Ch. 26 The Consecreting of the Maricavatti Vihara
Ch. 27 The Consecreting of the Lohapasada
Ch. 28 The Wherewithal to Build the Great Stupa
WHEN that king of high renown had united Lañkä in one kingdom he distributed places of honour to his warriors according to their rank. The warrior Theraputtabhaya would not have that which was allotted to him, and being asked:
`Wherefore?' he answered: `It is war.' And questioned (yet again): `When a single realm is created what war is there?' he answered: `I will do battle with those rebels, the passions, (battle) wherein victory is hard to win.' Thus said he, and again and again the king sought to restrain him. When he had entreated again and again he took the pabbajja with the king's consent. After taking the pabbajja he attained in time to arahantship, and he lived in the midst of five hundred (bhikkhus) who had overcome the asavas.
When the week of the festival of kingship was gone by the fearless king Abhaya,' who had carried out the consecration with great pomp, went to the Tissa-tank, that was adorned according to the festival custom, to hold festival plays there and to observe the tradition of crowned kings.
All that had been made ready for the king and hundreds of offerings did they place on the spot where the Maricavatti vihara (afterwards stood). There in the very place where the thüpa (afterwards) stood the king's people who carried the spear planted the splendid spear with the relic. When the king had disported himself in the water the whole day through, together with the women of the harem, he said, in the evening: `We will go hence; carry the spear before us.'
And the people entrusted with (this duty) could not move the spear from its place; and the king's soldiers came together and brought offerings of perfumes and flowers. When the king saw this great miracle, glad at heart he appointed sentinels there, and after he bad returned forthwith into the city he built a cetiya in such wise that it enclosed the spear and founded a vihära that enclosed the thüpa.
In three years the vihara was finished and the ruler of men called the brotherhood together to hold the festival (on the consecration) of the monastery. A hundred thousand bhikkhus and ninety thousand bhikkhunis were gathered together there. Then in this assembly the king spoke thus to the brotherhood: `Without a thought of the brotherhood, venerable sirs, I ate pepper in the pod. Thinking: This shall be my act of expiation, I have built the pleasant Maricavatti vihara, together with the cetiya. May the brotherhood accept it!' With these words he poured forth the (ceremonial) water of a gift and piously gave the monastery to the brother hood. When he had set up a great and beautiful hall in the vihAra and round about it, he commanded that lavish gifts should be given there to the brotherhood. The hail was so planned that stakes were set even in the water of the Abhayatank,' what need of further words to speak of the remaining space (covered)?
When the ruler of men had given food, drink and so forth, for a week, he offered as a gift the whole of the costly necessaries for samanas. These necessaries began with a cost of a hundred thousand (kahapanas) and ended with a cost of a thousand. All this did the brotherhood receive. The money that was spent there in gratitude by the wise king, who was a hero in battle as in largess, whose pure heart was filled with faith in the Three Gems, who desired to raise the (Buddha's) doctrine to glory, (that was spent) to honour the Three Gems, beginning with the building of the thüpa and ending with the festival of the vihära, (all this money), leaving aside the rest of the priceless (gifts), is reckoned as but one less than twenty kotis.
Treasures which, in truth, bear on theni the blot of the five faults become, if they be acquired by people who are gifted with special wisdom, possessed of the five advantages ; therefore let the wise man strive to have them thus.
Here ends the twenty-sixth chapter, called `The Consecrating of the Maricavatti-vihara', in the Mahavamsa, compiled for the serene joy and emotion of the pious.
HEREUPON the king called to mind the tradition known to all, and duly handed down: `The thera rich in merit, ever intent on meritorious works, who formed his resolves in wisdom, who converted the island did, as is known, speak thus to the king, my ancestor: "Thy descendant, the king Dutthagamani, the wise, will hereafter found the Great Thüpa, the splendid Sonnamali a hundred and twenty cubits in height, and an uposatha-house, moreover, adorned with manifold gems, making it nine stories high, namely the Lohapasada."
Thus thought the ruler of the land, and finding, when he made search, a gold plate kept in a chest and laid by in the palace with such a written record thereon, he commanded that the inscription be read aloud: `When one hundred and thirty-six years have run their course, in future time will Kakavanna's son, the ruler of men, Dutthagamani, build this and that in such and such wise.' When the king had heard this read he uttered a cry of joy and clapped his hands. Then early in the morning he went to the beautiful Mahamegha-park, and when he had arranged a gathering together of the brotherhood of the bhikkhus he said to them: `I will build for you a pasada like to a palace of the gods. Send to a celestial palace' and make me a drawing of it.' The brotherhood of the bhikkhus sent thither eight (theras) who had overcome the asavas.
In the time of the sage Kassapa a brahman named Asoka, who bad set out eight ticket-meals (to be apportioned) to the brethren, commanded his serving-woman named Birani:
`Give of this continually.' When she had given these gifts faithfully her whole life long she left this (world) and was reborn as a lovely maiden in a gleaming palace, floating in the air, (and she was) continually served by a thousand nymphs. Her gem-palace was twelve yojanas high and measured forty-eight yojanas round about; it was adorned with a thousand jutting window-chambers, nine-storied and provided with a thousand chambers, gleaming with light, four-sided, with a thousand shell-garlands and with windows as eyes and provided with a vedikä (adorned) with a network of little bells. In the middle of the (building) was the beautiful Ambalatthika-pasada, visible from every side, bright with pennons hung out. When the theras, going to the heaven of the thirty-three (gods), saw that (palace) they made a drawing of it with red arsenic upon a linen cloth, and they returned, and being arrived they showed the linen to the brotherhood. The brotherhood took the linen and sent it to the king. When the king full of joy saw it he went to the splendid Aräma and caused the noble Lohapasada to be built after the drawing.
At the time that the work was begun the generous (king) commanded that eight hundred thousand gold pieces should be placed at each of the four gates; moreover, at each gate he commanded them to lay a thousand bundles of garments and many pitchers filled with ball-sugar, oil, sugar-dust, and honey, and proclaiming, `No work is to be done here without reward,' he had the work done (by the people) appraised, and their wage given to them.
The pasada was four-sided, (measuring) on each side a hundred cubits, and even so much in height. In this most beautiful of palaces there were nine stories, and in each story a hundred window-chambers. All the chambers were overlaid with silver and their coral vedikas were adorned with manifold precious stones, gay with various gems were the lotusflowers on the (vedikas) and they (the vedikas) were surrounded with rows of little silver bells.
A thousand well-arranged chambers were in the pasada, overlaid with various gems and adorned with windows. And since he heard of Vessavana's chariot which served as a car for the women, he bad a gem-pavilion set up in the middle (of the palace) fashioned in like manner. It was adorned with pillars consisting of precious stones, on which were figures of lions, tigers, and so forth, and shapes of devaths; a bordering of pearl network ran round the edge of the pavilion and thereon was a coral vedikä of the kind that has been described above.
Within the pavilion, gaily adorned with the seven gems, stood a shining beauteous throne of ivory with a seat of mountain-crystal, and in the ivory back (was fashioned) a sun in gold, a moon in silver, and stars in pearls, and lotus-blossoms made of various gems were fitly placed here and there and Jataka-tales in the same place' within a festoon of gold.
On the exceedingly beautiful throne covered with costly cushions was placed a beautiful fan of ivory, gleaming (magnificently), and a white parasol with a coral foot, resting on mountain-crystal and having a silver staff, shone forth over the throne. On it, depicted in the seven gems, were the eight auspicious figures and rows of figures of beasts with jewels and pearls in between; and rows of little silver bells were hung upon the edge of the parasol. Palace, parasol, throne, and pavilion were beyond price.
Costly beds and chairs, according to rank, and carpets and coverlets of great price did he command them to spread about. The rinsing-vessel and the ladle (belonging thereto) were even of gold; what need then to speak of the other utensils in the palace? Surrounded by a beautiful enclosure and provided with four gateways the pasada gleamed in its magnificence like the ball in the heaven of the thirty-three (gods). The pasada was covered over with plates of copper, and thence came its name `Brazen palace'.
When the Lohapasada was ready the king assembled the brotherhood, and the brotherhood came together as at the consecration-festival of the Maricavatti (vihara). Those bhikkhus who were yet simple folk stood on the first story, those learned in the tipitaka on the second, but those who had entered on the path of salvation and the others (stood) each on one of the third and higher stories,' but the arahants stood on those four stories that were highest of alL
When the king had bestowed the pasada on the brotherhood, after pouring forth the (ceremonial) water of presentation, he commanded, as before, a lavish gift of alms for a week. That which was spent by the generous king for the pasada, leaving aside all that which was beyond price, is reckoned at thirty kotis.
The wise who consider how marvellously precious is the giving of alms, while the gathering together of treasures (for oneself) is worthless, give alms lavishly, with a mind freed from the fetters (of lust), mindful of the good of beings.
Here ends the twenty-seventh chapter, called `the Consecrating of the Lohapasada', in the Mahavamsa, compiled for the serene joy and emotion of the pious.
SPENDING a hundred thousand (pieces of money) the king hereupon commanded a great and splendid ceremony of gift for the great Bodhi-tree. As he then, when entering the city, saw the pillar of stone raised upon the place of the (future) thüpa and remembered the old tradition, he became glad, thinking: `I will build the Great Thupa.' Then he mounted the high terrace (of his palace), and when he had taken his repast and had lain down he thought thus: `At the conquering of the Damilas this people was oppressed by me. It is not possible to levy a tax; yet if without a tax I build the Great Thüpa how shall I be able to have bricks duly made?'
As he thus reflected the devath of the parasol observed his thought, and thereupon arose a tumult among the gods; when Sakka was aware of this he said to Vissakamma:' `King Gamani has been pondering over the bricks for the cetiya: Go thou a yojana from the city near the Gambhirariver and prepare the bricks there.'
Thus commanded by Sakka, Vissakamma came hither and prepared the bricks in that very place.
In the morning a huntsman there went into the forest with his dogs; the devatä of the place appeared to the huntsman in the form of an iguana. The hunter pursued it, and when he came (to the place) and saw the bricks, and when the iguana vanished there, he thought: `Our king intends to build the Great Thupa; here is an aid there to!' Thereupon he went and told (this thing). When the king, to whom hispeople's good was dear, heard his welcome words he, glad at heart, bestowed on him a rich guerdon.
In a north-easterly direction from the city, at a distance of three yojanas and near Acaravitthigama, on a plain covering sixteen karisas (of land) there appeared nuggets of gold of different sizes; the greatest measured a span, the least were of a finger's measure. When the dwellers in the village saw the earth full of gold, they put some of it into a gold vessel and went and told the king of this matter.
On the east side of the city, at a distance of seven yojanas, on the further bank of the river and near Tambapittha, copper appeared. And the dwellers in the village there put the nuggets of copper into a vessel, and when they had sought the king they told him this matter.
In a south-easterly direction from the city, four yojanas distant, near the village of Sumanavapi many precious stones appeared. The dwellers in the village put them, mingled with sapphires and rubies, into a vessel and went and showed them to the king.
In a southerly direction from the city, at a distance of eight yojanas, silver appeared in the Ambatthakola-cave. A merchant from the city, taking many waggons with him, in order to bring ginger and so forth from Malaya, had set out for Malaya. Not far from the cave he brought the waggons to a halt and since he had need of wood for whips he wetit up that mountain. As he saw here a branch of a bread-fruit-tree, bearing one single fruit as large as a waterpitcher, and dragged down by the weight of the fruit, he cut the (fruit) which was lying on a stone away from the stalk with his knife, and thinking: `I will give the first (produce as alms),' with faith he announced the (meal) time. And there came thither four (theras) who were free from the asavas. When he had greeted them gladly and had invited them with all reverence to be seated, he cut away the rind around the stalk with his knife and tore out the bottom (of the fruit), and pouring the juice which filled the hollow forth into their bowls he offered them the four bowls filled with fruit-juice. They accepted them and went their way. Then he yet again announced the (meal) time. Four other theras, free from the asavas, appeared before him. He took their alms-bowls and when he had filled them with the kernels of the bread-fruit he gave them back. Three went their way, but one did not depart. In order to show him the silver he went further down and seating himself near the cave he ate the kernels. When the merchant also had eaten as he wished of the kernels that were left, and had put the rest in a bundle, he went on, following the track of the thera, and when he saw the thera he showed him the (usual) attentions. The thera opened a path for him to the mouth of the cavern: `Go thou now also on this path, lay brother!' When he had done reverence to the thera he went that way and saw the cave. Standing by the mouth of the cave and seeing the silver he struck upon it with his axe, and when he knew it to be silver he took a lump of the silver and went to his freight-waggons. Then leaving the waggons behind and taking the lump of silver with him the excellent merchant went in haste to Anuradhapura and told the king of this matter, showing him the silver.
In a westerly direction from the city, at a distance of five yojanas, near the landing-place Uruvela, pearls in size like to great myrobalan fruits, mingled with coral, six waggonloads, came forth to the dry land. Fishermen who saw them piled them together in a heap, and taking the pearls together with coral in a vessel they went to the king and told him of this matter.
In a northerly direction from the city, at a distance of seven yojanas, in a cave opening on the Pelivapikagama tank, above on the sand, four splendid gems had formed in size like to a small mill-stone, in colour like flax-flowers, (radiantly) beautiful. When a hunter with his dogs saw these he came to the king and told him: `I have seen precious stones of such and such a kind.'
The lord of the land, rich in merit, heard, on one and the same day, that the bricks and the other (treasures) had appeared for the Great Thüpa. Glad at heart he bestowed due reward upon those people, and appointing them forthwith as watchers he had the treasures all brought to him.
Merit, that a man has thus heaped np with believing heart, careless of insupportable ills of the body, brings to pass hundreds of results which are a mine of happiness; therefore one must do works of merit with believing heart.
Here ends the twenty-eighth chapter, called `the Obtaining of the wherewithal to build the Great Thupa', in the Mahavamsa, compiled for the serene joy and emotion of the pious.