Indian Antiquary Vol 22

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 45

FEBRUARY, 1893.]
KALYANI INSCRIPTIONS.
33
There were in Muttimanagara31-(i) the Kambojasanghapakkha; (ii) the Sihalamaghapakkha, whose members were the spiritual successors of Sivalimahathêra; (iii) the Sthalasanghapakkha, whose members were the spiritual successors of Tamalindamahathers; (iv) the Sthalasanghspakkha, whose members were the spiritual successors of Anandamahathëra; (v) the Sihaļasanghapakkha, whose members were the spiritual successors of Buddhavamsamahathéra, the Preceptor of the Queen, who went to Sihaladipa and received his upasampadá ordination there, and who, on his return, performed his ecclesiastical ceremonies separately in Muttimanagara; and (vi) the Sibaļasanghapakkha, whose members were the spiritual successors of Mahasamimahathëra, otherwise called Mahanagamshâthêra, who visited Sihaladipa and received his upasam padá ordination there, and who, on his return to Muttimanagara, performed his ecclesiastical ceremonies separately.
Through the inability of these six divisions of the Order to perform ecclesiastical ceremonies together, various fraternities and sects arose into existence.
Owing to the want of a large number of priests, who were well-versed in the Tipitaka, learned, wise, and able, and who could, after meeting and consulting together, investigato as to what was proper or not, the maháthéras, belonging to any of these six sects, would, whenever they had to perform such ecclesiastical ceremonies as the consecration of a simá and the upasampadá ordination, carry out their object in a manner that appeared fitting to them, thinking inwardly: "We, indeed, are wise and qualified."
There were some theras, who, wishing to consecrate a simá on a gámakhétta of whatever size, would place boundary-marks all round it, and carry out their object by inducting within the hatthapása the priests who were within the boundary; but they would not effect purification through the acts of inducting with a the hatthapása 'the priests living outside the boundary, of receiving the declarations of assent of such of them as were absent, and of excluding such of them as merited exclusion. In such a simd the upasampadá ordination would be performed.
There were some théras, who declared: “If it is desired to consecrate a simd on & gámakhétta, such consecration should be carried out after effecting purification through the acts of inducting within the hatthapása, &c., the priests residing round that gámakhélta, who are inside or outside the boundary." Therefore, whenever a simd was to be consecrated, they thought that it wonld be difficult to purify the whole of the gánasimá, and would not ascertain the true nature of the characteristics of a visugáma. They, however, assumed that, if & piece of land, with its boundaries defined, was granted by a king, that land was a visu gama; and they would ask the ruling authorities to define the boundaries of a piece of land, which they had chosen, and whose area would be sufficient for the consecration of a simd, or of a piece of land of larger area. They would then consecrate the simá after effecting purification through the acts of inducting within the hatthapåsa, &o., the priests residing on the gamak hétta, but without effecting purification in regard to the whole of the gámasima. In such a symá the upasampadá ordination would be performed.
There were some théras, who, holding the opinion that “there would be mutual confusion, if two baddhasimés were connected with each other by the branches of trees, &c., but there would be no such confusion, if a baddhasimá and a gdmasimá, or two gámasimás, were connected with each other by the branches of trees, &c.," would, whenever there was a simá to be conteorated on a gámakhétta, perform the consecration without cutting off the branches of trees, &c., which connected that gámakhétta with the others around it, but after effecting purification through the acts of inducting within the hatthapdua, &c., the prieste residing on that gámakhétta. In such a simd the wpasampádá ordination would be performed.
There were some théras, who would not ascertain, in every way, the characteristics of rivers or lakes, mentioned in the páli and the atthakathás, and who, without ascertaining well
# Martaban near Manlmain.