Today is the Poson full moon Poya day

Various religious programmes are to be carried out  this week  in Anuradhapura, Thantirimale , Mihintale and Buddhist temples across the island.

Mihintale 

The mountain of Mihintale 135 miles from Colombo and nine miles from the ancient capital of Anuradhapura becomes the cyno- sure of all Buddhists with nearly a million making the annual trek to its peak. Many devotees will observe ata sil, the eight precepts from dawn to dusk.

The son of Emperor Asoka of India, to the Rock at Mihinthalaya, here it becomes the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The Mihindu Thera comes to us with an immeasurable and invaluable treasure in his possession. It is the Way of Life drawn on the precepts or tenants articulated based on the Noble Teachings of the Gautama Buddha.

His preaching persuaded the kings of Sri Lanka to embrace the Buddhist way of life beginning from King Devanampiyatissa whom Arahat Mahinda addressed directly, and converted the King.

The King embracing Buddhism as a way of life had a great influence on the local community to do the same and adapt themselves to live the noble tenets, adherence to Panchaseela, the teaching of the Gautama Buddha.

The nation embraced the Buddha’s philosophy, which forever changed the course of its history. This took place when King Devanampiyatissa on a deer hunt in the Mihintale forest, heard a voice call out his name, “Tissa, Tissa.” Enraged as to who would dare address him in such a familiar manner, the king turned to face the caller, a group of men in saffron robes.

Mihintale 

When asked who they were, one stepped forth and said: “We are the disciples of the Lord of the Dhamma. In compassion towards you, Maharaja, we have come from India. I am the Thera Mahinda, the son of Emperor Asoka.”

 The Arahant questioned the king to gauge if the king’s intellect was of a level sufficient to grasp the Buddhist doctrine, and then delivered a sermon. At the end King Devanampiyatissa embraced Buddhism and proclaimed it asthe country’s religion.

Mihintale 

While, Emperor Asoka’s son, Arahant Mahinda, is identified as a connection to Mihintale for bringing the Buddha’s Dhamma to Sri Lanka, his daughter, the Bhikkuni Sanghamitta, who brought a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha attained enlightenment, is closely associated with Thanthirimale. This is an ancient temple lying 34 miles from Mihintale. The Bodhi was a gift to King Devanampiyatissa after Buddhism was established in the island. The king welcomed the arrival of the Bo sapling with all honours, where it was escorted to his capital by carriage.

According to the historical records of the Mahawamsa chronicle, Thanthirimale was one of the important halting places of the procession bringing the Sri Maha Bodhi. Bhikkuni Sanghamitta and her retinue had rested here for one night during the sacred journey of bringing the Sri Maha Bodhi to Anuradhapura. A few years after the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi took root in Anuradhapura, eight new saplings emerged from the Bodhi. It is known that the first of these saplings was planted at Thanthirimale.