficient in various languages. He was endowed with qualities such as faith and virtue, and was like the cool moonlight of a lotus, a water lily, or an autumn moon, and was exceedingly devoted to the Dispensation. At one time, he reflected, "The Dispensation of the Blessed One is connected with ordination and higher ordination. And the state of higher ordination is connected with the boundary, the boundary-area, the object, the declaration, and the completion of the act." Having reflected thus, he repeatedly examined the "Boundary Determination," its commentary, the "Compendium of Discipline," its commentary, the "Boundary Ornament," and the "Boundary Compendium," both in terms of their words and their meaning. He compared them with each other, weighed the former and the latter, and saw that "the intention of the Blessed One is such," and "the intention of the authors of the texts is such." He then thought, "Even though there are many boundaries in our Mon country, such as those formed by rivers and the sea, it is difficult to determine which of these is pure. If this is the case, it seems difficult for the boundary-area to be pure." After that, having consulted with the elders in the Mon country who were learned in the Tipitaka, wise, and capable, the elders determined, in accordance with the king's insight, that it was difficult for the boundary-area to be pure. Then the king also reflected thus: "Alas, although it is stated in the texts that the Dispensation of the Perfectly Enlightened One will endure for five thousand years, in only two thousand and sixty-four years since the Enlightenment, a blemish has occurred in the Dispensation, and there is doubt concerning the act of higher ordination." A place has arisen, but how will the Dispensation be established for five thousand years? Thus, having aroused a sense of urgency about the Dhamma, he again thought thus: Even though such defilement is seen in the Dispensation, even though a point of doubt is seen in the ordination ceremony, it is not proper for one like me, who is unconcerned and indifferent, to sit without striving for purity. If this were the case, I would not be able to say that I have faith and confidence in the Blessed One. Therefore, I will begin to make the Dispensation pure. From where, then, can the Dispensation now be brought and firmly established? Reflecting, he thought thus: It is said that two hundred and thirty-six years after the Parinibbāna of the Blessed One, the Elder Mahāmoggali-putta-Tissa sent the Elder Mahā-Mahinda, and established the Dispensation in the island of Sihala. At that time, King Devānaṃpiyatissa had the Mahāvihāra built and gave it. And the excellent Dispensation was established pure for two hundred and eighty-one years. The community of bhikkhus also remained united as the group residing in the Mahāvihāra. After that, it split into two, as the residents of Abhayagiri and the residents of Jetavana. When one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight years had passed in the Jinacakka, King Sirisaṅghabodhi Parakkamabāhu favored the group residing in the Mahāvihāra,