The Siam (also Siyamopali and Siyam ) Nikaya is a monastic order within Sri Lankan Buddhism , founded by Upali Thera of Siyam, on the initiatives taken by Weliwita Sri Saranankara thera to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the mid 18th century. At the beginning it was located predominantly around the city of Kandy but now has spread to the other parts of the country as well. It is named as 'Siyam' because it was originated within Thailand (formerly known in Sri Lanka as "Siyam Deshaya" and Europe as the "Kingdom of Siam"). The Siyam Nikaya has two major divisions ( Malwatta and Asgiriya ) and five other divisions within these two major units. The Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters have two separate Maha Nayaka theros or chief monks.
58-725: On the initiative of Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero (1698–1778) the Thai monk Upali visited the Kingdom of Kandy in 1753 during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy (1747–1782), and there performed upasampada for a group of Kandyans. The Buddhist monastic order had become extinct thrice during the preceding five hundred years and was re-established in the reigns of Vimala Dharma Suriya I (1591–1604) and Vimala Dharma Suriya II (1687–1707) as well. These reestablishments were short lived. Although hagiographies written within Sri Lanka avoid
116-545: A stupa ; the procession casket which is used during the Kandy Esala Perahera is also displayed in the same chamber. The royal palace is situated to the north of the temple. John Pybus, who was on an embassy in 1762, gives a detailed description of the royal palace. Vikramabahu III of Gampola (r. 1356-1374) and Sena Sammatha Wickramabahu of Kandy (r. 1469-1511) built royal palaces on this site. Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy undertook various decorations to
174-488: A cave at Alagalla and the villagers provided him with alms food. During that time, almost all the Buddhist clergy were known as Ganinnanses or as Samaneras , as there was no way of them receiving the upasampada , to qualify as a fully ordained Bhikku. Higher ordination Upasampada became defunct in the era as a result of the decline of Buddhism due to colonial invasion of the maritime provinces of Sri Lanka. Education of
232-449: A teacher as well as a preacher. In addition to his skill as a scholar he was also known for his austere practices, kindness, purity of thought and attachment to religious life, which were rare qualities. His habit to help the poor earned him the epithet Asarana Sarana , the one who helps the helpless. Although the Buddhist clergy known as Ganninnanse were living like laymen and forgotten their sacred calling, they were getting their alms to
290-516: Is a celebration which includes a parade in which the focus is the relic of the tooth of the Buddha . This procession was originally focused on honour to Hindu deities , particularly those incorporated into Sri Lankan Buddhism . Upali Thera believed this to be inappropriate in a Buddhist nation, and his influence led to the king declaring that "Henceforth Gods and men are to follow the Buddha". (Estimates from Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Sri Lanka) By
348-506: Is credited with building the Paththirippuwa . Originally it was used by the king for recreational activities and later it was offered to the tooth relic, it now houses the temple's library. The temple was attacked in 1989 by the militant organisation Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP); it had the intention of capturing the relic. And in 1998 by the militant organisation Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE); this attack damaged
406-454: Is where the Kandyan kings held their court. It was completed during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The carvings of the wooden pillars which support the wooden roof are an example of wood carving of the Kandyan period. Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha of Kandy built it in 1783. The hall was renovated for the reception of the arrival of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1872. Originally the hall
464-519: The Natha Devale is said to be the oldest. During the beginning of the British period, it was used by the government agent Sir John D'Oyly, 1st Baronet, of Kandy . Successors of D'Oyly have continued to use it as their official residence. Today it is preserved as an archaeological museum. Ulpen Ge and Queens Palace are the associated buildings of the palace. The audience hall or magul maduwa
522-588: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1998. However, it was fully restored each time. After the Maha parinirvana of Gautama Buddha , according to the legend, the tooth relic was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha on the instructions of her father King Guhasiva. Hemmamali hid the relic in her hair on the way to the island. They landed on
580-537: The Munigunalankara , a Sinhalese poem in praise of Buddha, the Sarartha Sangraha , a treatise on various doctrinal teachings of Buddhist philosophy and Abhisambodhialankara , a Pali poem on the life of Bodhisattva from the times of Dipankara Buddha up to his enlightenment are some examples for his religious literary work. The Madhurartha Prakasini , which is a Sinhalese commentarial paraphrase to
638-664: The Poth Gula of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy. Though his parents initially opposed his idea to enter the Buddhist monastic order, later he was granted permission by parents and was ordained as a Samanera at the age of 16 under the scholar monk. His teacher, Suriyagoda Rajaguru thera, who had received upasampada ordination from the Arakanese monks (Burmese) in 1679, exercised considerable influence within
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#1732772984584696-575: The Sri Pada shrine and the retinue villages from the low country fraternity and appointing a rival Mahanayaka (Presently, an exception is the Rangiri Dambulla sect which welcomes all communities while being a Siyam Nikaya subsect). [REDACTED] Sri Lanka portal Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero Weliwita Asaranasarana Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero (19 June 1698 – 18 July 1778) or popularly Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero
754-494: The Weda Hitana Maligawa are Ivory carvings . The actual chamber in which the tooth relic is kept is known as the "Handun kunama". The golden canopy over the main shrine and the golden fence which encircles the temple complex, was built in 1987 by then Prime Minister , Ranasinghe Premadasa . The tooth relic is encased in seven golden caskets which are engraved with precious gemstones . The casket represent
812-525: The Buddha), to the laymen who assembled to hear the discourses on Dhamma . The main reason for the decline of Buddhism during this period was mainly due to the infiltration of Catholicism , which spread because of the tolerance of the kings, who gave a free hand to the missionaries to spread their faith. This decline further increased with the division of the Buddhist monks into two groups as 'Silvats' and 'Ganinnanses'. The Portuguese and Dutch influence in
870-653: The Dutch), and the lay administrators were executed. Upali Thera believed the Buddhist Sangha in Kandy was suffering from a state of corruption, which included the practice of astrology and his efforts were aimed at "purifying" the practices of the monastic order. It was also through the efforts of Upali Thera that the Kandy Esala Perahera was reorganized in its present form. Annually in Kandy, there
928-558: The Kandyan Kingdom and had the patronage of King Vira Narendrasinghe (1707–39). He was the last Sinhala king, after whom Nayakkar dynasty succeeded to the throne of Kandyan kingdom . In 1715, Suriyagoda thera was charged with treason by the king and executed. Thus young Saranankara Samanera left on his own, took up residence in the mountainous region of Alagalla (Kadugannwa) a few miles away from Kandy and devoted his early years to learning Pali language. Saranakara Samanera lived in
986-584: The Kandyan Kingdom over the Sinhalese were such that the Sinhalese began to assimilate foreign customs, ways of life, dress and language resulting in transformation of their local life style. It was inevitable that these foreign customs seeped into the Buddhist monks as well. During this period Weliwita Sri Saranankara Samanera, who led the Silvat monks (monks who behaved according to the monastic discipline)
1044-552: The Kandyan Kingdom. The Siyam Nikaya traditionally grants Higher ordination only to the Radala and Govigama castes, Sitinamaluwe Dhammajoti (Durawa) being the last non-Govigama monk to receive upasampada. This conspiracy festered within the Siyam Nikaya itself and Moratota Dhammakkandha, Mahanayaka of Kandy, with the help of the last two Kandyan Telugu Kings victimized the low country Mahanayaka Karatota Dhammaranma by confiscating
1102-570: The Nikaya's higher ordination only to the Radala and Govigama caste, Sitinamaluwe Dhammajoti (Durawa) being the last non-Govigama monk receive his upasampada. This was a period when Buddhist Vinaya rules had been virtually abandoned and some members of the Buddhist Sangha in the Kandyan Kingdom privately held land, had wives and children, resided in private homes and were called Ganinnanses. It
1160-807: The Pali Mahabodhivamsa and the Rupamala , a work on Pali grammar are also his literary creations. Temple of the Tooth தலதா மாளிகை Sri Dalada Maligawa , commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic , is a Buddhist temple in Kandy , Sri Lanka . It is located in the Royal Palace Complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy , which houses the relic of
1218-520: The Sangha who opposed this change were banished to Jaffna by the leaders of the reform. The Govigama exclusivity of the Sangha thus secured in 1764 was almost immediately challenged by other castes who without the patronage of the King of Kandy or of the British, held their own upasampada ceremony at Totagamuwa Vihara in 1772. Another was held at Tangalle in 1798. Neither of these ceremonies were approved by
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#17327729845841276-605: The Siam Nikaya which claimed that these were not in accordance with the Vinaya rules. The principal places of Buddhist worship in Sri Lanka including the Temple of the Tooth Relic , Adam's Peak , Kelaniya and over 6,000 other temples are now under the administration of the Siyam Nikaya. From time immemorial the sacred Tooth Relic of Gautama Buddha has been considered the symbol of the rulers of Sri Lanka. As time went on,
1334-429: The Thai monk Upali Thera visited Kandy during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747–1782) and once again reestablished the Buddhist order in Sri Lanka in 1753. It was called the Siyam Nikaya after the "Kingdom of Siam". However, in 1764, merely a decade after the re-establishment of the Buddhist order in Sri Lanka by reverend Upali, a group within the newly created Siyam Nikaya conspired and succeeded in restricting
1392-525: The age of 16, he was ordained as a samanera at the sooriyagoda temple in kandy ,by the name Weliwita saranankara. Weliwita Sri Saranankara Samanera received the 'upasampada' and qualified as a higher ordained monk on the Esala poya day in 1753 at the Malwatu Maha Viharaya. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha and his ministers proceeded to Malwatta Viharaya and presented Weliwita Sri Saranankara thera with
1450-414: The age of 55, Weliwita Sri Saranankara Samanera received the 'upasampada' and qualified as a higher ordained monk on the Esala poya day in 1753 at the Malwatu Maha Viharaya. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha and his ministers proceeded to Malwatta Viharaya and presented Weliwita Sri Saranankara thera with the insignia of the office of Sangharaja in a grand assembly of Buddhist monks. Welivita Sri Saranankara thero
1508-515: The age of 80 on the full moon poya day in July 1778. He died at the forest hermitage near Hantana, while observing 'vas' (retreat). It was his favourite forest abode, which is situated a few miles from Kandy. He was listening to the “Sathipattana” with right mindfulness, recited by Malinbada Gunarathana thero at the time of his death. The activities of Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero led to the re-establishment of Upasampada (higher ordination) and restored
1566-589: The building is now gone. In 1603 when the Portuguese kingdom invaded Kandy, it was carried to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara. It was recovered in the time of Rajasinha II and it has been reported that he reinstated the original building or built a new temple. The present-day temple of the tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha . The octagonal Paththirippuwa and moat were added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha . The royal architect Devendra Moolacharya
1624-472: The city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte when the Kingdom of Kotte was established there. During the reign of Dharmapala of Kotte , the relic was moved and was hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura , in a grinding stone. It was brought to Kandy by Hiripitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Rathnalankara Thera. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two-storey building to deposit the tooth relic and
1682-540: The epithet Pindapathika Saranankara . During this period few like-minded companions and followers began to gather around Weliwita Sri Saranankara Samanera. The earliest and most intimate of them were Sitinamaluwe Dhammajothi, Ilipangamuwe and Kadiragoda, who came from the south of the island . They formed themselves into a small fraternity called Silvat Samagama and its members were called silvat tenas (pious ones) distinguishing themselves from other samaneras and ganinnanses. Weliwita Saranankara Samanera's lifelong ambition
1740-452: The execution of his teacher Suriyagoda thera. With great effort and devotion he expanded his knowledge in Pali language and Buddhist doctrine, for which purpose he traveled from place to place in search of books and tutors. Later he went about preaching Buddha Dhamma to encourage others to rise up for the welfare of the religion. This behavior of Weliwita Saranankara Samanera made him popular as
1798-536: The front side of the royal palace. The brick wall which runs along the moat and the Bogambara lake is known as the water waves wall. Holes in this wall are built to light coconut oil lamps. The main entrance gate which lies over the moat is called Mahawahalkada . At the foot of the Mahawahalkada steps, there is a Sandakada pahana (moonstone) which is carved in Kandyan architectural style. Mahawahalkada
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1856-546: The help of Mahasangha in Siam . He is also credited with the establishment of Silvath Samagama (pious group), a union of monks who lived in accordance with the Buddhist monastic discipline. Welivita Sri Saranakara Thera was born on June 19, 1698, in Welivita Waththe Walauwa, Tumpane, Hatharaliyadda, about 24 km from Kandy . His father was a chieftain and was a descendant of an influential family. At
1914-481: The honour of the laity, who ignominiously called them 'ganai' or 'ganaya', who differed from the laity only by their yellow robe. At that point of time there were no erudite monks to deliver discourses to the laity and it was very difficult to find five higher ordained Buddhist monks to offer a 'sanghika-dana' (alms giving) in the entire country. Ganninnanse only read the Jataka-potha (book on the previous lives of
1972-450: The inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times daily: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings. On Wednesdays, there is a symbolic bathing of the relic with a herbal preparation made from scented water and fragrant flowers called Nanumura Mangallaya ; this holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed to those present. The temple sustained damage from bombings by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in 1989, and by
2030-567: The insignia of the office of Sangharaja in a grand assembly of Buddhist monks. Welivita Sri Saranankara thero was the last Sri Lankan monk to hold the prestigious Sangharaja title, which is the highest office conferred on a monk in a Theravada Buddhist country His lay name was Kulathun Bandara and his brother. This family had held administrative positions in the Uva Dissavaniya for centuries according to books such as Sangarajawatha, Sangha Raja Saduchariyawa and other sources found in
2088-612: The island in Lankapattana during the reign of Sirimeghavanna of Anuradhapura (301-328) and handed over the tooth relic. The king enshrined it in Meghagiri Vihara (present day Isurumuniya ) in Anuradhapura . Safeguarding the relic was the responsibility of the monarch from then, therefore over the years, the custodianship of the relic came to symbolize the right to rule the island. Therefore, reigning monarchs built
2146-431: The issue, the foundation of the Siam Nikaya was closely linked to both the aristocratic and caste politics of its era, including an attempted coup d'état that is unusually well-documented, due to the interaction of the colonial Dutch and the king of Kandy at the time: [T]he plot of 1760... occurred during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasimha and shortly after the formal beginnings of the Siyam Nikaya in 1753. One group within
2204-512: The king. He managed to persuade the king by 1741 to negotiate with the Dutch, who were ruling maritime provinces to accommodate a delegation to Siam (now Thailand ), to revive the higher ordination, Upasampada. The king got the assistance of the Dutch to send a delegation to Siam, which was unsuccessful. Several members of the delegation died when the ship they traveled sank on the way while the survivors returned to Sri Lanka. A second delegation which
2262-476: The local aristocracy conspired to overthrow the king and place a Siamese prince on the throne. The leaders are said to have included not only key lay administrators... but also some of the leading Siyam Nikaya monks. Valivita Saranamkara, founder of the Siyam Nikaya, and his chief student... were named among the conspirators. The plot was discovered, the Siamese prince was deported (with the reluctant assistance of
2320-456: The mid-18th century, upasampada (higher ordination, as distinct from samanera or novice ordination) had become extinct in Sri Lanka again. The Buddhist order had become extinct thrice during the preceding five hundred years and was re-established in the reigns of Vimala Dharma Suriya I (1591–1604) and Vimala Dharma Suriya II (1687–1707) as well. These re-establishments were short lived. On the initiative of Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero (1698–1778)
2378-400: The novice monks has been neglected as there was no one capable to teach the basic components of Pali grammar . Welivita Saranakara Samanera was able to learn the principles of Pali grammar from Levuke Ralahamy, who had studied it from Watabuluwe Thera. His tutor Leuke Ralahamy was a one, who had been imprisoned by the king in a village close to Alagalla, where Saranankara samanera resided after
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2436-458: The palace. The Dutch orientalist Philippus Baldaeus visited the palace with General Gerard Pietersz Hulft in 1656. The royal residence was known as "Maha Wasala" in Sinhalese starting in the Polonnaruwa period. The royal palace is also known as "Maligawa" (Palace). There were three Wahalkadas and an 8 feet (2.4 m) high wall used as main entrances. The section of the palace facing
2494-474: The purity of the Buddhism in the country. In addition to that his leadership and influence also brought a literary revival as a result of the impetus given by him to the education of Pali language and Buddha's teachings. Welivita Sri Saranankara thera compiled many important religious literary works and several other pupils of Weliwita Sri Saranankara thera also composed many literary works. The books such as
2552-650: The same month. The mission was successful and the new King of Siam, Borommakot , accepted the request of king Kirti Sri Rajasinha and sent a delegation of twenty, headed by Upali Maha Thera to Sri Lanka. Two years later the delegation with Upali Thera was able to set sail back to Sri Lanka and reached Trincomalee in May 1753 after leaving Siam in January 1753. The delegation which was headed by Upali Thera, composed of higher ordained Siamese monks, who entered Kandy in June 1753. At
2610-467: The seat of the kingdom was moved from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa, then to Dambadeniya and other cities. Upon each change of capital, a new palace was built to enshrine the Relic. Finally, it was brought to Kandy where it is at present, in the Temple of the Tooth. The oldest Buddhist sect in Sri Lanka, the Siam Nikaya (estd. 19 July 1753) has been the custodian of the Tooth Relic, since its establishment during
2668-421: The temples regularly. The young Saranankara Samanera, as an objection against the manner in which Ganinnanses' lived in that era, refused to accept the food that brought to the temples, and led an exemplary life of real priesthood. He depended for his sustenance on the ancient practice of Buddhist monks known as Pindapata , gathering ones food from house to house in his alms-bowl. Because of this practice, he earned
2726-509: The tooth of the Buddha . Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The relic was historically held by Sinhalese kings . The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic. Bhikkhus of the two particular chapters, the Malwathu chapters and Asgiri chapters , conduct daily worship in
2784-547: The tooth relic temples quite close to their royal residences, as was the case during the times of the Anuradhapura Kingdom , Kingdom of Polonnaruwa , and Kingdom of Dambadeniya . During the era of the Kingdom of Gampola , the relic was housed in Niyamgampaya Vihara . It is reported in the messenger poems such as Hamsa , Gira , and Selalihini that the temple of tooth relic was situated within
2842-523: Was 58 by 35.6 feet (17.7 m × 10.9 m); after renovation, its length was extended by an additional 31.6 feet (9.6 m). Other nearby buildings to the halls are believed to have been demolished during the British rule . The audience hall was the venue where the Kandyan Convention was drawn up, it was where the convention was read out to the people and where the conference, about
2900-536: Was a Buddhist monk , who was the last Sangharaja of Sri Lanka. He was the pioneer in the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka , after the decline of the religion in the 17th and 18th centuries. Saranankara Thero was bestowed with the a title by king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe in 1753, the same year he received the Upasampada (higher ordination of Buddhist monks) and re-established the Upasampada in Sri Lanka with
2958-510: Was a period when the traditional nobility of the Kandyan Kingdom was decimated by continuous wars with the Dutch rulers of the Maritime Provinces. In the maritime provinces, too a new order was replacing the old. Mandarampura Puvata, a text from the Kandyan period, narrates the above radical changes to the monastic order and shows that it was not a unanimous decision by the body of the sangha. It says that thirty-two ‘senior’ members of
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#17327729845843016-523: Was appointed as the King of Kandyan kingdom. The reign of king Kirti Sri Rajasinha brought a new energy to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Weliwita Sri Saranankara Samanera extended his fullest corporation to the new king who depended on him for advice, guidance and inspiration. He urged the king to send a third embassy to Siam with the help of Dutch East India Company for the revival of Upasampada. The third delegation which left Kandy in July 1751 made it to Trincomalee and left Sri Lanka's shores later in
3074-446: Was dispatched in 1745, led by one of the survivors of the first delegation successfully reached Siam, but could not conclude the negotiations due to the untimely death of the king Vijaya Rajasinghe. The King of Siam was reluctant to send Siamese monks to revive the monastic lineage of Sri Lanka without knowing what the attitude of the new king would be in this matter. After the demise of King Vijaya Rajasinghe in 1747, Kirti Sri Rajasinha
3132-408: Was entrusted with the task of tutoring prince Vijaya Rajasinghe, young brother-in-law of King Vira Narendrasinghe . Since the king had no children from his main consort, the young brother-in-law of the king was the next in line for the throne of Kandyan Kingdom. With the appointment of Vijaya Rajasinghe to the throne in 1739, Welivita Sri Saranankara had the opportunity to make a direct influence to
3190-485: Was focused on the development and the welfare of the monks that he led in Sri Lanka. He traveled extensively in the country, especially in the south to organize and restore the former prestige of the Buddhism and Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. After rendering a great service to the Buddha Sasana by re-establishing the higher ordination ritual of Upasampadha in the country, Weliwita Sri Saranankara Mahathera died at
3248-545: Was the last Sri Lankan monk to hold the prestigious Sangharaja title, which is the highest office conferred on a monk in a Theravada Buddhist country. After becoming the Sangharaja, he was involved extensively with activities to revive the Buddha Sasana by assisting the monks, in particular the samanera or novice monks to pursue their learning and service to the nation. He was not interested in material possessions such as land, buildings and property in general. His interest
3306-403: Was to re-establish upasampada ordination in the island. The behaviour of the Buddhist monks in the early 18th century in Sri Lanka was deeply deteriorated and did not conform to the ' vinaya ', monastic discipline accepted for the bhikkus . Most of them had close association with women and some had children by them. In view of their immoral behaviour, they did not receive either the reverence or
3364-488: Was totally destroyed in a 1998 bomb blast and rebuilt afterwards along with Sandakada pahana other stone carvings . Elephants are depicted in stone on either side of the entrance. A Makara Torana and two guardian stones are placed on top of the staircase. The Hewisi drummers' chamber is situated in front of the main shrine. The two storeys of the main shrine are known as "Palle Malaya" (lower floor) and "Udu Malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina maligawa". The doors of
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