01/30/2024
දුරුතු පුන් පොහොය නිමිත්තෙන් පෑවෑත්වු සීල භාවනා වෑඩසටහන සහ මහියන්ගන මහ සෑ වන්දනාව.
Duruthu Poya Mahiyangana Stupa wahanse Veneration
Duruthu (January) full moon day (poya) is a key religious and significant date for Sri Lankan Buddhists. It marks Gautama Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka after the ninth month of his Enlightenment. It is said that the supreme Buddha set forth on this journey when he foresaw that Buddhism would be kept alive in Sri Lanka for many years among other countries of the world and intended to dispel any evil forces and keep the way clear for the teachings of Buddhism to be spread as Sri Lanka was inhabited by powerful Yakkas – demon worshippers during this time. When the supreme Buddha arrived at Mahiyangana the Yakkas were gathered in a Garden called “Mahanaga”. By performing several miracles, the Supreme Buddha seated on the place where the Mahiyangana stupa stands now, and able to send all the powerful yakka to an island called “Giri” (meaning full of mountains). Subsequently, Buddha preached Dhamma hand over Sri Lanka to the Devas who gathered to listen to Dhamma. Among them, the Sumana Saman Deva was lucky enough to attain the first step of Nirwana-called “sowan margapala” and kindly requested some relics from the supreme Buddha to worship over time. The supreme Buddha handed over some hair-Kesha dathu” from his head to the Suman Sama deva. After accepting the kesha dathunwahanse- with much respect Suman Saman Deva deposited these relics in a stupa made of a blue sapphire and placed it at the site where the supreme Buddha was seated in Sri Lanka for the first time.
After the Supreme Buddhas passing, the cervical bones of Supreme Buddha (Greewa dhathunwahanse) were taken from the parinirwana manchaka by Sarabu maha rahathanwahanse and deposited closer to the kesha dathun wahanse, while creating another stupa with “Meda warna Stone” on top of the original blue sapphire stupa.
With time several kings created (e.g. King Chulabaya, King Dutugamunu) a stupa on top of the existing stupa.
Therefore, the Mahiyanga stupa wahanse is a sacred place for every Buddhist to worship with understanding and gain merits to their sanasara journey and attain Nirwana!
Sadu… Sadu…Sadu….
