{"id":101103,"date":"2020-04-13T16:49:05","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T23:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=101103"},"modified":"2020-04-16T16:44:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-16T23:44:05","slug":"medieval-sri-lanka-and-theravada-buddhism-in-southeast-asia-pt-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/04\/13\/medieval-sri-lanka-and-theravada-buddhism-in-southeast-asia-pt-1\/","title":{"rendered":"MEDIEVAL SRI LANKA AND THERAVADA BUDDHISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Pt 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

This essay\nprovides additional information on Sri Lanka\u2019s role in establishing Theravada\nBuddhism in South East Asia. It is a supplementary essay to the earlier essays\non    subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians agree\nthat the major impact of Sinhala Buddhist culture was on South East Asia, on\nMyanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Yunnan province of China.  Sinhala Buddhism was found there from around\nthe 5th<\/sup> century at least. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is plenty\nof information on the other four countries, but very little on Vietnam. The\nDong Dong Buddha image from Champa, which is displayed in Ho Chi Ming museum,\nhas been identified by Boisellier as influenced by Anuradhapura of the period\n3-4 AD.  It is a standing Buddha made of\nbronze, a little over a meter high. Dupont (1959) has suggested that the Buddha\nfigures from Dong Duron in Vietnam, Sikendeng and Jember in East Java closely\nresemble those from 5th century Sri Lanka. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the 12th century, Buddhism had been\nin retreat In the South Asian subcontinent, said Gunawardana. Islam and\nHinduism, introduced by Indian traders had replaced it. But, in the middle of the 12 century,   South East Asia decided to turn again to\nBuddhism. Sri Lanka was the foremost centre of Theravada Buddhism in South\nAsia.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaching out\nto Sri Lanka was not a problem. There had been long standing diplomatic\nrelations between Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Culavamsa records Vijayabahu I\n(1055-1110) sending envoys with gifts and letter written in his own hand in\nPali to king of Ramanna (probably Arakan) seeking his assistance to defeat the\nColas.  Parakrama bahu I (1153-86) had a\nfight with Arakan. But this was settled amicably and the kings who came after\nhim, kept in touch with Burma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Vijayabahu II (1186-7) wrote a letter in Pali\nto the Burmese king and also signed a treaty of friendship.  Nissanka Malla (1187-96) also had friendly\nrelations with Burma.  In Burma, king\nNarathu poisoned the heir to the throne. The Sangharaja of Burma, Ven Panthagu\nleft Myanmar in disgust and lived in Sri Lanka for six years from 1167.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were\nmarriage connections too. Luce (1969) said that rulers of south East Asian countries\nwere eager to get consorts from Sri Lanka. Mahavamsa mentions a ship carrying a\nSinhala princess to Cambodia, during the time of Parakrama bahu I (1123\u20131186).\nKing Dharanindravarman II had asked for a bride for his son Jayavarman VII.\nDharanindravarman was Buddhist. According to Glass Palace Chronicle, Burmese\nking Alaungsitthu (1112-1167) had visited Sri Lanka, married the Sri Lanka king\u2019s\ndaughter and returned to Burma.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be\nmentioned here, that during Portuguese rule, the Indonesian kingdom of Aceh had\nsent an embassy, asking king Dharmapala for a Sinhala princess as a bride. The\nUdarata kingdom, hearing this had told  \nAceh that Dharmapala had no such princess, but Udarata could supply one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The medieval\nperiod started with Sri Lanka seeking assistance from Southeast Asia. .Vijayabahu\nI wrote to Burma in 1071, asking for learned monks to restore the Sangha. 20\nsenior Burmese monks arrived and the Upasampada was re-established.\nInscriptions have spoken of arrival of monks from Ramanna, (Thaton) and the\npurification of the Sangha, but indicate that Sri Lanka   considered it to be \u2018our own upasampada\u2019\nwhich was now returning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following\nthis, there was a revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 12 century. This led\nto the rise of several active centers of Buddhist scholarship in Sri Lanka that\nattracted young monks from Southeast Asia. The visiting monks were taught the Theravada\nBuddhism of the Mahavihara (Skilling, 1996). \nMahavihara emphasized the study of Pali and knowledge of the   Vinaya. The training included a study of\nSumangalavilasini, Papancasudani, Saratthappakasini, Manorathapurani, also\nBodhivamsa and Samantapasadika, said R.A.L.H\nGunawardana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important\nfeature of this transfer of Sinhala Buddhism was the transfer of the vana vasi\n(forest dwelling) tradition to Southeast Asia, said Gunawardana. The forest\ndwelling monks, led by bhikkhus of the Udumbaragiri fraternity had played a\nleading role in the Sangha reform movement in Sri Lanka. These bhikkhus were\nalso among the most reputed Buddhist scholars of the time. They    participated in the transfer of Sinhala\nBuddhism to Southeast Asia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1424, for\ninstance, a ceremony of higher ordination was held in Sri Lanka for a group of\nSouth east Asian monks who had studied under Vanaratana, of the forest dwelling\nsect. 28 were from Chiang Mai, 8 from Cambodia, 6 from Burma.  These monks had learned Sinhala and the Sri Lanka\nstyle of intonation and recitation of Pali texts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dipawamsa and Mahavamsa inspired the tradition\nof chronicle writing in the entire Southeast Asian region, said Hema Goonetilake.  Mahavamsa became the model for their\nhistories. The vamsa literature influenced Myanmar and Thailand and to a lesser\nextent, Cambodia and Laos. The Mahavamsa virtually became a household text in\nthe entire region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mahasammata\nvamsa, the oldest extant chronicle of Burma has been modeled on the\nMahavamsa.  The \u2018Sasana vamsa\u2019 , the\nLanna chronicles and other chronicles written in Thailand followed the\nMahavamsa model. Prabang chronicle and the Wat Keo inscription of Laos were\nalso in the vamsa tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians have\nfound that Buddhism did not go  from Sri\nLanka  to South East Asia in  a map-like order, Burma first, then Thailand,\nthen Cambodia and so on.  Instead,\nSinhala Buddhism has gone direct to Cambodia from Sri Lanka. It went to\nThailand and Laos from Cambodia. Cambodia was the most powerful state in the\nregion at the time and many of the Pali texts found in South East Asia were in\nKhmer script. Cambodia  also showed a\nsense of mission. Tamalinda, son of Jayavarman VII of Cambodia had gone to Sri\nLanka with Thai monks, studied there for 10 years, came back and then went to Burma\nand promoted Buddhism there. Therefore\nthis essay looks first at Cambodia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAMBODIA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cambodia and Sri\nLanka have been in touch from the 6th<\/sup> century, at least.  In 505 AD a Pali text of the Abhayagiri\nvihara, Vimuttimagga, was translated into Chinese by Sanghabadra, a monk from\nFunan (Cambodia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Records indicate that Sinhala bhikkhus\narrived at Angkor from Ligor in Thailand, in time of King Jayavarman VII (1181\n\u2013 1218). They established the Sinhala Lankavamsa ordination. This Lankavamsa\nordination then spread into Thailand and Laos.\nThe stone stupa in the Prasat Phra Khan temple built by Jayavarman VII  showed\nthe influence of Kiri vehera. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the 14 century Sri Lanka monks had become\nadvisors to Cambodian kings . A 15th century Cambodian inscription refers to a\nmonk named Lanka Sriyasa. He taught the Dhamma to the royal princes. He also\ndid much to popularize Buddhism.  When\nKing Po Hea Yat founded the capital Phnom Penh in 1422,  all five temples built in Phnom Penh were\nheaded by Sinhala monks. Wat Lanka was designated the principle library in the\ncountry. the Tripitaka was taught there by Sri Lanka monks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LAOS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laos became an independent state when the Lao\nkingdom of Lan Xang<\/a> was established in 1353. Before that Laos was part of the Khmer\nempire.  Sometime in the 1330s, the heir\napparent to Laos, was exiled to Cambodia, with his son, Fa Ngum   Fa Ngum was looked after by the Cambodian\nking, Jayavarman Paramesvara, who gave\nhis daughter in marriage to him in 1332. \nFa Ngum (1353 \u2013 1372) then returned to Laos, united the various Laos\nprovinces  and declared himself\nking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His queen wanted Buddhism introduced to Laos.  Her father, the Cambodian king sent a mission.\nThe mission included 20 Buddhist monks and  \nfour groups of artisans, skilled in painting, writing and casting images.\nPhra Maha Pasaman, a Cambodian monk and Mahadeva Lanka, a Sinhala monk, were\nthe leaders of the delegation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delegation included three Sinhala monks,\nMahadeva Lanka, Mahadeva \u2026.. and Mahadeva Nandipanna. Mahadeva Lanka was given\na long Lao name, Phru Silavavisuddha  Uttamacarinanavisesa Viseyyateyapidok\nPavartep Lanka,<\/em> abbreviated to Phra Maha Tep Lanka  and made chief monk of Wat Keo, a temple\nspecially built for this team  by  the king. \nMahadeva Lanka later became the monk advisor for Fa Ngum and the first Sangharaja\nof Laos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

the \nsecond Sinhala monk was  made\nchief monk of  Wat Xien Kan, and was also given a long Lao name, Mahasanghasena Sasanabhiromm Uttamusami\nSilavisesa Tep Lanka<\/em>, shortened to Phra Tep Lanka and was made chief monk\nof Wat Xien Kan. The third monk was  \ngiven the Lao name Maha \nNandipanna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wat Keo inscription  says that on the arrival of the Cambodian\nmission, a monastic complex was  established,\nwith a Bodhi tree, Vihara, ceti and residential quarters. The  Bodhi  was from a sprout of the Sri Maha Bodhi and\nthe vihara was known as Wat Po Lanka ( Lanka Bodhi Vihara) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the \nCambodian king  sent  the mission to Laos, he  also sent his proudest possession, the Buddha\nimage Prabang\u201d with miraculous powers. According\nto the \u2018Prabang Chronicle\u2019, this image was cast in 874 AD in Sri Lanka , by Culanaga\nthera , at the  request of the   Cambodian king. It was sent as a gift from\nVijayabahu I. The statue was    83 cm in\nheight, standing  in abhaya mudra and\nhad  been made from an alloy of gold,\nsilver, copper and brass.   This  statue was treated as   <\/strong>the symbol of the right to rule Laos.  It was kept in the capital city and the\ncapital was named Luang Prabang. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fa Ngum\u2019s son, Sam Saun Tai ( 1373-1416)  also built temples and founded monastic\nschools for the study of Buddhism. He  elevated\nMaha Tep Lanka  and Maha Pasaman to the  rank of Sangharaja. By the end of his reign,\nLuang Prabang city had won recognition as one of the most important centers of\nBuddhist teaching in the region. Lao chronicles specifically state that it was\nthe Sinhala form of Buddhism that was introduced to Laos. ( continued)\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS This essay provides additional information on Sri Lanka\u2019s role in establishing Theravada Buddhism in South East Asia. It is a supplementary essay to the earlier essays on    subject. Historians agree that the major impact of Sinhala Buddhist culture was on South East Asia, on Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Yunnan province […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101103\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}