Buddhists heritage of Tamil Nadu and links with SL
The cultural affinities between Tamil Nadu, our closest neighbour and Sri Lanka are many but little is known of the religious ties which bound the two countries between the early years of the Christian era and the 14thcentury AD, during which time Buddhism was prevalent in South India.
Buddhism came to South India before the third Sangam period in the 2nd century BC. Pandit Hisselle Dharmaratana Maha Thera, “Buddhism in South India” states that there is evidence that Ven. Mahinda Thera, Emperor Asoka’s son, also spread the Dhamma in Tamil Nadu. The Maha Thera states, “although the chronicles say he arrived through his supernatural powers, scholars are of the opinion that he travelled by sea and called at Kaveripattinam on the east coast of Tamil Nadu on his way to Sri Lanka,” Dr. Shu Hikosaka, Director Professor of Buddhism, Institute of Asian Studies in Madras, in his book ‘Buddhism in Tamil Nadu a new perspective’ also takes the same view.
Hsuan Tsang, the Chinese 7th Century, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, mentions that in the Pandyan kingdom near Madurai, there is a monastery built by Mahinda Thera. He also mentions a stupa built by King Asoka in Kanchipuram. Stone inscriptions of the Emperor Asoka, Rock Edict no 3, refers to the Dhamma being spread in the Chola, and Pandya country (Tamil Nadu) and Tambapanni (Sri Lanka).
Buddhism flourished in Tamil Nadu in two phases, firstly in the early years of the Pallava rule 400-650 AD, and secondly in the Chola period mid 9th to the early 14th century AD. There were many centres of Buddhism in Tamil Nadu among them were Kanchipuram, Kaveripattinam, Uraiyur and Nagapattinam. The Chinese Buddhist monk scholar, Hsuan Tsang, who visited India in the 7th century AD, describes Kanchipuram as a flourishing city and states that most of its population was Buddhist. He says there were over 100 Buddhist monasteries and over a thousand Buddhist monks. He also mentions the presence of 300 monks from Sri Lanka in the monastery at the Southern sector of Kanchipuram. The Pallava king Mahendra Varman in his Sanskrit work Mattavilasa Prahasana refers to the existence of many Buddhist Viharas, chief of which was the Raja Vihara.
Among the notable Buddhist scholars who were natives of or resident in the city, he mentions Rev. Dharmapala, rector of Nalanda University, who was a native of the city as was Anuruddha Thera, author of the Abhidammathsasangaha. Although there is evidence that the Rev. Buddhaghosha was resident in Kanchipuram for some time, it is not certain whether he was a native of the city although he was in all probability from the Tamil country.
The cultural affinities between Tamil Nadu, our closest neighbour and Sri Lanka are many but little is known of the religious ties which bound the two countries between the early years of the Christian era and the 14thcentury AD, during which time Buddhism was prevalent in South India.
Buddhism came to South India before the third Sangam period in the 2nd century BC. Pandit Hisselle Dharmaratana Maha Thera, “Buddhism in South India” states that there is evidence that Ven. Mahinda Thera, Emperor Asoka’s son, also spread the Dhamma in Tamil Nadu. The Maha Thera states, “although the chronicles say he arrived through his supernatural powers, scholars are of the opinion that he travelled by sea and called at Kaveripattinam on the east coast of Tamil Nadu on his way to Sri Lanka,” Dr. Shu Hikosaka, Director Professor of Buddhism, Institute of Asian Studies in Madras, in his book ‘Buddhism in Tamil Nadu a new perspective’ also takes the same view.
Hsuan Tsang, the Chinese 7th Century, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, mentions that in the Pandyan kingdom near Madurai, there is a monastery built by Mahinda Thera. He also mentions a stupa built by King Asoka in Kanchipuram. Stone inscriptions of the Emperor Asoka, Rock Edict no 3, refers to the Dhamma being spread in the Chola, and Pandya country (Tamil Nadu) and Tambapanni (Sri Lanka).
Buddhism flourished in Tamil Nadu in two phases, firstly in the early years of the Pallava rule 400-650 AD, and secondly in the Chola period mid 9th to the early 14th century AD. There were many centres of Buddhism in Tamil Nadu among them were Kanchipuram, Kaveripattinam, Uraiyur and Nagapattinam. The Chinese Buddhist monk scholar, Hsuan Tsang, who visited India in the 7th century AD, describes Kanchipuram as a flourishing city and states that most of its population was Buddhist. He says there were over 100 Buddhist monasteries and over a thousand Buddhist monks. He also mentions the presence of 300 monks from Sri Lanka in the monastery at the Southern sector of Kanchipuram. The Pallava king Mahendra Varman in his Sanskrit work Mattavilasa Prahasana refers to the existence of many Buddhist Viharas, chief of which was the Raja Vihara.
Among the notable Buddhist scholars who were natives of or resident in the city, he mentions Rev. Dharmapala, rector of Nalanda University, who was a native of the city as was Anuruddha Thera, author of the Abhidammathsasangaha. Although there is evidence that the Rev. Buddhaghosha was resident in Kanchipuram for some time, it is not certain whether he was a native of the city although he was in all probability from the Tamil country.
