Buddhist Pilgrimage

7. Restoration of Buddhist Sites in India 13, 16

The disappearance of Buddhism in India lasted six centuries, from the 13th-19th century AD. According to Ven. Bhikkhu Jagdish Kashyap, it was almost so complete that even in recent times, the local people of Patna, Rajgir and Muttra, once the strongholds of Buddhism, could not even recognize the Buddhist relics that were discovered there. While in many places, the Buddha statues that were not destroyed came to be worshipped as Hindu deities. The coming of the British in the 19th century into India saw the excavation of many ancient Buddhist sites which had lain buried during those lost centuries. The person who played the prime role was Sir Alexander Cunningham (1814-1893), the first Director General of Archeology and the pioneer explorer of Buddhist heri-tage in India. A man of military discipline, he became associated with archeology when he undertook excavation of the Dhamek stupa in Sarnath around 1840. He had an innate concern for ancient remains, and was deeply disturbed by the way the monu-ments were suffering from vandalism and the ravages of nature.

When Cunningham was appointed the Archeological Surveyor of Indian Archeology in 1861 to lead a scheme for the survey of Northern India, he had a well-formulated plan of following the travel records of the famous Chinese pilgrims Fa Hsien and Hsüan Tsang. These records have proven to be of immense help in locating many of the ancient Buddhist sites such as Kusinara, Sankasia, Savatthi, Nalanda, Kosambi and many others that had become obscured with time.

While Cunningham was dedicated to the restoration of Buddhist heritage sites, another person who dedicated his life to reclaiming them for the Buddhists was Anagarika Dharmapala (1865-1933), pioneer of the Buddhist revival-movement in India. Born in Sri Lanka by the name of David Hewavitarana, he later took the name of Anagarika Dharmapala, which means “Homeless Guardian of the Dhamma”. Dharmapala came to Bodhgaya in 1891 after reading several articles written by Sir Edwin Arnold, author of the “Light of Asia”, describing the deplorable condition of the Maha Bodhi Temple, the most sacred place of worship of Buddhists. What he saw shocked and saddened him so deeply that he vowed to devote his whole life “…to make this sacred spot to be cared for by our own bhikkhus”.

Realizing that it would not be an easy task to accomplish unless the message of the Buddha spread, he founded the Maha Bodhi Society of India to spearhead the movement. With the Maha Bodhi Society started the process of revival and regeneration of Buddhism, which had nearly become extinct in the country of its origin. Starting at Bodhgaya, where the battle to regain control of the Mahabodhi Temple began, the Maha Bodhi Society ex-panded its activities to Sarnath, venue of the First Sermon. When Anagarika Dharmapala came to India in 1891, Sarnath had been reduced to a tiny village surrounded by jungle, which was the grazing ground of wild pigs. Dharmapala decided to restore it into a living shrine, by building a new vihara beside the famous Deer Park. With the completion of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara in 1931, and the subsequent establishment of the Maha Bodhi Society Library, Free Clinic, Primary and High School, Teachers Training College, Hostel for pilgrims and a sangharama, Sarnath is once again pulsating with life. The impact of the expanding activities of the Maha Bodhi Society was soon felt throughout India, and led to the Buddhist revival movement in major cities in India. With its headquarters in Calcutta, the Maha Bodhi Society has expand-ed its activities to many cities in India, as well as overseas in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, England and the USA.

Gradually, all the eight great places of pilgrimage were restored and developed as religious-cum-tourist resorts. Most of them have re-gained much of their lost glory and are pulsating with life, thanks to the concerted efforts of the Sangha, archeologists, historians and lay devotees in their restoration. In particular, the Burmese and Sri Lankan Buddhists have played a crucial role by building viharas to accommodate the Sangha, so that the bhikkhus can act as custodians of the holy shrines and enhance the sanctity of the environment. Many of the shrines are located in rural areas that lack basic amenities, and the monks there play a useful role in pro-moting the education and welfare of the local population. Once again, they are living shrines, worthy of worship and veneration to which thousands of devotees come every year from all over the world to pay homage to the Greatest Teacher (Sattha) the world has ever known, the Lord Buddha, and earn merit by this pil-grimage of piety and faith. A visit to these repositories of glorious Buddhist heritage will certainly uplift the mind and enable one to develop many good qualities. The sight of fellow pilgrims, who come from far and wide with the common aim of honoring the Blessed One, will surely arouse appreciative joy (mudita) in one’s heart. All devout Buddhists should heed the Buddha’s exhortation and go on a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

46 Plate 1. 1991 Pilgrimage Group. Group photo with Sayadaw U Jnanapurnik and Ven. Bhikkhu Sumangala of the Buddha Vihara Bhrikutimandap, at the latter’s monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. RETURN

Plate 2. 1997 Pilgrimage Group. Group photo with Ven. Saranankara and Sayadaw U Rewata at the ruins of Nalanda. RETURN Plate 3. 1999 Pilgrimage Group. Group photo with Sayadaw U Rewata at Tilaura Kot, Kapilavastu. RETURN

Plate 4. 2001 Pilgrimage Group. Group photo with Sayadaw U Rewata at Tilaura Kot, Kapilavastu. RETURN Plate 5. Lumbini Garden in 1991.

The author in front of Puskarni pond. Behind is the old Maya Devi temple, dismantled in 1995 for archeological excavations. Under the temple’s foundations archeologists found a commemorative stone slab atop seven layers of bricks from the 3rd century BC, believed to be the shrine built by Asoka to worship the exact spot where the

Buddha was born.

RETURN Plate 6. Lumbini Garden in 2001 showing the famous Asokan Pillar. The area under the zinc roof was the site of the old Maya Devi temple. In the foreground is the

Puskarni pond. RETURN Plate 7. Lumbini. The author at the excavated site of the old Maya Devi temple. In the background is the mound believed to be the exact spot where the Buddha was born. RETURN

Plate 8. Kapilavastu (Tilaura Kot). Ruins of the Eastern Gate of Kapilavastu, through which Prince Siddhattha left the city on the night of his Great Renunciation. RETURN Plate 9. Kapilavastu (Niglihawa).

Broken Asokan pillar at the village of Niglihawa, believed to be the birth-place of Kankamuni Buddha. He was given the name “Kanaka-gamana” because a shower of gold fell at the time of his birth (kanaka = gold, gama- na = coming). Over time, the name has taken the corrupt form of Konagamana. RETURN Plate 10. Kapilavastu (Gotihawa). The stump of the broken Asokan pillar below ground level at Gotihawa, the village believed to be the birthplace of Kakusandha Buddha. RETURN Plate 11. Bodhgaya. View of the south side of the magnificent looking Mahabodhi Temple. At its four cor-ners are four smaller towers, miniature rep-licas of the main spire.

The Bodhi tree is on the left at the back of the temple. Surrounding it are stone railings which can be seen at the lower left of the picure. RETURN Plate 12. Bodhgaya.

The ancient Asokan stone gateway at the entrance of the Maha-bodhi Temple. Its col-umns are decorated with delicate carvings. RETURN 52 Plate 13. Bodhgaya. The Animisilocana shrine, on elevated ground, is where the Buddha spent the second week after his Enlightenment gazing at the Bodhi tree with-out blinking his eyes, out of gratitude to the tree for providing him with shelter. RETURN Plate 14. Bodhgaya.

The Cankama, or Pro-menade, where the Buddha spent the third week after Enlighten-ment pacing up and down in walking meditation. The foot-steps of the Buddha are represented by lotus flowers on a nar-row masonry platform about 1 metre high.

A signboard nearby describes the event.

RETURN Plate 15. Bodhgaya. Close view of the Diamond Throne, the seat of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. On the right is the trunk of the Bodhi tree covered in monk’s robes. RETURN

Plate 16. Bodhgaya. The site of Lady Sujata’s house on a mound in the village of Senani. RETURN Plate 17. Bodhgaya. Dhongra hill near Bakraur, where the Bodhisatta is believed to have practised self-mortification for 6 years. The white building is a Tibetan monastery. RETURN

Plate 18. Bodhgaya. Stairs leading to the entrance of Dungeswari (door on the left at top of stairs), the cave at Dhongra hill in which the Bodhisatta is said to have meditated. RETURN Plate 19. Bodhgaya. An image of the skeleton-like Bodhisatta inside Dungeswari. RETURN

Plate 20. Sarnath. The ruins of the Mulagandhakuti, or Main shrine. The area in the foreground with many votive stupas is believed to be the site of the Cankama, or Promenade, where the Buddha did his walking meditation. RETURN Plate 21. Deer Park, Sarnath.

The Dhamek stupa, whose lower portion is encased in beauti-fully carved stones of the Gupta period. In the foreground are the brick remains of votive stupas, marking the site of the Cankama, where the Buddha did his walking medita-tion. To the front is the remaining base of the Dhammarajika stupa, pulled down by Jagat Singh in 1794. It is slightly over 1 m high.

RETURN Plate 22. Sarnath. The Pancayatana shrine is believed by some to be the place where the Buddha preached the First Sermon. Not as famous as the other monuments it has fewer visitors, making it a quieter and more conducive place for meditation. RETURN Plate 23. Kushinagar. The Mahaparinibbana Temple and the imposing Nirvana stupa behind it. RETURN

Plate 24. Kushinagar. The famous Reclining Buddha image inside the Mahapari-nibbana Temple. RETURN Plate 25. Kushinagar. The Cremation stupa of the Mallas, where the Buddha was cremated. This is a favourite place for pilgrims to come and meditate. RETURN

Plate 26. Sravasti. The imposing Sudatta stupa at Mahet, built over the foundations of the house of Sudatta, popularly known as Anathapindika. RETURN Plate 27. Sravasti. The Angulimala stupa at Mahet, showing the opening of a tunnel cut through its base for drainage. RETURN

Plate 28. Sravasti, Jetavana. The site of the Kosambi kuti is shown by the oblong foundation walls, just behind the two stupa bases in the foreground. In the back-ground, after the second palm tree, are the raised foundation walls marking the site of Gahdhakuti, or Perfumed Chamber, residence of the Buddha. RETURN Plate 29. Sravasti, Jetavana. Temple No. 2 marks the site of the original Gandhakuti in Jetavana. This is a favourite place for pilgrims who come to meditate. RETURN

Plate 30. Sankasia. Front view of the 3rd century BC Elephant Capital. The inset at the top right hand corner is the side view, clearly showing the elephant. RETURN Plate 31. Sankasia. The mound at Sankasia, believed to be the remains of a Buddhist structure. At the top, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Visharidevi, is a shrine believed to be the site where the Buddha descended from Heaven at Sankasia. RETURN

Plate 32. Sankasia. The author at the Visharidevi shrine in Sankasia, believed to be the site where the Buddha set foot when he descended from Heaven. On the right is Mr. Varma, the Indian tourist guide from Varanasi. RETURN Plate 33. Rajgir. The Bimbisara road, leading up to Gijjhakuta, or Vulture Peak. RETURN

Plate 34. Rajgir. View of the top of Vulture Peak. In the foreground is a shrine, made of bricks, for pilgrims to perform puja. RETURN Plate 35. Rajgir. Ruins of ancient monastic buildings excavated at Jivaka’s mango grove. RETURN

Plate 36. Rajgir. The Karanda pond at Veluvana, or Bamboo Grove. RETURN 64 Plate 37. Rajgir. The Pippala cave, on the lower slopes of Vebhara hill. Below, on the left, are Hindu temples and the hot springs of Rajgir, a popular picnic spot for locals. RETURN

Plate 38. Vaishali. The Asoka stupa and the Asokan pillar with a Lion Capital on top at Kolhua. In the foreground is the Markata-hrada, or Monkey’s Tank. RETURN Plate 39. Vaishali. The dome-shaped roof of the shelter over the ruins of the original Relic stupa of the Licchavis at Basrah. RETURN

Plate 40. Vaishali. The remains of the original mud stupa of the Licchavis in the centre, surrounded by enlargements of burnt bricks of a later period. RETURN

Part II Four Sacred Places

CONTENTS 1. Lumbini, Birthplace of the Buddha 2. Bodhgaya, Place of the Buddha’s Enlightenment

1. Lumbini, Birthplace of the Buddha

a) How to reach there Lumbini is located in Nepal, near the Indian border town of Sonauli. Nowadays one can apply for a Nepalese visa in Kuala Lumpur in order to enter the country. From the border, a good road leads to Lumbini, about 20 km away. All distances are approximate.

b) Religious Significance 1, 2, 4 After fulfilling the practice of the Ten Perfections (Paramis) for four incalculables (asankheyya) and a hundred thousand world cycles (kappa), the Bodhisatta or Future Gotama Buddha took concep-tion in the womb of Maya Devi, the queen of Suddhodana, chief of a small Sakyan republic, just across the present Indo-Nepalese border. On the full-moon day of May in 623 BC, Maya Devi was travelling in state from the Sakyan capital of Kapilavatthu, to Devadaha, her parents’ home, to deliver her first child in keep-ing with the ancient tradition of her people. Along the way she passed through Lumbini Garden, a pleasure grove of Sala trees which were then in full bloom. Stopping to admire the flowering trees and plants, she began to feel the pangs of childbirth. Quickly she summoned her female attendants to put up a curtain around her. Holding the branch of a Sala tree to support herself, she gave birth to the Bodhisatta while standing up. According to Majjhima Sutta No. 123, as soon as the Bodhisatta was born, he took seven steps to the North and declared his position in the world with these words: Aggo ’ ham asmi lokassa Jetto ’ ham asmi lokassa Setto ’ ham asmi lokassa Ayam antima jati Natthi dani punabbhavo – I am the chief in the world. – I am the highest in the world. – I am the noblest in the world.

– This is my last birth.

– There is no more becoming for me.

As soon as the Bodhisatta was born, a great immeasurable light sur-passing the radiance of the gods appeared, penetrating even those abysmal world inter-spaces of darkness where the sun and moon cannot make their light prevail. The ten thousand-fold world system shook, quaked and trembled and there too a great immeas-urable light appeared to herald the birth of the Bodhisatta.

c) Historical Background 6, 9 In 249 BC, the great Mauryan emperor Asoka, who ruled nearly the whole of India from 273 to 236 BC, visited Lumbini as part of his pilgrimage to the sacred Buddhist places and worshipped in person the sacred spot where the Buddha was born. To commem-orate his visit, he built a stone pillar, which bears an inscription in Brahmi script to record the event for posterity. The inscription engraved on the pillar in five lines reads (translation):

“Twenty years after his coronation, King Piyadassi, Beloved of the Gods, visited this spot in person and worshipped at this place because here Buddha Sakyamuni was born. He caused to make a stone (capital) representing a horse and he caused this stone pillar to be erected. Because the Buddha was born here, he made the village of Lumbini free from taxes and subject to pay only one-eighth of the produce as land revenue instead of the usual rate.”

(Note: The coronation of Asoka took place in 269 BC, four years after his reign.)

After the devastation of Buddhist shrines in India by the Muslims in the 13th century AD, Lumbini was deserted and eventually en-gulfed by the tarsi forests. In 1896, the German archeologist Dr. Alois A. Fuhrer, while wandering in the Nepalese tarai in search of the legendary site, came across a stone pillar and ascertained beyond doubt it was indeed the birthplace of the Lord Buddha. The Lumbini pillar (also known as the Rummindei pillar) stands today majestically proclaiming that here the Buddha was born.

d) Objects of interest 9, 14, 15

(i) Asokan Pillar Upon entering Lumbini Garden, the most visible landmark is a tall pillar surrounded by an iron fence. This is the famous Lumbini Pillar erected by King Asoka in 249 BC. Originally it had a horse capital on top but afterwards it was struck by lightning and broken in the middle leaving 6.7 m standing without the horse capital. It is this pillar with its inscription that confirmed this site as the

Buddha’s birthplace.

(ii) Sanctum Sanctorum: Holiest of the Holy Spots The area just in front of the Asokan column was formerly the site of the old Maya Devi shrine, which was dismantled around 1995 for archeological excavations. On 4th February 1996, a team of UN-sponsored archeologists announced the discovery of the Buddha’s birthplace beneath the temple’s foundation. The archeo-logists excavated 15 chambers to a depth of about 5 m, and found a commemorative stone slab shaped like a womb atop a platform of seven layers of bricks dating back to the 3rd century BC, pinpoint-ing the exact spot of the Buddha’s birthplace, the sanctum sancto-rum. According to ancient Buddhist literature, when King Asoka visited Lumbini in 249 BC, he placed a stone on top of a pile of bricks as a commemorative monument, for himself and posterity to worship.

(iii) New Maya Devi Shrine Nearby is the new Maya Devi shrine, a small pagoda-like struc-ture, which holds a stone sculpture depicting the Nativity of the Buddha. The sculpture contains a bas-relief image of Maya Devi, mother of the Lord, holding a branch of the Sala tree with the newborn infant standing on a lotus pedestal. It was previously in-stalled in the old Maya Devi temple.

(iv) Puskarni – the sacred pond South of the Asokan pillar is the famous sacred pond – Puskarni, believed to be the same pond in which Maya Devi washed herself before giving birth to the Bodhisatta.

(v) Myanmar, Nepalese, Tibetan Viharas

& Meditation Centre The Nepalese Vihara is built inside Lumbini Garden. It is a Theravada monastery run by an old Nepalese bhikkhu. The Tibetan and Myanmar viharas and the Panditarama Meditation Centre are farther away, outside the garden complex. Pilgrims are advised to visit these places to pay their respects to the Sangha, whose presence has sanctified the environment of Lumbini.

71 (vi) Kapilavatthu, the Sakyan Capital Located some 27 km west of Lumbini, lie the ruins of the ancient Sakyan city of Kapilavatthu. The site has been identified with the archeological mound at Tilaura Kot (kotmound, fortified area). Excavations of these ruins by the Nepalese Archeology Department have exposed mounds of old stupas and monasteries, made of kiln-burnt bricks and clay-mortar. The remains are surrounded by a moat and the walls of the city are made of bricks. The fortified area of the site is 518 m running north-south and 396 m from east to west, roughly 20.5 hectares. On the basis of the archeological findings, the outer city of common citizens is very extensive and fits the reported size of Kapilavatthu as narrated by Hsüan Tsang in the Si-yü-ki.

Pilgrims visiting Lumbini should spend an extra day to visit Tilaura Kot where they can still see the site of the Eastern Gate, called the Mahabhinikkhamanam Dvara (Great Renunciation Gate). It was from here that the Bodhisatta set out on his quest for Enlightenment on the night of the full-moon of Asalha (July) in 594 BC when he was twenty-nine years old. In the vicinity of Tilaurakot, there are several Buddhist sites of significance, notably:

(vii) Niglihawa, Birthplace of Kanakamuni Buddha Niglihawa, 3 km north-east of Tilaura Kot, is believed to be the ancient town of Sobhavati, birthplace of Kanakamuni Buddha.

At the time of his birth, a heavy shower of gold fell over the whole of Jambudipa. Taking this “coming down of gold” as an omen, he was named Kanakagamana (kanaka = gold, agamana = coming).

Over time, the original name Kanakagamana has taken the cor-rupt form of Konagamana. Emperor Asoka visited this place in 249 BC during his pilgrimage and erected a pillar to commemorate the event. Today, the Asokan pillar can still be seen but it is bro-ken into two pieces. The upper portion is 4.6 m long while nearly 1.5 m of the lower portion stands above ground slightly tilted. The inscription in Brahmi script on the pillar reads:

“King Piyadassi, Beloved of Gods, having been crowned king fourteen years, increased the stupa of Buddha Kanakamuni to double its original size. Twenty years after his coronation, he came himself and worshipped it.” (translation)

(viii) Gotihawa, Birthplace of Kakusandha Buddha Gotihawa, 7 km south-west of Tilaura Kot, is believed to be the ancient city of Khemavati, the birthplace of Kakusandha Buddha. Emperor Asoka visited it too at the same time and erected a pillar to record his visit. The pillar is broken and only the lower portion of about 3 m still stands in situ, but below ground level. Both the Asokan pillars described here were mentioned by Hsüan Tsang in the Si-yü-ki when he visited Kapilavatthu in 637 AD. At that time, each had a lion-head capital at the top.

(ix) Kudan, Site of Nigrodharama (Banyan Grove)

At Kudan is a site, which scholars believe to be the Nigrodharama or Banyan Grove, which King Suddhodana offered to the Buddha when he visited Kapilavastu. It was here that Ven. Rahula was ordained when he came to ask for his inheritance from the Buddha. The remains of a brick foundation wall of an ancient monastery, be-lieved to be built during Buddha’s time, is still standing at the site.

2. Bodhgaya, Place of the Buddha’s

Enlightenment

a) How to reach there Bodhgaya is located in Bihar state, 105 km by road south of Patna or 230 km by road east of Varanasi. All distances are approximate.

b) Religious Significance 1, 2, 4 After the Great Renunciation, the Bodhisatta approached two ascetics named Alara Kalama and Udakka Ramaputta who taught him to attain the Formless Jhanas. Although they were the highest attainments at that time, still he was dissatisfied because they did not lead to Nibbana. Leaving them, he arrived at an isolated cave on a hill now known as Dhongra hill, where he underwent painful and profitless practices for six years until his body became skeleton-like and he nearly died. Realizing the futility of self-mortification, he adopted the Middle Path and started eating again to regain his strength. His five companions, thinking that he had given up the struggle and reverted to luxury, left him. The Bodhisatta was now alone in his struggle. One day on the eve of Wesak, while wait-ing to go on alms-round under a Banyan tree, the Bodhisatta was offered milk rice in a golden dish by the Lady Sujata, daughter of the chieftain of the nearby village of Senanigama. After the meal, the Bodhisatta took the dish and went to the Neranjara river, and saying: “If I am to succeed in becoming a Buddha today, let this dish go upstream; but if not, let it go downstream”, he threw it into the water. There it floated to the middle of the river and raced up-stream for eighty cubits (37 m) before it sank in a whirlpool.

In the evening, on the way to the Bodhi tree, the Bodhisatta was offered eight handfuls of grass by the grass-cutter Sotthiya, which he placed on his seat under the Bodhi tree. Sitting cross-legged facing the east, the Bodhisatta made a resolution, saying: “ Let my skin, sinews and bones become dry. Let my flesh and blood dry up. Never from this seat will I stir until I have attained Buddhahood.”

This was the culmination of his Perfections developed over count-less aeons, that no being, not even Mara and his dreaded army, could unseat the Bodhisatta from the Aparajita throne. When challenged by Mara, the Bodhisatta called upon the earth to bear witness to his Thirty Perfections, by touching the ground with his right hand. Instantly, the earth responded with a great quake that shook and scattered Mara and his forces until they fled in defeat. Before the sun had set, the Bodhisatta had vanquished Mara and his forces. Then with mind tranquilized and purified, in the first watch of night, he developed the Knowledge of Past Lives; in the middle watch, the Divine Eye; and in the last watch, he developed the Knowledge of Destruction of Taints and attained Supreme Enlightenment. A Supreme Buddha (Samma-sambuddho) had arisen in the world on the full moon day of Wesak in 588 BC.

c) Historical Background 6, 9 Bodhgaya, the scene of the Buddha’s Supreme Enlightenment, is the most hallowed place on earth to Buddhists. During the Buddha’s time, this place by the banks of the river Neranjara was known as Uruvela. King Asoka was the first to build a temple at this sacred spot. A portrayal of the Asokan temple and other buildings at Bodhgaya has been found in a bas-relief on the Bharhut Stupa in Madhya Pradesh. Beginning with Asoka’s first visit in 259 BC, countless pilgrims have gravitated to this cradle of Buddhism without intermission for more than 1,500 years. The devastation of Buddhist viharas and shrines by Muslim hordes in the 13th century abruptly halted the flow of pilgrims to Bodhgaya. Dharmasvamin, a Tibetan pilgrim, visited Bodhgaya in 1234 AD. He found the place deserted and wrote:

“ Only four monks were found staying (in the vihara). One said, ‘It is not good. All have fled in fear of the Turushka soldiery.’ They blocked up the door in front of the Mahabodhi image with bricks and plastered it. Near it they placed another im-age as a substitute.”

When Buddhism declined in India, the Burmese came to the res-cue of the decaying Mahabodhi Temple by undertaking repairs during the 14th and 15th centuries. Thereafter, Bodhgaya was for-gotten by the Buddhists and the Great Temple fell into ruins. A wandering Hindu ascetic, Mahant Gosain Giri, taking advantage of the situation, established his Math at Bodhgaya and took control of the Temple and environments in 1590 AD. Thereafter, the holy Buddhist shrine passed into the hands of successive Mahants who used the place for sacrilegious practices. In 1861, Cunningham found the Mahant and his followers indulging in all sorts of non-Buddhist ceremonies at the main shrine. Sir Edwin Arnold, author of the Light of Asia visited the Mahabodhi Temple in 1885 and reported this observation in the Daily Telegraph in London:

“The Buddhist world had, indeed, well-nigh forgotten this hal-lowed and most interesting centre of their faith – the Mecca, the Jerusalem, of a million Oriental congregations when I sojourned in Buddhagaya a few years ago. I was so grieved to see Maharatta peasants performing ‘Sharaddh (or Shrada)’ in such a place, and thousands of precious ancient relics of carved stone inscribed with Sanskrit lying in piles around.”

Note: Shrada is a Hindu last rite, in which mantras and verses are chanted on behalf of the dead, in the belief that this will free the soul from its earthly existence, and allow it to be reborn in heaven.

d) Anagarika Dharmapala and the Maha Bodhi Society 6, 16 The battle to regain control of the Mahabodhi Temple by Buddhists began in January 22, 1891 when Anagarika Dharmapala visited Bodhgaya. Visibly moved by the neglect and sacrilege of this most sacred shrine, he took the vow, “ I will work on to make this sacred spot to be cared for by our own Bhikkhus.” As a first step, he founded the Maha Bodhi Society of Buddhagaya on May 31, 1891 to gar-ner support for this noble objective. Next, he invited four Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka to come and stay at Bodhgaya, namely: Ven. Chandajoti, Ven. Sumangala, Ven. Pemmananda and Ven.

Sudassana. They arrived at Bodhgaya in July 1891 and took up residence in the Burmese Rest House. As the Mahant had prop-erty rights to the land in Bodhgaya, he objected to their presence and in February 1893, two of the monks were severely beaten up by his men. Two years later in 1895, when Anagarika Dharmapala attempted to install a Buddha image presented to him by the peo-ple of Japan on the upper floor of the Temple, he was assaulted and prevented from doing so by the Mahant’s men. So the image was kept in the Burmese Rest House. Still the Mahant and some Hindu organizations were not satisfied and tried to get the image removed from the Rest House but the Government did not yield.

In 1906, the Mahant filed a suit seeking to eject the Buddhist monks from the Rest House. Thereafter a long legal battle en-sued between the Mahant and the Buddhists which continued till 1949, when the State of Bihar enacted the Buddha Gaya Temple Management Act which effectively transferred control of the Temple land and other property to a Management Committee. Two things in the Bill were objectionable; one was that the nine-man Management Committee of the Temple would have a Hindu majority , and the other that Buddhist members should be of Indian nationality. In spite of protests by the Maha Bodhi Society, the Bill was passed with an amendment for provision of an Advisory Board in which the majority should be Buddhists and not neces-sarily all of Indian nationality. This means that Buddhists can only advise on the management of the Mahabodhi Temple but the control and final say belong to the Hindus!

To the Maha Bodhi Society, there is no justification for the Mahabodhi Temple to be controlled by non-Buddhists just as if a Muslim mosque, a Christian church, a Sikh gurdwara or a Hindu temple were to be controlled by persons of different faiths. In his article entitled The Vow Still Remains in Sambodhi, 1996, the late Ven. Pannarama Mahathera, Bhikkhu-in-charge of Buddhagaya Maha Bodhi Society, revealed the irony that even the Advisory Board, which was supposed to be controlled by Buddhists, has only 11 Buddhist members but 14 non-Buddhist members! It is time that these non-Buddhist members were replaced by rep-resentatives from Buddhist organizations which are really con-cerned about the development of Bodhgaya, the place of Buddha’s Enlightenment. Thus, Dharmapala’s vow is not fulfilled and it still remains. e) Objects of Interest 4, 9, 17, 18, 19 (i) Mahabodhi Temple The Mahabodhi Temple has a long history. Excavations by Cunningham in 1872 suggested three periods in its construction. The first phase of construction by King Asoka during the 3rd cen-tury BC was the Bodhi Shrine, represented in the bas-relief on the 2nd century BC Bharhut Stupa. The second phase of construction during the 1st century AD involved renovation of the original Bodhi Shrine by two pious ladies, Surangi and Nagadevi, wives of Sunga kings. The third phase of construction was undertaken by Huviska, the Kusana king of the 2nd century AD. The images of the Buddha originated during this period. Therefore shrines were erected for their installation. Cunningham suggested that the entire Mahabodhi Temple, as seen today, was mainly the struc-ture of the Huviska period (111-138 AD). As it was built over the remains of Asoka’s shrine, the Vajrasana Throne retains its origi-nal position of the Seat of Enlightenment. In the 7th century AD, renovations were carried out which included placing a new basalt slab over the older plaster throne at the Vajrasana. In the late 19th century, massive renovations were carried out under the able super-vision of Cunningham, Beglar and R. L. Mitra to restore the Maha Bodhi Temple, which had fallen into ruins after centuries of vandalism and neglect by its squatter-occupants, the Mahants.

The magnificent building we see today is the result of their rare devotion and dedication.

The Mahabodhi Temple is undoubtedly the most exquisite-looking building in Bodhgaya. Standing 52 m high with a base of 15.2 sq. m, it consists of a straight pyramidal tower surmounted by a stupa. At the corners of the base, there arise four smaller towers – miniature replicas of the main spire. The main door faces east and in front of it there is an imposing ancient gateway decorated with carvings. The niches on the walls of both sides of the Temple contain images of the Buddha. The main shrine hall or Sanctum on the ground floor is reached after passing through a vaulted passage, on both sides of which are stone staircases leading up to a smaller shrine hall on the first floor. On entering the Sanctum, one comes face to face with the great gilded image of the Buddha seated in the earth-touching-posture (bhumi phassa-mudra). Just gazing at this magnificent image of our Lord will certainly evoke feelings of joy and reverence in the heart of the pilgrim! This is the result of the faith and devotion in heeding the Buddha’s exhortation to “ visit the holy places and look upon them with feelings of reverence”.

The colossal gilded image is from the 10th century AD. Here the Buddha is depicted as sitting on a patterned cushion instead of a lotus. It is supported by a pedestal decorated with figures of lions alternating with elephants. The patterned cushion is a common feature found in other Buddha images from Eastern India, which was probably copied from this image. Most people are not aware of the fact that this image was not in the temple when archeologi-cal explorations were going on in and around Buddhagaya by the then British government. According to an article on Buddhagaya Sculptures in the Sambodhi, 1993, R. L. Mitra noted that it was in the Mahant’s compound. Later on, at the request of Cunningham and Beglar, it was moved to its present location at the main shrine.

If not for the timely intervention of these two gentlemen, this in-spiring image would still be wasting in the Mahant’s compound instead of its present rightful place for pilgrims to worship!

(ii) Bodhi Tree (Bodhidruma)

The Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment is situated behind the Temple. It is a Pipal tree (Ficus religiosa), also known in Pali as assattha. It is said to have sprung up at the same time when the Buddha was born, i.e., his co-natal (sahajata). According to the commentaries, different Buddhas attained Enlightenment seated under different trees of their choice and each of them became the ‘ Bodhi tree’ of the par-ticular Buddha during his dispensation. In the present dispensa-tion, only the Bodhi tree of Gotama Buddha is reverenced. The site of the Bodhi tree is the same for all Buddhas. It is believed that no place on earth can support the weight of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. The ground is so firm that it remained unmoved, even as a violent earthquake shook the world and scattered Mara and his army, who had come to challenge the Bodhisatta for the Seat of Enlightenment. Even Sakka Devaraja is unable to travel in the air immediately above it. Such is the charismatic power of the place called “Navel of the Earth”.

From earliest times, kings and commoners have come here to honor it. Being the object of veneration of Buddhists, it naturally became the target of destruction by the enemies of Buddhism. According to Hsüan Tsang, the Bodhi tree was first cut down by Asoka before his conversion, but later out of remorse, he revived the tree by bathing the roots with scented water and milk. Asoka paid homage to the tree so earnestly that his queen, Tissarakkha, was filled with jealousy and had it destroyed secretly. Again, it was revived by Asoka as before. Thereafter, he built a wall over 3 m high to surround it for protection.. After the fall of the Mauryan empire in the 2nd century BC, the Sunga king Pusyamitra, who was a persecutor of Buddhism, also destroyed the Bodhi tree but a sapling of the tree from Sri Lanka was brought back and re-planted in the same spot. During the 6th century AD Sasanka, a Hindu king, cut down the Bodhi tree, but sometime later it was replanted with a sapling from the Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka by King Purvavarma of Magadha, who then built a wall 7.3 m high to sur-round it. Its remains were 6.1 m high when Hsüan Tsang visited it. In 1876, the old decaying Bodhi tree fell down during a storm and a sapling from it was planted on the same spot by Cunningham. The present Bodhi tree is now 125 years old.

(iii) Vajrasana or Diamond Throne The Vajrasana is located between the Bodhi tree and the Temple. It marks the actual spot where the Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment. It is now marked by a red sandstone slab 2.3 m long by 1.3 m wide by 0.9 m high. Pilgrims who visit this spot should spend some time in this conducive environment to reflect on the virtues of the Buddha to attain fullness of faith and calm followed by mindfulness meditation to develop insight.

(iv) The Buddha’s Stay at Seven Places after Enlightenment After attaining Buddhahood on the full-moon night of Wesak, as dawn broke the Buddha uttered a paean of joy (udana). While sitting on the Vajrasana he decided to continue sitting on the un-defeated throne, on which he overcame Mara and fulfilled all his wishes, including the one to become a Buddha.

• First Week on the Throne (Pallanka Sattaha)

The Buddha sat on the Diamond Throne for seven days in medita-tion absorbed in the bliss of emancipation (Arahantship Fruition).

At the end of seven days, he emerged from the absorption and contemplated on the Doctrine of Dependent Origination (Paticca Samuppada) the whole night.

• Second Week of the Gaze (Animisa Sattaha)

Throughout the second week, as a mark of gratitude to the Bodhi Tree for providing him shelter, the Buddha stood gazing at it with-out closing his eyes. On the spot where the Buddha stood, a shrine was erected by King Asoka. This shrine, named the Animisilocana Cetiya, is located on elevated ground within the courtyard in front of the Temple.

• Third Week on the Walk (Cankama Sattaha)

The third week was spent on walking meditation along a ‘jewelled promenade or Cankama’ running from east to west between the Diamond throne and the Animisilocana Cetiya.

• Fourth Week in Jewelled House (Ratanaghara Sattaha) The Buddha spent the fourth week in the ‘Jewelled House’, re-flecting on the Abhidhamma, which deals with absolute truths concerning mental and material processes. As he contemplated on the deep and profound doctrine of the Patthana or Conditional Relations, there arose great rapture in the Omniscient mind, which activated material processes in the body to emit rays of six colours – blue, gold, white, red, pink and a massive brightness of all these assorted colours. This spot is now marked by a small shrine within the compound to the north of the Cankama.

• Fifth Week at Ajapala Nigrodha Tree (Ajapala Sattaha) During the fifth week, the Buddha sat at the root of the Ajapala Banyan tree reflecting on the Dhamma and absorbed in the bliss of Phalasamapatti (Fruition of Arahantship). This Banyan tree was called Ajapala because goatherds came for shelter under its shade. Here the Buddha declared the qualities of a true Brahman in reply to a question by a conceited brahmin. This site is indicated by a signboard within the courtyard, directly in front of the Temple.

• Sixth Week at Mucalinda (Mucalinda Sattaha)

After seven days at the Ajapala Banyan tree, the Buddha moved to the Mucalinda (Barringtonia acutangula) tree, a short distance south of the Temple. There he sat for seven days at the root of the Mucalinda tree, absorbed in the bliss of Arahantship. At that time, there arose an untimely rainstorm and gloom for seven days. Mucalinda, serpent king of the lake, came out and used its coils to encircle the Buddha’s body and its hood to cover the Buddha’s head, thereby protecting the Lord. The site of this episode is at the Mucalinda pond, a short distance south of the Temple.

• Seventh Week at Rajayatana Tree (Rajayatana Sattaha) After seven days at the Mucalinda tree, the Buddha moved to the Rajayatana tree (Buchanania latifolia) near the Temple. Here he sat at the foot of the tree absorbed in the bliss of Arahantship for seven days. At that time, two merchant brothers, Tapussa and Bhallika, from Ukkala in Myanmar met the Buddha and offered him rice cakes and honey. They became the first lay disciples and asked the Buddha for an object of worship. Thereupon the Buddha rubbed his head and presented them with eight hairs. The brothers returned to their native Myanmar with the precious hair relics, which were later enshrined by the king in Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The site of this episode is marked by a sign-board just south of the Temple.

84 (v) Sujata Kuti Prior to enlightenment, the Bodhisatta was staying on the other side of the Neranjara river in a cave now known as Dungeswari. This cave is on a hill, now known as the Dhongra hill, about an hour’s journey from Bodhgaya. After undergoing painful and profitless practices for six years, he decided to adopt the Middle Path and moved to the Uruvela forest near the village of Senanigama, where one can still see the site of Lady Sujata’s house, which is now on a small mound. In that village too, one can visit a small shrine under a Banyan tree, with images portraying Sujata’s offering of milk rice to the Bodhisatta on the eve of his Enlightenment

(vi) Uruvela Forest The area, which was once a forest, is now a wooded area near the Sujata Shrine. Here one can find an old building with a dry well in the centre. This site is believed to be the fire-chamber of the Kassapa brothers, three matted hair Jatilas, who had a follow-ing of one thousand disciples. Here the Buiddha tamed the ser-pent, which inhabited the fire chamber. The taming of the elder Kassapa brother Uruvela took a longer time. The Buddha had to employ his psychic powers to convert the misguided Jatila. After Uruvela Kassapa became the Buddha’s disciple, his brothers, Nadi and Gaya, followed suit together with their followers. After hear-ing the Fire Sermon preached by the Buddha, the thousand newly ordained bhikkhus became Arahants.

(vii) Temples and Monasteries in Bodhgaya Bodhgaya is the fountainhead of Buddhism. It occupies an area of only 15 sq. km, but within this small area are found over thirty monasteries and institutions representing every country in the world with a sizeable Buddhist community. A visit to some of these temples can help one to understand how the religion is practised in different countries according to local culture that does not run counter to the Buddha Dhamma. There are also a few Vipassana meditation centres, such as the Burmese Vihara and the International Meditation Centre, to cater for yogis who wish to spend a meditation retreat at Bodhgaya. The names of Buddhist temples, monasteries and institutions listed in the Buddha Mahotsav 1999 Souvenir Programme are shown below, in alphabetical order:

All India Bhikkhu Sangha, Asian Buddhist Culture Centre, Bangladesh Temple, Buddhagaya Temple Management Committee, Burmese Vihar, Chinese Temple, Daijokyo Japanese Buddhist Temple, Dhamma Bodhi Meditation Centre, Drikyug Charitable Trust, Druk Nawag Thupten Choeling, Indosan Nipponjee Japanese Temple, International Meditation Centre, Jambunad Vihar, Karma Temple, Korea Temple, Maha Bodhi Society, Maitreya Project, Nav Bauddha Vihar, Panch Sheela Vihar, Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, Royal Bhutan Temple, Sakya Monastery, Sambodhi Welfare and Cultural Society, Shechen Monastery, Taiwan Temple, Tamang Nepal Temple, Thai Bharat Society, Thai Bodhi Kam, Tibetan Temple, Trailokya Centre, Vietnam Temple and Wat Thai Temple. 86

3. Sarnath, Place of the Buddha’s

First Sermon

a) How to reach there Sarnath is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, 30 km from the city of Varanasi (Benares). From Bodhgaya, the distance is 250 km. All distances are approximate.

b) Religious Significance 1, 2, 4 After spending seven weeks at the seven places in Bodhgaya fol-lowing his Enlightenment, the Buddha decided to teach the Dhamma he had realized to the Five Ascetics, namely: Kondanna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji, who had served him for six years, but left after he abandoned the path of self-mortifica-tion. He arrived at Deer Park or Isipatana in modern day Sarnath on the full-moon day of Asalha, exactly two months after Wesak. When they saw the Buddha coming in the distance they decided not to welcome him, but as soon as the Buddha approached they found themselves unable to keep their pact and began to serve him. The Buddha was able to convince them of his Attainment.

That very night, the Buddha delivered the historic First Sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta or Discourse on Turning the Wheel of Dhamma, which led to Kondanna attaining the first stage of sainthood at the end of the discourse. The remain-ing four ascetics attained the first stage of sainthood successively over the next four days. Later, the Buddha preached to them the Anattalakkhana Sutta or Discourse on the Characteristics of Non- Self, hearing which they attained Arahantship or final sainthood.

In Sarnath too, the Buddha converted the rich man Yasa and his 54 friends, who also became Arahants. Later, the Buddha despatched them in various directions to propagate the Dhamma, with each to go a separate way. Thus Sarnath became famous as the place of the First Sermon, as well as the founding of the Sangha (Monkhood).

c) Historical Background 6, 9 King Asoka visited Sarnath in 249 BC and erected several monuments to mark his pilgrimage, notably; the Dhamek stupa, Dharmarajika stupa and the Asokan pillar surmounted by the famous Lion Capital, which is now the crest of India. During the reign of King Kaniska (78 AD), Sarnath was a centre of religious activity and the famous collosal Bodhisatta image with a large parasol, was installed by the bhikkhu Bala of Mathura. During the Gupta period (4th-6th century AD), the Dhamek Stupa was en-cased with carved stones, the Mulagandhakuti main shrine was enlarged and the famous Preaching Buddha image, a gift of King

Kumaragupta, was added.

In 520 AD, Sarnath had its share of destruction during the invasion of the Huns under the barbarian Mihirakula. But after the Huns were defeated, Sarnath again flourished under the Buddhist king, Harsa Vardharna (606-647 AD) and continued to be a living shrine under the Pala kings (8th-12th century AD). The last known patron of Sarnath was Queen Kumaradevi, the pious Buddhist wife of King Govindachandra of Benares (1114-1154 AD). She built a large monastery at Sarnath named Dhammacakka Jina Vihara, the ruins of which were exposed during excavations in the early 20th century. Things took a turn for the worse when Muslim hordes overran India and started their trail of destruction. After the diaspora of the Sangha in India, Sarnath became deserted and was forgotten for about 600 years.

In 1794, Sarnath came to the notice of the world under tragic circumstances. Jagat Singh, a minister in Benares, dismantled the famous Dharmarajika stupa as a convenient way of collecting bricks and stones for building a housing colony. When the stupa was pulled down, workmen found at a depth of 8.3 m, a stone box containing a green marble casket. Inside it were human relics, presumably those of the Buddha, since they were enshrined there by King Asoka. Following Hindu custom, Jagat Singh consigned them into the Ganges River, where they were lost forever.

This act of vandalism would have gone unnoticed but for a report about the discovery by Jonathan Duncan, Commissioner of Benares, which appeared in the ‘ Asiatic Researches.’ Soon public attention was attracted to the ruins of Sarnath and in 1815, Col.

C. Mackenzie began explorations and discovered some sculp-tures, which are now kept at the Calcutta Museum. In 1835-36, Cunningham carried out excavations and recovered over forty sculptures and carved stones. Another tragedy struck when they were carted away in his absence together with sixty cartloads of stones from the shrines as construction material for two bridges and some buildings in Benares. Further excavations were contin-ued on and off from 1851 to 1922, which exposed the Dhamek stupa, the Dharmarajika stupa, Mulagandhakuti shrine, Asokan pillar and the ruins of several monasteries. The first four monu-ments are considered more sacred because of their association with the Buddha. The fifth sacred spot is probably the sunken shrine of Pancayatana, which is believed by some monk teachers to be the site where the Buddha preached the First Sermon.

d) Objects of Interest 6, 9 (i) Chaukhandi This is the first monument to be seen as one enters Sarnath. This mass of brickwork with an octagonal tower on top is what remains of an ancient stupa. The tower was constructed to commemo-rate the visit of Hamuyan, father of Akbar Khan to Sarnath in 1588 AD. This site is believed to be the place where the Buddha stopped to let the Five Ascetics see him and welcome him as he entered the Deer Park.

(ii) Deer Park or Isipatana A kilometre north is the famous Migadaya or Deer Park, also called Isipatana or Seer’s Landing. Within its serene grounds are found all the sacred ancient monuments, namely:

(iii) Dhamek Stupa This imposing stupa is cylindrical in shape, 28.5 m in basal diam-eter and 43.6 m tall. During the Gupta period, the lower portion was encased in stone, having beautiful carvings all round. The design consists of a broad band of Swastikas worked into different geometrical patterns, with a chiselled lotus wreath running above and below the Swastikas. While boring a shaft in the centre of the stupa in search of relics, Cunningham found remains of an earlier stupa of Mauryan bricks. It was probably the stupa raised by Asoka when he visited Sarnath. No bodily relics were found inside this stupa, but a slab with Buddha’s creed, ‘ ye dhamma hetuppabhava, etc.’ in the characters of the 6th and 7th century was discovered. This appears to suggest its close association with the Buddha’s dhamma.

According to an inscription of the Pala king Mahipala I (1026 AD), its original name was Dhammacakka stupa. The Archeological Survey of India used this finding to support its claim that this spot marks the site of the First Sermon. However, it is not possible to confirm this claim as two other places, namely: Dhammarajika stupa and the Gupta shrine of Pancayatana, are also believed by Burmese monks to be the site of the First Sermon. For the pilgrim, the best thing to do is to treat the whole area as the place of the First Sermon and to be mindful at all the holy shrines.

(iv) Dharmarajika Stupa The ruins of the Dharmarajika stupa are a short distance north of the Dhamek stupa, and consists of a circular base of what remained after the wanton act of destruction by Jagat Singh. The original stupa built by King Asoka was 13.4 m in diameter but was enlarged twice during the Gupta period so that the base we see today is larger. The Dhammarajika stupa, as its name indicates, was believed to be built by Asoka to enshrine the bodily relics of the Buddha at the time of his re-distributing the relics from the seven original stupas and enshrining them in a number of other stupas at different places. However, some Burmese monks are of the opinion that the Dhammarajika stupa marks the site of the

First Sermon.

(v) Mulagandhakuti (Main Shrine)

North of the Dhammarajika stupa are the ruins of the Main Shrine, site of the Mulagandhakuti or First Perfumed Chamber where the Buddha spent the first rains-retreat. According to the Dhammapada Commentary, it was donated by the rich man Nandiya and as soon as the Buddha accepted the gift, a celestial mansion arose in Tavatimsa Heaven awaiting its owner, Nandiya. The main shrine was a square building, 18.3 m on each side, with the entrance facing east. The area between the ruins of the Main Shrine and the Dharmarajika stupa is believed to be the site of the Cankama, the promenade where the Buddha did his walk-ing meditation. This belief is supported by the discovery of the famous colossal Bodhisatta image installed at this site by Bhikkhu Bala of Mathura.

(vi) Asokan Pillar A short distance to the west of Mulagandhakuti, under a flat roof and enclosed by railings, stands the 2 m high base of the Asokan pillar. The original pillar was 15 m high and surmounted by the famous Lion Capital which can be seen in Sarnath Museum. This pillar is believed to mark the site where the Buddha assembled the Sangha comprising sixty Arahants and exhorted them to go in different directions to spread the Teaching. On the pillar is an inscription, which says: “ Let no one cause a division in the Sangha.” During Asoka’s time, bhikkhus from many sects lived in Sarnath and it is believed that he issued this Sanghabhedaka (Cause a Schism in the Order) Edict to promote harmony among the vari- ous Buddhist sects.

(vii) Sunken Shrine of Pancayatana To the east of the Dhammarajika stupa, is a sunken shrine under a concrete platform. It is made of terra cotta bricks and modelled to resemble one of the four square temples of the Gupta period, called “ pancayatana”. The site of this sunken shrine of Pancayatana is believed by some monk teachers to be the place where the Buddha preached the First Sermon to the five ascetics. Being not as well known as the four main monuments of Sarnath, it has fewer visitors. As a result, it is a quieter and more conducive place for meditation. (viii) Mulagandhakuti Vihara About 500 m east of the Dhamek stupa stands the Mulagandhakuti Vihara, built by the Maha Bodhi Society of India in 1931 under the untiring efforts of Anagarika Dharmapala, whose mission was to make all the sacred Buddhist places in India come under the care of the Sangha. On the day of opening, the sacred relics of the Buddha unearthed in Taxila in 1913-14, were presented by the Director General of Archeology, representing the Government, to the Maha Bodhi Society. These Buddha relics were enshrined under the Preaching Buddha image and are taken out every year during Kathina for worship. The beautiful Ajanta style frescoes on both walls of the vihara were painted by a famous Japanese artist, Kosetsu Nosu. He took three years, from 1932-35, to complete the murals. A short distance outside the vihara is a newly constructed shrine with life-size images, depicting the Buddha’s First Sermon to the Five Ascetics. At present, the abbot of Mulagandhakuti Vihara is Ven. Dr. Dodangoda Rewata Thera, Deputy General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India and author of the book, “The Lotus Path”, describing the Eight Great Places of Pilgrimage.

(ix) Sarnath Archeological Museum (Closed on Fridays)

The museum houses antiquities recovered from the ruins at Deer Park during excavations from 1905 onwards. Inside the museum, numerous sculptures of the Buddha and Bodhisatta, mostly of the Gupta period (4th-5th century AD) are displayed. The four most important sculptures on display are described as follows:

• Lion Capital On entering the main hall, one sees the most magnificent sculp-ture of Mauryan art – the Lion Capital, which once crowned the Asokan Pillar at Deer Park. This polished sandstone sculpture is 2.3 m tall and consists of four lions sitting back to back on a circular abacus about 0.3 m high. The abacus has four running animals, each separated by a Dhammacakka wheel on its side, namely: Bull representing the Buddha’s birth sign; Elephant rep-resenting his conception as Maya Devi dreamt that an elephant entered her womb; Horse representing the Bodhisatta’s renuncia-tion as he left home on his horse Kanthaka; Lion representing his First Sermon. The four lions that surmount the Capital represent the roar of the Buddha in the four directions. The Lion Capital is the crest of India and the Dhammacakka Wheel is the emblem of its national flag.

• Colossal Bodhisatta Image This colossal standing image is of red sandstone donated by the bhikkhu Bala in 81 AD during the reign of King Kaniska and rep-resents the best tradition of Mathuran art. Behind the statue is a stone shaft, which once supported a beautifully carved umbrella.

The stone umbrella can also be seen in the main hall.

• Buddha’s Life Panels There is a sculptured panel showing the four principal events, namely: Birth, Enlightenment, First Sermon and Mahaparinibbana of the Lord Buddha. Another panel illustrates the eight events in the life of the Buddha, namely, the four principal events and the four miracles – the great miracle at Sravasti, the descent from Heaven at Sankasya, the taming of the drunken elephant Nalagiri at Rajagaha and the offering of honey to the Buddha by the monkeys at Vesali. 94 • Preaching Buddha Image The seated Buddha image in Dhammacakka mudra or Preaching posture is one of the most beautiful creations of Gupta art. This famous sculpture was a gift of King Kumaragupta who ruled from 414-455 AD. The halo around the head is carved with floral designs and has two celestial figures on both upper corners. Inset at the bottom are seven figures, representing the Five Ascetics plus the Queen and her son in kneeling position, paying hom-age to the Dhammacakka wheel. A picture of this sculpture can be seen on the cover of Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda’s book, “The

Dhammapada”.

(x) Mahabodhi Society The credit for restoring Sarnath into a living shrine goes to Anagarika Dharmapala, founder of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. He established the Mahabodhi Society in Sarnath, which is located on the left of the Mulagandhakuti Vihara, which it over-sees, in addition to the Mahabodhi schools, college, library and training school for monks and nuns. Lately the Society has con-structed a hospital to cater for the poor patients around Sarnath.

(xi) Temples and Monasteries in Sarnath There are several modern temples and monasteries for the pilgrim to visit in Sarnath, namely: the Burmese vihara, Chinese temple, Japanese temple, Korean temple, Thai temple and three Tibetan monasteries. The Burmese monastery is called the Dhammacakka Vihara and was established by Ven. Chandramani of Kushinagar.

The present abbot is Ven. U Wannadhaza, a Burmese Sayadaw, who has been in Sarnath for many years. Lately, the vihara has added a new wing to accommodate pilgrims visiting Sarnath.

4. Kusinara, Place of the Buddha’s

Passing Away

a) How to reach there Kusinara or Kushinagar is in the village of Kasia in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. The nearest town is Gorakhpur, 55 km away. By road, Kushinagar is 130 km south of Lumbini, 250 km east of Sravasti and 250 km north of Patna. All distances are approximate. There are now two good hotels for pilgrims to stay in at Kushinagar.

b) Religious Significance 1, 2, 3 Three months before he reached the age of eighty, the Buddha renounced his will to live at the Capala Shrine in Vesali. Travelling in stages via Pava where he ate his last meal, offered by the smith Cunda, he reached the final resting-place at the Sala grove of the Mallas by the bank of the Hirannavati river in Kushinagar. There, on the full-moon day of Wesak in 543 BC, the Buddha passed into Mahaparinbbana, the passing away into Nibbana wherein the elements of clinging do not arise (i.e. no more rebirth). His last convert was the wandering ascetic Subhadda and his last words to the bhikkhus were:

“Handa ‘dani bhikkhave amantayami vo: Vaya-dhamma sankhara. Appamadena sampadetha.”

(Translation: “Indeed, bhikkhus, I declare this to you: It is the nature of all conditioned things to perish. Accomplish all your duties with mindfulness.”)

The Buddha was lying on his right side between two Sala trees with his head to the north when he breathed his last. After his Mahaparinibbana, his body was taken into the town by the north-ern gate and out through the eastern gate to the shrine of the Mallas called the Makutabandhana. They were unable to light the funeral pyre until Ven. Maha Kassapa came and paid his respects. After the cremation, the relics were divided into eight equal portions by the brahmin Dona, who distributed them to eight clans, namely:

• King Ajatasattu of Magadha, • the Licchavis of Vesali, • the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, • the Bulians of Allakappa, • the Koliyans of Ramagama, • the brahman of Vethadipa,

• the Mallas of Pava, and • the Mallas of Kushinagar.

Dona himself kept the urn used for dividing the relics. When the Moriyas of Pipphalavana arrived, it was too late as all the relics had been distributed, so they took from there the ashes. Returning home, these men raised stupas to honour them. So it came about that there were eight stupas for the relics, a ninth for the urn, and a tenth for the ashes.

c) Historical Background 6, 9, 20 In those days, Kushinagar was described by Ven. Ananda as “this little mud-walled town, this back-woods town, this branch township”.

After the Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha, it became an important religious centre as Buddhism spread in India. As one of the four pilgrimage places mentioned by the Buddha, it attracted devout Buddhists from all over India and abroad. King Asoka visited Kushinagar in 249 BC and raised several stupas and pillars at the site. But by the time Hsüan Tsang visited Kushinagar in 637 AD, the place was in ruins and its towns and villages waste and des-olate with few inhabitants. He saw the Sala trees under which the Buddha passed into Mahaparinibbana, the vihara containing the Reclining Buddha image and beside it the 61 m tall stupa built by Asoka-raja, in a ruinous state with a stone pillar in front. Further to the north, after crossing the Hirannavati river was a stupa marking the cremation site. Yet Kushinagar continued to be a living shrine until the 12th century AD, but after the Muslim conquest of India it became deserted and eventually fell into ruins and was forgotten.

In 1861-62, Cunningham visited the ruins of Kasia and identified the place as the site of the Buddha’s Mahaparinibbana. In 1876, his assistant Carlleyle carried out extensive excavations, which com-pletely exposed the Main stupa and discovered right at its front the famous Reclining Buddha image buried among the ruins of an oblong shrine. More excavations continued until 1912 and yielded datable finds which showed the continuous occupation of

Kushinagar up to the 12th century AD. In recent times, the first Buddhist to occupy Kushinagar was the Venerable Mahavira, an Indian national who was ordained as a monk in Sri Lanka, in 1890. He was responsible for restor-ing Kushinagar back to its rightful place as a sacred shrine. Ven.

Mahavira repaired the main temple and built a vihara and Dhamma hall in 1902-03. After him came the Venerable Chandramani from Akyab township in Arakan, Myanmar, who was ordained as a monk in Chittagong in 1903. He continued the good work of his predecessor by gaining possession of the Mahaparinibbana Temple, establishing educational institutions for the local people and reviv-ing the tradition of Buddha Jayanti, which was celebrated for the first time in Kushinagar in 1924. Ven. Chandramani passed away in 1972 and was succeeded by his disciple, Ven. Gyaneshwar, a Myanmar monk who continues the noble task of taking care of the holy site.

d) Objects of Interest 9, 20 (i) Mahaparinibbana Temple The present Temple was built by the Indian Government in 1956 as part of the Commemoration of the 2500th year of Mahaparinibbana or 2500 BE (Buddhist Era). The old temple restored by Carlleyle was too small to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims visiting it. Inside this temple, one can see the famous Reclining Buddha image lying on its right side with the head to the north.

The statue is 6.1 m long and rests on a 7.3 m long stone couch. On the front side of the couch are three sculptures, believed to represent Ven. Ananda near the feet, Ven. Subhadda at the middle and Ven. Dabba Malla at the other corner. At the centre is an inscription of the 5th century AD, which states the statue was “ a gift of the monk Haribala to the Mahavihara” and that “ it was fashioned by Dinna”.

This 1,500-year old Reclining Buddha image was executed out of one block of red sandstone brought in from Mathura during the Gupta period. It was Carlleyle who discovered it in 1876 in a dilapidated condition and successfully pieced together the frag-ments found scattered about. This statue bears the 32 marks of the Great Man (Mahapurisa) and can evoke different feelings in one’s mind, depending on where one stands to look at it.

• In front of the face, one can discern a smiling mood in the face. • Near the middle part of the body, one can discern a mood of suffering.

• At the feet, one can discern the calm and serenity in the face.

(ii) Mahaparinibbana or Nirvana Stupa This stupa beside the Mahaparinibbana Temple is a restoration of the Main stupa exposed during excavations by Carlleyle in 1876. When examined to a depth of 4.3 m, it revealed a copper plate and other objects from the Gupta period. The inscription on the plate in Sanskrit mentioned that the objects were deposited in the Nirvana stupa by the monk Haribala. Hsüan Tsang, who came in 637 AD, mentioned that the Nirvana stupa was built by Asoka. He also saw in front of it a stone pillar to record the Nirvana of Tathagata but it bore no date. The Nirvana stupa is believed to be erected originally by the Mallas to enshrine the Buddha’s relics and subsequently enlarged by King Asoka and later during the Gupta period. It is likely that the Nirvana stupa was built on the site where the Buddha passed into Mahaparinibbana for devo-tees to worship long before Buddha images came into existence, although another theory puts the Buddha’s Mahaparinibbana at the site of the Reclining Buddha. The Mahaparinibbana stupa was renovated in 1927 with donations of a Myanmar, U Po Kyo, and is 23 m tall.

(iii) Matha Kuwara Shrine After eating the last meal offered by the smith Cunda, the Buddha became sick. According to the commentary, although the distance from Pava to Kushinagar was 3 gavutas or about 10 km, it took great effort and the Buddha had to stop at 25 places to rest. Thus comes sickness to a man, crushing all his health. As he wanted to point out this fact, the Buddha spoke these words which aroused religious urgency (samvega):

“ I am wearied and would rest awhile.”

At the last place of rest, 400 metres before reaching the Upavanatta Sala grove, the Buddha had to ask Ven. Ananda three times before the latter would go to the nearby stream to fetch him some water to drink. The reason why Ven. Ananda did not go at first was be-cause many carts had crossed the stream, making the water muddy and dirty. After the third request, Ven. Ananda went to the stream and found that its water had turned clear and potable.

This place is called Matha Kuwara and a shrine has been erected and installed with a colossal Buddha image in earth-touching-posture (bhumi-phassa-mudra). The 3.05 m tall statue is carved out of one block of blue stone and is about 1,000 years old. The name ‘Matha Kuwara’ literally means ‘forehead prostration’, which is what devotees do when they visit this shrine. The present temple was built in 1927 out of donations of two Myanmar devotees, U Po Kyo and U Po Hlaing. It is located 0.4 km south-west of the

Mahaparinibbana Temple.

(iv) Cremation Stupa or Makutabandhana Cetiya After paying homage to the body of the Buddha for six days, the Mallas carried it to the Makuta-bandhana, the traditional place for crowning their chieftains, where they cremated it. The crema-tion ceremony is described in Part VI of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, which also describes the partitioning of the Buddha’s relics by the brahmin Dona. The Cremation stupa was raised by the Mallas some time after the Buddha’s cremation and repaired in the 3rd century BC by Asoka and again in the 5th century AD dur-ing King Kumaragupta’s reign. When Cunningham visited the site in 1861-62, it was just a big mound. The hidden stupa was subsequently exposed to reveal a circular drum 34 m in diameter resting on a 47 m diameter platform. During excavations, a large number of clay seals inscribed with Buddhist verses were discov-ered which confirmed that it was the cremation site. It is about 1.6 km east of the Matha Kuwara Shrine along the main road. In recent times, the area around the Cremation stupa has been plant-ed with grass and is well maintained for the benefit of pilgrims.

(v) Buddhist Monasteries in Kushinagar In recent times there have been some developments in Kushinagar with the construction of several monasteries and other modern facilities for pilgrims. While in Kushinagar, pilgrims should visit the viharas, namely: Chinese Monastery, Japan-Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, Myanmar Vihara and Tibetan Monastery, to pay their respects and seek assistance from the monks there to learn more about the holy site.