How to differentiate Helayō from Indians?

හෙළයන් ඉන්දියානුවන්ගෙන්  වෙන්කොට  හඳුනාගත හැක්කේ කෙසේද?

For anyone who had taken the incident of the sacred enlightenment of Gauthama Bosath (Bōsath) to India, it is not difficult to take the other incidents in to India as well. All the incidents found in Sutta which occurred in Heladiva were supposed to be depicted as incidents occurred in India and it was a special task given to the authors in the past. After completing the writing of Atuwa (Atuwā) i.e. the commentaries, even Bhikkhu Buddhagosha (Buddhagōsha) expressed his great satisfaction as he had fulfilled his particular objective. In this manner, without any hesitation over the ethics, all the rights of Helaya (Helayā) were taken to India as a heritage of India.

When you conduct a research about this, you would get the opportunity to know about this. Indriya Bāvanā Sutta found in the Salāyathana Category in Majjima Nikaya (Nikāya) can be considered as a Sutta preached in Heladiva. The Sutta discloses that it had been preached in the Mukhelu forest to the young man called Uththra and he was a student of the teacher called Paarasariya. There are facts to come to the assumption that this incident had been occurred in a place in Sithulpawwa in Heladiva. The inscriptions in Sithulpawwa reveal details of a teacher bearing a name of this nature. That inscription is as follows.

604   " අචරිය පරසරිස ලෙණෙ "  ( I.C.P. 46)

604   “ achariya parasarisa lene “( I.C.P. 46)

This inscription has relationship with the time of Buddha. Sometimes he may have been a special teacher lived that time. According to the Sutta, there was one young man called Uthtara among his students.

In this same inscription in Sithulpawwa, under 613 it is mentioned about a monk called “Uthara”. That inscription is as follows.

I               " උතර තෙරහ ලෙණෙ මනොරමෙ"

“ Uthara theraha lene manorame”

II             " උතර තෙරහ ………………( I.C.P. 46)

“ Uthara theraha ………………( I.C.P. 46)

The second inscription contains some defects. Even the block suggests something very strange. It does not disclose in this Sutta that Uththara had become a Bhikku or he had gained any fruition in the supremandane path. However it is, this is an incident where this had been occurred in Helabima.

Another similar incident is found in the Upasika Pali (Upāsikā Pāli) in Anguththaranikayatthakatha (Anguththaranikayatthakathā). According to that she is the highly honored Upāsika (Upāsikā) among the ones who had the qualities of inborn confidence.  For her delivery, she had come to her house in the city called Kula. When she spends her time in her house, she listened to the praise made about the Triple Gems (1) disclosed by Sathagira (Sāthāgira)  & Hemawatha and attended to the Sothapanna (Sōthapanna) stage i.e. the very first stage of the path of Nibbana (Nibbāna), the Atthakatha further says.(A.Ni.A. 337). Hence Sathagira (Sāthāgira) & Hemawatha, the rulers in the Yakkha clan were the people in Heladiva and because of that we can assume that this incident also has some connections with Helaya. Kaali Kuraragharikaa also adds weight for this assumption. There are positive evidences to prove that the enlightenment of the Buddha has been occurred in Helabima. Because of this we can assume that this incident had happened in this manner.

1 - Also known as Trividarathna or Rathnathraya. Trivida  is for Three. Ratna is for gems. Gems are Buddha, Dhamma and the Sanga.

{The English translation of 'බුද්ධෝත්පත්තිය හෙළදිවයි' (Buddha was born in Heladiva) - Part – 16}

Translated by Amal Meemanage (amalmeemanage@gmail.com)