Geography of Early Buddhism c12.62.2

c12.62.2

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;