The period from the 11th to 15th centuries was a time of great religious interaction between the Theravadin Buddhist countries of Sri Lanka, Burundian Thailand. Regular exchanges were made with mutual benefit, and each country came to the help of the others when the survival of Buddhism in their respective countries was threatened.The first such assistance took place in Sri Lanka during the reign of KingVijayabahu I. At that time, the Chola invaders occupied the capital city of Polonnaruwa and controlled the northern regions. However, their influence did not extend to the southern areas centered around the province of Rohana.Vijayabahu I became the first Sinhalese king of Polonnaruwa, and the country was reunited after more than a hundred years of war and foreign occupation.
He set about mending the country and restoring Buddhism to its former state After becoming the king of Rohana in 1055, Vijayabahu I made preparations
to attack Polonnaruwa. Fifteen years later, he sent 3 armies to surround Polonnaruwa and laid seige to the city for 7 months. With the Chola kingdom facing its own difficulties in India, their forces were isolated and
finally driven out of Sri Lanka.Unfortunately, there were hardly any monks left by that time. In fact, the
king could not even get five properly ordained monks together to perform the Upasampada, or the rites of ordination for new monks.
Such was the depressed state of Buddhism during that period. Vijayabahu I then sought help from Burma, sending a mission to King Anuruddha who was a great patron of Theravada Buddhism.The Burmese king reacted favourably, dispatching a number of senior and learned monks to Sri Lanka, together with many sacred texts. The Burmese revived the monkhood in Sri Lanka and also proceeded to teach the Pitakas a new.
The Sri Lankans in return, gifted many of their
own sacred books to the Burmese, which they brought back to their own country. These exchanges further strengthened the Buddhist relationship between the two countries, which lasts till this day.
In fact, King Kyanzittha who succeeded Anuruddha, subsequently instructed the Burmese monks to compare their Tipitaka with the Sri Lankan texts obtained from the Mahavihara. He made it clear that their reference to orthodox Buddhism was to be from Sri Lanka and not from any other Buddhist country.
The Burmese Tipitaka thus came to be based on the Sri Lankan texts and in this way, Theravada Buddhism was cemented in Burma. Vijayabahu I reigned for 55 years and passed away in 1110. Before his death, he completed more great works such as the building and repairing of reservoirs and canals for the people. He also reconciled the Mahavihara, Abhayagiri and Jetavana and restored their monasteries.
He constructed a new temple in Polonnaruwa to house the Tooth Relic, and also built roads and resting places for pilgrims journeying to Sri Pada.When the Burmese Sangha fell into disarray in the 12th century, King Narapatisithu requested the help of Sri Lankan monks to revive and reorganize it in Burma. This was a reflection of the vast prestige of Sinhalese Buddhism at that time. The Sri Lankan Sangha thus returned the earlier favour of the Burmese, by conducting proper ordinations for their monks in 1181 in Pagan.
A Purification of the Sangha
Troubling times were to come following the death of Vijayabahu I. A succession of weak and petty monarchs who were more interested in wealth and squabbling than in their people, ruled the island for the next 50 years. During this time, the Sangha descended into corruption and unorthodox teachings again made a resurgence. Fortunately, Parakramabahu I brought a period of relative peace after he
ascended to the throne in 1153. A reason for his successful reign was his possession of the Tooth Relic and alms bowl of the Buddha, as these had become symbols of a king’s legitimacy to rule. After rebuilding Polonnaruwa and restoring much of the previous capital of Anuradhapura, Parakramabahu
I turned his attention to reuniting and purifying the Sangha. By then, the general discipline and practice of the bhikkhus had sunk to a very low level.
The monasteries were filled with unscrupulous monks who were not conversant with the Dhamma, and who were creating trouble for themselves and others. Some monks even had families and behaved like lay people, engaging in business and pursuing material gain. Without the leadership of a virtuous and knowledgeable Sangha to set a good example
and teach the Dhamma to the laity, Buddhism would soon have become totally corrupt and ineffectual, and eventually die out. Parakramabahu I together with the learned Mahathera Kasyapa, proceeded to convene a council with the leaders of the three monasteries of the Mahavihara, Abhayagiri and Jetavana.
Members of the Sangha were investigated and unworthy monks had to change their ways or leave the Order. In one of the most important events for Buddhism, the three monasteries agreed to accept the orthodox teachings of the Mahavihara, and united themselves as one fraternity. A code of discipline was drawn up for the Sangha and this was enforced by the king. The code laid down the directions for the proper observance of the Vinaya rules, which was to be observed by all members of the Sangha. Parakramabahu I subsequently engraved this code on the rock surfaces of the stone shrine of what is now known as the Gal Vihara.
Buddhism subsequently enjoyed a significant revival largely because of the unification of the three monasteries. There was much interaction with the Sangha of Burma and Thailand and these two countries became heavily influenced by Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhism. Many noteworthy works in Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhalese were written, translated and compiled by several highly learned Theras during this period.
The Malabars and the Siamese
Buddhism continued to flourish in the reign of Nissankamalla who became king in 1187. A great benefactor of the Sasana, he built numerous monasteries and temples and again purified the Sangha by ordering
corrupt monks to be expelled.
His death however, marked the beginning of two decades of invasion and
rebellion. The island, weakened by several assassinations, internal strife and raids, became easy prey to a powerful force of Malabars from South India. With an army of 24,000 soldiers, Magha conquered the whole of the island and became king in 1215. During his rule of 36 years, Magha went all out to destroy Buddhism. He looted monasteries, burned its sacred texts and forced people to give up their faith, sometimes by the use of torture. Fortunately, the Tooth Relic and the Buddha’s alms bowl were taken away by several monks and hidden away in the mountains, to prevent them falling into his hands.
These precious treasures were recovered by King Vijayabahu III when he came to the throne in 1232. He ruled from Dambadeniya, a city in the south west where Magha’s influence did not reach. A devout Buddhist, he gave refuge to the people and monks who were victims of Magha’s oppression. Buddhism flourished in the areas under his control.
Vijayabahu III was succeeded by his son, Parakramabahu II in 1236, who managed to drive the Malabars out. A golden age of the Sasana followed, with many works of Buddhist literature written and great ordination ceremonies held.
This period also marked the beginning of religious exchanges with the Siamese, even though there was still a strong Mahayana presence in Thailand. In particular, King Dhammaraja of Sukhothai in the early 14th century, requested the help of the Sri Lankan Sangha to establish their form of monastic discipline in Thailand. He also asked for their help to reorganize the Siamese Sangha along the lines of the Sinhalese model.
In the 15th century, many Thai monks studied under Sinhalese Mahatheras who took up residence in Ayutthaya. Chiang Mai, with the help of Sri Lankan monks, became an important centre of Buddhist and Pali studies. The influence of Mahayana Buddhism faded away and Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka, known to the Siamese as Lankavamsa, became firmly established in Thailand.
A New Capital and a New Golden Age
With Polonnaruwa becoming increasingly vulnerable to Indian invaders and the proliferation of malaria, the subsequent kings began to shift their capitals further and further south. Places like Yapahuva, Kurunagala and
Gampola all took their turns as the capital of the island. In 1412, King Parakramabahu VI established his capital at Kotte along the west coast, located just a few miles south of modern Colombo. Sri Lanka was to enjoy almost a hundred years of stability, until the coming of the Portuguese in the early 16th century.
During this period of peace and prosperity, the Sasana flourished with the support of Parakramabahu VI, who was an ardent and knowledgeable Buddhist. Great works of prose and poetry were written in Sinhalese, Pali and
Sanskrit, and many Buddhist educational and religious institutions were founded. The reputation and fame of Sri Lankan Buddhism spread throughout Burma, Thailand and Cambodia, with people and monks from
these countries coming to study and ordain. Parakramabahu VI, however, was the last Sinhalese king to rule the entire country. Soon after his death, different parts of the island started to break away to form independent kingdoms.
Returning the Favour to Burma
In Burma during the mid 15th century, internal strife and many dissentient schools caused Buddhism to go into decline. Many monasteries did not even have properly ordained monks to perform religious services. In
1476, King Dhammaceti decided to send a group of monks to Sri Lanka, intending to re-establish orthodox Buddhism on their return.
Such had the reputation of Sri Lankan Buddhism grown in the preceding decades.
The Burmese monks were to be ordained in Sri Lanka, and then bring back the tradition of the Mahavihara to their country. They were met by King Bhuvanekabahu VI, the ruler of Kotte at the time. They received their higher ordination along the Kalyani River, near Colombo, at the location of
the Buddha’s second legendary visit to Sri Lanka. When they returned, the proper ordination of monks in Burma resumed. Dhammaceti also built an ordination hall known as the Kalyani Sima, with some sand brought back from the Kalyani River. In this way, the Sangha in Burma was re-established with the help
of Sri Lanka, and were united under the Theravada tradition of the Mahavihara. Through these exchanges, the Sri Lankan Buddhist texts were taken to Burma, Thailand and Cambodia, and Theravada Buddhism became securely rooted in these countries.
The assistance that the island extended to their fellow Buddhist countries had far reaching effects for Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This, in a terrible future when proper ordinations could no longer be carried out, the holy books destroyed, and Buddhism nearly eradicated from the country.
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