1

(Front Cover)

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Gautama Buddha was born in Hela Bima

The English translation of අප උප� ෙ� ෙහළම � � උප� ජ����පය�

(This Helabima, where we were born, is Janbudveepa, the birth place of the Load Buddha)

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Preface

The story finds here is an amazing story. It is not something had heard before, a story which is beyond

your imaginations. But this is the absolute truth. This is not a created story. Not a statement based on

assumptions either. Not an imaginary or an affectation without a proper foundation. This is the absolute

truth declared with a very clear mind.

It is guaranteed that you too will get the feeling as if you had seen the Buddha himself, will be overjoyed

when you realize that you too are born in this Janbudveepa and reading about it’s true story which is

the only island in this world where all the Buddhas attend to the sacred Enlightenment. That is nothing

but the absolute confidence, Saddha. All who follow Dhamma, who are born in a sacred island of this

nature, in a Madya Mandala where all the universal energies are centralized and in a time period that

the supermundane Buddha Dhamma is disclosed and preached, should read this true story as well.

It’s a fact known by everyone that for a long period of 1500 years in the history, this absolute truth was

covered up, Buddha Dhamma had gone through alterations and the path to Nirvana was closed up. It

should also be mentioned that a suitable environment with all the aspects is formed now in which the

truth can be revealed again, supermandane Buddha Dhamma can be preached to the ones who are

blessed in the world and path to Nirvana can be opened up. The absolute truth can never be forcefully

pressed up and kept forever by the lie, the falsehood, hypothesis, the norms and standards. According

to the cause and effect, Dharma Niyama, the absolute truth will be disclosed by someone in the real

time.

And we should realise that a group who do not accept even the absolute truth is also live with us. Once

who have gone in to visionary extreme ends due to raga, dosa and moha will never be able to see the

truth. The truth is not something pleased by them. We have to be compassionate towards them too.

The ones in that nature who read and listen to this story would violate and go against the limits of their

patience. That is also a Darmatha. These things happened even in the times of the Buddha. We should

not hate them. It is not necessary to be angry with them. It should be our genuine thoughts that one day

they too should realize the truth.

When this absolute truth is disclosed, it may be something not relevant for many people who have

become the extremists in gains & enjoyment, intoxicated in education & intellectual properties, who are

strong in positions & designations. Sometimes they will constantly attempt to change the truth to the

false. In displaying their powers, they may attempt to use their money to ‘buy’ the media. They would

go against the absolute truth, they would go against Gautama Buddha. They commit aryopavada, we

should realize that also.

Everybody is aware that this eon we live in is very close to an elimination of a Kalpa. The elimination of

concepts is one of the key things to be destroyed in the elimination of this Kalpa. In this process it is

certain that many mythical religious concepts which are highly praised and prevailed in the society also

will be eliminated. In the past, along with The Enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, elimination of the

concepts too was occurred. The disappearance of sixty two religious beliefs was occurred along with the

appearance of Buddha Dhamma. As it happened in the history, this definitive incident would happen in

the future as well, again and again. It’s a return. The elimination of the mythical religious concepts in

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the elimination of this Kalpa in 2012 is something which cannot be stopped by any one or any modern

science. The absolute truth is revealed in this manner as its time for the intelligent people to focus on

themselves and need to realize the objective truth by giving up the religious concepts and need to step

on to the pathway of sublime Buddha Dhamma. In order to open up the pathway to Dhamma, ones who

do the unwholesome are destroyed by the effect of the Darmatha itself and now it is in progress. Hence

it’s time now for the exremistic concepts to be destroyed and the truth to be shined up in the world.

By revealing the truth based on the information in this book, It is not expected, in any way to hurt or

condemn any one and to make any inconvenience or unjust to anyone. And also by revealing this truth,

it’s not expected any personal gains, any publicity, any praise or any name or flame. Writing a book and

earning money is also not expected here. This is nothing but a definitive task fulfilling for the betterment

of the world.

This Hela Diva is the kingdom of Buddha. It is the island of the Dhamma, the virtues. Now, all the

necessaries such as a total purification and a taking off all the hindrances & limitations, required for that

kingdom of Buddha, the island of Dhamma, and also the island to be the world center for Dhamma

again, are in progress. When all these things come in to being and disclose with the effect of the truth

and the power of Darmatha, ones who genuinely want to walk on the path of Dhamma will be able to

achieve the freedom of Nirvana.

Meewanapalane Siri Dhammalankara Thero

Parama Nibbana Dharmayathanaya and Meditation Centre

Athukoralawaththa

Watareka

Padukka

2009.06.07

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Translation

No any other story, than this, was so pleasing and fascinating in my life.

This is a word to word translation, except the foot notes,

nothing is changed from or added to the original text and

this work is based on the eight print of the original text released in March 2012.

Amal Meemanage

amalmeemanage@gmail.com\+94 777 686908\ December 2012

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Contents Page No

1 The Enlightenment – Janbudveepa and Hela Diva. 07

2 Real places where universal energy is centralized. 12

3 Ashoka the Great and the kingdom of Buddha built by him. 15

4 Ancient Hela Diva as explained by Aaataanaata Sutta and Maha Samaya Sutta. 23

5 ‘Gautama Buddha came to Lanka for three times’, the real truth behind this 34

statement.

6 Main places to honor and pay homage in Deva Hela (Janbudveepa). 36

6.1 Lumbini, birth place of prince Sidduhat.

6.2 Buddagaya (Gaya Bodi).

6.3 Migadaya in Isipathana.

6.4 The city of Kusinara.

6.5 The city of Sawath and Devram Vehera

7 The languages used in Hela Diva in Buddha’s period. 52

8 Inscription technology and the culture of irrigation in the ancient Hela Diva. 54

9 The meaningful conclusion. 55

Index 58

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1 The Enlightenment – Janbudveepa and Hela Diva.

The birth of prince Sidhuhath1, the sacred Enlightenment of Gothma Bosath

2and the parivirvana

3 of the

Buddha were taken place in Janbudveepa. A long period like forty five years, Buddha Dhamma4 was

preached to the people in Janbudveepa. Janbudveepa (Jan+bud+deepa)5 is a three letter word in

Magadhi language 6 which gives the meaning that ‘It is the island where the Buddhas are born’.

According to the meaning of this Magadhi term, any particular noble person in this mother earth who

aspires to achieve this supermandane status called The Buddhahood7, he will get that great opportunity

only in this Janbudveepa. All the Buddhas attended in to the most supermandane Enlightenment in the

past and all the Buddhas who will attend to the most supermandane Enlightenment in the future in this

world, will select this sacred island as their birth place. This name Janbudveepa is not a name of a

particular place or a country. There is only, not many, place on earth which would be suitable for a birth

of a Buddha with the universal energy in its center. There is only one place of this nature where the

universal energy stands in its center. That place is called Madya Mandala8 in Janbudveepa. This great

human being, the noble man who aspires to achieve the supreme status called The Enlightenment

without any guidance of any teacher but only by self wisdom, should defiantly be born in Janbudveepa

and his sacred incident should occur at a particular place, under a particular Bo tree9 situated in the

Madya Mandala where the universal energies are centralized. This sacred Enlightenment itself is a

definitive phenomena planned according to Dhamma Niyaama10

.

All the Buddhas from the time of Deepankara Buddha11

lived in this Badra Kalpa12

, attended to their

sacred Enlightenments in this motherland called Janbudveepa. The very meaning of the word suggests

that this place is a deepa, an island. It cannot be a sub-continent or a continent. Because, a particular

place or a point called Madhya Mandala cannot be marked in a continent or in a sub-continent. The

universal energy will not be gathered or centralized in a place which is not a Madhya Mandala.

Hence, according to Dhamma Niyaama it is certain that there is only one single place in this whole world,

there is no any other place, where there is a special universal energy which enables a Buddha to attend

1 Siddhartha,Siddaththa,Sidduhath,Siduhat – Gautama Buddha’s name as a prince, prior to his Enlightenment.

2 Bosath or Bodhisatta" (Pāli language) was used by the Buddha to refer to himself both in his previous lives and as a young man

in his current life, prior to his enlightenment, in the period during which he was working towards his own liberation. 3 parinirvana or parinibbana of Buddha is the passing away of the Buddha.

4 The doctrine of the Buddha.

5 Jan is for birth, bud is for Buddha and deepaya is for the island.

6 Following note is an extract from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia to explain the understanding of the world about the

origination of Magadhi language.

“The Magahi language (Devanagari: मगह�; also known as Magadhi, मगधी) is a language spoken in India. Magadhi Prakrit was

the ancestor of Magadhi, from which the latter's name derives. The ancestral language, Magadhi Prakrit, is believed to be the

language spoken by the Buddha, and the language of the ancient kingdom of Magadha. Magadhi is closely related to Bhojpuri

and Maithili, and these languages are sometimes referred to as a single language, Bihari. These languages, together with

several other related languages, are known as the Bihari languages, which form a sub-group of the Eastern Zone of Indo-Aryan

languages. Magadhi has approximately 18 million speakers.” 7 The Enlightenment or The Buddhahood.

8 The center point or the middle zone in Janbudveepa.

9 The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo, was a large and very old sacred fig tree,Ficus religiosa.Bo is for Bodhi which is the

Enlightenment or the wisdom. As Buddha gained The Enlightenment under a fig tree, this variety of fig tree is called the Bo

Tree. 10

Principles of Dhamma. A natural phenomenon. 11

A name of a previous Buddha. 12

A world-period. An inconceivably long space of time. An eon.

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to his supreme status, The Enlightenment. By fulfilling Samathis Paramithas1, the Buddha develops the

universal energy within himself in a countless periods of this Samsara2 which then will be united with

the universal energy. This universal energy developed by him and the universal energy which had

already developed by the previous Buddhas will be together and be centralized in the Madhya Mandala

in Jambudveepa. The fulfillment of this process is called ‘Vivarana Ganeema’ in Sinhala language 3.

It should be highlighted that this particular magnificent place called Madhya Mandala in Janbudveepa,

as we call it in our day-today language, which is the center point of the world with good energies and

also the place of refuge for many Buddhas, is situated in the very center of a Dhamma Deepa4. Whiles

there is a Madhya Mandala in this world with centralized good universal energies, on the other side of

the world, there is an ending-point too with bad universal energies in its center. The western world calls

this The Bermuda Triangle5

and it has the bad universal energies in its center. These two places are

located in two different extremes. The ones who do the good, the nature will support them and the

ones who do the bad will be destroyed by the power of the nature, this is the nature of this phenomena.

Hence, it is clear that the universal energy too is two-fold, there are two extremes of it, namely, the

good and the bad.

It is no doubt that someone who can preciously understand the meaning of the word ‘Buddha’ in term

of Artha, Dharma, Nirukthi and Patibhaaga6, which has many different meanings and explanations in

general context, such as, power7 or virtues of Buddha, Buddha Dharma, Shakthi or energies of the

Buddha, Buddha Gnaana, Buddhanussathi8, way of Buddha etc, would not face any difficulties in

understanding the meaning of “Janbudveepa” as well.

“The power of the consciousness“ is the only energy source reasoned to create or to originate all the

Sankatha, all the Sankara (Sabbe Dhamma) in this world. Every being is in the process of generating this

power of consciousness on a continuous basis (punabbavothi). bu+uddha = Buddha means the total

eradication of the process of this re-generation, origination (or punabbavothi) of the energy source,

namely the power of consciousness. When the process of generating the power of consciousness is

totally taken off or eradicated the power of the wisdom will come in to the mind in full. It is the power

of wisdom called anuppado. Based on this Dharmatha9 only, Buddha explained it as “nibbaanan

anuppado”.

1 30 Perfections, the qualities leading to The Buddhahood. These qualities were developed and brought to maturity by the

Boddhisatta in his past existences. 2 Samsara or Sansara. According to Buddha Dhamma all the beings, a human being too, experience a journey of life. This very

life will not be the end or the start. It’s a circle. Until one eradicates the reasons to be-come, which is the thirst, he will live, die

and come back and die again, so and so forth. This whole process or the journey is called Samsara. 3The Buddha in the present will announce or name another one, a Boddhisatta, as the next Buddha.

4 Island of Dhamma or island dedicated for Dhamma.

5 The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a

number of aircrafts and surface vessels are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Popular culture has

attributed these disappearances to the paranormal or activity by extra terrestrial beings. 6 Buddha enjoys four types of understanding: understanding of doctrine (Dharma), understanding of meaning (Artha),

understanding of grammar (Nirukti) and understanding of eloquence (Pratibhaana). 7 The word power does not use here as it is known by the western world. It does not mean any strength or miracles. But it

approximately means ‘the spiritual strength of Buddha’. 8 Meditation over the virtues of the Buddha.

9 Principles of Dhamma. A natural phenomena.

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The meaning of existence or living is the constant origination (or come in to being) of the characteristics

of raga, desha, moha1 in your own mind which are powered by the power of the consciousness. The

word bu+uddha means the total eradication of power of Sanbava 2 or the total eradication of the power

source (Bhava) or the total eradication of root of the origin of raga, desha and moha. This power of

origin will be originated no anywhere else, but only in the mind. Yatha bootha gaana darshana (or the

wisdom of seeing things as they are) is the realization that this power of origin should be totally

eradicated. The beings who constantly suffer due to the origin of raga, desha and moha can get a real

liberation or a constant relief only by the total eradication of these powers which generate these

defilements (Bhava). The Noble One who discovers this principle by his own insight and preaches it to

the world, will certainly attend to this supreme position in this Janbudveepa itself and will be called

Sammaa Sambuddha3.

Hence, the birth of a Lord Buddha, preaching Dhamma to the people in the world, re-becoming of

Buddha Dhamma and operation of the code of Dhamma over & over again, will occur only in an island

called Janbudveepa where there is one single Maddha Mandala. The true Darmatha4 was clearly stated

in the Tripitaka5 literature and Hela Wansa Katha

6 written in the past. Now, the main question remains

for us to find the answer is that what was that island named “Janbudveepa” found even before the

Anuradhapura period, i.e. in the era of Buddha.

The three lettered name “Janbudveepa” found in the original use in Magadhi Prakrit language7, later,

has been translated in to Sinhala language as Dambadiva, the island of Damba trees8, by someone with

padaparama9 knowledge driven by the whole ignorance of the knowledge, and still is used with the

same wrong interpretations. It has to be firmly mentioned that in India – The Bharath Desha – any place

or any part of the Bharath Desha had never ever been used the names such as Janbudveepa or

Dambadiva across the whole history and in the whole of Indian history there had never been existed a

place by this name. During reign of Anuradhapura, 600 years after Buddha, some writers came from

India only started to use the name Janbudveepa in place of India. Bhikku Mahanama who wrote

Mahavamsa10

Pela Commentaries is also an Indian. The very original Mahavamsa was written in Hela

language. What Bhikku Mahanama did was translating the Hela Mahavamsa in to Pali language. It can

be seen that Bhikku Mahanama had used the name Janbudveepa in several places in Pali Mahavamsa

commentaries and it is correct. Bhikku Mahanama also described the word Janbudveepa as the island

where Buddha was born. This clearly says that Janbudveepa had commonly been used with the meaning

‘The island where Buddha was born’.

1 Raga-lust ,Desha- anger,Moha-delusion.

2 san (collection or being collected) + bava (origination,birth,come in to being)

3 Another name for Lord Buddha.

4 The natural phenomena,the natural order.

5 ‘The Three Baskets’ is the name for the three main divisions of the Pali Canon: The Basket of Discipline (Vinaya Pitaka), The

Basket of Discourses (Sutta Pitaka) and The Basket of Philosophy (Abhidhamma Pitaka). 6 Historical records or chronicle written in Hela language. Hela is another name for Lanka. Lanka is called ‘The land of Hela

people or Helayos’. Helayos are the inhabitants of the country prior to King Vijaya, the Indian invader. 7 Magadhi Prakrit.

8 A tree bearing fruits.

9 'one for whom the words are the utmost attainment’, Whoever, though having learned much, speaking much, knowing many

things by heart, and discoursing much, has not penetrated the truth, such a man is called by that name. 10

The Great Chronicles.

10

“Janbuddeepaa Idhaa Gathaa” mentioned in Pali Mahavamsa commentaries is true and correct. Those

days the name “Janbudveepa” was used for the area where Buddha was born, Deva Hela, which was in

another part of this same island called Hela1. The book called Lokopakaraya written in the Anuradapura

Anuradapura period says that this land of Hela had been divided in to four islands (Deepa), namely,

Janbudveepa, Uthuru Kuru Deepa, Apara Goyanaya and Poorva Videha. And also the capital city of

Yakkha Hela was named and used as Lankapura (Alakamandava). Even in the story of King Vijaya says

that those days Lankapura was the name of the capital city of Yakkha Hela. In the city of Lankapura,

with the support of King Vijaya, Kuveni2 assassinated eighty leaders of the Yakkha clan. Later, this

Lankapura kingdom was renamed as Anuradhapura kingdom. The names such as Lankapura and

Janbudveepa found in Pali Mahavamsa commentaries were used with wrong interpretations by some

writers and the ones who worked on atuwa, teekaa and tippani 3 in the latter stage. They had no any

clear idea or knowledge over the exact use of the word Janbudveepa and they, driven by assumptions,

used it as of a place in India. The original Hela Mahavamsa written in the very early part in the

Anuradhapura era with genuine details does not exist now. What is available now is just a commentary

in Pali which is written for that Hela Mahavamsa. This particular commentary was written 500 years

after the original Hela Mahavamsa, meaning, approximately 850 years after The Enlightenment of

Buddha. The birth place of the Buddha in Deva Hela (Janbudveepa), by this time, turned in to a place

covered by the jungle and had only few Aranya Senasanas4, Stupas & monasteries with few Bhikkus

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who still had the firm determination of going along on the path of Dhamma and they led extremely a

hard life. In the Anuradhapura era, sublime Buddha Dhamma came to an end and that place was taken

by the popular Buddhism. A large group of worldly thinking Bhikkus could be seen in the country. They

had very close relationships with the palace, accepted the alms only from the palace and had a luxury

life in seven story mansions. They were not interested in following the sublime Buddha Dhamma, but in

some beliefs and worldly customs in popular Buddhism which were organized and confirmed in the

latter stage. All the things such as the division between Nikayas6, the conflict between Abayagiri Vihara

and Mahavihara, the division of Bhikkus for and against the throne, the concepts of gods etc are not the

characteristics of the sublime Buddha Dhamma, but of the popular Buddhism. This situation became so

worse in the Polonnaruwa7 period. It can be noticed that ordinary Bhikkus completely changed the

sacred Buddha Dhamma and they highly praised the religious beliefs based on gods. But the noble

Bhikkus resided in the forests and monasteries in the areas like Thissamaharama, Sabaragamuwa &

Kegalle, worked for the protection of sublime Buddha Dhamma, followed the Dhamma and gained the

results in the supermandane path.

Hence, it is very certain that the name “Jambudveepa” given by the writer of the true story found in the

first Hela Mahavamsa, had been changed after 500 years by the commentaries. This gave a wrong

interpretation to this name and distorted the entire Hela history.

1 The island of Hela people. Another name for Lanka.

2 History says that this is a Yakkha queen; she fell in love with king Vijaya and supported him to kill her relations. She later

became the wife of king Vijaya. 3 atuwa are commentaries, tika and tippani were developed as sub-commentaries for atuwa.

4 A monastery in the forest.

5 Bhikkus or Sanga are the members of the Order.

6 The conflict among the sectors of the Order.

7After the collapse of the throne of Anuradhapura, it got shifted to the city of Polonnaruwa.

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The biography of the Buddha, Buddha Dhamma, Tripitaka, Dhammapadha, Jaathaka Potha 1and most of

other related literature were also written in this Hela Deepa. That was in Hela language or Maagahi

Praakruthi language. Though the books written in Maagadhi language can be found in the period of King

Valagamba, books such as Hela Atuwa (Hela Commentaries in Hela language), Kurundi Atuwa (Kurundi

Commentaries), Budukali Atuwa (Budukali Commentaries), Maha Atta Katha (Great Atta Katha) &

Seehalatta Katha had been used in the Deva Hela, even prior to the Anuradhapura period. The history,

Mahavamsa, say that on his way to Anuradhapura from the city of Rajagaha2 (today it is Rajagala) in

Ampara in Hela Diva, great Arahant Mahinda Thero had taken the Budukali Commentaries written in

Hela language with him. The city of Rajagaha was the capital city of the kingdom Maghada in Deva Hela.

Many books in Maaghadi language too were written in this Hela Diva. Pela Dhamma originally written in

Maagahi language was modified later in to Pali language, Pali literature and Pali grammar. This

formation of Pali language occurred in the latter part in the Anuradhapura period. In the Polonnaruwa

period, Pali commentary books written by Bhikku Buddhagosha were used in plenty by the mass. A

language called Pali was not used by any country in any day across the history. It is not a dead language

too. It was a modified language. Maghadi Prakrutha (Prakrit) and Pali are not the same language.

In order to take forward from this generation to the others and for the comfort in studying, the supreme

Budhha Dhamma preached by Buddha in Maaghadi Prakrit language, was arranged in the form of lines.

Buddha Dhamma arranged in a form of lines, later, was popular as Pela Dahama3. Later, based on the

general meanings, modified interpretations were given for this Pela Dahama and it was called Pali

language. All these happened, all these changes happened in this Hela Deepa itself, not anywhere else.

A language called Maghadi Prakrit was not used in any place in India any time. In the second half of the

Anuradhapura period, many Pali books were taken to India, translated in to Sanskrit and used in India.

Also it says that Pali scholars in Lanka had taught the Pali language in Indian universities (Ajantha and

Ellora). Some Indians had studied the Pali language in Lanka & in India and the books written in Hela

language had been translated in to Pali language. Master Buddhagosha and Bhikku Mahanama who

wrote the Vinaya Atuwa (Vinaya Commentaries) were among them. All of them learnt the Pali and Hela

language only from the Buddhist Bhikkhus lived in this Hela Deepa. Hence it is clear that Gautama

Buddha preached the Buddha Dhamma in Magahadi Language in a region called Deva Hela in this

country, in Janbudveepa. Lankapura was the capital city of Yakkha Hela (Uthuru Kuru Deepa).

1 Jaathaka Potha, Jaathaka Potha Wahanse or Pansiya Panak Jathaka Potha is named in that manner as this book contains

nearly 550 stories of the previous births of Gautama Buddha. Jathaka are ‘the births’. This is a master piece in Sinhalese

literature which was written in the 14th

century during the reign of King Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326). The book contains full

of advisory tales which had gone to the very root of the lives of the Sinhala Buddhists and over thousanad years they had used

the book in shaping up, directing their lives on the path of Dhamma. The culture of the Sinhala Buddhists is such that people

apply the examples found in the stories of the book on the vicissitudes they face in their day today lives. 2 The city called Rajagaha.

3 Dhamma or the doctrine is arranged in the form of lines.

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2 Real places where universal energy is centralized.

According to Maha PariNibbana Sutta, The Buddha himself addressed Ananada Thero and made a

statement as follows.

“ Chaththaari Maani Ananda

Saddhassa kulapuththassa

Dassaneeyaani,sanvejaneeyaani thaanaani

Katamaani chaththaari ”

1. Iddha Thathaagatho jaathothi Ananada

Saddhassa kulapuththassa

Dassaneeyaani,sanvejaneeyaani thaanaani

2. Iddha Thathaagatho anuthththaro samma sambodhi

Abhisambuddhothi Ananda

Saddhassa kulapuththassa

Dassaneeyaanan,sanvejaneeyaanan thaanan

3. Iddha Thathaagatho anuthththaran Dhammachakkan

Pavaththitanthi Ananda

Saddhassa kulapuththassa

Dassaneeyaanan,sanvejaneeyaanan thaanan

4. Iddha Thathaagatho anupaadhisesaaya,nibbhanadhaathuya

Parinibbuthoothi Ananda, sadhassa kulapuththassa

Dassaneeyaanan,sanvejaneeyaanan thaanan ”

The Gautama Buddha himself had addressed Ananada Thero and said that “Ananada, ones who seek

Nibbana, ones who are on the path of Dhamma, Kula Puthras who are devoted & want to be Dassanena

Sampanna, ones who want to be satisfied in thoughts and to achieve Samma Ditthi - to attend in to the

Sothapaththi1 stage through the path of Sothapaththi - there are four places to visit & to pay the

homage which will undoubtly assist and be assisted for the satisfaction in mind. Those four places are,

1. The birth place of prince Sidduhath.

2. The place where Gautama Buddha attended in to his supermandane Enlightenment.

3. The place where Gautama Buddha preached his very first sermon.

4. The place where Gautama Buddha attended to his parinibbana.

The devoted Kula Puthra is a special term used for the one who had listened to real Dhamma, directing

his life in the correct path of Buddha Dhamma and entered in to the path of Sothapanna. Someone who

had misled his life by rigid belief will not be having Saddha, the confidence. Since Buddha himself had

preached and praised these four sacred places, it is necessary to discover these four places properly and

1 ‘stream - entry’ , the lowest of the 8 noble disciples (ariya – puggala).

13

understand the significance of them. The Buddha Shakthi 1 required to achieve supermundane fruitions

(Maga Pala or Marga Pala2) in the Supermundane Paths (Maga) is centralized only in the association of

these places. In the time that Buddha lived, there were many grate Arahants and these places were not

that much important. It is because the devoted Kula Puthras could see the Buddha, listen to his voice,

could experience Buddha spirit by themselves. But now a day, in order to get the real universal energy,

these places should be correctly identified, visited and paid the due respects.

In order to establish a group of devoted Kula Puthras it is necessary to identify, disclose, preach the

sublime Buddha Dhamma to the world. A genuine attempt to identify these places correctly and disclose

them to the world would certainly be a great task to the mankind and that will be an aid for these noble

ones to achieve the supermundane fruitions & attend in to Nirvana. It should also be mentioned that

this truth is revealed in this manner and not having any idea to hurt anyone or to get some benefits

enjoyed by them or to get anything else in return. In doing so, it is obvious to experience certain

disapprovals. But, one day without being frightened, this whole truth should be disclosed to the world.

The fear is a condition springs up in the ordinary mind. Today a majority of people who genuinely

follows the sublime Buddha Dhamma is established in this Hela Deepa. This sublime truth is revealed in

this manner to show and guide them on the correct path. In doing so, it should also be highlighted here

that nothing of any recognition, propaganda, glory or benefits are expected.

A very long period like 1500 years, these four places with sacred Buddha Shakthi were covered and

hidden by the effects of Dharmatha itself. It should be mentioned that alone with the disappearance of

these places in time, many people lost the noble opportunity of attending in to Nibbana. As a result of

the malformation and extinction of sacred Buddha Dhamma, not only these four key places, places like

Devram Vihara where Buddha lived for twenty years, the city of Rajagaha, Veluwana Vihara and also

many other sacred places which became so sacred due to Buddha’s presence with them, were

disappeared in time. With the cessation of the supreme Buddha Dhamma and its new formation as a

religious belief, Buddhism, made the devoted Kula Puthras rare and few. Ordinary followers who gave

priority for religious beliefs and faiths were common and plenty. As a result, these sacred places were

hidden off by the effect of the Dharmatha and in replacing them, some new places, models, came in to

being and they got established. That is the nature of the Dharmatha. In a period where there are no any

devoted Kulaputhras these sacred places will be disappeared and vanished by the effect of Dharmatha,

it’s the nature of Dharmatha.

Disclosing the presence of these places and letting the devoted Kula Puthras to pay their homage to

them is equally important as, in realizing Nibbana, it’s preaching the supreme Buddha Dhamma and

attending into a Anusasana Praathihaaraya3 through the preaching of “San”

4. If someone wishes to

achieve the spiritual purification through the true disclose of Patichchasamuppaada Dhamma5Dvathaa

Dhamma6,Thipariwatta

7 and Chathuraarya Sachcha Dhamma

1, and to be united with the universal

1 Virtues of Buddha or the strength of the virtues of the Buddha.

2 Conveniently known as Marga-Pala, in Sinhalese. They are the stream-winner (Sotapanna), Once-Returner (Sakadagami),

Non-Returner (Anagami) and the Holy One (Arahant). 3 Making miracles through Anusasana , the admonitions.

4 Prounces as in Son.

5 Doctrine of the Conditional Genesis – The teaching of dependent origination or dependent arising.

6 The Dhamma which has plus and minus, good and bad.

7 A doctrine of Self, a doctrine which explains three main trances.

14

energies released by the previous Buddhas, it’s a must to visit and pay homage to these places.

Revealing this true knowledge only would be a great relief to the devoted Kula Puthras who genuinely

attempt to experience ‘a fruit’ of the path of Nibbana in this life itself. Even today, these sacred places

are well preserved to go and see them. The real intention or the expectation of revealing them is to

giving a trouble free opportunity to go and pay the due respects for these places by the ones who are

lucky enough to attend to Nirvana.

Due to some powerful Dharmatha, a long period of 1500 years, these sacred places were not known by

the world. It should clearly be understood that these places were replaced with different structural

models and people used to worship these new places. Since Buddha Shakthi or universal energy is not

found in these structural models located outside Janbudveepa, any respective power helping the people

to enable their spiritual purification cannot be experienced in these structural models. Hence,

throughout the history, the pilgrims who went to these places in search of Buddha Shakthi, universal

energy had lost the opportunity of experiencing that energy. Hence I decided to make this disclose now

as its time to find all these places correctly and declare their presence to the world. This decision was

driven purely by a genuine thought and I do not have any hidden agenda, not intending to get any

benefits or to condemning or dishonoring anyone else. This should be considered only as a genuine

course done towards the well being of the mankind.

Once its mentioned in a book of the most venerable Professor late Walpola Rahula once mentioned that

some Bhikkus lived in Anuradhapura in Anuradhapura period, were not possessed with any spiritual

real-understanding, yathaa bootha gnaana darashana, demonstrated by the sacred preachings of

Buddha, but just lead an artificial life. This is the time to draw the attention of today’s educated Bhikkus

and lay disciples on this statement again who consider Buddha Dhamma just as a faith. The ones in the

Order, who lead an artificial life, had gone to its extreme end now and because of that now it’s the real

time to reveal this truth.

1 The Four Noble Truths – They comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings,namely,The truth of suffering, The truth of the

cause of suffering, The truth of the end of suffering, and The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.

15

3 Ashoka the great and the kingdom of Buddha built by him.

Everyone knows the true story of the eminent ruler in the Indian history, the emperor, the great King

Ashoka, building his kingdom of righteousness in the regions which came under his custody, after nearly

280 years of the parinirvana of Gautama Buddha. Another true story hidden in this story is covered by

the sands of time. In proving this, we can also use a lot of information of the book written on the Indian

history in Ashoka’s time by Professor A L Basham1 This book was published in English language. Later it

was translated in to Sinhala language too. Some details in the original English book have been missed

out in the Sinhala translation. It seems that, otherwise, the opinions of the translators too are taken in

to the book.

The emperor Ashoka came in to the throne in India by conquering the Greeks. First, the great king

Ashoka conquered the East India, West India and then North India, finally he turned towards the South

Indian region. Final and the bloodiest battles planned by him was the Kalinga war. The slain was in

thousands, a similar number of people were taken in to the prisons and finally he was able to stretch his

reign up to river Kaveri.

He heard and knew about the rich culture prevailed in Hela Diva and his armies were sent from Kalinga

to conquer Hela Diva. Though he sent the armies several times to Hela Diva, they could not even reach

Hela Diva.

By this time, Buddha Dhamma was well established in many parts of Hela Diva, Bhikkus could be seen

frequently even in South India. Buddha Dhamma was extended up to river Kaveri in South India. Asoka

the Great was able to know about Buddhist Bhikkus and also about principles of non-violence found in

Buddha Dhamma. After the battle in Kalinga, King Ashoka was exhausted and then a special incident

happened and that brought him a great mental relief and total change in his life. That is to see the

Bhikkus and to know about the principles of non-violence found in Buddha Dhamma. The emperor, by

this time, was able to know certain things about Hela Diva and Buddha Dhamma from the Bhikkus

themselves.

All the attempts he made to conquer Hela Diva using his armies were not successful. “I could conquer

this big land, Barath Desha, but not this very small land, what is the strength behind that?”, King Ashoka

asked from the Bhikkus.

The Bhikkus replied, “Oh great king, Janbudveepa is that island. It is a land of Buddha. It is Dhamma

prevails in that land. The land of Buddha cannot be conquered by the strength of the military force. And

it is then better to give up the idea of conquering Hela Diva by war”. The King Ashoka kept aside the idea

of a war against the island totally and came out with a new thought. That new thought was to building a

model kingdom of Buddha, a kingdom of Dhamma within his own land. With this idea, he ended up

ruling his kingdom by war and started to run the kingdom by the righteousness. Chandashoka - Ashoka

the fierce, became Dharmashoka – Ashoka of Dhamma.

1 Professor Arthur Llewellyn Basham (24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a noted historian and ideologist and author of a

number of books.

16

Ashoka the Great then sent nine Purohithas1 to Hela Diva and they studied and reported to him on

things such as what is kingdom of Buddha? What is Janbudveepa?, What are the special places and

rituals & customs of the island?. They were further ordered to find out all the relevant facts and

information about the kingdom of Buddha and Janbudveepa (This is very clearly stated in the

Mahavamsa).

This helped the King Ashoka to find all the relevant information about Hela Diva, Janbudveepa, kingdom

of Buddha and Buddha Dhamma from his Purohithas. After finding out all the relevant information, the

great King Ashoka got a very strange idea to build an artificial kingdom of Buddha across his Indian

empire. Following this idea, in India too, he started building the models of the Viharas2, monasteries,

cities, all other religious places found in Janabudveepa in Hela Diva. Within a period of three years, his

commands came in to actions by building eighty four thousand dagabas, temples & monasteries across

the entire Indian empire and, not only that, some of these were named following their original names

found in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva. In addition to this, following the names of the sixteen janapadas3 in

Janbudveepa, he used those identical names for the janapadas built in India as well. He built special

monuments to commemorate the birth place of Gautama Buddha, the place of his Enlightenment, the

place where he had his first sermon and the place where he entered in to his parinirvana. Likewise, he

also built very special places found in Heladeepa such as Devram Vihara Jethavanarama4 Vihara,

Veluwana Vihara in the city of Rajagaha. That was not the end, Ashoka the Great appointed ministers of

Dhamma for the service of these monasteries and made arrangements to bring down Bhikkus from

Heladeepa.

And also the King Ashoka announced that the people in all the religious sectors in India can come and

reside in those model temples and monasteries. Replacing the supreme Buddha Dhamma prevailed all

these times in Hela Diva, the great King Ashoka could establish ‘Buddhisam’, which was a combination of

good principles in religions found in the ancient India, principles of Pancha Seela, 5 and some special

features & certain worldly non-violence principles found in the Buddha Dhamma in Hela Diva. The King

Ashoka spread out this new religion in his vast empire and sent out the missionaries to propaganda the

new religion in all the neighboring countries of India. He made arrangements for the third Dhamma

Sangayana6 also and got this ‘Buddhism’ well established in his empire. During his life time he could

spread out Buddhism to many countries in the east. The ultimate result of this action was that, the

supramandane Dhamma of Gautama Buddha of which Nirvana was the main objective, after 300 years

of time, came under the influence of religious concepts and started to spread out as Buddhism.

1 Chief advisers, chief priests to the king.

2 The vihara is considered as an outstanding type of architectural creation of ancient Lanka. The vihra is also known by

synonymous names such as chaithya, stupa, thupa,seya and dagaba. 3 solos maha janapada, the great sixteen cities or states.

4 Jethavana Arama. Arama of Jetha, the garden belongs to Jetha. These are well maintained gardens owned by very wealth

persons or given for the use of disciples of the Buddha. These gardens are classic examples for the plots of land with ulmost

serene beauty, ideal for the use of the ones who lead the ascetic life. Lanka is full of these places and without knowing the

reason driven to establish them, ‘treasure hunter’ destroy the ruins (specially dagabas and statues of the Buddha and others)

found in these places in their attempts in searching ‘valubles’. 5 The Five Precepts (Pali: pañca-sīlāni) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha in

the Theravada as well as in Mahayana traditions. The precepts in both traditions are essentially identical and are commitments

to abstain from harming living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication. Undertaking the five precepts is part

of both lay Buddhist initiation and regular lay Buddhist devotional practices. 6 The Council of Dhamma.

17

The history says that there had been more than twenty to thirty thousand Arahants who had followed

the supreme teachings of the Buddha in one part of Deva Hela (Janbudveepa where Buddha was born)

even at the time that Ashoka the Great established a kingdom of Buddha, kingdom of Dhamma in India

and made Buddhism the religion of the country. In this period too, the supermandane Buddha Dhamma

was existed in one part of Janbudveepa in Hela Diva and in another there lived a tribal community who

did not have any belief in any religion. That is the Yakka Hela. Those days in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva, in

Buddha’s time too, most of the people in the tribal communities like Yakka, Naaga, Kumbanda and

Ghandharva lived in this part in Hela Diva did not accept the teachings of the Buddha at all. Later, the

Indian King Vijaya killed the leaders of the Yakkha community and became the ruler of Yakkha Hela,

general citizens and the other kings who came after Vijaya did not have any interest in following Buddha

Dhamma. What Arahant Mahinda Thero and the great King Ashoka did was introducing the Buddhism to

the king of the Yakkha Hela and to the people of the Yakkha Hela who did not follow even Pacha Seela.

Hence its clearly stated in the history that even when the time Arahant Mahinda Thero and the great

King Ashoka introduced Buddhism to the kingdom of Anuradhapura, there had been thousands of

Arahants in many parts in Deva Hela in this very country. It should be highlighted that the most

venerable Arahant Mahinda Thero who is considered as the one who introduced Buddhism to Lanka and

also his sister Sanghamiththaa had come to the areas such as the city of Savath, city of Rajagaha where

the real teachings of the Buddha were practiced, had learnt the Buddha Dhamma from the great

Aranhaths and attended to the supermandane status. Venerable Arahant Mahinda Thero learnt Hela

language and Maaghadi language in this Deva Hela, not from anywhere else.

Even at the time that venerable Mahinda Thero and princess Sanghamiththaa came to Lanka from India,

Shakyan princes had ruled many Shakyan cities situated in the east, Central and Southern directions in

Hela Diva. King Kawanthissa, King Mahasena & King Abhaya and also many other known & un-known

kings had ruled the cities like Thissamaharama, Sithulpawwa, city of Rajagaha, city of Devdaha &

Kimbulwathpura situated in Janbudveepa in this Hela Diva itself. With the introduction of Buddhism to

the kingdom of Anuradhapura (Lankapura), the culture of hunting animals practiced in Anuradhapura

for all these times got changed. Gradually, a culture of cultivating paddy fields came into existence. The

history says that when the time Buddhism was introduced to Anuradhapura by Arahant Mahinda Thero,

even in the full moon Poya Day 1the ruler of Anuradhapura had gone on hunting with his fellow men.

2

The influence of the group of intellectual men of eighteen casts who came to Anuradahpua from India

would have been a strong reason to change this culture from animal hunting in to the cultivation of

paddy. Due to the influence of this group, reign of Yakka in Anuradhapura came to an end, the reign of

Hela Diva got totally changed and not only the reign of Yakkaha Hela, even the Deva Hela, gradually

came under the control of Anuradhapura.

From the tenth year till the end of the reign, Ashoka the Great ruled his country based on the concepts

of kingdom of righteousness. It is very visible that the King Asoka did not want to believe in Nirvana

1 Poya or Poya Day is the name given to a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka which occurs every full moon day. The Full moon

is important to Buddhists all around the world, who have adopted the Lunar Calendar for their religious observances. Owing to

the moon's fullness of size as well as its effulgence, the full moon day is treated as the most auspicious of the four lunar phases

occurring once every lunar month (29.5 days) and thus marked by a holiday. Every full moon day is known as a Poya in Sinhala;

this is when a practicing Buddhist visits the Temple for the rituals of worship. There are 12 or 13 Poyas per year. The term poya

is derived from the Pali and Sanskrit form uposatha (from upa + vas: to fast) primarily signifying "fast day". Generally shops and

businesses are closed on Poya Days, and the sale of alcohol and meat is forbidden. 2 Specially in poya days , Buddhists keep themselves away from acts like killing any living being.

18

administered by Gautama Buddha in the supermandane Dhamma and he never wanted to follow the

path of Dhamma. He never gave up what he believed so far, which is also the belief of the mass in India,

Hinduism based on the concepts of gods. Professor Basham clearly mentions that the king frequently

went on pilgrimages and that is to the religious places of Hindu Brahmins. Also it can be very clearly

seen that any Ashoka inscriptions do not contain any note of supermandane Buddha Dhamma, but they

carried frequent notes on religious concepts and divine prayers & rituals. Because of this, it’s a fact that

Ashoka The Great formed a kingdom of Buddha, a kingdom of Dhamma & also a model of Janbudveepa

in India only as a righteous mean of securing the power and the stability of his vast empire won by the

wars and also to establish a reign of Dhamma which will then not bring any further killings in the country.

He had no any knowledge and any confidence on Nirvana.

Buddha Dhamma very strongly helped the King Ashoka to end up all animal sacrifices, slaughtering of

innocent animals, numerous rituals date back to thousand years practiced by the Indian religions such as

Vedha, Shiva and Jainism and also to spread out the non-violence among his citizens.

Buddha Dhamma which was formed by a concept of King Ashoka, spread out in India and also in all

neighboring countries for a short period of time, at least. This Buddhism came to Anuradhapura also,

which was a part of the kingdom of the Yakkha tribe in Hela Diva. The next transformation was that the

supermandane Buddha Dhamma prevailed for years in Deva Hela - Janbudveepa - in Ruhuna, which

helped the people to attend to Nirvana, came to an end gradually. Finally, only its new form, the

Buddhism, became popular across Hela Diva. The supermandane Buddha Dhamma of which the main

aim is to direct people to Nirvana was not popular among the ordinary people. It is not an interesting

religious concept to the ordinary men and women. According to supermandane Buddha Dhamma there

isn’t a thing called happiness, Sukkha. It is just an illusion. We experience Dhukka1, suffering, only

because we go behind happiness, Sukkha. But according to the King Ashoka’s Buddhism formed with the

conjunction of concepts of gods, worldly religious concepts which aspire Nirvana only after enjoying

pleasure in divine worlds & in the human world came in to being2. The Buddhism was transformed in to

a worldly religion of the ordinary mass which praised the values of all the meritorious acts, ordinary

rituals aiming at the happiness in this world & in other divine worlds, and was popular among kings and

the businessmen also. Because of this, in later years, a particular religious Buddhist group came in to

being in this Hela Diva who works only for the worldly pleasures leaving the prime aim of supreme

Buddha Dhamma, Nirvana. This is the transformation experienced in the ancient times in Anuradhapura.

In this manner, nearly after 1000 years of parinibbana of Buddha, the supreme Dhamma which purely

aimed at Nirvana, taught by Gautama Buddha by rejecting nearly sixty religious beliefs existed in the

Deva Hela in Janbudveep, vanished forever from Hela Diva. People again started to practice religious

concepts and Buddha Dhamma was treated as nothing but a belief. It was mixed with religious concepts

1 The impermanence of life. The interpretation given for this in the common world is ‘suffering’ which is highly misleading,

harmful to Buddha Dhamma. Ones who do not have a thorough knowledge in Buddha Dhamma would come under the

impression that Buddha taught only about suffering(s) in life. But what the Buddha taught here is that the non- existence of

anything forever. This Dhamma suggests that nothing is permanent in this world, everything is subjected to change. 2 After any type of meritorious deed done by Sinhala Buddhists, for example a particular serman or an alms-giving which is a

part of the culture of Sinhala Buddhists, the monk(s) who headed the event will bless ( to transfer merits to the seen and

unseen beings) the auduiance that they would experience, in the event of the maturity of the deed they just performed, many

lives in the human world and also in the hevenly realms and finally realize the bliss in Nirvana. This is the pathetic consequence

of the influence made by popular Buddhisam on the sublime teachings of Buddha. In fact, Nirvana is not something to be

postponed and realize later in the future.

19

of gods and now it has passed nearly 1500 years. In the history of Hela Diva, Buddhism was accepted as

the religion of the kingdom in many eras. By this way, the sublime path taught by Gautama Buddha for

Nirvana, got disappeared. That is nature of the Darmatha.

There were mainly sixteen Sakyan states in Deva Hela known as Janbudveepa and it is the birth place of

the Buddha. The supreme Buddha Dhamma was in practice in most of these cities in Heladiva even in

the reign of King Ashoka. There were great Arahants as well as other noble ones who had attended in to

certain stages in the path of Nirvana. The supreme Buddha Dhamma was embraced by the many. Even

the members of the royal families in Hela Diva, discarded the wars, sacrificed all the royal comforts for

the happiness in Dhamma, wanted to experience the renunciation of lay life and, gradually, as a result of

this, the throne got fully affected. Generations of kings, queens and their descendants got extinct. Many

parts of the country came under the control of the new kingdom in Anuradhapura. Sometimes later, the

King Dhuttugamunu from a kingdom in Deva Hela conquered the kingdom of Anuradhapura too,

became the very first king to rule the entire Hela Diva under one flag. According to the history of Hela

Diva known to us, the great King Dhuttugamunu from Ruhuna was the very first king ruled all four parts

of Hela Diva under one throne.

Even at the time King Dhuttugamunu came in to the throne, supermandane Buddha Dhamma was still

prevailed in some kingdoms in Ruhuna in Deva Hela. But sooner after he came in to the throne, he too

was not escaped from the Indian influences and did his best for the success of Buddhisam. Hence, this

great land in Ruhuna, a heritage, the place blessed by nature which helped for the great Enlightenment

of Gautama Buddha and also all other Buddhas in the past, was gradually covered by the thick jungles.

Later, there wasn’t even one single human to be seen and it turned completely in to a great jungle.

Devram Vehera, city of Rajagaha & all other sacred places in Janbudveepa built in the past were covered

by the dense forests, even the names of them were forgotten and disappeared from people’s mind.

Although dagabas & monasteries built in Deva Hela were covered by the forest and forgotten in time,

the model kingdom of Buddha built in India by the great King Ashoka was not destroyed so soon.

Religious places found in that model kingdom of Buddha, later, were considered by the Hindus as their

religious places too. It is possible that many Indian and Lankan authors who wrote books in the kingdom

of Anuradapura knew about the model kingdom of Buddha built in India, but did not know about the

locations and the very original buildings made in Buddha’s time in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva. Because of

this very reason, all the authors from the time of Anuradhapura up to date, considered, and they meant

it too, the ruins in the secondly built model kingdom of Buddha by King Ashoka as Janbudveepa, but not

the ruins of the very original kingdom of Buddha in Hela Diva. These ruins in Hela Diva were not

destroyed due to the effect of Darmatha and anyone can see them even today.

In Buddha’s time, the name Janbudveepa was used for Deva Hela as it gave the meaning that ‘the island

where Buddha was born’ and later the authors and commentary writers of this country believed in that,

based on assumptions, it was the name given to India. They mentioned that in their books as well. Now,

this is the time to change this wrong interpretation about Janbudveepa and disclose the real truth to the

world. From the past up to date many people made certain attempts to reveal the truth about this

matter, but all of them had failed to do so. It is purely because of the fact that even today many people

strongly believe that Buddhism and Buddha Dhamma are the same. Actually speaking they do not know

Buddha Dhamma.

20

When it is started to preach the re-appeared supermandane Buddha Dhamma with the aim of guiding

the world to achieve Nirvana, misleading ideas & wrong interpretations which were prevailed for all this

times on ‘Janbudveepa’ & its history will be disappeared. Now it is the real time for the truth to come in

to being. It can actually be considered as a yuga mehewara, fulfilling a great task for the betterment of

all the beings.

Ashoka the Great built a model kingdom of Buddha1 in his empire, he was genuine and did not have any

idea to mislead anyone. King Ashoka never expected the world to believe that Buddha was born in India.

King Ashoka installed all his inscriptions only as a mean to commemorate those places. He merely

wanted to set up a mechanism by which he will be able to keep away any future wars and rule his vast

empire, conquered by war, with peace and harmony until his death. He was successful. But the authors

in Lanka, later, presented this idea to the world in a false way. This change, defacement was not done in

India.

In building these significant places of Janbudweepa in India, Ashoka the Great had not considered even

the distances among the said places. He just wanted to build these places across his empire. If he had

wished to mislead the people, he could have considered the actual distances as well.

The actual distance from the palace of Suddhodhana in the city of Kimbulwath to the city of Dewdaha,

prince Siddaththa’s birth place, in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva was nearly 40 - 50 km. In today’s context it

is from Dimbulagala to a place in Kundsale, Theldeniya. But the distance from the place identified first as

the city of Kapilawasthu in India to Lumbini in Nepal is nearly 3000 Kms (later this distance was

considered seriously by the present scholars and another new place had been identified and declared as

the city of Kapilavasthu). It is very impossible to come to the assumption that especially in a period

where advanced transportations were not common, a pregnant mother who expects her delivery at any

time had decided to go such a long distance to see her parents for her gab perahera. gab perahera was

a custom practiced in Lanka in the past as well as to the present day. Customs of this nature cannot be

seen in India. gab perahara is the visit made by a pregnant woman to her parents who expects her

delivery in the very near future2.

Likewise, the distance between the place identified as Buddhagaya today in India, and the place

identified as Isipathana where Buddha delivered his first sermon is nearly 450 Kms.

The distance of the walk that Gautama Buddha made in search of five ascetics from Hirivadunna in

Janbudveepa in Hela Diva, where Sri Maha Bodhi3 still stands legendry, to the real Isipathana (today this

place is called Isinbassagala4 in Madavachchiya) in Kaseerata

5 is nearly 60 Kms. In the ancient times,

Gautama Buddha spent nearly 3 days to cover this distance. If he had walked a distance of 450 Kms,

then it would have been taken 20 days. But, what is known is that the Gautama Buddha realized The

Enlightenment in Wesak Poya Day6 , spent seven

1 weeks there and at the end of the eighth week, in one

1 Buddha Rajja

2 Probably this could be her first visit to her parents’ house after her wedding. Prince Siddhathth’s mother, queen Maayaa too

followed this custom. 3 The sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa) under which The Buddha attended to his enlightenment.

4 Isin (irsheen or rishis or seers) +bassa (came down from..) +gala (the rock or stretch of rocks) – the rock or the rocky area from

where the seers came down … 5 The kingdom called Kasee.

6 Buddhists believe that the Buddha realized The Enlightenment in the full moon day in May.

21

Esala Poya2, had preached Dhamma to the five ascetics at Isipathana. It is necessary to look in to these

matters not by the logical approach but by the perspective of Dhamma.

The distances from city of Visala to Kusinara and city of Rajagaha to city of Visala in Janbudveepa in the

ancient Hela Diva, and the distances of the these places marked in India today are beyond someone’s

imaginations. To get a true picture one can compare these facts as well. All the ones who go and had

already gone on pilgrimages in India had experienced this. (These places too are described in a chapter

to come).

The model kingdom of Buddha built by King Ashoka in India and the foundations of the buildings of the

first kingdom of Buddha built 300 years ago in Janbudveepa, here in Hela Diva, are still existing.

Someone who compares these ruins would see the following differences and that will be an aid for the

realization of the truth.

1. When one looks in to the available extraordinary ruins of different buildings and monasteries built by

the kings, the Counts, businessmen & rich people who lived in Buddha’s time in Janbudveepa in Hela

Diva, he would notice that the foundations of all these buildings are made by solid rock or seasoned rock

slates. And also would notice that all those slates are made using very advanced technology. People who

lived in Hela Diva in the ancient times had used seasoned rocks and this is something similar to making

granite using rocks in the present day. The rock slates & foundations of the ancient buildings available

even up to this date in areas like Ritigala, Hiriwadunna, Buddangala in Ampara, Rajagala, Nilagala,

Thiriyaaya and also in Budugala in Balangoda, areas in Kurugala, Sithulpawwa, Thissamaharamaya,

Maligavila, Kudumbigala, Muhudu Maha Viharaya, Kottiyaram Nuwara situated to the southern

direction of Seruwawila and Kataram Pura. Because of this one can imagine the development of this

1 Sath Sathiya. The General\traditional understanding of this is as follows.

First week: Under the bodhi tree - During the first week after Enlightenment, the Buddha sat under the bodhi tree, experiencing

the happiness of freedom and peace. Throughout the week, He sat in one posture, experiencing the Bliss of Emancipation

(Vimukthi Suva). Second week: Gazing at the bo tree - In gratitude to the tree that had sheltered Him during His struggle for

Buddhahood, the Buddha stood without moving His eyes as He meditated on the bodhi tree (Animisalochana Pooja), thus

teaching a great moral lesson to the world. Buddhists who follow this example pay their respects not only to the original bo tree,

but also other bo trees. Third week: Golden bridge - The Buddha saw through His mind's eye that the gods were not sure

whether He had attained Enlightenment, as the Buddha had not given up His temporary residence at the bo tree. To clear their

doubts, He created, by His psychic powers, a golden bridge in the air, and walked up and down it for a whole week. Fourth

week: In the jewelled chamber - The Buddha created a beautiful jewelled chamber (ratanaghara) and sitting inside it, meditated

on what was later known as the 'Detailed Teaching' (Abhidhamma). His mind and body were so purified that rays of six colours

came out of His body - blue, yellow, red, white, orange and a mixture of these five. Each colour represented one noble quality

of the Buddha: yellow for holiness, white for purity, blue for confidence, red for wisdom and orange for defeat of desire. The

mixed colour represented all these noble qualities. Today these six colours make up the Buddhist flag. Fifth week: With a

Brahmana and three girls - While meditating under the Ajapala banyan tree, the Buddha replied to a Brahmana, who came to

see Him, that one becomes a perfect Brahmana by one's deeds and not by birth. Three charming girls called Tanha, Rati and

Raga (the daughters of Mara) came to disturb His meditation. They danced around the Buddha and tried to distract Him, but

soon got tired and left Him alone. Sixth week: Under the muchalinda tree - The Buddha started meditating under a muchalinda

tree. It began to rain heavily and the huge Muchalinda Nagaraja (cobra king) came out and coiled his body seven times around

the Buddha to keep Him warm and placed his hood over the Buddha's head to protect Him from the rain. After seven days, the

rain stopped and the snake changed into a young man who paid his respects to the Buddha. Seventh week: Under the

Rajayatana tree - The Buddha meditated under the Rajayatana banyan tree. Two merchants, Tapassu and Bhalluka, came into

His presence and offered the Buddha rice cakes and honey.The Buddha told them some of what He had found in His

Enlightenment. These two merchants, by taking refuge in the Buddha and His Dhamma, became the first lay followers in the

Buddhist world. There was no Sangha (order of monks and nuns) then. They asked the Buddha for something sacred and the

Buddha wiped His head with His right hand and pulled out some hair to give them. These hair relics (Kesa Datu) were brought

home and enshrined by the merchants.(Source-‘ Variety’,How the Buddha spent the 'Sath Sathiya, S\Observer - 2006/05/14). 2 Esala is the Sinhala name given for the month of July. This is the full moon day in this month.

22

technology of using rocks in the ancient times. But only the bricks & tiles had been used for the buildings

of model kingdom of Buddha built by King Ashoka in India. In Buddha’s time, before the period of

Anuradhapura, bricks had not been used in Hela Diva.

2. It can very clearly be seen all the available ruins of all most all the buildings built in India by the great

King Ashoka, characteristics and the influence of Hindu culture, Hindu architecture or Greek architecture

can be seen very clearly. But the technology and characteristics of the foundations of all the buildings in

Buddha’s period in Hela Diva are peculiar to us, cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. The

architectural ruins found in Ritigla only will prove this. What we call Ritigala today are the ruins of

Devram Vehere built by the rich merchant, Sudhaththa (Anepidu) with his money. It is the Jethavana

Vihara where Gautama Buddha resided nearly twenty years. Hence, all the dagabas & monasteries

offered to Buddha & the Sanga1 by the kings, the Counts and wealthy merchants who lived in solos

maha janapadas in Dewa Hela which were known as Janbudveepa were not made by using bricks. Also

they were not possessed of any characteristics of Hindu or Greek cultural. But, most of the buildings and

monasteries built later, in the Anuradhapura period and thereafter, were influenced by the Hindu and

Greek architecture and they were made by using bricks. That is the era after the influence of India.

3. Sculpturing, worshipping the statues and making of statues could not be seen in Buddha’s period in

Janbudveepa, in ancient Hela Diva. Sculpturing and worshipping the statues came in to practice by an

influence of Greek. Sculpturing and making of altars were started in Lanka after the Anuradhapura

period by the activities of the craftsmen of eighteen casts who came from India. None of these were

found in the supremandane Buddha Dhamma. All these can be seen in Buddhism and Buddhist culture.

The people in the ancient Hela Diva paid their homage only to the secret footprint of the Buddha and to

the Asathu Bo tree.

4. It is necessary to place a note here on the amazing technology of seasoning rocks used for different

purposes in Janbudveepa in ancient Hela Diva. This had been a well advanced technology. Technologies

where stonemasons first break-up huge rocks, cutting out the slates from them were not seen here. And

it can also be seen that these rocky slates were used only for the constructions of buildings which had

religious values. The juice, extracted from three types of herbs taken from the jungle and grinded on a

particular proportion, was mixed with another juice extracted from three fruits taken again from the

jungle and this was finally used to season the rocks. This mixture was used to split the rock, to smoothen

it like soft clay and then to be used for molding for any structure and finally to make slates in different

shapes was an advanced methodology adopted in the past. It should be mentioned here that even the

Rishis2 in India of that day did not know about this advanced methodology.

If not for this advanced technology practiced in Buddha’s time in Hela Diva, it would have easily been

taken more than one thousand years to make hundreds of thousands of soft rock slates which are

spread out in 58 special locations today in a large area of 1000 acres in Ritigala. In the past, all these had

been made within a period of one or two years. Today all these are considered as a work of

1 Sangas or Bhikkus are the members of the Order, non-lay disciples of Buddha, ones who have renounciated the lay life and

entered in to path of Nirvana. They are known as Buddhist priests, especially in the western world. 2 The Sages.

23

Vishvakarma1. It is nothing but a demonstration of advanced technology used in Janbudveepa in the

past.

4 Ancient Hela Diva, as explained by Aaataanaata Sutta and Maha Samaya Sutta.

If Aaataanaata Sutta and Maha Samaya Sutta in Deeganikaya in Tripitaka, a sermon by Buddha himself,

are carefully studied, true & accurate more information about Siw Hela2 named as Janbudveepa where

Gautama Buddha resided and preached his Dhamma, can be discovered. Buddhists can read both these

sermons in the pirith potha3. And also they can listen to Aaataanaata Sutta every day from the radio.

Though these Suttas are heard on daily basis, accurate information about the history mentioned in

Magadhi terms, are not explained by any one up to now. Today has become the practice of learnt

Bhikkus also of hiding the real meaning of this Sutta claiming that Sutta is meant for chasing out the

demons and the spirits.

In order to get a clear picture over our history of Hela Diva, it is necessary to analyze the special

historical factors highlighted in both these Suttas found in the pirith potha which is available at every

house and listened to the chanting of the Sutta everyone on daily basis. It’s a great mistake to think that

these Suttas contain information about a group of some invisible powerful spirits such as demons &

Buthas 4 who are weird, miraculous and very extraordinary. Aataanaata Sutta is nothing but a Sutta

which is rich in true information and gives a very clear picture about the history of Heladive of Buddha’s

time.

Here, it is not expecting to re-write the entire Aataanati Sutta again which is written in Maagadhi

language in Tripitaka, but only certain important parts will be analyzed in details.

“ Evan me suthan ekan samayan bhagavaa

raajagahe viharathi gijjakoota pabbathe

athako chaththaaro mahaaraajaa

mahathiyaacha Yakkha senaaya

mahathiyaacha gandhabba senaaya

mahathiyaacha Naaga senaaya

mahathiyaacha kumbhanda senaaya”

One day when the Enlightened One, Gautama Buddha, resides in the monastery in rock called Gijjakoota

which is situated closer to the city of Rajagaha, four great kings of the Yakkha tribe mentioned here,

came to see the Buddha with their full armies. They had come to see the Buddha for a special discussion,

to say something special to the Buddha.

1

In Hinduism this is the architect of god. But here ‘a work of Vishvakarma’ means that it is great work or a miracle. 2 Four Hela.

3 Pirith is the Sinhala word for paritta (in Pali), which means protection. "It protects one from all directions", is the traditional

definition. This is the recitation or chanting of the words of the Buddha. Pirith potha is the book which contains pirith. 4

Ghosts, spirits. According to Buddha they are different creatures living under extremely poor conditions such as limitation of

food & drinks, clothing , shelter etc. They get in to worlds of this nature due to the evil acts performed by them in their past

lives. To overcome this situation, they expect humans, probably their own past relations who are human beings now, to do

meritorious acts and pass the merits on them.

24

When a ruler of a kingdom or a king goes to an area out of his kingdom for a special matter of this

nature, it was the custom in the ancient time to going there with his full armies.

Gijjakoota, the monastery of the rock, the city of Rajagaha where Buddha was living that time and also

the kingdom of Yakkha, all these were situated in one country, the island. It is very preciously mentioned

in this Sutta. But they were in two different administrative areas. The names of the four kings found in

the Sutta such as the king of Kuwera called “Wessawana”, the king of Gandharwa called Dhatharattha,

the king of the Naaga tribe called Viroopakkha and the king of Kumbandha called Viroolha are human

beings. All in the armies came with these kings are also human beings. They are human beings of each

tribe and not the invisible, unknown and extraordinary spirits.

The kings of the four tribes and also the armies came with them were human being who lived in

different kingdoms situated in different regions in this Hela Diva in the ancient time.

In the ancient times, Hela Diva was divided in to four different parts, namely, Yakkha Hela, Naaga Hela,

Kumbhanda Hela and Gaandharwa Hela. In addition to this there were sixteen Sakyan Janapadas in

Janbudweepa which came under Deva Hela. The city of Rajagaha mentioned here was in the Sakyan

state called Maghada in Dewa Hela.

In that night, four kings of the Yakkha tribe came to see the Buddha with bright lamps in hand. Like you

and me, all of them were human beings. They are our great great grand fathers. They were human

beings of a particular tribe lived in our own country in the past.

In the past Thun Helaya1 had three parts namely Deva Hela, Yakkha Hela and Naaga Hela. Yakkha,

Kumbandha and Gaandharwa were the three Yakkha tribal groups lived in Yakkha Hela. They had their

own kings. There was one main leader, one main ruler for the four tribes called Yakkha, Naaga,

Kumbandha and Gaandharwa. That was the great king, King Kuwera called Wesamuni reigned from the

city called Aataanaata. The center of administration and the house of the state of Yakkha Hela were

situated in the city of Aaataanaata. It was situated closer to Vilachchiya in Anuradhapura.

In the city of Aataanaataa, at this house of the state which is common to all these four kings of Yakkha

Hela mentioned in this Sutta, all the kings and the rulers resolved a commandment called Aataanaataa

enactment. These four great kings who made up this commandment came to the city of Rajagaha that

night to see Gautama Buddha and informed the Buddha about their commandment, the content of this

commandment, how they expect to execute it and the names of forty leaders of the four Yakkha tribes

who were empowered to execute this law etc.

King Wesamuni broadly explained the reason for the declaration of the commandment called

Aataanaataa to the Buddha.

Following Maghadi words explain it,

1 Saththihi bhanthe ulaaraa Yakkhaa bhagavatho appasannaa

Santhihi bhanthe ulaaraa Yakkhaa bhagavatho pasannaa

2 Saththihi bhanthe majkhadima Yakkhaa bhagavatho appasannaa

1 Thun Helaya( Three Helas) is another name for Lanka.

25

Santhihi bhanthe majkhadima Yakkhaa bhagavatho pasannaa

3 Saththihi bhanthe neechaa Yakkhaa bhagavatho appasannaa

Santhihi bhanthe neechaa Yakkhaa bhagavatho pasannaa

Yebhuyeyna kho pana bhanthe Yakkha

appasnnaa yecha baghavatho

than kissa hethu

bhagavaahi bhanthe paanaathipaathaa veramaniyaa Dhamman desethi

adinnaadaanaa veramaniyaa Dhamman desethi

kaamwsu michchaachaaraa veramaniyaa Dhamman desethi

musaavaadaa veramaniyaa Dhamman desethi

suraameraya majjipamaa datthaanaa veramaniyaa Dhamman desethi

Yakkhaa appatvirathaa yecha

paanaathipaathaa, appatvirathaa, adinnaadaanaa appatvirathaa

appatvirathaa kaamwsu michchaachaaraa

appatvirathaa musaavaadaa

appatvirathaa suraameraya majjipamaa datthaanaa

“ the san than hothi appiyan amanaapan”

King Wesamuni spoke to Gautama Buddha. Thus,

“Oh, most venerable Sir, some powerful Yakkhas who live among our subjects in the Yakkaha tribe

respect the Buddha and his disciples with pleasant mind and thoughts, pay their homage to them. But

some are not so, they act in a manner of disturbing the disciples of Buddha with unpleasant mind and

thoughts.

Some of our own people with middle powers in the Yakkha tribe respect and treat the Buddha and his

disciples with pleasant mind and thoughts. But some people of Yakkha with middle powers act in an

unpleasant manner towards the Buddha and his disciples. It is a disturbance to the disciples of the

Buddha.

Further, some low and inferior people in the Yakkha tribe also treat the Buddha and his disciples with

honor and pleasant manner. But some low and inferior people of Yakkha tribe do not act in that manner.

26

There is a special reason for some of them to be interested in Buddha and some of them to be

unpleasant in Buddha.

Most venerable Sir, your disciples always preach the good about Pancha Seela. They advice the people

to follow Panch Seela. Your disciples preach our people not to harm animal life, not to steal from others

and not to take intoxicating drinks.

But, most venerable Sir, a majority in our tribal community goes for hunting, harms animal life, goes for

fishing and do it as a live hood. They are not worried about cultivating grains. They are not a group of

people who work in the paddy fields with the plough, manage waters and do animal husbandry for living.

They steal. Some of them are extremely vicious and may go to the extent of killing humans and eating

their flesh. They take intoxicating drinks. The people of this nature are not interested in Buddha

Dhamma preached by your disciples. They cannot follow that Dhamma. Some people in our Yakkha

tribe have inhumane qualities. They have the qualities which cannot be expected from human beings.

Hence, most venerable Sir, people of our Yakkha tribe having this kind of low qualities cannot be

controlled by the Dhamma preached by you or your disciples. The way of Dhamma does not suit for

them. They cannot understand the Dhamma.

In our king’s court situated in Yakka Hela in the city of Aataanaataa, we discussed all these things in

details and we resolved the following enactment in the king’s court. Most venerable Sir, we came here

in this manner to inform you the things we resolved. The great King Wesamuni requested in humbly

manner from The Enlightened One to spread out this information to his disciplines and ask them to act

accordingly.

“This is the enactment, the commandment of Aataanaataa”. King Wesamuni further informed the

Buddha that, in order to execute this commandment, he would appoint forty regional Yakkha leaders as

administrative officers who respect the disciples of the Buddha, who are interested in them and who

know Dhamma. These forty administrative leaders in the Yakkha tribe will safe guard the boundary lines

in the Deva Hela & Yakkha Hela, especially, places like Aranya Senasanas, caves, jungles, huge trees &

tree-shelters where the disciples of the Buddha practice mediation & the code of Dhamma. They are

given the required administrative authorities of the king to chase out the evil people in the Yakkha tribe

who kill men and eat flesh, also to secure the required safety of the disciples of the Buddha. The very

moment that any complaint goes to these regional leaders, they will act immediately, punish the

offenders and safe guard the disciples of the Buddha. If there is any trouble or inconvenience, please

inform them with a louder call.”

With regards to these facts there is a fable also in the Aataanaataa Sutta.

“ Seiyathaapi maarisa ranno maagassa

Vijithe chooraa, the newa ranno

Maagadhassa aadiyanthi na ranno maagadassa

purisakaanan aadiyanthi,the kho the maarisa

mahaa choraa, ranno maagadassa

awaruddha nama vuchchanthi

ewa mewa kho maarisa santhihi

27

amanussa chandaa rundaa rabhasaa

the newa mahaaraajaanan aadiyanthi”

King Wesamuni also informs Buddha that “ Me, the great ruler of the Yakkha Hela, irrespective of the

status, powers, relationships or any other reasons would punish all the members of Yakkha tribe within

our territory who do unwholesome acts, unfair things, steal and disturb the disciples of the Buddha of

Yakkha in the same way how the great king of Maghada, where the city of Rajagaha also coming under,

excessively punishes the robbers, the great robbers & the bandits irrespective of their status, ranks or

any other reasons.

Here, King Wesamuni takes the great king in Maghda as an example, as a fable. Maghada, ruled by a

Sakyan king of Maghada, was one of the sixteen states in the Deva Hela of which city of Rajagaha was

the capital city. The meaning of this is that the kingdom of Maghada was situated near the border of

Yakkha Hela.

When the time that the great King Wesamuni presented the Aaataanaataa enactment to the Buddha, he

had clearly explained certain things such as information of other three kings who came with him,

respective areas that they ruled, the directions of areas ruled by each king, citizens of these kings and

their way of life etc. This information is broadly explained from seventh stanza to the 31 stanza in the

Aataanaataa Sutta. This explains the kingdoms of Yakkha existed in Hela Diva in the ancient time and

also the directions of each kingdom. There is another Sutta in the Tripitaka which gives a lot of clear

information about this. That is the Mahaasamaya Sutta. Following the clear explanations of these two

Suttas, it is better to draw up a map on the ancient Hela Diva and explain this matter.(see the no 1 map

of Lanka).

According to the explanation given that day by the King Wesamuni, Siw Helas in the ancient Lanka are as

follows.

1. Gaandarva Hela

King of Gaandarva called King Dhatharatta ruled Gaandarva Hela and it was situated bordering to the

sea on the east direction of the city of Rajagaha. This kingdom wakes up with the sun rise in the north,

situated in the purimaa direction (east direction), and was dwelled by the people of Gaandarva tribe.

Fairly a large area came under Gaandarva Hela, stretching from the Thoppigala jungle to Batticaloa &

Ampara districts, as the names given in today’s context. This Yakkha Hela dwelled by the Gaandharva

tribe was situated on the east direction of Gijjakoota parvatha, where Buddha resided. Thoppigala was

the capital city of Yakkha Hela.

2. Kumbhaanda Hela

This kingdom, the dwelling place of Kumbhaanda tribe, was situated to the south of the city of Rajagaha

and ruled by King Viroolha. Here, people eat raw flesh & fish, are extremely barbarians who would skin

off humans and eat their flesh, kill animals for living, steal from others and take intoxicating drinks and

consist of dangerous robbers and bandits. Their qualities are not of human beings. So they behave as

demons.

Some parts in the districts such as Colombo, Kaluthara, Rathnapura & Galle, a large forestry area

including today’s Sinharaaja forest were coming under Kumbhanda Hela.

28

3. Naaga Hela

An area adjoining the great sea, situated on the west direction (pachchima disaa) to the city of Rajagaha

was Naaga Hela and ruled by King Viroopakkha. Their livelihood was fishing. Some people in the Naaga

tribe were in to trading in the sea as well. Villages and cities in the western coastal areas from Kalpitiya

to Galle, as they are named today, were mainly coming under the Naaga Hela. A place in between

Kelaniya & Negambo was the capital city and King Viroopakkha ruled his country from there. There had

been many regional kings of this kingdom of Naaga, the Tripitaka says. All the villages such as

Naagadeepa, Nainathiew and Nainamadama, as we call them today, were coming under Naaga Hela.

Even in some interior parts, there had been some small kingdoms ruled by kings of Naaga tribe. Betel1

was grown in Naagadeepa.

All the kings such as Choolodara, Mahaaudara, Maniakkhitha and Muchalinda ruled the different places

where people of Naaga tribe lived.

4. Yakkha Hela

The great King Wessawana was the ruler of Yakkha Hela. This great King of Yakkha tribe was the chief

leader of all other tribal kings as well. Hence, the great King Wessawana was the king for all four tribal

communities in the whole island, namely, Yakkha, Naaga, Kumbhaanda and Gaandarva. The city of

Aataanaataa was his centre of administration. Aalakamandawa (later Lankaapura) was a main city where

the great King Wessavana had his royal palace. The people of this country of Yakkha were a group who

did hunting, eating flesh and fish. As it was mentioned by the King Wesamuni, people in his county did

not cultivate paddy. They did not use the plough and cultivate paddy fields. They ate yams, different

leaves and grains gathered from the jungle. Mannar in Poonarin in Jaffna, districts like Anuradhapura,

Putthlam & Kurunegala and also some parts in the Kandy & Matale districts came under Yakkha Hela

and of which, in the ancient times, Aalakamandawa & Aataanaataa were the two main capital cities.

(See the map). In the past, all the places up to Alawwa in Kurunegala district were coming under Yakkha

Hela. Demon Alaw 2(Aalaw Yaka) was subjugated by Buddha in this place called Alawwa, as we call it

now. In the past this place too came under the reign of the great King Wesamuni. Uthuruku Divaina was

another name given for this Yakkha Hela. The city Aalakamandaa was in the place called

Mahavilachchiya or Vilachchiya today. In the past, the city of Aalakamanda was situated around a large

natural water reservoir. Later, the history says that King Vijaya came to Lanka, with the support given by

Kuveni, killed 80 princes of the Yakkha tribe and conquered the Yakkha Hela. What he captured was city

of Aalakamandaa. It was popular, that day, as Lankaapura3 as well. This city got this name, Lankaapura,

purely because of its beauty.

The King Wessavana brought it to the notice of Gautama Buddha that he had appointed forty regional

leaders of the Yakkha tribe who are capable enough to safe guard the boundaries of the Yakkha Hela,

also have the utmost faith & respect towards the disciple of the Buddha and would act accordingly.

Names of these forty leaders are also found in the Aataanaataa Sutta.

1 Betel or Bulath - is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its

medicinal properties. Betel leaf is mostly consumed in Asia with or without tobacco, in an addictive psycho-stimulating and

euphoria-inducing formulation with adverse health effects. Betel leaves are used in many occasions in Sri Lankan culture and

people believe that they got Betel from Naa Lova, the world of Naa or Naga. 2 The word demon was used here as in its general use. Demons in English language are spirits, but not Yakkhas and can not be

used in place of the tribal group of Yakkhas found in Lanka. Presently in the common use word Yakkha is replaced with demon

which is totally wrong. 3

Lanka – beautiful, attractive. Pura – the city.

29

That day King Wessawana informed Gautama Buddha that he appointed these regional leaders of

Yakkha, namely, Indra, Soma,Waruna, Bhaaradwaja, Pajaapathi, Chandano, Kaama Settho, Kinnugandu,

Nigandu, Panaado, Opamanno, Dewasuthoo, Maathali, Chiththaseno, Gandhabbanalo, Raajaajanosabho,

Sathaagiro, Hemawatho, Punnako, Karathiyo, Gullo, Seewako, Muchalindo, Wessamiththo, Yugandharo,

Gopaalo, Suppagodho, Hirineththi, Mandiyo, Panchaalachancho, Aalawako, Pajjunno, Sumano, Sumukho,

Dadhimuko, Manimaanicharo, Deegho, Atho, Serissako to safe guard the boundaries, to stick on and to

execute the enactment of Aataanaataa.

Buddha carefully listened to all these and accepted the facts presented by King Wessavana. Later,

Buddha assembled all his four types of disciples, namely, Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni, Upasaka & Upasika 1,

preached about this enactment of Aataanaata, methodology of it and all the names of the Yakkha

leaders appointed to safe guard it. Because of this, the Aataanaata commandment consented at by King

Wessavana at his court, later became a commandment of Buddha too.

Today, this is the reason for Aataanaataa Sutta to be appeared twice in the Pirith Potha and in Tripitaka

as well, the command of the king and the commandment of the Buddha.

The Aataanaata Sutta in this nature was preached to people. Its content is about people. All those tribal

people lived in this Hela Diva. Gautama Buddha too lived in this Deva Hela.

Now, Gijjakoota Parvatha2 and the city of Rajagaha, mentioned in Aataanaataa Sutta, where the

Buddha lived can be discovered from this Hela Diva itself.

The area stands like a circle of great rocks, namely, Rajagala, Nilgala, Buddhangala & Nuwaragala in the

districts like Ampara, Badulla and Monaragala in today’s context, came under the kingdom of Maghada.

Gijjakoota Parvatha too was situated in the same location of Veluvanaaraamaya which is closer to city of

Rajagaha. This was situated to a place closer to the capital city of the kingdom of Maghada. Earlier, a

large area like Uhana, Bakkiella, Gonaagalla, Mahaoya & Padhiyathalaawa in Ampara district today,

Bibila, Maddagama to Badulla, Meegahakiwla & Mahiyanganaya and Maddagama to Akkarapaththuwa

came under kingdom of Maghada. All the paddy fields which are cultivated today with the waters of

Galoya reservoir too came under this same kingdom. In Gautama Buddha’s time King Bimbisaara was

the emperor in Maghada. Later King Ajaasaththa came in to power. Hela Magadhi was the language

used here. All of these kings found in Tripitaka reigned in this Hela Diva. In any book, paper or document

written in India, names of these kings cannot be found.

Same as here, even in Maha Samaya Sutta, a very clear description on four Yakkha kingdoms, is given.

Until Buddhism was introduced to the capital city of Yakkha Hela in Anuradapura (to Lankapuar) by

Arahant Mahinda Thero, the kingdom of Anuradhapura was such that the state leader and the people

had the habit of going on hunting and killing animals in the wild. Arahant Mahinda Thero introduced

Buddhism to King Dewana Paa Thissa who was the leader of Lankaapura (Anuradapuar) by that time.

Arahant Mahinda Thero met King Tissa in a Poson Poya3 day. The Mahavamsa says that even in the

Poson Poya day forty thousand people had gone for hunting with their king to the wild. It is clear then

Arahant Mahinda Thero introduced Buddhism to the people in Yakkha tribe in Anuradapura and not to

the Sakyan people in the Deva Hela. Venerable Mahinda Thero brought the Buddhukeli Commentaries

1Bhikkhu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. Bhikkhuni is a female Buddhist monastic. Upasaka is a male lay Buddhist.

Upasika is female lay Buddhist. 2 The rock called Gijjakoota.

3 The full moon poya day in June. Buddhists consider this day as the day that Arahant Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India and

introduced Buddhism to them. They commemorate this day with religious activities.

30

and Buddha Dhamma to Lankaapura (Anuradhapura then) from Janbudveepa. This is stated in

Mahavamsa as Jambudveepaa Idhaagatha Lankapura. This note is preciously correct. It was the sixteen

Sakyan states, including city of Sawath & city of Rajagaha, in Deva Hela was popular as true and real

Janbudveepa where Buddha was born. It is very clear that Arahant Mahinda Thero came to Janbudveepa

(the city of Rajagaha in Hela Diva) in search of supermandane Buddha Dhamma, learnt Buddha Dhamma

& Hela language there, attended to the Arahantship, first introduced Buddha Dhamma and later

Buddhism to non-Buddhist kingdom in Anuradapura. Arahant Mahinda Thero came to Janbudveepa and

learnt Buddha Dhamma in the city of Rajagaha. That was Rajagala in Ampara. The history says that after

the cremation of Arahant Mahinda Thero, the deposit of his ashes had been discovered from this place.

Because of this, what is mentioned in Mahavamsa, “ jajbuddeepaa idhaa gathaa Lankapura”, is true.

When the time Mahavamsa was written in Hela, Janbudveepa was in Rajagala in Ampara. Lankapura

was Mahavilachchi near Anuradapura. According to this, Bhikkuni Sangamiththa brought in the right

branch of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi from Janbudveepa to Anuradhapura. That is also true. Hirivadunna

now was a place in Janbudveepa in the past. A branch of the Bo tree was taken from there to

Anuradhapura in a boat.

Janbudveepa means the island where Buddha was born and all the future Buddhas will be born. In

Aataanaataa Sutta, King Wesamuni explains to Gautama Buddha that four Buddhas in the past had

been born here in Janbudveepa and the ancestors in King Wesamuni’s family had an unbroken custom

of paying homage to all those Buddhas. Its proved that this Hela Diva which is popular as Janbudveepa

has the universal energies which had help for the supreme Enlightenment of all the Buddhas in the past

and will help all the Buddhas in the future too.

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32

33

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5 ‘Gautama Buddha came to Lanka for three times’, the real truth behind this statement.

It’s a well known story that Gautama Buddha came three times to Lankapura from Janbudveepa from

where he attended to the supreme Enlightenment. This is very clearly mentioned in many historical

books, history of Buddhism and Mahavamsa Commentaries written by Bhikku Mahanama. But nothing

had been written about the Buddha, Buddha’s journey to Lanka and Janbudveepa in any Indian history

book, any document or any place in India. What is mentioned in the original Mahavamsa written in

Hela language that Buddha came to Lanka for three times is true. There is nothing to argue on that. The

mistake had happened after 300 years when this story was written in the Pali Mahavamsa

Commentaries which was written for the original Hela Mahavamsa. Those days in the time of the

Buddha, different Hela terms such as Lankapura – Aalakamandawa - Alankarapura were used for the

capital city of the great King Wesamuni in the kingdom of Yakkha Hela. Today we call Lanka for the all

three Helas, thun Hela. In the ancient times Hela Diva was Deva Hela, Yakkha Hela and Naaga Hela. In

the ancient times, Yakkha Hela and Naaga Hela came under one kingdom and eighteen Sakyan states in

Dewa Hela were taken as separate kingdoms.

Lankapura, the capital city of the kingdom of King Wessavana was situated in the areas like Vilachchiya

and Maha Vilachchiya, as they are called today. It had been a very magnificent city. Its beauty had been

highly praised in the Aataanaataa Sutta. Kingdom of Kuwera was another name given for it. Even when

the time King Vijaya came to Lanka, kings of the Yakkha tribe had ruled there. With the help given by

princess Kuveni of the Yakkha tribe, King Vijaya killed 80 leaders of the Yakkha tribe and conquered their

kingdom of which capital city was Lankapura.

King Vijaya came to Lankapura. Because of this kingdom of Yakkha was commonly known as the

kingdom of Lankapura.

There were sixteen of Sakyan states in Deva Hela and where Sakyan1 Buddha lived and attended to the

supreme Enlightenment was called “Janbudveepa” which had the meaning of ‘the land where Buddha

was born’ . “Janbudveepa” was the name commonly used for all the solos maha janapadas in Deva Hela.

Kelaniya, Nagadeepa, Mahiyangana and also the Samanala Adaviya, area where Sripada peak2 is

situated, were coming under the reign of the leaders of Yakkha tribe in the kingdom of Lankapura. Deva

Hela and Yakkha Hela were totally two different kingdoms in the ancient times. The administrative

systems also were totally different to each other. Kelaniya was a city reigned by the regional leaders of

Yakkha Hela and dwelled by the tribal community of Naaga. In the ancient times, travelling in

Janbudveepa from the city of Sawath or city of Rajagaha to Kelaniya in the same country in the west

coast was very difficult than travelling to a foreign land. In the ancient times proper roads, sub-roads or

bridges were not common and Gautama Buddha travelled to Kelaniya from Janbudveepa which was

situated in Hela Diva itself. Kelaniya was in the kingdom of Lankapura. Also Naagadeepa3 was in the

kingdom of Lankapura. The great forest Lakgala next to where Mahiyangana is located today also came

under the same kingdom of Yakkha. Today, the large forest area in Sri Pada was also a part of Lankapura

in the kingdom of Yakkha. The name of the regional King “Samana”, the ruler in the Sri Pada area, was

among the other names of the forty leaders found in Aataanaataa Sutta. Also the two regional leaders

whom that Buddha met on the road, like Hemawatha and Saathhagira, can also be found in the

Aataanaataa Sutta.

1 Buddha was born to the Sakyan clan.

2 In the present day, after the colonial era, this mountain is called Adam’s peak which is seriously wrong. Sri or Siri are the

synonymous used for Buddha. Pada means foot. The peak where the Buddha in-printed his sacred foot print is called Sripada

Peak. 3 Island of Naaga, island of Naaga tribe.

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Regional leader of Naaga tribe like Choolodara, Mahodara and Maniakkhitha were partners in the

kingdom of Lankapura. To console a dispute between two regional kings in Kelaniya which came under

Lankapura, Gautama Buddha travelled from one place to another, in this Hela Deepa itself. It was from

Janbudveepa to Lankapura, earlier. It is Ampara to Kelaniya, now.

“Samana” was a regional ruler of Yakkaha tribe whose reign was in the area called Samanala, now it is

the Sri Pada area. He is a member in the kingdom of Yakkha itself. King “Samana” was the ruler for the

jungle area stretched from Sri Pada to Mahiyanganaya. Gautama Buddha’s visit to the reign of this King

“Samana” to subjugate of Yakkhas who disturbed the life of disciple of the Buddha, was also a journey

to this same Lankapura. That day, Buddha came to Lankapura from Janbudveepa. Buddha’s visit to

Nagadeepa was also from Janbudveepa. Naagadeepa was another area of Lankapura reigned by the

regional leaders of Naaga tribe. According to this, this story in Mahavamsa is absolutely correct. The

error was occurred when a Pali commentary was written to the original Hela Mahavamsa. This Pali

commentary was written 300 years after the original Mahavamsa. The author of this is also a person

called Bhikku Mahanama from India.

After 600 years of Buddha’s parinirvana, 300 years after Ashoka’s time, when the time this commentary

was written by Bhikku Mahanama, the model kingdom of Buddha built by emperor Ashoka in India,

would have been popular among the people. By this time the administrative strengths of the Sakyan

states in Hela Diva was very poor. Because of this, it can be seen that books had been written using the

name Janbudveepa in place of India. All these distortions were done by our own contemporary writers

in Anuradhapura period who wrote books and commentaries, but not the ones in India. In the ancient

times, in any book or any document written in India, even in any inscription of Ashoka, this name

“Janbudveepa” had not been used to any place in India. Hence, what had actually happened in the

history was that Gauthma Buddha had gone from one place known as Janbudveepa in Hela Diva itself,

where Gautama Buddha lived, to another place known as Lankapura again in the Hela Diva itself. All

three journeys to Lanka made by the Buddha happened in this manner.

It is very strongly proved by Aataanaataa Sutta, Mahaasamaya Sutta and also by the stories found in

Tripitaka such as the subjugation of Yakkha, subjugation of Alawaka, the story in the forest Paarileyya

etc that the majority of the Yakkha community lived in the Lankapura had not accepted Buddha

Dhamma and these tribal communities had made certain troubles to the disciples of the Buddha. These

stories are from Thripitaka itself, not the stories guessed and made by the ordinary people.

Day and night, for a very long period like forty five years, The Enlightened One travelled and preached

the Dhamma to the people who lived in sixteen states in Deva Hela, stretched from Jaffna, Mulathiw to

Thissmaharama & Mathara in Ruhuna. All these sixteen Sakyan Janapadas mentioned in Tripitaka were

situated in this Hela Diva itself, in “Janbudveepa” which was known as Deva Hela by the history.

In the history it can be seen that the name “Janbudveepa” had been used, later, for the artificial

kingdom of Buddha built by the great King Ashoka with eighty four thousand temples & monasteries. In

the period after the emperor Ashoka’s, this distortion was done only by the authors of this island who

wrote the history and the articles for the Buddhist literature, but not by the Indians.

There is a special thing to be mentioned again about this matter. That is, in this world we live in, the

universal energy given by the nature which is a must for a noble person who wishes to attend to this

supermandane position called the Enlightenment one day, will get it only at one place in whole world.

That is “The Madya Mandala in Janbudveepa”. This Madya Mandala is situated in the very center of a

monastic place in the sacred land, the island what we call Lanka. When Artha, Dharma, Nirukthi &

36

Pratibhaana are recited for Buddha Dhamma Artha, Dharma & Nirukthi of Janbudveepa have sprung up

and now it has been identifies as the birth island of Buddha.

6 Main places to honor and pay homage in Deva Hela (Janbudveepa).

6.1 Lumbini, birth place of prince Sidduhat

The place which was picked up by Ashoka the Great to mark the birth of Sidduhat was a place of

distance located within a mountain range in India. Today this place is a village called “Rumindai” and this

is a village in Nepal. This village has never ever been called Lumbini throughout the whole history. But

some of us had given the name Lumbini to this place. In this place there is a pillar installed by King

Ashoka. Based on the information of this, the inscription which was installed 300 years after the

parinirvana of Buddha, it was only the ordinary people claim that this was set up as a monument to

commemorate the birth of the Buddha. But not a single line out of ninety four words in this says that

Sidduhat’s birth had occurred in this place.

Even in the explanation about this place found in Ashokaawadaanaya1, a Sanskrit book written after

some times by an Indian author, it does not say that prince Sidduhat was born in this village called

Rumindai or the name Lumbini had been used for this place. What is written there is that King Ashoka

had come, honored and worshipped this place during the pilgrimages he made in his empire. It is clear

that in his visit, King Ashoka had granted a village and in order to commemorate that, this Ashoka

inscription had been installed there. The Ashokaawadaanaya says that in the ancient times Indian kings

had gone on worshiping Theertha, and Theertha were the ferries2 which were used to wash away the

sins. Indian history accepts that King Ashoka and King Shilaadithya had worshipped eight of such ferries

(Lalitha Visthara). It is very clear that King Ashoka had given the equality for all the religions in his

kingdom of virtue and even buildings were made accordingly. Then it is clear that King Ashoka had given

this name to one such Theertha place in his kingdom, what had been a pilgrim site by that time too, new

buildings had been made and erected a pillar to commemorate his visit, his pilgrimage to the said place.

Other than that there isn’t anything about the birth of Sidduhat in that letter, inscription. Basham, the

great historian, also confirms the same. Later, it can be seen in the history that Indian Hindu kings too,

for instance king Shilaadithya, Chinese Hung San3 had gone on pilgrimage and paid their homage to this

place.

Purohithas of King Ashoka may have heard The Enlightenment of the Buddha, but not the birth of

Sidduhat. Because of this in building temples and monasteries in India such as the Ashoka inscription at

the place called Rumindai, what mentioned there was that it had been installed to commemorate The

Enlightenment of the Buddha. They did not know about prince Siddartha. The real birth of Sidduhat

occurred in this Hela Diva at one Sal 4 grow situated near the city of Dewdaha which is one of the Sakyan

states in Deva Hela in Janbudveepa. Today, this place is identified as Bambaragala, a place near

Theldeniya. In the ancient times, the city of Dewdaha was situated where we find Kundasale and

Ganoruwa today. In the ancient times, the Sakyan Janapadas including the city of Dewdaha covered

many places near river Mahaveli in the up country. In the Sakka Panha Sutta in Tripitaka, Gautama

Buddha says that few years after his Enlightenment he had lived one year in a cave called Indasala, his

birth place near the Sal grow in Theldeniya. That garden of Sal, the Sal grow, had been changed in to

1 Narrative of Asoka.

2 Or it could be a pilgrim site, a place to worship.

3 The great Chinese traveler.

4 Sal or Shala tree, Shorea robusta, is a flowering tree belonging to the Dipterocarpaceae family.

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Salwaththa and now it is Thalwaththa1 . Today this Indasala cave is known as Bambaragala. An

inscription found in Bambaragala says that Gautama Buddha had resided there. A Sutta called Panitha

Sutta had been preached here, but for some reason today this Sutta too had been taken off from the

Tripitaka. Prof. Paranavithana too has accepted that Buddha had lived here for a period of one year.

(INSCRIPTION OF CEYLON – VOL – 1.P.63).

In the very ancient time like 560 B.C., or in Buddha’s time, many inscriptions found in,

1. Dekundara

2. Kotaa Davu Hela

3. and Korawakgala

clearly say that even by that time there had been twelve thousand Arahants in the Sithula Pawwa

Vihara (Chiththa Pabbatha). ( INSCRIPTION OF CEYLON – VOL – 1 No 1035,1103,1104).

One can find this story also in the Pali Mahavamsa Commentaries written by Bhikku Mahanama. (This is

mentioned in Pali Mahavamsa, stanzas in chapter 24,8,9).

“Sanghan sannipaathai boopathi, dvaadaseththa sahassaathi Bhikku chithtala pabbathaa. Thatho

Thatho dvaadhasseva sahassaathi samaagamun”. Dvaadaseththa sahassaathi is 12,000. Chithtala

Pabbathaa is Sithulpawwa. This is the time that Gautama Buddha lived. This story is found in the very

original Hela Mahavamsa written either in Ruhuna or the city of Rajagaha.

Because the name “Gautama Shramana” 2 is very clearly stated in the above mentioned inscription in

Dekundara, and also in another 30 inscriptions, it is very clearly proved that caves had been arranged

and offered for the use of Gautama Shramana.

That day, King Suddodana reigned in the city of Kapilawasthu in Janbudveepa. The city of Kapilawasthu

in Hela Diva was situated in the area below Dimbulagala, in a very fertile and luxuriant area with paddy

fields cultivated with the waters of Maduru Oya. The kingdom of Sakyan which was reigned by King

Suddodana was situated on the east bank of river Mahaweli3 (it was Rohini in the ancient past). This

kingdom of Sakya, in the ancient time, was stretched for a large area from Maduru Oya, Mavial Aaru,

Seruvila and Ella Janapada. The other side of the river Mahaveli was the kingdom of Koliya, covering

areas like, as we call them now, Somawathi, Polonnaruwa and Kanthale. Two kingdoms, Sakya & Koliya,

had a battle over the waters of Rohini. This battle happened in the Mavial Aaru area and it was same as

the war experienced in the recent past.4 The waters of the river was the root cause for the battle. The

most recent battle over the waters of Mavil Aaru can be considered as a reoccurrence of the battle of

Sakya & Koliya. These are special incidents happen again and again in the history. They are incidents

which are scheduled to happen again and again across the history, i.e. the returns.

For the gab perahera, it says that queen Mahamaya had gone to the city of Devdaha from the city of

Kapilawastu. There was a route to the city of Devdaha from Dimbulagala, along on the bank of river

Mahaveli. After completing nearly 40 miles on this road one can reach Theldeniya. This distance can be

1 Sal Wanaya (Sal grow or Sal forest) -> Sal Uyana (garden of Sal) -> Sal Waththa (plantation of Sal) ->Tal Waththa

2 One who strives, wandering monk.

3 Longest river in Lanka.

4 Mavil Aru (Mother River) is a waterway that supplies water to some regions of eastern Lanka. The closure by the Liberation

Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organization, of the sluice-gates of Mavil Aru on July 26, 2006, was a crucial

turning point in the Sri Lankan Civil War. With the initiation of 'Operation Watershed', the Sri Lanka Armed Forces undertook to

wipe out the LTTE.

38

followed by a pregnant mother, even by walking, who expects her baby in the very near future. But the

distance from the place marked today as the city of Kapilawasthu in India to the place marked as

Lumbini in Nepal is about 300 km. All of you should think, without being biased, whether this is a

practical distance for a pregnant lady to walk in.

gab perahera was a custom prevailed in this Hela Diva. That is the journey made by a pregnant mother

to see her parents who expects her child in the near future. This custom can be seen in Lanka even to

this date. But a custom of this nature cannot be seen in India. Hence, it is evident that the birth of

prince Sidduhat happened in “Janbudveepa” in Lanka in the ancient past, this place is known today as

Theldeniya - a place near Kundasale and is hidden in time. What is named today as Bambaragala Raja

Maha Vihara is nowhere else but Lumbini.

The direction to the Rajamaha Vihara in Bambaragala where prince Sidduhath was born is as follows:

One can come to Diggana junction after covering nearly 10 kms on the road which goes from

Mahanuwara to Mahiyangana. When he comes nearly 2 kms towards the Victoria Dam on the old

Theldeniya road, will find the road leading to Bambaragala Rajamaha Vihara in Vavagama. In the ancient

times, the road leads to kingdom of Kapilawasthu to the city of Dewdaha was named as Raja Mawatha.1

Today Bambaragala Rajamaha Vihara is situated near this Raja Mawatha. Even today, in the ground of

the Bambaragala Rajamaha Vihara one can see Sal trees which date back to thousand years. The birth of

prince Sidduhath was occurred here in this place. In the same grounds of this Vihara2, there is a cave

named Indasala Guha and engraved Magadhi Prakurtha letters found in this cave says that Gautama

Buddha had resided there in the 6th

year of his Enlightenment. In the time that Buddha lived, Salumini

Saya3 which was built by enshrining a shawl used by the Buddha was situated on the mountain peak in

the grounds of Bambaragala Rajamaha Vihara.

6.2 Buddagaya (Gaya Bodi)

11 km away from the railway station in the Bihar state and 10 kms away from the river called Thaalgu,

there is a place, in India today that conventional Buddhists believe in, assume as Buddagaya. Sometimes

ago, Anagarika Darmapala 4 identified this place as the place where Gautama Buddha attended to his

supermandane Enlightenment and declared it to the world. Even today, one can see some buildings of

King Ashoka with Hindu & Greek traditions which he did for his model kingdom of Buddha and also a Bo

tree grown later to commemorate the Asathu Bo. And History also says that the first Bo tree what

emperor Ashoka got down from Hela Diva & planted there, during his time itself, had been destroyed by

one of his queens5 by piercing it with poisonous thorns.

The most sacred Asathu Bo tree which was the shelter for Gautama Buddha to attend to his

supermandane Enlightenment is something which will stand safely in the Madya Mandala in

Janbudveepa for five thousand years. It is not something to be destroyed by any earthquake, flood, fire,

and storm or by any human activity. As the sacred Buddha Dhamma will be secured five thousand years,

this Asathu Bo tree also will help the devoted Kula Puthras, who are fortunate to attend to Nirvana, to

become “Buddha” (to become Arahant Buddha) by conforming to the universal energies. This sacred

Bodhi tree will survive for another long period of time within this land of Hela. 1 Road of the king or The Royal street.

2 In today’s context Vihara is the place where Buddhist monks reside, the temple.

3 The stupa of the shawl. This could be a shawl, a robe or a wrapping cloth.

4 Anagarika Dharmapala (17 September 1864 - 29 April 1933) was a leading figure in Buddhism in the 20 century.

5 Queen Tissarakkhā.

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The most sacred Hiriwadunna Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

The most sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi where Gothama Sidhartha attended in to the supermandane Enlightenment

nearly 2600 years ago is still stands legendry in this manner. This sacred place is the Madya Mandala of the island

where Buddha was born in the ancient Hela Diva. Today, this place is on the very center point in the map of Lanka.

This is the Madya Mandala where universal energies are centerised.

Vajrasana

Vajrasana is protected by Darmatha and unsakenly positioned to the base of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi where

Gauthma Buddha attended in to the supermandane Enlightenment. This Vajrasana was made and fixed here in the

ancient past by King Muchalinda. It is mentioned in the inscription found in this place.

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The sacred white Bo tree

In the month of Wesak this bud of white Bo springs up from the very place where Meheni Sangamiththa uprooted

a bud of Bo tree. This bud of Bo tree lives for seven weeks and later dies off. This picture of the sacred white Bo of

Hiriwadunna was taken on 17th May 2009. What is taken to the front cover of this book is also this sacred white

Bo tree.

At this place Just before The Enlightenment, Bosath Siduhath, after having the milk rice offered by maiden Sujatha

firmly determined by his powerful mental strength to float up his begging bowl in the river of Neranjana at this

place. This is the remaining of that big river of Neranjana where the begging bowl was floating up right. This part of

the river of Neranjana is still well secured.

Indian history itself gives true evidence on the story that King Ashoka the Great obtained a plant of the

Asathu Bo from Janbudveepa in Hela Diva and planted it at a place which is conventionally accepted

41

today as Buddagaya in India. The illustrations that exit up to date in the gateway of Sanchi Vihara, Sanchi

Thorana, which was built by King Ashoka with the aim of praising and showcasing his religious activities

to the outside world, clearly depict that the king welcomes the plant of Asathu Bo obtained from

Janbudveepa and grows it there. This story t has been engraved in the gateway of Sanchi during King

Ashoka’s time itself. Today it can be seen that it is attempted to misinterpret this incident as well.

Attending to the supermandane Enlightenment, not only by Gautama Buddha, but also by all the

supreme Buddhas in the past or all the supreme Buddhas in the future, can be done only at one single

place in this world. That place is the Madya Mandala in Janbudveepa (the birth place of the Buddha in

the island of Hela Diva) where virtuous universal energies can be found in its center. This place with

extreme charming beauty is a place situated permanently in the very center in this Hela Diva. One can

take a map of Lanka and mark the latitudes and longitudes in a way that the lines inter cross and check

out the very center point, that is HIriwadunna. Even today this most sacred Asathu Bo tree is well

secured and can be seen by anyone in the Madya Mandala of Hela Diva. (See the map). Even to this

date, this place is the exact middle point of Lanka.

Anyone who checks out this ancient sacred Asathu Bo tree, it could easily be understood that it is older

than 2700 years. When the time the Bosath Gautama1 came to this charming plot of land and looked for

a suitable tree for shelter, this great Asathu Bo tree may have grown well in suitable height and size. This

Bodi is purely set up by the Darmatha, and is not an artificial one made by somebody.

Today this place is called “Hiriwadunna”. In the past, this place was popular as “Himivadaunna”, the

place where Himi resided2 or “Siri vada unna” - the place where Siri resided, among the people in

Janbudveepa and for the easy pronunciation today, it is changed from Himivadaunna to Hiriwadunna.

One can reach this place even today by covering nearly one mile of walking distance to the west from

the 110 km post on the Badulla Hambarana road.

Anyone can visit this plot of land with extreme charming beauty of nature and is well secured up to date

as an archaeological reserve & as an Aranya Senasana. Many places related to the Enlightenment of

Gautama Buddha can be seen in this site, even today.

1. The sacred Asathu Bodhi tree ( Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi)

2. The Vajrasana (rocky seat) made by King Muchalinda for Gautama Bosath.

3. The shrub of Kusathana3 to be seen in the same land where Bo tree is situated. This Kusathana was

not grown there by someone.4 And this Kusa Thana grass is an endemic species to our country.

4. Ruwan Sakmana5, Sakmana made for Bosath Gautama (Sakman Maluwa).

5. The chamber made by King Muchalinda (in the Naaga tribe) for Gautama Buddha for the protection

from the heavy rain and rocky seat (the bed) made for sleeping.

1 The term “bosath or "bodhisatta" (Pāli language) was used by the Buddha to refer to himself in his previous lives and as a

young man in his current life, prior to his enlightenment, in the period during which he was working towards his own liberation. 2Himivadaunna - Himi(The Buddha)+vadaunna(lived) -> Hiriwadunna.

3 Kusa grass, a type of grass with the wider blades\leaves which grows to an average height of 6-7 feet.

4 It says that someone offered Buddha some kusa grass. Buddha made a seat, a cushion under the Bo tree with them and used

it in the Enlightenment. 5 The pathway used for walking meditation.

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6. Ajapal Nuga tree, the banyan tree, where the maiden Sujatha1 offered milk rice for Bosath Gautama.

The original banyan tree is dead now and a new banyan tree which got sprung up from the older one

exists there to this date.

7. The remaining part of the river of Neranjana, where Gautama Bosath sent his begging bowl upstream

with the determination to gain Enlightenment, It’s a miracle to see, still, a part of 200 meters of the river.

8. Many ruins of the monasteries made for Arahants, namely, Nadee Kaashpa, Gaya Kaashpa and

Uruwel Kaashapa (In memory of these three brothers one side of the Hiriwadunna village is still called

“Kassapa Gama, the village of Kassapa”.

History says that Gautama Buddha made a determination and sent his begging bowl floating upstream in

the river Neranjana. The village in the upper region (Ihaththawa) of Hiriwadunna, is still called

“Udangaawa” 2.” Udangaawa” (Uda+gan+aa) is a name given by the people lived in the past to

commemorate the floating of the begging bowl upstream in the river. Another village situated little bit

far from Hiriwadunna is still called “Maaminiyaawa”. This name was given with the meaning of “the

place where Maha Muni came”3. Maha Muni is Gautama Buddha. After The Enlightenment, the Buddha

must have gone to this village.

The elders in HIriwadunna village say, even now, that from the time of their ancestors, these names are

well preserved by the strength of Dharmatha. It should be mentioned that anyone can still go and see

the land with charming beauty and the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree which helped, sheltered Buddha in

his Enlightenment. This initial sacred Sri Maha Bodhi is protected by a very particular, invisible force. It

has no any fence made in gold.4 It should be mentioned that this invisible force, from the time that

Gautama Buddha gained his Enlightenment, lives and safe guards this place. Based on the incidents

happened in the recent past any one can imagine that this force is still alive and active around the

sacred Siri Maha Bodhi. What exactly happened in the past was that bringing the southern branch of

this Sri Maha Bodhi from Hiriwadunna to the city of Anuradhapura by Therini5 Sangamiththa. This is

stated in Mahavamsa too. The journey of the sacred Bo tree is written in Mahavamsa as “Janbudveepa

idhaa gatha Lankapura” in Maghadi language. In the ancient past what was meant by Janbudveepa is

nothing but this Hiriwadunna area which is the birth place of the Buddha. From this place, Therini

Sangamithra came through the river in a boat to Mahakanadarawa with an offshoot of this Bo tree

planted in a pathra6 and handed it to the King Devana Paa Tissa. A large river called Neranjana crossed

the neighboring place of Hiriwadunna Aranya Senasana, crossed the city of Sawath and met the sea in

the Kokilai lagoon. Today this large river has turned in to a small cannel (Hurulu Oya). This is because,

later, King Parakramabahu diverted the Aban ganga & Sudu ganga 7 in the Elahera area, waters of them

them were taken to Parakrama Samudra and also in the lower regions many large tanks such as

Hiriwadunna wewa, Hurulu wewa, Mahagal Kadawala wewa,Waahalkada wewa & Padawiya wewa

were built across the river. Today this large river has turned in to a water stream (Yaan Oya Hurulu Oya).

But earlier, even merchandise to the city of Sawath was transported in this river by the barges, boats

and small ships. Therini Sangamiththa too brought the southern branch of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi in

a boat from Hiriwadunna to Anuradapura through this very river of Neranjana. That is Janbudveepa in

Hela Diva to Lankapura. Lankapura, later, was named as Anuradapura.

1 According to the traditional belief, Sujatha is a daughter of the headman, a rich person or a Count in the village.

2 Udangaawa -> Uda (upper ) + gan ( the river) +aa ( came or reached).

3 Maha Muni or The great sage. Maa(great)+miniyava(where muni came in to..).

4 Building a fence, probably gold plated, around the Bo trees in the temple is a very famous practice in the popular Buddhism.

5 Therini or Mehini are female members of the Order. At present they are commonly called as Buddhist nuns.

6 Begging bowl .

7 These are two rivers.

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Nobody knows that even to this day, for some years, a miraculous thing happens near this sacred Jaya

Sri Maha Bodhi where Lord Buddha gained his Enlightenment. A sacred white Bodi is emerged exactly

from where the southern branch was uprooted and illuminated with Buddhuras1. A photograph of this

miraculous white bud of the Bo tree emerged from the sacred Bo tree in Hiriwadunna in Wesak full

moon Poya Day on 8th

May 2009 is taken in to this book. (picture was taken on 17th

May 2009). This bud

of the Bo tree lasts for seven weeks. Later, it will die off. The emerging of this white bud of the Bo tree

occurs exactly in the Wesak full moon Poya Day. Even the leaves of this sacred Sri Maha Bodhi have

special features which cannot be seen in any other Bo tree. Even today, leaves of this Sri Maha Bo tree

generate some rays, some illuminations. This Bo tree has features which cannot be seen any other Bo

tree. It can be proved, even scientifically, that this sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodi is the mother Bo tree of

the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradapura.

The maiden Sujatha offered milk rice to Gautama Bosat at the Ajapal Nuga tree2 which is situated closer

to this sacred Bo tree. This Nuga tree and also a 300-400 feet long remaining part of the river Neranjana,

in which the begging bowl was sent to float upstream, are well secured up to date in same grounds of

this Aranya Senasana, anyone can go and see them. The end of the upper region of this river is still a

village called “Udangaawa”. It is named so to give the meaning that “….came upstream of the river”.

What came upstream is the begging bowl put to the river for floating. In the past the ruler of the most

neighboring land was King Muchalinda. Name of King Muchalinda is mentioned in the Aataanaataa

Sutta as well. This king is from the Naaga tribe (and not a Naaga, a cobra)3. The stone chamber and the

stone seat (length 6.5 feet width 3 feet) made and offered to Buddha by King Muchalinda using the

highest technology prevailed to that date are still exist there. Earlier it was called Ruwan Geya4.

After The Enlightenment, the journey that the Buddha started to see the five ascetics to disclose his first

sermon, was begun from this Bo tree. Five ascetics, Yasa Kula Puthra5 and his friends were taken in to

the Order by the Buddha and came back to the Bo tree in a short period of time. The Buddha preached

Dhamma under this sacred Sri Maha Bodhi to the three Jatila6 brothers, namely, Nadee Kassapa, Gayaa

Kasspa & Uruwel Kassapa who lived in the village called Kassapa (village Kassapa still exists) which is

being bordered to this Sri Maha Bodi in Hiriwadunna. It is clear then that these three Jatila brothers &

their followers realized the supermundane fruitions of the Path (Marga Pala) and lived in the Aaranya

Senaasanas built in this place itself, Hiriwadunna. Even to this date, all the ruins of the ancient Aaranya

Sanaasanas are scattered all over in this 11 acre land with serene beauty. All these ruins are at least 300

years older than the Anuradapura period.

The pond known as Muchalinda Vila can still be seen to the west of the river Neranjana. What is seen by

the pilgrims going India today is just a monument of Buddhagaya built with bricks by Ashoka the Grate

after 300 years of Buddha. It is nothing but a dummy, a false structure. But all the aspects found in

Hiriwadunna were protected and secured by the Darmatha. The Buddha himself says, it’s clearly

mentioned in the Ariya Paryeshana Sutta, that its very pleasing the splendorous land & the sandy plain

near the beautiful river Neranjana, and also the neighboring village which provides the necessaries.

Anyone wishes to go to Hiriwadunna Aaranya Senaasana today, will be able see all these well preserved

sceneries with his own eyes without any mismatching to the praises given to them in the Ariya

1 Buddha Rashmi – illumination of Buddha’s body.

2 Nuga tree- Ficus benghalensis.

3 The seating Buddha coiled by a large cobra is a very famous statue, a painting found in Buddhist temples and it is made so

based on the misinterpretation of this story. 4 The house or the chamber of gems.

5 A young man from a rich family.

6 A type of ascetics wearing turbans.

44

Paryeshana Sutta. Following my own experience, it should be mentioned here that it exists an amazing

universal energy source in this place up to this date and it is ideal for an ascetic who practices the code

of Dhamma1, which had helped for all the Buddhas in the past to enjoy the samapaththi

2 of the sublime

Arahantship and would still help to gain bliss of the samapaththi of Arahantship.

In order to prove that Gautama Buddha gained his supermandane Enlightenment here in this place, it is

not necessary to give examples and comparisons any more.

It should honestly be mentioned that there isn’t any other place in this world than this place where the

universal energy is centralized in this manner and this universal energy in this place can be used only by

the ones who follow the path of Dhamma. This sacred place was covered by the great jungles for all

these times, more than 1200 years, and nobody could find it. The reason for that also is nothing but the

effect of the Darmatha. It is due to effect of same Darmatha that emerging with the sublime Buddha

Dhamma, this place too got emerged.

The direction to where the sacred Hiriwadunna Sri Maha Bodhi is situated is as follows:

After covering nearly 20 kms from Dambulla on the Colombo- Trincomalee road, it has to be turned to

your left from the 110 km post and walked 1 km on the gravel road. If someone comes from Habarana

or Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, nearly 2 kms should be covered on the Habarana-Dabulla road and

turned to the right and after covering another km on the gravel road to see the Aranya Senasana where

the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi is resided. It is easy to reach this most sacred place by getting in to any bus

coming from Colombo which aims the destinations such as Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, the sacred land

Somawathi, Kanthale, Hangurakgoda, Madhirigiriya, Kaduruwela, Dehiaththakandiya, Batticaloa and

getting down from Hiriwadunna. There are ruins scattered all around in a large Aranya Senasana ground

of 11 acres and all the places related to Sath Sathi can be observed even today.

6.3 Migadaya in Isipathana

The Load Gautama who gained the sublime Enlightenment in the Wesak Poya Day, who is the

supermandane Buddha, spent seven weeks near the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree and started to walk in

search of five ascetics who lived in a cave in Migadaya in Isipathana in Kasirata. Araya Paryeshana Sutta

has given information of this journey and the people met on the way to Isipathana.

King Asoka in India too wanted to mark this incident, he reserved a place called Isipathana and did the

constructions there. This is the period nearly 300 years after the Damsak Pawathum Sutta3. The distance

between the place which is called Gaya Bodhi and the place which is called Isipathana in India today is

about 400 kms. It would take at least 20 days to walk and cover this distance, in the ancient time.

According to the Ariya Paryeshana Sutta, Gautama Buddha attended in to his supermandane

Enlightenment in the Wesak full moon Poya Day under the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi and after nearly two

months of the Enlightenment, Damsak Pawathum Sutta was preached in Isipathna in the Esala Full

moon Poya Day. It says that the Buddha has spent almost seven weeks near the Bo tree. This suggests

that ones who wrote the history have done a mistake somewhere.

Answering all these issues is not difficult if someone takes in to consideration the distances of ancient

Janbudveepa (Hela Diva). Isipathana in the ancient Heladiwa is the place called “Isinbassa Gala”, even

today, situated near Madawachchiya on the Poonawa road. Areas like Vavniya, Mullathiw and Padaviya

1Dammanudhamma patipada .

2 The fruits or the trance experience by an Arahanth.

3 Setting in motion the wheel of Dhamma.

45

were coming under Kasirata in the past. The capital of Kasirata was Varanaasi. Today it is called Vavniya.

In this place known as “Issinbassagala” today, all the things such as the large natural cave where the five

ascetics lived, the inscriptions engraved in the cave and the place where the Buddha preached Damsak

Pawathum Sutta to the five ascetics can still be seen. Those days the area to the west from Migadaya in

Issipathanaya was ruled by the regional Yakkha kings such as Saathaagira and Hemawatha. Both these

kings had met the Buddha that day, listened to Dhamma and they were so pleased by Dhamma, says

Aaraya Paryeshana Sutta. These two names, Saathagira and Hemawatha, are included in Aatanaata

Sutta among other names of the tribal leaders in Hela Diva. Even today this area is called Santhaana

Kanda1.

Now, the attention should be taken in to another important story found in Tripitaka. That is the story of

meeting two brother merchants called “Thapassu Bhalluka”, by Gautama Buddha on his way to

Issipathana from the sacred Sri Maha Bodi in HIriwadunna. They were met at a place on the road which

was in between Issipathana and Sri Maha Bodhi. Today it is at the Horowpathana Morawewa area near

Trincomalee. Thapassu and Balluka brothers got Kesa Daathu2 from the Lord Buddha as an object of

offerings. The Stupa built by these two brother merchants enshrining Kesa Daathu is popular by names

such as Girihadu Saya and Thiriyaya. These two places called Girihadu Saya and Thihariya are found in

Hela Diva, in the area in between Issipathana and Sri Maha Bodhi. A large no of ruins of buildings can

still be seen in this area.

Yasa Kula Putra and his fifty four friends followed Buddha Dhamma and realized the effects of Dhamma

in this very place called Kasirata. Based on this story, Gauthma Buddha started the missionary service of

Buddha Dhamma from this most sacred place called Issinbassagala (Isipathana) near Vavniya. Even up

to date, these places are closed and hidden by effects of the Darmatha. That is purely to see and pay

homage by the ones who follow the path of Dhamma.

Hisin Bassa Gala or Isipathana where the sages came down from

This Isipathana or the grounds of Issin Bassa Gala Raja Maha Vihara is the place where Gautama

Buddha, after the realization of the supermandane Dhamma, made his very first sermon to the five

disciples. Today there is a Raja Maha Vihara at this ground. When covering nearly 2 kms towards

Vavniya from Madavachchiya on the Mahanuwara- Jaffna road No 9, this sacred place is found on the

right side of the road.

1 The mountain of Santhana.

2The hair lerics of the Buddha. Dhathu, in Sinhala language, means material remains of Buddha.

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Migadaya in Isipathana

After two months period of the Enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, his very first sermon was preached here. That

was for the five ascetics or five disciples, paswaga mahanu. These five ascetics lived in this cave. Today this is place

near Madavachchiya known as Isinbassagala (Isin – Rishis or Sages, bassa – came down from, gala – the rock or the

plain of rocks). Later, this place too had been modified with walls.

6.4 The city of Kusinara

The parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, the cremation of the sacred body of the Buddha and also the

distribution of relics by Brahamin called Drona, all these happened at the city of Kusinara. Earlier this

city of Kusinara was situated in the country of King Malla. In order to commemorate the parinirvana of

the Buddha, King Ashoka too built a monument at a place called “Kaasiya” in India. One Stupa too was

built there. Later one Buddha statue was built as well.

The parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, the cremation of the sacred body of the Buddha and the

distribution of relics by the Brahmin called Drona, all these incidents happened here in this Hela Diva. In

the ancient times, the area stretched from Rajawaka Mahwalathanna in the lower region of Balangoda,

Uggal Kalthota Welioya to Sankapaala was coming under the kingdom of Malla. Today what we call as

“Budugala” Kuragala which is on Kalthota road in the lower region of Balangoda is where Gautama

Buddha entered in to parinirvana, the passing away. There are a large no of ruins in this area up to date.

All the monuments & inscriptions built by the kings of Malla and also the panchaavasa1 built to

commemorate the cremation of the Buddha too can be seen even up to date. Gautama Buddha entered

in to parinirvana in the city of Kusinara (in Budugala in Hela Diva), the cremation ceremony was set up

there itself and kings of Mallawa made all the necessary arrangements for this, the Maha Parinibbaana

Sutta says. The sacred relics that the kings of Mallawa got at the ceremony of distribution of relics by the

Brahamin called Drona was placed in a Dhathu Mandira2 built in the city of Kusinara (today it is the very

place called Budugala), arranged the relevant offerings and safe guarded it by the royal families of

Mallawa. The foundation of the first Dantha Dhathu Mandira 3 built in Hela Diva can still be seen at

Budugala in Balangoda (see the picture).

1 Five hermitages.

2 A house specially built to keep the relics.

3 House of tooth relic.

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Prince Dantha and princess Hemamala were from this Helabima, born to the royal family of Mallawa and

did safe guard the sacred tooth relic. When the power of the kingdom of Mallawa was weak & poor and

Anuradhapura became a powerful kingdom, prince Dantha and princess Hemamala who were born in

this Hela Diva itself, secretly went and handed over the sacred tooth relic which they had kept hidden

and secured all this times, to the ruling king of Anuradhapura, King Kithsirimewan.

This story is found preciously in Mahavamsa Commentaries as well. That is the story of bringing the

sacred tooth relic from Janbudveepa to Lankapura by prince Dantha and princess Hemamala. Today’s

Budugala was the city of Kusinara in the past. The city of Kusinara was situated where Buddha was born,

in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva. Lankapura was the city of Anuradapura. Anyone interested in visiting the

large area of 15 acres called Budugala, ruins of the ancient buildings made by kings of Malla can still be

seen.

As its explained in Maha Parinibbana Sutta Gautama Buddha came to the city of Vishala from the city of

Rajagaha, from there to the village called Beluva, then to the city of Paawaa, crossed the river and came

to the city of Kusinara, Buddha passed away there. In the past Veluwanaramaya in the city of Rajagaha

was situated at the place called Rajagala Thanna on the Nilgala road in Bibila. Buddha walked from there

to Bibila, to Maddagama & Monaragala and then finally to the city of Vishala trough Maligavila. Today

the city of Vishala cannot be seen. It is situated in a place near Kumbukan Oya in the center of the Yaala

Sanctuary. A large no of ruins can be seen there as well, even today. They are still covered by the thick

jungle. Today this place is identified as Kebiliththa Dewalana.

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After the cremation ceremony of Gautama Buddha, this is the place where the Brahmin called Drona (Malla Rata)

distributed the sacred relics of The Enlightened One to the members of the royal families in Deva Hela. The relics

of the Enlightened One, including a sacred tooth relic, were placed in a dathu mandira here, a chamber of relics.

Today, though this dathu mandira has turned in to the ruins its majesty has not yet gone down in any way. What

was taken to Anuradapura by the prince Dantha and princess Hemamala is the tooth relic which was placed here.

Buddha came to village called Beluwa (Buththla) from city of Vishala, from there Buddha came to

Hambegamuwa through Athiliwewa which is situated in the lower region of Wallawaya. The area

covered by the thick jungle today is Hambegamuwa and it was called the city of Paawaa in the past. Lord

Buddha was sick and rested two three days on the road in between Athiliwewa and Hambegamuwa.

Those huge caves can be seen even today. Now, all these areas are covered by the thick jungles. It says

that the Buddha crossed the river in the city of Paawa and came to the city of Kusinara in the kingdom of

Malla kings. Today, the river that Buddha crossed is called Weli Oya, another spot in river Walawe. The

capital city of the kingdom of the Malla kings was the area called Rajawaka Mahawelathanna in

Balangoda. The place where Gautama Buddha passed away, Budugala, is situated nearly 5 miles down

from Mahawelathanna. Earlier it was a large village called Kusinara. Today it is called Budugala, kuragala.

The most significant four incidents in Buddha’s life such as the birth of prince Sidduhath, the

supermandane Enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, the very first sermon and the parinirvaana of

Buddha happened in Janbudveepa in this Hela Diva. What built by Asoka the Great in India in the

ancient times were just models of them. Today, Lankan Buddhists go to India to see and pay their

homage to these models, but not to the real places. This statement is not based on any assumptions and

this statement is made only after seen the truth. It is the real truth disclosed for the use of the dedicated

Kula Puthras.

Kusinara or Budugala where Gautama Buddha entered in to parinirvana

Budugala is situated in the Kalthota Divisional Secretariat in Rathnapura district. Balangoda to

Rathnapura, turning right from Balangoda and covering 30 kms on the Kalthota road, then again turning

to the right to cover 3 kms on the Diyavinna road is the direction to the Budugala Raja Maha Vihara.

49

Godakawela to Waligepola, covering nearly 5 kms after Diyawiththa on Waligepola to Kalthota road also

can be used to go to the Budugala Raja Maha Vihara. Another route to this place is the road leading to

Balangoda through Thanamalvila and Hambegamuwa.

The cave of Drona

The place which is known by this name even to this date is the place which was named in memory of the Brahmin

called Drona build to commemorate the incident of distribution of the sacred relics of Buddha. It can be seen very

clearly in the picture that this cave is modified today with new walls.

When Gautama Buddha attended to parinirvana in the ancient city of Kusinara (today its Budugala), the cremation

was done in this place itself (today its Budugala). The ruins of the sacred place built to commemorate it by the

regional rulers of the royal family of Mallawa can be seen even today.

50

6.5 The city of Sawath and Devram Vehera

The city of Sawath was the capital city of the kingdom of Kosol. The King Kosol of the kingdom of Kosal

was the contemporary ruler to Buddha. The kingdom of Kosol was the largest out of all Sakyan states in

Janbudveepa in Hela Diva, wealthy people lived there and the population in the kingdom was also high.

The Sakyan state of King Suddodana (including river Mahaveli) was situated to the east of it, Kingdoms

of Anga & Kasi were situated on the north, Yakkha Hela to the west was ruled by King Wesamuni, and to

the south it was the kingdom of Dewdha ruled by King Dewdaha. A large area covering Galenbinduwewa,

Hurulu Wewa, Pallugas Wewa and Ritigala was the wealthy city, Sawath. Earlier, river Neranjana was

flowing across the city of Sawath. Even to this date it flows down with a new name, Hurulu Oya and Yan

Oya. Many large areas such as Kanthale, Polonnaruwa, Kahatagasdigiliya and Padaviya were coming

under the kingdom of Kosol. In the ancient times River Neranjana was another large river like river

Mahaveli and carried out lot of waters. Presently this water does not flow in to this area. Building the

tanks1 across the upper regions of the river and diverting its waters to Minneriya Wewa in Elahara are

the reasons for this. That water still flows into all the tanks such as Girithale, Minneriya, Kawdulla and

Kanthale. Building Moragahakanda tank and letting that waters to flow again as it was is now in progress.

This too happens with the effect of Darmatha. The city of Sawath located near river Neranjana was one

main business city in the east. Small ships, boats and barges were used to transport the merchandise to

this city, even from foreign lands. Meheni Sangamithra used a small ship in this river when take in

procession a branch of Sri Maha Bodhi from Hirivadunna to Anuradhapura,. The Sakyan princess

Baddakachchaayana too came floating in this same river. That was in the period of King Panduwas. The

princess Baddakachchaayana and her eighteen brothers lived in these Sakyan states. King Paduwasdev

reigned from a capital city of Mahavilachchiya in Hela Diva in the kingdom of Yakkha.

Baddakachchaayana coming to Lankapura from Janbudveepa is a true story.

Wealthy people who lived in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva in the ancient times spent their wealth for

building monasteries & stupas such as Jethvanaramaya in the city of Savath, Poorwaramaya &

Goshitharamaya and offered them to Gautama Buddha and his disciples. Gautama Buddha, in the latter

part of his life, delivered his sermons and lived a long period like twenty years in Devram Vehera in

Jethavana which was built by Sudaththa, the count, the wealthy merchant. “Jetha” in Magadhi language

means “Na tree”.2 “Velu” was a name used for the Bamboo tree. Jethavana

3 means a forest filled with

lot of Na trees.

Even today this Jethvana (Na forest) of 2000 acres is stretched over the mountain range called Ritigala

in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva. Na tress of 2500- 3000 years old, or more than that, can still be seen in the

grounds of Jethavana. Earlier this Jethavana was situated to the western boundary of the city of Sawath.

Now this Jetha Vana is called Ritigala forest reserve and protected by the National Archaeological

Department. It is still available the ruins and the foundations of many buildings of the marvelous

Devramvehera, built for Gautama Buddha by the Count Sudaththa (the Count Anepidu) spending a

massive amount 4of his wealth. Nearly one mile long beautiful pathway to Devramvehera made with

seasoned granites, large pond called Banda made for the supply of water for the use of Buddha & the

disciples, the Gandakili in Devramvehera offered for Buddha, the chamber of Ananda Thero5 found at

the same place, the Sakman Malu6, halls for alms-givings, halls for dispensing medications and also the

1 These are massive water reservoirs. A marvel of irrigation systems in ancient Lanka.

2 The Ironwood (Na Tree), botanically known as “Mesua Nagassarium”, is the National Tree of Lanka.

3 Vana means “the forest or the grow”.

4 It says that the amount is Asukotiya, literary it is eighty millions.

5 The last attendant of Buddha. In Buddha’s lay life, Ananda Thero was Buddha’s cousin. Ananda Thero served as the attendant

for the remaining 25 years of the Buddha's life. 6 Pathways specially made for walking mediations.

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Damsaba Mandapa1 used by Gautama Buddha for sermons can be identified very clearly as ruins even

to this day. Apart from this, foundations of many more buildings which cannot be easily classified and

identified are also still found here. Some can be identified as chambers built for 500 Arahants lived in

Devramvehera that day.

One can think about the peculiarity behind this only by considering the rationale behind the incident of

giving the name Devramvehera to this Vehera built with lot of wealth by the Count Sudaththa. Someone

who observes the real nature of this marvelous & wonderful collection of buildings made almost three

hundred years before Ashoka’s period, would realize that they are master pieces which may vanquish

even the seven wonders in the world.

It is because of the effect of Darmatha that all these still exist and can be seen with our own eyes. If

these areas had not been covered by the thick jungle in the periods of Portugal, Dutch and British2 we

would have lost all these precious ruins found in these areas.

Ritigala

The ruins to be seen even to this date of the Devram Vihara (Jethavana Vihara) in the city of Sawath which was

built by the Count Sudaththa (The Count Anepidu. Gandakili3, the halls for alms-givings and Damsabha Mandapa

and all other things of Devram Vihara where Gautama Buddha and also Ananda Thero lived for 20 years.

Apart from Devram Vehera, one can still observe the ruins of Poorawarama, Vihara of Meheni

Yashodara and some other Aaranya Senasanas situated near the Ritigala mountain area. Archaeologists

may not know that in the upper region of Jethavanarama, on the mountain top covering 5000 acres of

forest area called Ritigala Mountain, there are extremely large inscriptions written in Maagadhi Prakrit

language made in Buddha’s time. There are more than ten thousand letters in them, not less than that.

It is certain that no one has made an attempt to read them. It can also be seen that someone had tried

to destroy them. During the colonial times, someone who saw these inscriptions may have tried to break

1 Dam (the Dhamma) + saba (audience) +mandapa (flat form or a seat positioned at a higher level). The place where Buddha

had Dhamma discussions. 2 Portugal ( 1505-1658), Dutch (1658 -1798), British (1815-1948).

3 The personal chamber of the Buddha (also known as Gandhakutiya).

52

and take them away. But, because of great size and the effect of the Darmatha it had not been easy to

remove them from that place and they are still there.

It is the duty & the responsibility of the government and the ruling authorities to read & understand

what is written there and to get revealed the real history of Janbudveepa in Hela Diva in the past.

Ritigala is the most amazing place in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva in the ancient times. That beauty is still

there. It can be declared with confidence now that this great donor Sudaththa, who was honored as the

Count Anepidu, lived in the kingdom of Kosol in Janbudveepa in this Hela Diva, like you and I live

presently, but not in India.

Ashoka the Great, after hearing about the news of this amazing Devram Vehera built by the Count

Anepidu, had taken some attempts to build a Devram Vehera in his kingdom too. The dimensions & the

plan of the Gandakili of Buddha & all the other surrounding buildings found in the first Devramvehera in

Ritigala are identical to the foundations of the model Devramvehera in India. The main mismatching

which is unbelievable, is that seasoned solid rocks had been used for the foundations of Devramvehera

built in Buddha’s time in Ritigala. They are granites, in the modern context. Devramvehera of the great

King Ashoka had been made with bricks. Devramvehera built by Ashoka the Great after nearly 300 years

of Buddha’s time had been made with bricks following the Greek influences. It can be noticed that the

walls of Devramvehera in Ritigala had been made with sandal wood. In India, bricks had been used for

the walls. The pilgrims going to Dambadiva in India can go to Ritigala as well, compare these two

constructions and can clearly identify the differences of the first Janbudveepa and the Janbudveepa

model built later in India. This real truth should come out one day. Greek or Hindu influence can be seen

in all the building constructions and eight four thousand stupas & monasteries built in India in Ashoka’s

reign. There isn’t a major difference between the Hindu temples in India and the stupas and

monasteries built by Ashoka the Great. But all the constructions found in Buddha’s period, in

Janbudveepa, in Deva Hela, an architectural methodology which is unique only to us had been used.

These methodologies cannot be seen in any other country. The characteristics of the constructions in

Ashoka’s period in India and in Auradapura period in Lanka are the same. In Janbudveepa in Buddha’s

period, in Deva Hela, bricks had not been used for any single building. If any place is found with

constructions with bricks, then that is certainly a construction coming under either Anuradapura or

Polonnaruwa era. After the era of Buddha, this stone technology was disappeared from Hela Diva as

well.

7 The languages used in Hela Diva in Buddha’s period.

All the rulers in Hela Diva (Deva Hela) mainly used two languages.

1. Magadhi Prakruth language

2. Hela Basa (Hela Language)

As a whole, the language of the ordinary citizens in the entire Hela Diva was Hela Basa. Hela Basa had

been used as a spoken language and also as a written language. Hela Basa was used everywhere by

ordinary citizens, in the day today life and also in their trading activities.

Prakruth Magadhi language was a language of the great scholars. Magadhi language was used for

technology, science & craftsmanship and administration of the country. Magadhi language was used

commonly in the county of Magadha of which the city of Rajagaha was the capital city. The scholars,

rulers of the country, clergy, Brahmans and some Counts learnt and used the Magadhi language.

Everyone who used Maghadi language knew Hela Basa as well. The gap between Magadhi language and

Hela language was not that much great. Maghadi language was used to learn any particular skill &

53

knowledge or any science. It can be seen that the mass in the general public did not use the profound

Maghadi language.

Buddha used Maghadi language to teach Dhamma in all the sixteen states in Janbudveepa Hela Diva.

The Dhamma preached in Maghadi language was easily understood by the common people who used

Hela Basa as well. In the ancient times there lived scholars in Hela Diva who knew Hela Basa as well and

they present Artha, Dharma, Nirukthi 1and Patibhana for the intellectual Buddha Dhamma which was

taught in Maghadi language. Because of this, Buddha Dhamma preached in Magadhi language by

Gautama Buddha was analyzed during that period itself and Hela Commentaries were written for them.

Hela Basa was a written language, but not the Maghadi language. Because of this, within the same

period of time, Commentary writing (Attha katha)2 in Hela Basa was done for the Buddha Dhamma

preached by Gautama Buddha. In order to analyze and present explanations for the teachings of Buddha,

in the ancient times in Hela Bima, five Artha kathas written in Hela Basa had been used and they are

Hela Atuwa, Kurundi Atuwa, Budukali Atuwa, Seehala Attha Katha and Mahaatta Katha. All these Attha

Kathas were written on Buddha Dhamma preached by Gautama Buddha in Maghadi language. These

original Hela Atuwa could be seen even in the Anuradhapura period. The alphabet used for Magadhi

language and Hela Language was the same. There were no two different alphabets. Both these

languages used a methodology of Prakrit letters. But by this time, what used in India were the Brahmi

letters and the Sanskrit language. The ordinary citizens in India never used Maghadi language or Hela

Basa. Because of this, one can notice that there are certain differences between the letters used in

Lanka in the very old age in Helabima, which is the Buddha’s period even before Anuradhapura period,

and the letters used in Anurahapura after Ashoka’s period. The consequence of this were that the

inscriptions reader of the Anuradhapura period experienced difficulties in reading inscriptions written in

Buddha’s period in Hela Diva. But the pattern of the letters in Anuradapura period and Ashoka period

was very similar. This is because of the influence from India. In the ancient Hela Diva, rulers and some

scholars from Yakkha Hela where Yakkha & Naaga tribes lived knew both languages, Maghadi and Hela

Basa. Rulers of Yakkha tribe such as Saathaagira and Hemawatha could understand the Dhamma

preached by Gautama Buddha in Maghadi language. Even King Samana could understand Dhamma. And

also the great King Wessawana introduced the enactment of Aataanaataa to Gautama Buddha in

Magadhi language. Gautama Buddha preached the same to his disciples again in Magadhi language.

In the ancient times Arahant Mahinda Thero came to Hela Diva (Lanka), went to the capital city of

Rajagaha (Ampara) in the kingdom of Magada, learnt both Magadhi language & Hela Basa for few years,

took the Budu Kali Commentaries written in Hela Basa to Anuradhapura and preached Buddha Dhamma

to King Dewana Paathis in both Magadhi language & Hela Basa. This means that most of the people

lived in the kingdom of Anuradhapura too knew Hela Basa and Magadhi language very well. Gradually,

Helabasa became the language of the common man and Magadhi language became the language of the

intellectuals.

This Magadhi language used by the intellectuals in all the sixteen states in Hela Diva and also in Yakkha

Hela & Naaga Hela had never ever been a language to be used by any region or any kingdom in India. All

the languages prevailed in India that day were based on Sanskrit, but not Prakrit.

After preaching Dhamma by Gautama Buddha in Hela Diva, Dhamma spread out gradually to South

India and the regions like east Kerala. When Buddha Dhamma was spread out in this manner, Maghadi

language was used in the kingdoms in South and East India. As a result of this, books written in Hela Diva

1 Buddha enjoys four types of understanding: understanding of doctrine (Dharma), understanding of meaning (Artha),

understanding of grammar (Nirukti) and understanding of eloquence (Pratibhaana). 2 Atta Katha or Attha Katha or Artha Katha – the commentaries were written with the aim of explaining something in a simple

manner, to make easy the reader to understand certain difficult words.

54

in Magadhi and Hela languages were translated in to Indian languages. Indian universities too started

teaching Maghadi language and that is only after the spreading of Buddha Dhamma. Pela1 is not a

language. Pela Dhamma is nothing but the texts or passages of Buddha Dhamma in Magadhi language

which are in the form of lines or arranged into lines. Buddha Dhamma was presented in this manner, in

the form of lines, as it helps in easy reading by heart and registers in mind thoroughly. After 7 centuries,

in the latter part of Anuradhapura period, Pela Dhamma was transformed in to a language called Pali

and later modified it as a language with grammar. Pali language which is used and learnt at present is a

created, modified language and not the same Magadhi language used by Buddha to preach Dhamma.

There are many differences between these two. Artha, Dharma and Nirukthi can be presented for the

Magadhi terms which were used by the Buddha. Pali language has only customary meanings.

8 Inscription technology and the culture of irrigation in the ancient Hela Diva.

Inscriptions,epigraphies,methodologies of sculpturing & writing of Kataram2 and methodology of

seasoning & using rocks found 300 years before the Anuradhapura era in Hela Diva, in Gautama

Buddha’s period, cannot be seen in any time any country in the world. The inscriptions done across Hela

Diva before the Anuradhapura period are discovered not in thousands, but in ten thousands and more.

Inscriptions, Kataram & other related things covered by the thick jungle and what need to be discovered

more are greater than what is discovered up to now.

Not a single inscription was found from any part in India until such time that King Ashoka installed 32

inscriptions. (other than what was discovered from Mohenjo Daro periods). It is very clear that all these

32 inscriptions by King Ashoka were done either by the masons from Lankan or on their instructions. It is

proved today that most of the things done with rocks in places like Sanchi, Wellora and Ajantha were

done in 4th

, 5th, or 7th

century. One single thing written on a rock cannot be found in Buddha’s period in

India. But in Lanka they were in great numbers. In this period, other than Ashoka inscriptions, Kataram

and letters engraved in caves cannot be found in India. But in Lanka, there are uncountable evidences in

all most all the villages where Kataram had been made in caves & caverns and offered them for the use

of Buddha and Maha Sanga. Discovering more than 30 inscriptions today with the name “Gothama

Samana” alone proves that more than 30 caves, engraved the letterings Gothamoshamana, had been

offered to Gautama Buddha himself. All these inscriptions had been done in Buddha’s time, prior to

Anuradhapura period. If someone considers only the large no of inscriptions found everywhere from

Mulathiv to Thissamaharama in Deva Hela and compares the facts such as the status of Hela Diva in the

past, other relevant sources, information in Tripitaka, it is not difficult to take a clear picture of the

existence of the kingdom of Buddha in the ancient Hela Diva. If someone hesitates to understand this

truth, based on the teachings of Buddha, he can be considered as a michaa drushtika3.

Every regional ruler reigned in Deva Hela arranged the caves found in their regions with Kataram, their

names were engraved to those caves and offered to Buddha and Maha Sanga. It should be very clearly

mentioned here that more than in Anuradhapura period, many caves with Kataram are found in

numbers from Ruhuna & eastern regions and all of them date back to Buddha’s period. Based on this, it

is proved that Gautama Buddha lived and preached Dhamma in the areas in Deva Hela in this Hela Diva.

Anyone who thinks that Buddha Dhamma was preached in India does not have the ability to present any

information of this nature which is so firm and rich. It is your duty to understand this truth and for that it

is necessary to read this information carefully, read other relevant texts, visit and exam the said places.

1 The line.

2 Methodology of carving the drip ledges of the rock as a mean to block the waters flowing on the rock surface and drippin

inside the cave. A roof is made under the Kataram, so the waters will flow on to the roof and would not go inside the cave. 3 One who fallows false ideas.

55

It is your duty to go and see these places which are fallen upon due to the blessings of the nations. The

definitive heritage that you get as someone born in Janbudveepa in Hela Diva is nothing but Buddha

Dhamma. The most supermandane Buddha Dhamma is found only here in this land of virtue, in the past

as well as now. Hence, heritage of Hela Diva is the most sacred Buddha Dhamma which will certainly be

the aid to achieve Nirvana.

The culture of irrigation

The culture of irrigation in the Buddha’s period in Hela Diva and how did that people lived whiles

maintaining a very close relationship with the tanks had been broadly explained in many Suttas in

Tripitaka. The ancient people who lived in Hela Diva managed waters and cultivated paddy fields with

the help of the plough. In many places in Tripitaka, Buddha had taken the tanks for examples.

But by this time tanks or a culture related to irrigation were not found in India. In Buddha’s ear in Hela

Diva, prior to Anuradapura and Polonnaruva periods, there had been a culture of irrigation and it could

be observed in all big and small villages in the east & Ruhuna. In Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa

periods the irrigation system which was developed is something peculiar to us, but not a culture of

irrigation brought to us from a foreign land. Even in the Buddha’s period, it was very developed here in

Hela Diva. The most ancient Sorowwa 1 discovered by the engineers who built Maduruoya Tank is a

classic example for this. This Sorowwa was built in the city of Kimbulwath in the reign of King Suddodana.

It is proved that the old Maduruoya Tank had been built more than 500 years before Anuradhapura

period.

9 The meaningful conclusion.

In the period that Buddha lived, 2600 years prior to this date, based on administrative authorities, this

Heladeepa had been divided preciously in to two.

1. Yaksha Heladeepa where tribes like Yaksha, Naga, Kumbhaanda and Gaandarva lived, of which

capital city was Alakamandava (Lankapura).

2. Janbudveepa, which was popular as Deva Hela where Aryan clan lived, in which sixteen states

were located.

It was in this Hela Diva that Sidduhath Gautama Bosath was born, Gautama Bosath attended in to

supermandane Enlightenment, preached Dhamma from his very first sermon for forty five years to this

world and finally attended in to parinirvana. In the past all these things happened in this Hela Diva

where you and I live and die.

The Tripitaka preciously says that four Buddhas in this Kalpa2 were born in this Janbudveepa itself. In the

time of Gautama Buddha Janbudveepa was called “Hela Diva”, in the period of Kakusanda Buddha it was

called “Ojadeepa”. In the time of Kashyapa Buddha it was “Mandadeepa”. This Janbudveepa was the

birth place for all the Buddhas from the time of Deepankara Buddha. There isn’t any other island in this

world other than this island, Hela Diva, what we call Sri Lanka now, where any man who aspires to

attend to the sacred position called Enlightenment can be achieved. It is because that the active

universal energies in this world are centralized in the Madya Mandala and it is situated in the center in

Sri Lanka. All the Buddhas who attend in to The Enlightenment can definitely get this energy only from

1 The sluice (Or Horowwa in Sinhala) is a master piece in the field of irrigation engineering in the ancient Lanka.

2 A world-period. An inconceivably long space of time. An eon.

56

the Madya Mandala situated in the very center in Janbudveepa in Sri Lanka. (See the map of Lanka). It’s

a constant that along with the disclose of this true Dhamma, ones who are born today in this Hela Diva

and also a particular group of lucky people who will be born for seven hundred years in the future, with

the effect of Buddha Shakthi 1,will be able to get the eternal relief from the suffering in Samsara, will get

the chance to realize Nirvana. You also should think that you too are a lucky person, “The most supreme

Buddha Dhamma” should be heard, it is necessary to step on to the path of Dhamma, should conform to

Buddha Shakthi and attend in to Nirvana. (To get further enhanced your knowledge you can read the

second version of this book).

Back Cover

The shrub of Kusathana - Gautama Buddha seated near the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi on a seat made by

spreading eight handful of Kusathana on it. Kusathana used to arrange this seat is still available very close to the

Hiriwadunna Bo tree. They are not planted, grown there by someone else.

1 Energy or power of Buddha or spiritual power of the virtues of Buddha.

57

Back Cover

58

Index

Aalakamandawa, 28, 34

Aalaw yaka, 28

Aalawako, 29

Aataanaataa enactment, 24

Aban ganga, 42

Abayagiri Vihara, 10

Abhaya, 17

Ajaasaththa, 29

Ajapal Nuga tree, 42, 43

Ajayntha, 54

Akkarapaththuwa, 29

Alaw, 28

Alawwa, 28

Ampara, 11, 21, 27, 29, 30, 35, 53

Anagami, 13

Anagarika Darmapala, 38

Ananda, 12, 50, 51

Anepidu, 22, 50, 51, 52

Anga, 50

anuppado, 8

Anuradhapura, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29, 35,

42, 44, 47, 50, 53, 54, 55

Apara Goyanaya, 10

Arahant Mahinda, 11, 17, 29, 53

Arahantship, 30, 44

Arama, 16

Aranya Senasanas, 10, 26

Ariya Paryeshana Sutta, 44

Artha, 8, 35, 53, 54

Artha kathas, 53

Asathu, 22, 38, 40, 41

Ashoka, 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 35, 36, 38, 40, 43,

46, 51, 52, 53, 54

Ashokaawadaanaya, 36

Athiliwewa, 48

Atho, 29

Attha Kathas, 53

Atuwa, 11, 53

Baddakachchaayana, 50

Badra Kalpa

kalpa, 7

Bakkiella, 29

Balangoda, 21, 46, 48

Bambaragala, 36, 38

Bambaragala Rajamaha Vihara in Vavagama, 38

Batticaloa, 27, 44

Beluva, 47

Bermuda Triangle, 8

Betel, 28

Bhaaradwaja, 29

Bharath Desha, 9

Bhava, 9

Bhikkhu, 29

Bhikkhuni, 29

Bhikku Mahanama, 9, 11, 34, 35, 37

Bhikkus, 10, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23

Bibila, 29, 47

Bihar, 38

Bimbisaara, 29

bodhisatta, 41

Bodhisatta

Bosath, 7

bosath, 41

Bosath Siduhath, 40

Brahmi, 53

Brahmins, 18

British, 51

Buddagaya, 6, 38, 41

Buddangala, 21

Buddha Gnaana, 8

Buddha Rashmi, 43

Buddhagosha, 11

Buddhangala, 29

Buddhanussathi, 8

Buddhisam, 16, 18, 19

Buddhuras, 43

Budugala, 21, 46, 47, 48, 49

Budugala Raja Maha Vihara, 48

Budukali Atuwa, 11, 53

Buththla, 48

Chadashoka, 15

chaithya, 16

Chandano, 29

Chathuraarya Sachcha, 13

Chiththa Pabbatha, 37

Chiththaseno, 29

Choolodara, 28, 35

Colombo, 27, 44

Commentaries

Pela,Pali, 9, 11, 29, 34, 37, 47, 53

Dadhimuko, 29

dagaba, 16

dagabas, 16, 19, 22

Dambadiva, 9, 52

Dammanudhamma patipada, 44

Damsabha Mandapa, 51

Dantha Dhathu Mandira, 46

Darmatha, 3, 4, 9, 19, 39, 41, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52

dathu mandira, 48

Deegho, 29

deepa, 7, 24

Deepankara Buddha, 7, 55

59

Dehiaththakandiya, 44

Dekundara

inscription, 37

Deva, 6, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 24, 26, 27, 29, 34, 35, 36, 48, 52,

54, 55

Devram Vehera, 52

Devram Vihara, 13, 16

Dewana Paa Thissa, 29

Dewana Paathis, 53

Dewasuthoo, 29

Dewram Vehera, 6, 19, 50, 51, 52

Dewramvehera, 50, 51, 52

Dhamma Deepa, 8

Dhammapadha, 11

Dharma Niyama

Dhamma Niyama, 3

Dharmashoka, 15

Dharmatha, 8, 13, 14, 42

Dhatharatta, 27

Dhatharattha, 24

Dhathu, 45, 46

Dhukka, 18

Dimbulagala, 20, 37

Diyavinna, 48

Diyawiththa, 49

Doctrine of the Conditional Genesis, 13

dosa, 3

Drona, 46, 48, 49

Dutch, 51

Dvathaa Dhamma, 13

Ella Janapada, 37

Enlightenment, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 30, 34, 35,

36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 48, 55

Esala Poya, 21

Ficus religiosa, 7, 20

Five Precepts, 16

Gaandharwa, 24

gab perahera, 20, 37, 38

Galenbinduwew, 50

Galle, 27, 28

Gandakili, 51

Gandhabbanalo, 29

Gandhakutiya, 51

Gautama Buddha, 2, 3, 7, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23,

24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47,

48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56

Gautama Shramana, 37

Gayaa Kasspa, 43

Ghandharva, 17

Gijjakoota Parvatha, 29

Girihadu Saya, 45

Girithale, 50

Gonaagalla, 29

Gopaalo, 29

Goshitharamaya, 50

Gothama Samana, 54

Gothamoshamana, 54

Gullo, 29

Hambegamuwa, 48, 49

Hangurakgoda, 44

Hela, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,

24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42,

44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55

Hela Basa, 52, 53

Hela Bima, 53

Hela Diva

Heladiva, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 27, 29, 30, 34,

35, 41, 45, 46, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Hemawatha, 34, 45, 53

Hemawatho, 29

Himi, 41

Hirineththi, 29

Hirivadunna, 20, 30, 50

Hiriwadunna, 21, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 56

Hiriwadunna Aaranya Senaasana, 43

Hiriwadunna wewa, 42

Horowwa, 55

Hung San, 36

Hurulu Oya, 42, 50

Hurulu wewa, 42

Hurulu Wewa, 50

Ihaththawa, 42

impermanence of life, 18

Indasala cave, 37

India, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, 34, 35,

36, 38, 41, 43, 44, 46, 48, 52, 53, 54, 55

Indra, 29

INSCRIPTION OF CEYLON, 37

Isinbassa Gala, 44

Isinbassagala, 20, 46

Isipathana, 6, 20, 44, 45, 46

Issin Bassa Gala Raja Maha Vihara, 45

Issinbassagala, 45

Jaathaka Potha, 11

Jaffna, 28, 35, 45

Jainism, 18

Jatila brothers, 43

Jetha, 16, 50

Jethavanarama Vihara, 16

Jethvana, 50

Kaama, 29

Kaasiya, 46

Kaduruwela, 44

Kahatagasdigiliya, 50

Kalinga, 15

Kalpitiya, 28

60

Kalthota, 46, 48

Kaluthara, 27

Kandy, 28

Kanthale, 37, 44, 50

Kapilawasthu, 20, 37, 38

Karathiyo, 29

Kaseerata, 20

Kasi, 50

Kassapa Gama, 42

Kataram, 21, 54

Kataram Pura, 21

Kaveri, 15

Kawanthissa, 17

Kawdulla, 50

Kebiliththa, 47

Kegalle, 10

Kelaniya, 28, 34, 35

Kesa Daathu, 45

Kimbulwathpura, 17

Kinnugandu, 29

Kithsirimewan, 47

Kokilai lagoon, 42

Koliya, 37

Korawakgala, 37

Kotaa Davu Hela, 37

Kottiyaram Nuwara, 21

Kudumbigala, 21

Kula Puthras, 12, 13, 38, 48

Kumbanda, 17

Kumbhanda, 24, 27

Kumbukan Oya, 47

Kundsale, 20

Kurugala, 21

Kurundi Atuwa, 11, 53

Kurunegala, 28

Kusa grass, 41

Kusathana, 41, 56

Kusinara, 6, 21, 46, 47, 48, 49

Kuveni, 10, 28, 34

Kuwera, 24, 34

Lalitha Visthara, 36

Lankaapura, 28, 29

Lankapura, 10, 11, 17, 30, 34, 35, 42, 47, 50, 55

Lokopakaraya, 10

LTTE, 37

Lumbini, 6, 20, 36, 38

Maaminiyaawa, 42

Maathali, 29

Madavachchiya, 20, 45, 46

Madawachchiya, 44

Maddagama, 29, 47

Madhirigiriya, 44

Maduru Oya, 37

Madya Mandala, 3, 7, 35, 38, 39, 41, 55

Maha Atta Katha, 11

Maha Muni, 42

Mahaatta Katha, 53

Mahagal Kadawala wewa, 42

Mahakanadarawa, 42

Mahamaya, 37

Mahaoya, 29

Mahasena, 17

Mahavamsa, 9, 10, 11, 16, 29, 34, 35, 37, 42, 47

Mahavihara, 10

Mahaweli, 37

Mahiyanganaya, 29, 35

Mahodara, 35

Maligavila, 21, 47

Malla, 46, 47, 48

Malla Rata, 48

Mandiyo, 29

Maniakkhitha, 28, 35

Manimaanicharo, 29

Mannar, 28

Marga Pala

Maga Pala, 13, 43

Mathale, 28

Mavial Aaru, 37

Meegahakiwla, 29

Mehini, 42

Mesua Nagassarium, 50

michaa drushtika, 54

Migadaya, 6, 44, 45, 46

Minneriya, 50

Minneriya Wewa, 50

moha, 3, 9

Mohenjo Daro, 54

Moragahakanda tank, 50

Muchalinda, 21, 28, 39, 41, 43

Muchalindo, 29

Muhudu Maha Viharaya, 21

Na Tree, 50

Naaga

naga, 17, 23, 24, 28, 34, 35, 41, 43, 53

Nadee Kaashpa, 42

Nadee Kassapa, 43

Nagadeepa, 34, 35

Nainamadama, 28

Nainathiew, 28

National Tree, 50

Negambo, 28

Nepal, 20, 36, 38

Neranjana, 40, 42, 43, 50

Nigandu, 29

Nikayas, 10

Nilagala, 21

61

Nilgala, 29, 47

Nirukthi, 8, 35, 53, 54

Nirvana, 3, 4, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 38, 55, 56

Nuwaragala, 29

Opamanno, 29

Paarileyya, 35

Paawaa, 47, 48

Padawiya wewa, 42

Padhiyathalaawa, 29

Pajaapathi, 29

Pajjunno, 29

Pali

Pali language, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 23, 34, 35, 37, 54

Pallugas Wewa, 50

Panaado, 29

pancha seela, 16, 26

Panchaalachancho, 29

panchaavasa, 46

Panduwas, 50

Parakra Samudra, 42

Parakramabahu, 11, 42

Paranavithana, 37

parinirvana

parinibbana, 7, 15, 16, 35, 36, 46, 48, 49, 55

paswaga mahanu, 46

pathra, 42

Patibhaaga, 8

Patichchasamuppaada Dhamma, 13

Pela Dhamma, 11, 54

Pirith

paritta, 23, 29

Polonnaruwa, 10, 11, 37, 44, 50, 52, 55

Poonarin, 28

Poonawa road, 44

Poorawarama, 51

Poorva Videha, 10

Poorwaramaya, 50

Portugal, 51

Poson Poya, 29

Poya Day, 17, 20, 44

Prakrit, 7, 9, 51, 53

Prince Dantha, 47

princess Hemamala, 47, 48

punabbavothi, 8

Punnako, 29

Purohithas, 16, 36

Putthlam, 28

queen Maayaa, 20

Raajaajanosabho, 29

raga, 3, 9

Raja Mawatha, 38

Rajagaha

city, 11, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 37,

47, 52, 53

Rajagala, 11, 21, 29, 30, 47

Rajawaka Mahwalathanna, 46

Rathnapura, 27, 48

rishis, 20

Ritigala, 21, 22, 50, 51, 52

river Walawe, 48

Rohini, 37

Rumindai, 36

Ruwan Geya, 43

Saathaagira, 45, 53

Saathhagira, 34

Sabaragamuwa, 10

Sakadagami, 13

Sakman Malu, 50

Sakman Maluwa, 41

Sakmana, 41

Sakyan clan, 34

Sal, 36, 37, 38

Salwaththa, 37

Samana, 34, 35, 53

Samanala, 34, 35

Samanala Adaviya, 34

samapaththi, 44

Samathis Paramithas, 8

Samma Ditthi, 12

Sammaa Sambuddha, 9

Samsara, 8, 56

Sanbava, 9

Sanchi, 41, 54

Sanchi Thorana, 41

Sanchi Vihara, 41

Sanga, 10, 22, 54

Sangayana, 16

Sanghamiththaa, 17

Sankapaala, 46

Sankathas, 8

Sanskrit, 11, 17, 36, 53

Santhaana Kanda, 45

Santhana, 45

Sath Sathiya, 21

Sathaagiro, 29

Seehala Attha Katha, 53

Seehalatta Katha, 11

seers, 20

Seewako, 29

Serissako, 29

Seruvila, 37

Seruwawila, 21

Settho, 29

seya, 16

Shilaadithya, 36

62

Shiva, 18

Shorea robusta, 36

Siduhat, 7

Sinharaaja, 27

Siri vada unna, 41

Sithula Pawwa Vihara, 37

Sithulpawwa, 17, 21, 37

solos maha janapada, 16

solos maha janapadas, 22, 34

Soma, 29

Somawathi, 37, 44

Sorowwa, 55

Sotapanna, 13

Sri Lankan Civil War, 37

Sri Maha Bodhi, 20, 30, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 56

Sripada peak, 34

stanzas, 37

Stupas, 10

Suddodana, 37, 50, 55

Sudhaththa, 22

Sudu ganga, 42

Sujatha, 40, 42, 43

Sukkha, 18

Sumano, 29

Sumukho, 29

Suppagodho, 29

Sutta, 6, 9, 12, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 45,

47

teekaa, 10

Thaalgu

river, 38

Thalwaththa, 37

Thanamalvila, 49

Thapassu Bhalluka, 45

The Four Noble Truths, 14

Theertha, 36

Theldeniya, 20, 36, 37, 38

Therini, 42

Thipariwatta, 13

Thiriyaaya, 21

Thiriyaya, 45

Thissamahaarama, 17

Thissamaharama, 10, 54

Thissamaharamaya, 21

Thoppigala, 27

Thun Helaya, 24

thupa, 16

tippani, 10

Tissa, 29, 42

Trincomalee, 44, 45

Tripitaka, 9, 11, 23, 27, 28, 29, 35, 36, 45, 54, 55

Udangaawa, 42, 43

Uggal Kalthota, 46

Uhana, 29

Upasaka, 29

Upasika, 29

Uruwel Kaashapa, 42

Uruwel Kassapa, 43

Uthuru Kuru Deepa, 10, 11

Uthuruku Divaina, 28

Vajrasana, 39, 41

Valagamba, 11

Vana, 50

Varanaasi, 45

Vavagama, 38

Vedha, 18

Veluvanaaraamaya, 29

Veluwana Vihara, 13, 16

Victoria Dam, 38

Viharas, 16

Vijaya, 9, 10, 17, 28, 34

Vilachchiya, 24, 28, 34

Viroolha, 24, 27

Viroopakkha, 24, 28

Vishala, 47, 48

Vishvakarma, 23

Vivarana Ganeema, 8

Waahalkada wewa, 42

Waligepola, 49

Walpola Rahula, 14

Wansa Katha, 9

Waruna, 29

Welioya, 46

Wellora, 54

Wesamuni, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34, 50

Wessamiththo, 29

Wessawana, 24, 28, 29, 53

white Bo tree, 40

Yaan Oya, 42

Yakka, 17, 26

Yakkha, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 45,

50, 53

Yasa Kula Puthra, 43

Yashodara, 51

yuga mehewara, 20

Yugandharo, 29