Ruwanwelisaya - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa

Stupa

A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....

in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

, considered a marvel for its architectural qualities and sacred to many Buddhists all over the world. It was built by King Dutugemunu, who became lord of all Sri Lanka after a war in which the Chola

Chola Dynasty

The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...

King Elara

Elara

Elara may refer to one of the following:*Elara , a moon of Jupiter*Elara , the mother of Tityas in Greek mythology*Elara , an ancient Sri Lankan king...

, was defeated. It is also known as Mahathupa, Swarnamali Chaitya, Suvarnamali Mahaceti (in Pali

Páli

- External links :* *...

) and Rathnamali Dagaba.

The stupa is also one of the Solosmasthana
Solosmasthana
Solosmasthana are 16 sacred places in Sri Lanka, believed by Buddhists to have been hallowed by visits of Gautama Buddha. These places of worship are among the most important religious locations in Sri Lanka, and are located throughout the country. Ancient Buddhist and historical sources of Sri...

(the 16 places of veneration) and the Atamasthana
Atamasthana
Atamasthana or Eight sacred places are a series of locations in Sri Lanka where the Buddha had visited during his three visits to the country. The sacred places are known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya, Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya, Lovamahapaya, Abhayagiri Dagaba, Jetavanarama, Mirisaveti Stupa and...

(the 8 places of veneration in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...

). The stupa is one of the world's tallest monuments, standing at 300 feet (91 m) and with a circumference of 950 ft (290 m).

The Kaunghmudaw Pagoda in Sagaing

Sagaing

Sagaing is the capital of Sagaing Region in Myanmar. Located on the Ayeyarwady River, 20 km to the southwest of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river, Sagaing with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic center. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous...

, Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

is modeled after this stupa.

Materials

The ancient texts recount the following:

From the bank of the river Gambhīra, situated a yojana (a distance measure) to the north of Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...

bricks were acquired;
From the village Avuruvini, situated three yojanas to the north-east, nuggets of gold were acquired;
From the village Tambapittha, situated seven yojanas to the east, copper were acquired;
From the village Samanveve, situated four yojanas to the south-east, gems were acquired;
From the rock-cave Ridi, situated eight yojanas to the south, silver were acquired;
From the small town Uruvel, situated five yojanas to the west, pearls and corals to the size of myrobalan (nelli) fruits were acquired;
From the village Pelavapi, situated seven yojanas to the north-east, four large gems were acquired.

The full moon day

King Dutugemunu began the work of building the stupa during Vesak
Vesak
Vesākha is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the South East Asian countries of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, and Indonesia...

, on the full-moon day of the month of Vesakha (April-May), under the constellation of Visakha. In Buddhism this is considered a sacred full-moon day on which numerous events occurred, such as:

The definite declaration by Buddha
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

Dīpankara
Dipankara
Dīpankara one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are...

to the ascetic Sumedha Bodhisatta Gotama
Gotama
The Sanskrit name Gautama or Gautam is a common Indian first name. It may refer to:*Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and descendant of Rishi Angirasa and Rishi Gautama....

in a past life) that he will become a Buddha;
The birth of Bodhisatta Gotama from Tusita heaven in the human world;
The Enlightnment of Prince Siddhartha
His arrival in the city of Kapilavatthu;
His performance of the Twin Miracle;
His arrival in Sri Lanka three times;
His passing into Parinibbāna;
The disembarcation of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka
The coronation of the great king Devānampiya-Tissa

Foundation

On such a full-moon day King Dutugemunu had the inscribed stone pillar that was erected by King Devanampiya Tissa, removed;

had the site leveled;
had it dug to a depth of seven cubits;
had round stones spread there by warriors;
and had the stones broken with hammers;
then he had them stamped down by elephants;
fine clay was brought from the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...

by Arahant novices, spread over the layer of stones;
had bricks laid over the fine clay, rough plaster over the bricks, quartz over the rough plaster, a network of iron over the quartz, fragrant clay over the network of iron, white stones over the fragrant clay, rock-crystal over the white stones, and slabs of stones over the rock-crystal.
Then he had mercury, resin of the wood-apple, and fine clay mixed together; had these spread over the slabs of stones; and had bronze sheets eight inches thick laid over these.
He had arsenic and sesame oil mixed together; had these spread over the bronze sheets; and had silver sheets four inches thick laid over these.

When the king had thus built and completed the foundation of the Great Stupa, he arranged that the foundation stone should be laid on the full-moon day of the month of Āâsàëha (June-July).

He then had Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura

decorated like a divine city along with the terrace of the Great Stupa. Ninety-six koñis of Arahants came by from India. On the full-moon day of the month of Āsāëha, under the constellation of Uttarā-sāëha, he laid the foundation-stone of the Great Stūpa and determined: 'Should the work I carry for this Stupa be completed safely, may then the Venerable Arahants Buddharakkhita, Dhammarakkhita, Saïgharakkhita and Ānanda arrive and stand at the four quarters of the Great Stupa's terrace.'

This happened as he determined. The Arahant Indagutta arranged that it should thus happen. In addition, the Venerable Arahants, Siddhattha, Maïgala, Paduma, Sivalī, Candagutta, Indagutta, Suriyagutta, Cittasena, Jayasena, and Acala looking eastwards arrived and stood in front of the pitcher placed at the gate of this festive occasion. Supatiñhita, the son of Nandisena and Sumana devi, and the minister appointed for the festive ceremonies, walked around the relic-chamber and went and brought a staff made of silver for measuring the circular boundary of the Stupa. When Arahant Siddhattha saw the minister walking thus around the relic-chamber and measuring too large dimensions, he ordered him to measure moderate ones. On hearing the name of Arahant Siddhattha, the names of the eleven other Arahants, and the name of the minister and his parents, king Dutugemunu felt particularly glad, thinking: 'The work on the Stūpa will certainly be successful.'

He then had eight large water pots of gold and eight of silver placed in the midst of the Great Stupa, and had a hundred and eight vases placed around the large water pots. He had, likewise, eight bricks of gold placed in eight corners and a hundred and eight bricks of silver around each of the bricks of gold.

The Stupa is blessed

Arahant Cittasena placed a lump of fragrant resin in the east side upon the boundary line drawn around the Great Stūpa. Arahant Jayasena sprinkled scented water over it, and when, under the constellation of Uttarāsāëha, Supatiññhita, the minister for the festive ceremonies, placed bricks of gold together with lavish offerings over the scented water.

It is said that: the earth, all of two hundred seventy thousand yojanas, roared and quaked at that time.

He had through his sons, similarly, placed bricks of gold in the other seven sides of the Great Stupa. Afterwards, king Dutugemunu and the people there honoured with gifts the Arahants who were seated at the four quarters, and took themselves seats to hear a Dhamma talk delivered that day by the great Arahant Piyadassī.

Having heard it, forty thousand people became Arahants, forty thousand were established in the fruit of stream-entry (sotāpatti-phala), a thousand became once-returners (sakadāgamis), and a thousand became non-returners (anāgamis). Eighteen thousand monks and fourteen thousand nuns
became Arahants.

Buddha's Relic

After The Buddha's Parinibbāna, His relics were enshrined and worshipped in stupas by Princes of eight countries two quarts in each country. The two quarts of relics that were enshrined in the village Rāmagāma were, according to The Buddha's determination, destined to be enshrined in the Great Stūpa Ruvanveli.King Dutugemunu who, on the full-moon day of the month of Āsāëha (June-July), under the constellation of Uttarāsāëha, would officiate in the ceremony for the enshrining of the relics in the Great Stūpa, worshipped the Sangha (Order of monks) on the day before the full-moon day, reminded them that tomorrow is the appointed day for the enshrining of the relics and requested them to give him the relics. The Saïgha ordered then the novice Arahant Soõuttara, who was gifted with the six supernormal faculties, to bring the relics, which Arahant Soõuttara manages to bring and offer to the Sangha.

Then king Dutugemunu received from the Sangha the Buddha's relics upon his head in a casket and departed from the golden pavilion in the midst of manifold offerings and honours made by gods and Brahmas. He circumambulated the relic-chamber three times, entered to it from the east, and when laid the relic-casket on a silver couch one koñi worth, that was arranged in the north side. An image of the Buddha was then, according to the Buddha's determination,
created in the lion's reclining posture (sīhaseyya), and all the relics were enshrined within that image. When the enshrining of the relics in the Great Stūpa Ruvanveli was completed, the two novices Uttara and Sumana closed the relic-chamber with the stone-blocks that were previously hidden to be used as a lid.

"The relic-chamber shall not shake even by an earthquake; flowers such as jasmine that were offered on that day shall not wither till the end of Buddha Gotama's Dispensation; the lamps that were kindled with ghee-oil shall not be extinguished; the clay that was mixed with perfume and sandalwood shall not dry; even a single scratch shall not appear within the relic-chamber; stains shall not appear in any of the golden goods that were offered.' All this occurred by the determination-power of all Arahants present. They determined also that inimical persons should
not be able to even see the relic-chamber. Furthermore, by order of king Dutugemunu, the people of Srī Lanka enshrined, along with many other objects such as golden and silver caskets, thousand more of the Buddha's relics over the relic-chamber."

The Great Stupa is constructed

When the unique Great Stūpa Ruvanveli was completed as far as the square turret 10, and while ninety-six koñis of Arahants were chanting protective suttas, the great king Dutugemunu who reigned in Srī Lanka for twenty-four years, had his record of meritorious deeds read and, while looking at the Great Stūpa, he died and was born as a divine king in the Tusita-heaven. His brother, the king Saddhatissa, completed the remaining work at the Great Stūpa and later was also born in the Tusita-heaven.

The Great King

During the Dispensation of the future Buddha Metteyya, king Dutugemunu will become the Buddha's chief disciple on His right side. King Saddhātissa will become the chief disciple on His left side. Kāvantissa and Vihāra Mahā- Devī will become the parents of the future Buddha Metteyya. Princess Anulā, the younger sister of king Kāvantissa, will become the chief Queen of the Bodhisatta Metteyya. Prince Saliya will become the son of the Bodhisatta Metteyya. Saõgha, king Dutugemu's Chancellor of the Exchequer, will become the chief attendant of the Buddha Metteyya. The Chancellor's daughter will become the chief she-attendant.

External links

Discover Sri Lanka - More information & images about Ruwanwelisaya
This page incorporates content from Dr. Rohan Hettiarachchi's http://www.lankalibrary.com/ used with permission of website owner.
Ruvanveli Seya - The Wonderous Stupa Built by Gods and Men
Mini Stupa

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.