Significance of Poson to Sri Lankans – By Parakrama Gunasekara
Source : Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – June 2023
‘Poson’ falls on the full moon day of June, and it is exactly one lunar month after ‘Vesak’ full moon day, the most significant day of the Buddhist calendar. For Sri Lankan Buddhists the Poson full moon day is equally significant and is well commemorated.
Upon the success of the 3rd Buddhist Council, Emperor Dharmasoka decided to send delegations to nine other countries to spread the message of the Buddha and chose his son Arahant Mahinda to be sent as special emissary to Sri Lanka along with five other Arahants and a layman. Arahant Mahinda’s arrival was to coincide with the reign of King Devanampiyatissa (307-260 BC) who is believed to have had a strong relationship with his Indian counterpart.
On that Poson full moon day, the King was on a hunting expedition. While chasing a deer he lost his way and arrived at the foot of the Mihintale rock. Arahant Mahinda who was waiting for him called his name and started a conversation to test the King’s intelligence. Satisfied that the King would be able to comprehend the Dhamma, the Arahant delivered ‘Chulahatthipadopama Sutta’ (simile on the foot of an
elephant) to explain the doctrine. Having listened to the sermon the King and his 40,000 followers embraced Buddhism thus marking the beginning of a new era in Sri Lankan history.
In the 3rd century BCE, the language in use in Sri Lanka may have been a mixture of the indigenous Hela and a development of the language brought by the Aryans who came from the Bay of Bengal and settled down in Sri Lanka about 200 years earlier. The two parties therefore, may not have found it too difficult to comprehend each other.
Prince Bhanduka, a nephew of Arahant Mahinda, became the first to be ordained in Sri Lanka, probably an act carried out as an incentive to draw Lankans to the Bhikkhu Sasana.
Buddhist cultural practices prevailed in the island. There was development in art, literature, writing and sculpture. Carvings on rocks, paintings and writings are seen even today making us admire the work of our ancient craftsmen and wonder what tools they would have used for those creations. The Thuparama chetiya is believed to be the first historic stupa/chaitya built in Sri Lanka that enshrined the right collarbone of the Buddha, gifted by Emperor Dharmasoka.
Later Arahant Mahinda’s sister, Arahant Sanghamitta, also arrived in the island with the sacred Bo tree sapling and established the Bhikkuni Sasana in Sri Lanka by ordaining Queen Anula, King’s sister, and other female disciples.
Parakrama Gunasekara
Para Gunasekara is enjoying retirement and has a keen interest in
Buddhism and trying to apply Buddhist practices in the day to day life.
