Great Stupa Of Sri Lanka

Selection Of The Location Of The Great Stupa

The arahant Mahinda made a forecast that a stupa would be build enshrining a drone of the Buddha relics by the king Dutugamunu, a descendant of the king Devanampiyathissa, at the spot hallowed by the visit and the attainment of samapatti (mental absorptions) of the four previous buddhas and their accompanying arahants. Over joyed by this predicition, the king Devanampiyathssa installed an inscribed stone‐pillar on that spot and had the forecast inscribed on gold‐leaf and placed in a casket which was deposited in the royal palace.

Manifesting Of Material For The Great Stupa

When the king Dutugamunu wondered on how he could find the necessary, material for the great stupa without texing his people, the god Visvakarma, commanded by the Sakra, the king of the gods, created all of the material within a day. He caused the creation of bricks on the banks of the river Gambhira a yojana to the north of Anuradhapura, god nuggets at the village of Avuruviti 3 yojanas to the north‐east, copper at the village of Tambavita 7 yojanas to the east, gema at Saman Vava 4 yojanas to the south‐east silver at the Ridi Cove 8 yojanas to the south, pearls and corals of the size of nelli (myrobalan) fruits at the small town of Uruvela 5 yojanas to the west and 4 large gems at village of pelavapi 7 yojanas to the north‐west. Having received everything created by Visvakarma, the over‐joind king made arrangements to safeguard them.

Commencement Of Work On The Great Stupa

The king Dutugamunu commenced the construction work of the great Ruwanmali Stupa under the constellation of Visakha on the day of the full‐moon of Vesak (May). The inscribed stone‐pillar was removed and the site leveled. There‐after the ground was dug to a depth of cubits, covered by round stones brought in by mighty warriors. Beaten down by sledge‐hammers and pressed by elephants; butter‐clay. brought from the Himalaya by arahant samaneras (novicemonks) was next laid over. Over‐lain were bricks, rough cement, cinnabar, iron‐mesh, gravel, rock crystal and slabs of rock in successive layers. Again, a mixture of a sweet liquid and resin of wood apple was spread on top of which were laid 8‐finger thick metal plates. Over this was spread a mixture of arsenic and sesame oil followed by 7‐finger thick silver plates. Thus was completed the foundation work of the great stupa.

Making Of The Relic Chamber Of The Great Stupa

The master‐builder chosen for the construction activities, inspired by the god visvakarma, filled a golden bowl with water, and lifting some of it with his hand, let it fall causing the formation of a bubble resembling a hemisphere of crystal, and made the king agree to that shape of the future stupa. The king also made a special order prohibiting the use of any labour without the payment of wages. The Arahants caused the threebasal terraces, subsequent to their construction, to sink into the earth nine times, thus ensuring that the stupa would not be shaken even by an earth‐quake.

For the construction of the dhatugarbha (Relic Chamber) two Avahant samanevas, uttara and sumaha, brought six 8‐finger thick cream‐hued stone slabs 80 cubits square from the uttarakuru. One of these was laid on the floor, four others made fast on the sides and the other kept away on the east to be used as the top covering, on its completion.

All the work inside the Relic Chamber was made solelt of the kinds of precious materials. Details of events from the times of Buddha Dipankara to the attainment of omniscience of the Buddha Gautama, His life up to the attainment of parinibbana and subsequent events up to the establishment of the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka were depicted with the use of the same materials. At its centre was constructed the Buddha’s diamond throne facing east at a cost of ten million on which was placed a golden Buddha statue. Three seats costing ten million on which was placed a golden Buddha statue. Three seats costing ten million each and made of the 7 kinds of precious materials were placed in the remaining three directions. At a cost of ten million the king had the couch of thee Budddha made of silver and decorated with the 7 kinds of precious materials, with its head positioned towards the Bodhi. Three which was 18 cubits in height and made of the same materials.

Owinng to the meritorious power of the great king who fulfilled the paramita (perrfections) for a period of an a sankhya, the ower of the gods and the will of Arahants, the Buddha’s complete life‐story was completed in life‐size with the use of the kinds of precious materials. Whilst the God Visvakarma inspired the builder from the beginning to the end, the great Arahant indagtta who was gifted with the six super‐normal faculties, directed the work.

Enshrining Of The Relics

The fifth among the five wills made by the budddha in respect of Sri Lanka was that on the occasion of the enshrining of his relics in thee future ruvanmail stupa. They should ascend the sky, take the form of a Buddha and perform the tuwin miracles. Accordingly, with the occurrence of this phenomena 120 million who witnessed it attained Arahntship. Numberous where those that attained sotapatti, sakadagami and Anagami. The exhilarated king Dutuagamunu thought, Rewarded am I in thils very life. With his hands laved in scented water, he conveyed the relic casket on his head and placed it on the silver couch worth ten million set in the northward direction. Then the figure of the Buddha in the reclining posture, as willed by the Buddha, manifested itself, and all the relics camo to enshrined within it. Furthermore, as proclaimed by the king, the people of Sri Lanka offered many other objects such as gold and silver caskets, and about a 1000 more Buddha relics of enshrinement therein.

Parinibbana Of The Relices Of The Buddha

At the termination of the Buddha sasana (BE 5000, as supposed) all Buddha relics enshrined at various sites in Sri Lanka will gather within the vault of the ruwanmail stupa where the drona of relics of the budddha has already been enshrined, and there‐after these and all other Buddha relics enshrined in the realms of the Nagas, of the brahmas and of divinities, not excluding even those of the size of a mustard seed, will come together at the jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and form themselves into an image of budddha complete with the 32 main marks and the 80 lesser marks of a great being, and will perform the twin Miracles while emanating the six‐ fold radiance. In the midst of grieving and venerating devas of tens of thousands of world systems, the relics will convert themselves finally to the element of heat and pass on to parinibbana until then the drona of Buddha relics emanating radiance, will remain within the Ruwanmail stupa.