THE GREAT STUPA IS RUWANWELI SEYA

With a balmy tropical climate, spectacular sandy beaches, lush deep green forests, high-altitude hills, a diverse array of wildlife, and cities and towns bursting with colour this little island nation called Sri Lanka is the capital of Buddhism of the world. In this country with a great written historical chronicle, there is a sacred city called Anuradhapura, which is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. In this sacred city, there is a great stupa known as the Ruwanweli Maha Seya, the Mahathupa, which is a hemispherical structure (A Buddhist Pagoda). One Drona of our great teacher the Supreme Buddha’s relics is enshrined in the stupa, making it the largest collection of the Supreme Buddha’s relics found anywhere in the universe. Mahathupa was created by the miraculous power of determination of our great teacher the Supreme Buddha. This stupa is the emblem of sanctity, blessed with the presence of the Buddha and venerated by gods, great kings, and Buddhists for centuries and beyond.

Commencement of activities

When the where withal to build was thus brought together, he began the work of the Great Thupa on the full-moon day of the month of Vesak.

When he had ordered to take away the stone pillar the lord of the land had the place for the thupa dug out to a depth of seven to make it firm in every way.

Round stones that he commanded his soldiers to bring hither did he cause to be broken with hammers, and then did he, having knowledge of the right and the wrong ways, command that the crushed stone, to make the ground firmer, be stamped down by great elephants whose feet were bound with leather.

The fine clay that is to be found on the spot, for ever moist, where the heavenly Ganga falls down (upon the earth) (on a space) thirty yojanas (yodun) around, is called because of its fineness, `butter-clay.’

Samaneras who had overcome the asavas, (ashrawa) brought the clay hither from that place.

The king commanded that the clay be spread over the layer of stones and that bricks then be laid over the clay, over these a rough cement and over this cinnabar, and over this a network of iron, and over this sweet-scented marumba (sweet-scented clay) that was brought by the samaneras from the Himalaya.

Over this did the lord of the land command them to lay mountain-crystal.

Over the layer of mountain-crystal he had stones spread; everywhere throughout the work did the clay called butter-clay serve (as cement).

With resin of the kapittha-tree, (Divul/Woodapple tree) dissolved in sweetened water, the lord of chariots laid over the stones a sheet of copper eight inches thick, and over this, with arsenic dissolved in sesamum-oil (sesame seed-oil), (he laid) a sheet of silver seven inches thick.

When the king, glad at heart, had thus had preparation made upon the spot where the Great Thupa was to be built, he arranged, on the fourteenth day of the month of Esala, an assembly of the brotherhood of the bhikkhus, and spoke thus: `Tomorrow, venerable sirs, I shall lay the foundation-stone of the Great Cetiya. Then let our whole brotherhood assemble here, to the end that a festival may be held for the Buddha, mindful of the weal of the people; and let the people in festal array, with fragrant flowers and so forth, come tomorrow to the place where the Great Thupa will be built.’

He entrusted ministers with the adorning of the place of the cetiya.

Commanded by the lord of men, they, filled with deep reverence for the Sage (Buddha), adorned the place in manifold ways.

The whole city also and the streets leading thither did the king command to be adorned in manifold ways.

On the following morning he placed at the four gates of the city many barbers and servants for the bath and for cutting the-hair, clothes likewise and fragrant flowers and sweet foods (did) the king (place there) for his people’s good, he who rejoiced in the people’s welfare.

Taking, according to their wish, the things thus put before them, townsfolk and country-people went to the place of the thüpa.

The king supported, in order of their rank, by many ministers, richly clothed as befitted their office, surrounded by many dancers richly clothed like to celestial nymphs, (be himself) being clad in his state-raiment, attended by forty thousand men, while around him crashed the music (he being) glorious as the king of the gods; (Sak dewindu)  in the evening he who had knowledge of fit and unfit places went to the place of the Great Thupa, delighting the people (with the sight)

A thousand and eight waggon-loads of clothes rolled in bundles did the king place in the midst, and on the four sides he had clothes heaped up in abundance; and moreover, he had honey, clarified butter (ghee), sugar (sugar cane jaggery) and so forth set (there) for the festival.

 

From various (foreign) countries also did many bhikkhus come hither

From various (foreign) countries also did many bhikkhus come hither; what need to speak of the coming of the brotherhood living here upon the island?

With eighty thousand bhikkhus from the region of Rajagaha came the thera Indagutta, the head of a great school. From Isipatana came the great thera Dhammasena with twelve thousand bhikkhus to the place of the cetiya.

With sixty thousand bhikkhus came hither the great thera Piyadassi from the Jetarama-vihara (Jetavanarama). From the Mahavana (monastery) in Vesali (Vishala Mahanuwara) came the thera Urubuddharakkhita with eighteen thousand bhikkhus. From the Ghositarama in Kosambi (Kosambe Nuwara) came the thera Urudbammarakkhita with thirty `thousand bhikkhus. From the Dakkhinagiri in Ujjeni (Udeni Nuwara) came the thera Urusamgharakkhita with forty thousand ascetics.

With a hundred and sixty thousand bhikkhus came the thera named Mittinna from the Asokarama in Pupphapura (Patali Putta). From the Kasmira country came the thera Utinna bringing with him two hundred and eighty thousand bhikkhus. The wise Mahadeva came from Pallavabhogga with four hundred and sixty thousand bhikkhus, and from Alasanda (Alexandria) the city of the Yonas came the thera Yonamahadhammarakkhita with thirty thousand bhikkhus. From his dwelling by the road through the Vinjha forest mountains, came the thera Uttara with sixty thousand bhikkhus.

 

The great thera Cittagutta came hither from the Bodhimanda-vihara with thirty thousand bhikkhus. The great thera Candagutta came hither from the Vanavasa country with eighty thousand ascetics. The great thera Suriyagutta came from the great Kelasa-vihara with ninety-six thousand bhikkhus. As for the number of the bhikkhus dwelling in the island who met together from every side, no strict account has been handed down by the ancients. Among all these bhikkhus who were met in that assembly those alone who had overcome the äsavas, as it is told, were ninety-six kotis (Nine hundred sixty million).