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Thūpavaṃsa -(Stupa History)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

having given a great donation to the community of monks, in the evening, having taken perfumes and garlands, went to the monastery to hear the Dhamma. There, seeing a young novice, very ill, near death, virtuous, having honored him with perfumes and garlands, extolling her own wealth, she requested, "May you attain my son-hood, venerable sir." He did not want to, but she repeatedly requested. The novice, in that case, thinking, "It is possible to support the dispensation," having accepted, rejecting even the heavenly world that appeared as a sign of his destination, in a decisive manner, in the womb of the queen, who was going in a golden palanquin, he took rebirth. She, after ten months, gave birth to a son. They named him Gāmaṇi Abhaya. Later, they gave him another name, Tissa. Prince Gāmaṇi, gradually growing up, at the age of sixteen, skilled in the arts of elephants and horses, endowed with splendor, strength, and prowess, he became. Then King Kāka vaṇṇa Tissa, Naṇḍhimitto, Suranimmalo, Mahāseno, Goṭhayimbaro, Theraputtābha- yo, Bharaṇo, Veḷusumano, Khañcadevo, Phussadeva, Labhiyavasabha, these ten great warriors, he placed near his son and had them live there. Their origin story should be taken from the Mahavamsa. The king had the ten great warriors honor and respect his son. He placed Tissakumara at Dighavapi for the protection of the countryside. Then one day, the prince, seeing his powerful army and wealth, spoke to the king, "I will fight with the Tamils." The king, protecting his son, forbade him, saying, "Enough, Oraganga." He spoke thus up to the third time. The king, becoming angry, said, "Make a golden chain and keep him bound." Abhaya, angry with his father the king, fled and went to Malaya. From then on, because of his hostility towards his father, he was known as Dutthagamaṇi. The king made the warriors swear an oath that they would come to settle the quarrel between his sons. Then Kakavaṇṇatissa Raja, having built sixty-four viharas, having lived for only sixty-four years, passed away. Tissakumara, hearing of his father's death, came from Dighavapi, performed the funeral rites for his father, and taking his mother and Kandula the elephant, went to Dighavapi, fearing his brother. The ministers, having gathered together, told the news and sent it to Dutthagamaṇitissa. He, hearing that message, came to the dining hall and sent messengers to his brother, and then, coming to Mahagama, having attained consecration, sent a message to his brother up to the third time, "Send my mother and Kandula the elephant." Knowing that he would not send them, he went out to battle. The prince also, prepared for battle, went out. On the plain of Culangani, a great battle between the two brothers took place. Those warriors, because they had taken an oath, were not allies in their battle. Then many thousands of people of the king died. The king, defeated, fled, taking Tissa the minister, Dighatunika, and Vaḷava. The prince pursued him from behind. In between, the monks built a mountain. Seeing that, the prince knew it was the work of the Sangha of monks and stopped. The king, fleeing, went to a place called Jalamalatittha on the Kappanadakara River, and said, "I am hungry." The minister took out rice placed in a golden bowl and gave it to him. The king, considering the time, thought, "I will eat after giving it to the Sangha," and divided it into four portions: for the Sangha, the minister, the mare, and himself. He then had the meal announced. At that time, a monk named Kutumbiyatissa Thera from Piyangudipa came and stood before him. Seeing the Thera, the king, with a pleased mind, placed the portion set aside for the Sangha and his own portion into the Thera's bowl. The minister also placed his portion in the bowl, and the mare also wished to give. Knowing her intention, the minister placed her portion in the bowl as well. Thus, that king gave a full bowl of rice to the Thera. The Thera, taking the bowl, went and gave it to a monk named Gotama Thera. He fed five hundred monks, and then, with the remaining portions, filled the bowl again and threw it into the sky. The bowl went and stood before the king. Tissa, taking the bowl, fed the king and then ate himself, and then fed the mare. Then the king made a bundle of his armor and released the bowl. Then it went and rested in the Thera's hand. The king then returned to Mahagama, gathered his army, and taking sixty thousand troops, fought again with his brother. At that time, many thousands of men of the prince fell. The prince, fleeing, entered the monastery and went into the dwelling of the Mahathera. The king, following closely behind, knowing that he had entered the monastery, turned back. Later, the Theras reconciled the two brothers to each other. Then the king, to have the rice fields cultivated, sent Tissa Kumara to Dighavapi, and himself, sounding the drum, had the rice fields cultivated. Then, having gathered the people, and having enshrined the relics in Kunte, surrounded by a strong army, he went to Tissarama, and having paid homage to the Sangha, said, "Venerable sirs, to illuminate the Sasana, I will go beyond the Ganges. Give me monks to honor and accompany me." The Sangha... He gave to five hundred monks. The king, taking the community of monks, mounted Kaṇḍula the elephant, surrounded by soldiers, with a great army, went out to battle, and arriving at Mahiyangana, while fighting with the Tamils, had the Kañcuka Thūpa built at Mahiyangana. This is the traditional story for the manifestation of that Thūpa. 16. It is said that the Blessed One, in the ninth month after enlightenment, came to this island, to the great Nāga forest park on the bank of the Ganges, three yojanas long and one yojana wide, and coming to the yaksha assembly, standing in the sky above those yakshas, at the place of the Mahiyangana Thūpa, terrifying the yakshas with rain, wind, darkness, and the like, when they asked for refuge, said, "I will give you refuge, if you unanimously give me a place to sit." The yakshas said, "Venerable sir, we give you this entire island. Give us refuge." Then the Blessed One, removing their fear, having spread a piece of leather on the land given by them, sat there, entered into the fire kasina, and set the piece of leather ablaze on all sides, and enlarged it. Overwhelmed by that piece of leather, they gathered in heaps all around to the edge of the ocean. The Blessed One, by his psychic power, brought an island called Giridipa from there, and having placed the yakshas there, put the island back in its place, and contracted the piece of leather. Then there was a gathering of deities. In that gathering, the Blessed One taught the Dhamma - then. "To countless beings, there was the attainment of the Dhamma, and countless beings were established in the refuges and precepts; having attained the fruit of stream-entry, on Sela and Sumanakūṭa, the great Sumana, lord of the gods, asked for an object of worship, and touching his head, his pure, dark blue hair, he gave a handful of hair. The Victorious One placed it in his hand; he took that golden casket, made of various jewels, fashioned for the seat of the Teacher, and placing it, seven cubits high, on his head, he covered it with a sapphire stupa, and paid homage." When the Blessed One had attained Parinibbāna, in the dwelling of the Dhamma Commander, the elder Sāriputta, A certain Elder named Vāsika Sarabhū, a builder of monuments, taking the neck-bone relic, surrounded by the community of monks, came and established it in that very shrine, covering it with dark-cloud-colored stones, and departed after having a stupa made twelve cubits high. Then Cūḷābhaya, the brother of King Devānampiyatissa, seeing that wonderful shrine, had a shrine made thirty cubits high. Now, King Duṭṭhagāmaṇī Abhaya also, coming to Mahiyangana, while subduing the Tamils there, had a covering shrine made eighty cubits high and made offerings. Thus, even while doing such a violent deed, the wise, full of virtues, do merit, fearing the rush of Saṃsāra. The Story of the Mahiyangana Stupa 17. Then the king, fighting with the Tamils and capturing Chatta Tamil, having killed many Tamils there, came to Ambatittha and captured Amba Tamil in four months. Then descending, with great strength, he captured seven Tamils in one day, then in Antarasobbha, Mahākoṭṭha Tamil; in Doṇagāma, Gavara Tamil; in Hālakola, Mahissariya Tamil; in Nāḷisobbha, Nāḷika Tamil; in Dighābhasagalla, Dighābhaya Tamil. Then at Kacchatittha, he captured Kiñcisīsa Tamil in four months; then in Veṭha city, Tāḷa Tamil and Bhāṇaka Tamil; in Vahiṭṭha, Vahiṭṭha Tamil; in Gāmaṇi, Gāmaṇi Tamil; in Kumbugāma, Kumbu Tamil; in Naṇdika village, Naṇdika Tamil; in Khāṇu village, Khāṇu Tamil; in Tambunnagāma, he captured two Tamils, maternal nephews. Then— "Without knowing, they kill their own army, people kill their own people," Having heard this, the king made a declaration of truth there; "Striving for royal pleasure is never my intention, but for the establishment of the Buddha's dispensation is this my aim; By that truth, may my army, and the goods at hand, become like a net of color," so it was then. Thus, the king killed the Tamils on the bank of the Ganges. Those all who were killed came and entered the victorious city. Then the king, considering how to capture the victorious city, Seeing Nandimitta coming, he released Kandula. Kandula also came to seize him. Then Nandimitta, with both hands, firmly grasped and squeezed both tusks, forcing him to sit on his haunches. The king, having considered both, arrived at the conquered city. Then, at the southern gate, a great battle of soldiers occurred. At the eastern gate, Velusumana, mounted on a horse, slew many Tamils. The Tamils, having entered inside, blocked the gate. Then the king dismissed the soldiers. Kandula the elephant, Nandimitta, and Suranimmala performed their duty at the southern gate.