Wasn’t the enlightenment of the Prince Sidduhath depicted in the artistic carvings found in the Bōdhigara of Nillakgama?

 නිල්ලක්ගම බෝධිඝරයේ කලාත්මක කැටයමින් ද්වනිත වන්නේ සුදුහත් කුමාරයන් බුද්ධත්වයට පත්වීමේ අවස්ථාව නොවේද?

The internal view of the Bōdhi Gara.  The author of this book also can be seen in the picture

Isn’t an outstanding creation of the artist in the land of Hela endowed to the world by means of the carvings found in the Nillakgama Bodhigara (Nillakgama Bōdhigara)?   It explicits the meanings of a subtle doctrine. Since this is a Bodhigara (Bōdhigara) this subtle and deep meaning gets more meaningful.

Even the aspiration of Budmi says how significant this place is. The things which are carved in this do match with the ‘Moon Stone – Sandakada Pahana ’. The scholars say that the Sandakada Pahana represents a subtle teaching. This Bodhigara (Bōdhigara) contains some features found in the Sandakada Pahana and also some which are not, that is the significance of this Bodhigara (Bōdhigara). The figure such as elephant, horse, lion and ox used as symbols for birth, decay, disease and death are not found here. The absence of these symbolic in this Bodhigara (Bōdhigara) adds additional value in to this.

On the top and also on both sides of the pillars used for flames of Uluwassa are carved from outside.  This presentation is similar to the presentation in Sandakada Pahana. This represents the fire called lust. “Naththi rāga samō aggi - නත්ථි රාග සමො අග්ගී (1) is to say that the lust has been compared with the fire. This is to explain that the beings are burnt by the fire called lust.

The Liyawel (2) found in this Bodhigara (Bōdhigara) are identical to the ones in Sandakada Pahana. The journey in Samsara which is coiled by the Liyawela called craving is originated from the top of the door keepers kept on each side of the pillars of the Uluwassa (the door frame) and comes to an end at the feet –level of the horse. Unlike in the Sandakada Pahana this does not go around it. This suggests a cessation of a journey of Samsara. Since these Liyawel are similar to the ones in the Sandakada Pahana the interpretation or the meaning given by them too should be similar. The presentation of the cessation or the ending of the craving is the significance in this Bodhigara (Bōdhigara).

Professor Venerable Vanarathana Thero made his comments over the creative presentation seen in the Uluwassa here. His opinion has become a total misleading interpretation as it has been affected by the Hindu influence. This is explained in the Sinhala Kalawe Sathwarupa, Vanarathana Himi Abhisthawa Sangrahaya, (3) 1999. His attempt of taking the information in Wruhathsanhithā in to this had been the reason for this wrong interpretation. (Venerable Vanarathana Thero, Abhisthawa Sangrahaya, Page 263)

The horse found here is placed at the top corner of the Liyawela. The person on the horse seems to be cutting off the hair or stepping out of the attachment to the world. The horse is standing whiles keeping its front legs in air and this posture suggests that it is getting ready for the renunciation of the journey of Samsara. The person sitting next to it is the charioteer or who else is it?

On the top of this incident one can observe the deities and they pass their blessings. Doesn’t the due respect of the deities represent by the garland of flowers which are placed in between?

Bosath (Bōsath) enters in from the Uluwassa and attends in to the enlightenment and this is presented symbolically by the creations in the inner chamber. The line of figures of swans to be seen there can be seen in the Sandakada Pahana as well. But when this is compared with the Sandakada Pahana, one can see some unique features in it. There is a gap between the blossom of lotus and the waters i.e. the flower has been placed at a higher level than the swans. This is to present a flower-like life of Buddha. That is depicted as follows.

“The pond with mud and waters is the world. The different flowers bloom in the pond are the beings in the world. Some flowers among them have come out of the waters and stand on above the surface of the waters. They represent the beings who have less defilements or they are the beings with less attachments to this world. And also they are the being who still have attachments to world where they originate from. The flower which had come out of the waters and does not touch the waters is the Buddha. The Buddha was born among the people in the world which is filled with all the attachments and defilements, he grew up the world of that nature. But eradicated all the defilements and attend in to the supreme enlightenment and did not have further attachments and conflicts with the world which is filled with attachments. This is the interpretation given for the concept of the flower called Buddha springs up the waters and does not touch the surface of the waters.” (Da.Pa. year 10,Pages 24,25). Hence this artistic carvings very clearly depicts the flower-like life of the Buddha after his enlightenment.

Another unique feature is the creation of the lion figure placed on the blossom. This has to be analyzed with an open mind. It’s a well known fact that the different postures of the Buddha are associated with the lion.  Examples for some of them which are in use are ‘the roar of the lion - සිංහ නාදය’ and ‘the posture of the lion - සිංහ සෙයියාව  ’. Not only that the Buddha is known as Shakya Sinha i.e the lion of Shakya or Shakyan lion. That explained well in the Anguththara Nikaayattha Kathaa as follows.

“The sacred Thathāgatha (4) who attended in to the supremandame enlightenment  is someone like the lion. The time he steps out of the Gandakili (5) is similar to the stepping out from the golden cave which is the dwelling place. The time of his visit to Dhamsabā (6) is similar to the majestic walk of the lion with puffing of his mane. The observing look of him over the crowd is similar to the penetrative look of the lion over a vast area, the time of disclosing Dhamma is similar to the roar of the lion, the journeys make to control the vicious is similar to the hunting-journey of the lion.” (Anguththara Nikaayattha Kathaa, Page 43)

Hence we can say that the five lion figures carved in this Bodhigara (Bōdhigara) represent the above mentioned incident. When all these information are taken as one, can you find any Sage on earth who would deny the fact that the artist in the Heladeep had failed to represent the enlightenment of the Buddha here at this most sacred NIllakgama Bōdhi tree in the Heladeepa?

බුදු පදවියට බෝමැඩ දොර අරලාද?

රාගය ගිනි දැලකි ගල කෙටු                                           කැටයමකි
ආලය බැඳුණු තැන සසරට                                              ලියවැලකි
පාලය දොරටු ඉහලින් නැගි                                            කෙලවරකි
කාලය අහවරයි ! පෙන්වන                                             සලකුණකි 

the lust is a flame of fire and is carved on the rock

when (one is ) attached in love, it is the Liyawela for the Samsara

an ending point is sprung from the top of the entrance

and it is a symbol to depict that it is the ending of the time

නැග සිටි අසු පිටට බෝසත් කුමරු                                                එදා
අත හැර දමා ලෝකෙට බැඳුනු                                       සදා
ඔසවන රඟයි අසු අත් දෙක ඉහළ                                 දදා
ඇමතිට දුකයි ඉඳ හඬනා කඳුළු                                      දදා 

that day the Prince Bōsath jumped on to the horse

he renounced the worldly attachments

the horse keeps his front legs in air

Channa, the charioteer laments with tears in his eyes

දෙපසෙයි ඉහළ වැඳ සිටිනා                                            දෙවියෝද
සාදු නාද හඬ නිටලව                                                        පැතිරේද
සුවද කුසුම් මල් මාලා                                                       සරසාද
බුදු පදවියට බෝමැඩ දොර                                             අරලාද

on both sides, the deities in the air in the posture of worshipping

do the voices of their blessings spread across Nitalawa?

they do beautify the place with scented flowers?

is the door of the terrace of the Bodhi tree (Bōdhi) ready for the most supermandane enlightenment?

පාදම අඩිය ජල මතු පිට හංස                                         පෙළයි
ඉහළට නැඟුණු පද්මය ලොව මවිත                             කරයි
බුද්ධත්වයේ සංකේතය සිංහ                                          පෙළයි
හෙළයට උරුම බුද්ධත්වයේ නිලක්                             ගමයි 

it is a line of figures of swans on the surface of waters and carved on the foundation stone

the flower bloomed will bring surprise the world

the line of the figures of lions is the symbol of the enlightenment

the enlightenment occurred in Niallakgama is a heritage to this Heladeepa

The view of the external parapet wall with elephant figures at the Bōdhigara in Nillakgama

The view of the posture of  five lion figures on the bloomed flower engraved on the internal parapet wall installed for the protection of the Bōdhi tree at Nillakgama

The side view of the motif and fire flames engraved on the stone door frame at Nillakgama Bōdhigara

Venerable Maanaawe Wimalarathana Thero and the author seated on either side of the door frame of the Bōdhi Gara

The most sacred Bōdhi tree – the remaining of the Jayasiri Maha Bopura.

1 - ‘There isn’t a great fire like lust’.

2 - The motifs.

3 - The animal figures in Sinhala art, Abhisthawa Sangrahaya, Venerable  Vanarathana Thero, 1999.

4 - Another name used for Buddha.

5 - The personal chamber of the Buddha.

6 - The preaching hall.

{The English translation of 'බුද්ධෝත්පත්තිය හෙළදිවයි' (Buddha was born in Heladiva) - Part – 10}

Translated by Amal Meemanage (amalmeemanage@gmail.com)