Written on March 6, 2011 at 3:36 PM by Lasith

Aluvihara, The Birthplace of Buddhist Literature

Filed under Pre-Colonial era (pre-1500), Religion {no comments}

Location: Matale, Central Province
Date of visit: 29th December 2010

Today its a trip to my Mom’s hometown of Matale. While my mom and sister ran some errands I decided to explore another cave temple that I had heard quite a bit about but had never visited, the Aluvihara Temple. Aluvihara ought to be as important as the sacred Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in Kandy as it is the birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist literature.

Getting There

Aluvihara is located about a five minute drive North of Matale town on the Trincomale/Dambulla Road. Coming from Matale you approach it on the left and you cannot miss the Golden Buddha statue situated on the rock further behind it. A Tuk-Tuk from town should not cost you most than LKR 100 for a one-way ride. Although there is no official entrance fee a donation is expected from non-worshipers, about LKR 500 should be appropriate per person.

Nearly Loosing the Dhamma

Traditionally, the Dhamma (Buddhist teaching) had been passed down verbally by monks in the Sangha (sanskrit, meaning Buddhist order). However, by the 1st century BC this practice was threatened by dwindling numbers in the Sangha.

The capital of Anuruadhapura was effected by twelve years of famine and during the same period the city was invaded by a Tamil Dalia army from Southern India. While the ruling King Walagamba took refuge in what are now the Dambulla caves, many monks from the Sangha fled to the hill country and India. Those that did remain had to survive on a subsistent diet of roots and leaves, and without proper nutrition it was difficult for them to focus on studying and preaching the Dhamma. Later when King Walagamba recaptured Anuradhapura in 89 BC he had turned against the prevailing Theravada (the sect of Buddhism that is most common in Sri Lanka) Sangha and instead support a new sect called Mahayana, led by the Sangha of the Abhayagiri monastery.

All those events caused a significant dwindle in the numbers of the Theravada Sangha. When the Theravada monks who had fled Anuradhapura returned and convened for the fifth Buddhist council, they were greatly alarmed at prospect of nearly losing the Dhamma forever and decided to preserve it by documenting it for the first time.

First Documentation of The Tripitaka

Given the Kings lack of support of the Theravada Sangha, a location outside the capital was chosen for their long endeavor. They selected ‘Aloka Lena’, today called Aluvihara, in what was then known as Mathula Janapadaya, today’s Matale. Five hundred Maha Theras (the highest level of ordainment at the Sangha) were selected for the cause, led by Maha Thera Kunthagattha Tissa of the Thuparama Monastry, the predominant Theravada institution at the time.

Over a period of three years the monks document the Tripitaka, the Pali Canon consisting of the three sermon’s given by the Buddha’s during his life time — Sūtra Piṭaka (volume of discourse), a Vinaya Piṭaka (volume of discipline) and an Abhidharma Piṭaka (volume of further teachings). Their work was completed on a Vesak Poya (religious full moon) day and three copies were made for safekeeping — one is said to have been placed in a rock at Aluvihara, one within the Abhayagiri Dagaba and the other in the library at Aluvihara.

Completed by Hand on Ola Palm Leaves

The scriptures were documented by hand on Ola Pam Leaves. It is commonly recognized that a key development in literary technology was in Egypt, during the 2nd and 1st century BC, when Papyrus had been revived for common use as a writing surface. However, around the same time Buddhist monks of the Sangha were recording the Tripitaka on a similar parchment made of Ola Palm leaves.

Later Developments of Aluvihara

Over the years several Sinhalese Monarchs added to build the Aluvihara complex to what it is today. Most notable are King Maha Parakramabahu I (reigned 1153 – 1186) who built Polonnaruwa to its glory, King Nishshankamalla (reigned 1187 – 1196) who also developed Dambulla complex and King Vijaya Rajasinghe (reigned 1739 – 1747).

Sadly, the temple complex and its scriptures were damaged during the colonial period in later years. The Datch has destroyed some of the Tripitaka during the reign. In 1848 the British Army invaded Aluvihara, burning and destroying some manuscripts in the Library. However, the British Government did later restored the temple.

In 1973 an annual ‘Sangayana Perahera’ was announced to commemorate the writing of the Tripitaka, and continues today on the full moon Poya day of June.

Depiction of “Hell”

Visitors today could see examples of the Ola Leaf Tripitaka texts displayed at the Library next to the temple, and in the caves they are treated to a unique collection of Buddha statures and cave frescoes. One I found quite interesting is the depiction of hell, illustrating how punishment is handed out by demons to the sinners in the after life and is similar to the medieval European notion of hell underground. Interestingly, early Buddhist literature holds no evidence hell as depicted in these Frescors. Buddhists believe “hell” is a state of suffering that comes from retribution for acts of evil doing endured through rebirth in subsequent lives.

Another cave in the complex features statues depicting capital punishments inflicted by the last Kandyan monarch, the cruel King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe (reigned 1798 – 1815). He employed thirty-two forms of corporal punishment, including torture and mutilation of limbs and organs. One punishment depicted in the cave shows a sexual sinner who has his skull cut open and has boiling gravel poured into his head by two tortures while he weeps bitterly.