Geography of Early Buddhism c12.62

Language: English

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In the Samantapāsādikā (commentary on the Vinaya-piṭaka), the Sāsanavaṃsa, the Mahābodhivaṃsa, the Dāṭhāvaṃsa, the Cūḷavaṃsa as well as the Sammohavinodani (the commentary on the Vibhaṅga) and the Manorathapūraṇī (the commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikāya) there are references to a large number of cetiyas of Ceylon. The shrine which was built on the spot where the Theras first alighted in Ceylon is called the Paṭhama cetiya,² which probably refers to a stūpa or dagoba. A pious Sāmaṇera once put three stone slabs to form steps to the courtyard of an ākāsa cetiya (sky shrine) which probably refers to a tree or stūpa shrine.³ The Buddha along with 500 Bhikkhus is said to have visited the Mahācetiya, Dīghavāpicetiya, and Kalyāṇī cetiya⁴ which probably refer to stūpa or vihāra shrines. The Thūpārāma cetiya which is a vihāra shrine still exists. The same authority refers to a cetiya near Anurādhapura where some Theras descended from the sky,⁵ as also to a golden cetiya built by prince Uttara.⁶ The golden shrine probably refers to a stūpa which in Ceylon came popularly to be known as a dagoba. The Kaṇṭaka cetiya was visited and circumambulated by Asoka before entering the city of Anurādhapura⁷; this cetiya in all probability refers to a stūpa or tree shrine round which there must have been a pradakṣiṇa (padakkhina) courtyard.

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The Sammohavinodani enjoins upon all visitors to a cetiya to go thrice round it and worship it.⁸ It is apparent from this statement that there was probably a passage of circumambulation round each shrine. The Sāsanavaṃsa refers to several cetiyas, e.g., the Pāda cetiya,⁹ the Ratana ¹⁰ cetiya and a host of others, but it is difficult to ascertain the exact nature of these cetiyas. The Mahābodhivaṃsa refers to the Dīghavāpicetiya and Silācetiya (p. 132), which were visited by the Buddha before he went to the continent of India. The Mahācetiya was also visited by Asoka where he saw a thera worshipping and saluting it with flowers (Samantapāsādikā, Vol. I, p. 101). This great shrine acquired a great sanctity as it was saluted by a large number of monks every day in the evening. In fact salutation to the Cetiyas is a religious duty of a Buddhist. We read in the Sammohavinodani (p. 292) that a thera who is free from sins salutes a great shrine. Even the sight of a shrine is considered to be auspicious (Sammohavinodani, p. 348: Cetiyadassanam sātthaṃ). The Dāṭhāvamsa mentions Cūḷamani cetiya which must have referred to a stūpa or dagoba;

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for it is described therein to have contained within it an excellent golden casket in which had been placed the lock of hair of prince Siddhārtha which he had cut off with a sharp sword, and which had been taken by Sakka.¹ The same authority refers also to the Kalyāṇi, Thūpa, and Thūpārāma cetiyas of Ceylon.² The Thūpa cetiya from its very name seems to have been a stūpa or dagoba shrine; whereas the Thūpārāma, again from its very name, was most probably a vihāra shrine. In the Manorathapūraṇī reference is made to two cetiyas, the Ākāsa cetiya (i.e., the cetiya erected by Inda, in the sky on the hair of the Bodhisatta cut off on the bank of the river Anomā) and the Mahācetiya worshipped by a minister.³ Both the shrines seem to refer to stūpas or dagobas. The Cūḷavaṃsa also refers to a large number of cetiyas of Ceylon.

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Thus it states that the city of Ceylon was once decorated up to the Ambathalā cetiya.⁴ Elsewhere reference is made to the Maṅgala cetiya to the north of which king Upatissa built a thūpa, an image and a room for keeping the image.⁵ Mention is also made of the Bahumaṅgala cetiya, the three great cetiyas,⁶ the Amala cetiya,⁷ the Hema-vāluka cetiya where an anointment ceremony was performed,⁸ the Ratanavāluka cetiya where meritorious deeds were performed⁹ and the Ratanāvali cetiya which was very extensive.¹⁰ Another cetiya is said to have been destroyed by the Damiḷas.¹¹ It is difficult to ascertain exactly the nature of these cetiyas, but most of them, it seems from their contexts, were stūpa shrines.