Lord Buddha's three visits to Sri Lanka

The Buddha's first visit was in the ninth month after Supreme Enlightenment on Durutu (January) Full Moon Day (1 B.E. or 528 B.C.).

That was to Mahiyangana where the Yaksa Clan of the entire island was meeting in the Mahanaga Garden. On this visit the Buddha not only won the Yaksas/Raksas to Buddhism but also succeeded in getting the Naga Clan King Maniakkhika of Kelaniya, who came to Mahiyangana to meet the Buddha, to embrace Buddhism. It is after that visit that a Stupa with a lock of hair of the Buddha enshrined, came to be put up at the instance of Deva Clan Prince named Mahasumana of the Sumanakuta mountain area.

This Stupa, after the Parinibbana or passing away of The Buddha, was transformed to be the Mahiyangana Cetiya after Thera Sarabhu, brought the Collar Bone of The Buddha from the funeral pyre and enshrined in it.

The second visit was in the fifth year of Supreme Enlightenment (5 B.E. or 523 B.C.).

The Buddha, on seeing an imminent war between two Naga Kings Culodara and Mahodara, uncle and nephew, over a Jewelled throne, visited Nagadipa (Jaffna), settled the dispute and handed over the custody of the Jewelled throne to Naga King Maniakkhika of Kelaniya.

On this visit the Buddha was accompanied by Samiddhi Sumana, a representative of Persian Emperor Darius, who came to be referred to as Sakka (Sakra), the King of Kings of the Deva clan: Samiddhi Sumana brought with him a tree Jetavanarama, which was also presented to Maniakkhika who in turn constructed a Cetiya covering the Jewelled throne in Kelaniya and also planted the Na Tree on which precincts is Kelani Viharaya built.

Having spent the seventh Vas (Retreat) period in Tavtisa (in Persia) at the palace of Persian Emperor, King Darius, in Persepolis (Emperor) Darius was referred to as Sakkra (Sakka), the supreme King of the Kings of Devas (Persians were Aryan Devas) and eighth Vas Period in Bhesakala close to Sunsumara Gira (a mountain resort) in India, the Buddha visited Sri Lanka for the third time (that was the last time too) at the invitation of King Maniakkhika, first arriving in Kelaniya in 9 B.E. (519/520 B.C.) with 500 of his followers, who settled down here and did not return to India with the Buddha.

It was on this third visit that the Buddha placed an imprint of his left foot on top of Sumanakuta (Samanalakanda) on the invitation of Prince named Sumanasaman, as the Buddha left his foot prints in Narmada and Saccabaddha, in India.

The Sumanakuta, after the arrival of the colonialists they began to call the mountain Adams Peak. Sumana Saman was appointed the lay guardian of Sumanakuta, by the Buddha.

It is this Sumanasaman who is now being considered the Guardian Deity of Samanala Kanda and referred to as Saman Deviyo.

He is, in fact, no God, in the sense looked upon by those whose faiths consider God all powerful. In addition to visiting Sumanakuta, the Buddha paid visits to Anuradhapura, Digaveva, Tissamaharama and Kataragama. Deva Clan Princes Visala Mahasen, Samanibhara and Mahaghosa, were appointed lay guardians of these places of worship by the Buddha.

Accordingly, Kataragama Deviyo to Buddhists is not Hindu God Skanda, but Mahaghosa, who functioned as the lay guardian of the place of worship and came to be regarded as a Deity due to his fearless and valuable services he rendered to places of worship.

Thus, archaeological evidence at Mahiyangana, Nagadipa, Kelaniya and other places coupled with literary evidence and the history of the movement of the Aryan population go to proving the authenticity of the Buddha's three visits to Sri Lanka, beyond any doubt.

Source Ceylon Daliy News