Himaphan

Himavanta ( th, หิมพานต์; ; ) is a legendary forest that is said to be located at the hill of Himmanpan Mountain or the Himalayas which is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Himālaya'' ( हिमालय 'abode of the snow'). Himavanta appears in a Thai literature named Traibhumikatha ( th, ไตรภูมิกถา) which explained that Himavanta is the name of the forest and the mountain where many small and large mythical creatures such as Phaya Naga ( th, พญานาค), Phaya Krut ( th, พญาครุฑ), and Kinnaree ( th, กินรี), spirits or even gods or goddess are resided in. The mythical Nariphon tree ( th, นารีผล) that often mentioned in Thai folklore, is also said to grow here. The story of Himavanta and the explanation of the three existed planes are created by the king, the philosopher who rules the Si Satchanalai ( th, ศรีสัชนาลัย) whose name is Phaya Lithai ( th, พญาลิไท). The secret forest someway somehow has a link with the reality as origin of some places that exist in real world are told from the story of Himavanta. Since the concept of Himavanta forest related with Buddhist cosmology, it profoundly created impacts and influences on beliefs, cultures and arts in religions (Buddhism or Hinduism) and in general.

Legend of Himavanta

In the past, back then when the earth was still flat. There was a pillar supporting the earth, pointing high towards the sun. The earth is full of various creatures, there was a normal slaughter, without mercy. The weak are the victims of the strong and most of the area is still forests which was called "Loka-Himmapan ( th, โลกาหิมพานต์, meaning "The World of Himmapan")".

Himavanta Forest is home to many large and small animals. They are categorized into groups: birds, aquatic animals, and those on land. In the heart of the Himmapan Forest, which goes deep into the forest, there is a pillar supporting the world. Under the pillar was wrapped around with a huge carcass of fish, named Anon ( th, อานนท์), which was a large fish in the past that used to support the world.

Not so far away, there was a rhino called 'Ra-maad ( th, ระมาด)' that had the greatest strength in the world which no one can fight against. This rhino's strength, even the mighty serpent or the powerful Phaya Krut. Ra-maad wanted to see the beautiful 'Kinnaree', a beautiful creature half-bird, half-human. So, he tried to approach her but she hurriedly flew away, which made Ra-maad become infuriated. Kinnaree flew with high speed, so he couldn't approach her. Ra-maad picked up stones and threw them in many ways because of the wrath, and from the force of Ra-maad shook the whole place was in trouble.

After 'Phaya Krut' had heard that the Ra-maad's power made the forest in trouble, he tried to stop Ra-maad.The more he couldn't catch Kinnaree, the more irritated he became and there were also people interfering, Ra-maad then gathered all his strength to fight. The battle shook the ground. All the big and small fish were in trouble, so the serpent called Phaya Naga, went up to make a cease. Then Phaya Krut saw the old enemy, Phaya Naga, was shocked and thought that Phaya Naga meant to fight with him. So, he was defeated, battered, and collided with the serpent until the Phaya Krut died. Because of the power of the most powerful beings, they made the pillars supporting the earth tilt and hit the sun, causing the sun to split into two worlds. As a consequence, the world heated up and there was no night, only the orange sky as all of the water almost evaporated. All the Himavanta creatures have tried to find a way to escape this disaster.There was a low class who only observed the conference of all creatures in Himavanta forest, named ' Gabillapaksa ( th, กบิลปักษา)'. Since he secretly fell in love with Kinnaree, he sat at a stone, carving Kinnaree on every shaft. He wailed about her to 'Wanekamphu ( th, วเนกำพู)', a longtime friend, and creature that Gabillapaksa raises, named Manusa Singh ( th, มนุษาสิงห์).

The conference did not appear in a good way because all races wanted to show off their talents whilst also flustered and panicked. The wise Phaya Naga thought that the pillars must be destroyed so that it will hit another half of the sun and fling aside. Thereby, he gathered all of his power and smashed it to that pillar. The goal was to break down the pillar but it did not succeed.

Kinnaree performed music and danced in order to make everyone at ease. It was beautiful and stunning, including Gabillapaksa too.

The king of lions called 'Kochasri ( th, คชสีห์)' and other lions used their strength to destroy the pillars but no one succeeded. The living creatures began to die from the heat. Even Manusa Singha, Gabillapaksa's pet, was about to die. Naga ( th, นาค, meaning "Phaya Naga" or "Serpent") then thought of the sentence he had heard, 'All things can be changed if it arises from the heart', but no one dared to prove or try, even the mighty Naga himself.

Kinnaree offered to exchange if there was anyone who could solve this crisis and would get her as a prize. Because of her incomparable beauty, the situation got worse as the beasts began to fight between others and it escalated to a big war.

Gabillapaksa, who fell in love with Kinnaree, bowed his head, held his hands at his heart, and looked at the hand then said “I only have empty hands but will be willing to face greatness to keep her up, I do not allow anyone to get her just as the prize. Whether life, even though the sunburns, even if I have to fight with the noble kings" said Gabillapaksa, as he flew up to the sky. He took out his heart with his hand and shouted, “Even though I am empty- handed but my weapon is my heart. I am willing to do it for every being in this world and it is called sacrifice.”
At the end of his word, the heart in his hand transformed into a sword and flew towards the pillar. At the same time, the body of the Gabillapaksa fell to the ground. The sword of sacrifice smashed into the pillar. Suddenly, the shine, and the gig shaking is all over the world. The pillar fell and hit the sun until it was ejected away. The other half of the sun that split began to draw the sky towards the world, changing the world from the flat shape turned into an oval shape. Everythings went back as formal, Gabillapaksa's body, which his heart and his mind are gone, being held by Kinnaree. After that time, he made everyone know what scarification is, that can change the world and back to peace. Ramaad felt bad about what he did, so he changed his name to Rad ( th, แรด, meaning "Rhino") and always did good things after that time.

Thai Literature

Traibhumikatha

Triphumikatha was written in prose as descriptive rhetoric. It comes from the word "Tri ( th, ไตร)" means 'Three' and "Phumi ( th, ภูมิ)" means the land or world. The word ‘Phra Ruang ( th, พระร่วง)’ is a term assigned to monarchs of the Sukhothai dynasty, to be more specific, to Phra Maha Thammaracha I. In addition, the name 'Traiphum Phra Ruang ( th, ไตรภูมิพระร่วง)' can also be referred as "Triphumkatha ( th, ไตรภูมิกถา)" or "Tephumkatha ( th, เตภูมิกถา)" with the latter two being the original names of Traiphum Phra Ruang .

Triphumikatha begins the story with a worship spell in Bali. There is a pane to tell the author's name, date of composing, the names of the scriptures and indicate the purpose of writing. Phra Yali Thai wrote this prose as a Dharma for his mother and to teach his people about Buddhism in order to cultivate virtue and maintain Buddhism. Triphumikatha aimed readers to acknowledge that those three planes are perishable, in other words not favourable for living. No certainty will last long, there will always be changes from time to time and no one could deny it. It is also a guide for an escape from the world (three planes) to nirvana or liberation of repeated rebirth.

The three landscapes are divided into eight khans ( th, กัณฑ์, meaning "subject", "category" or "chapter") that describe the change of things or uncertainty for both humans and animals, including non-living things such as mountains, rivers, earth, sun, moon. In this Thai poets, the ‘uncertainty’ is called "Anitja Laksana ( th, อนิจจลักษณะ)". The three planes are named as the Kamaphumi ( th, กามภูมิ), Rūphaphūmi ( th, รูปภูมิ), A-Rūphap̣hūmi ( th, อรูปภูมิ). Kamaphumi is the world of those who are still trapped in sensual desires which divided into two divisions, namely the Sukhiphumi; Manudsaphum ( th, มนุสสภูมิ, meaning "Human world"), Sawankhaphum ( th, สวรรคภูมิ, meaning "Heaven") and Abaiphumi; Narokphum ( th, นรกภูมิ, meaning "Hell"), Diradcharnphum ( th, ดิรัจฉานภูมิ, meaning "Beast world"), Phredphum ( th, เปรตภูมิ, meaning "Jinn World") and Asuraguyphum ( th, อสูรกายภูมิ, meaning "Monster World"). Rūphaphūmi is the land where Rūpha-Bhrama live which consists of 16 levels. Similarly, A-Rūpha-Bhrama live at A-Rūphap̣hūmi that has a total of four levels.

Triphumikatha describes the nature of the universe as a circle with Mount Meru as the center of the universe. On the top of the mountain is Daowadung heaven in which Indra is the ruler and above that will be other levels of creation. The Daowadung Heaven ( th, สวรรค์ชั้นดาวดึงส์) is the second heaven from the six Heavens, known as "Chakamaphatchara ( th, ฉกามาพจร)". The bottom of the heavens is seven Sattribhang Mountains ( th, เขาสัตบริภัณฑ์) in which each of them is separated by Tale See Tandorn ( th, ทะเลสีทันดร, meaning "The Blue Sea") where Anon fish and attendant fish live and they are the cause of the universe's movements. Next to the mountain, lies a vast ocean that reaches to the edge of the universe. In the midst of this ocean, there will be four continents which is inhabited by humans, such as Uttarakuru ( th, อุตรกุรุทวีป); the continent located in the north of Mount Meru, Bhurhawithi ( th, บูรพวิเทหทวีป); located in the east, Jambudvipa ( th, ชมพูทวีป); in the south and Amorn Koyan ( th, อมรโคยานทวีป); in the west of Mount Meru . Furthermore, humans in each continent will have different identities. For instance, humans in the Uttarkuru continent have square faces and beautiful figures. Humans in Burawithha Continent have faces that were rounded as full moon whereas humans in Amornkoyan Continent have faces like the waning moon. Humans born in those three continents have a certain age and live happily because they always behave according to the 5 precepts. While humans living in Jambudvipa have oval faces and have a life expectancy that is uncertain depending on merit or karma. Nevertheless, this continent is special as it was the birthplace of the Buddha, royal emperor and Arahant. Those events offer an opportunity for humans in this continent to listen to the Dharma so that when they die, they have a chance to be born in a better realm. Down below the continents, there are eight great hells as the next realm.

Author

Phra Maha Thammaracha I ( th, พระมหาธรรมราชาที่ ๑) or Phaya Lithai was the sixth monarch of Sukhothai, the grandson of the Great King Ramkhamhaeng ( th, พระหมารามคำแหง) has ascended the throne after Phaya Ngua Nam Thom ( th, พญางัวนำถม). From the evidence from the stone inscription of Wat Mahathat ( th, วัดมหาธาตุ) in 1935 BE which was discovered in 1956 BE. When Phaya Lerthai ( th, พญาเลอไท) died in 1884 BE, Phaya Ngua Nam Thom had reigned until the Phaya Lithai army came to usurp the throne in 1890 BE. He was named as Phra Chao Sri Suriyaphongsaram Maha Thammarachathirat ( th, พระเจ้าศรีสุริยพงสรามมหาธรรมราชาธิราช). According to the stone inscriptions, he was originally called Phaya Lithai or abbreviated as Phra Maha Thammaracha I and died in 1911 BE.

After he tonsured and reigned for six years, he who admired and dedicated himself to Buddhism, had invited the Elder of Lanka to be patriarch in Sukhothai. Then he abdicated the throne in order to ordain at Pa Mamuang Temple ( th, วัดป่ามะม่วง), outside Sukhothai to the west. Phaya Lithai was proficient in the Tripitaka and very interested in preserving, nourishing Buddhism and developing the country to prosperity, such as building Phra Ruang Road ( th, ถนนพระร่วง) from Si Satchanalai through Sukhothai to Nakhon Chum ( th, เมืองนครชุม, meaning "Kamphaeng Phet"), restoring the Song Khwae City ( th, เมืองสองแคว, meaning "Phitsanulok") as the city of Luk Luang ( th, เมืองลูกหลวง) and constructing Phra Buddha Chinnarat ( th, พระพุทธชินราช), Buddha Chinnasi ( th, พระพุทธชินสีห์) where the craftsmanship is exquisitely beautiful.

Example of another writing by Phaya Lithai is Trai Phum Phra Ruang, the stone inscription of Wat Pa Mamuang and the stone from Wat Si Chum ( th, วัดศรีชุม) was considered as historical evidence discussing events and traditions in the construction of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat ( th, วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ) ordination at Wat Pa Mamuang Temple.

Religious Beliefs

In Buddhism context, Himavanta is a place that appears and is mentioned in Triphumikatha. The existence of the Himavanta itself and mythical creatures are not an issue for humans since the ones who can approach this place must be virtuous and spiritual, not just ordinary human beings. The story of the legendary forest itself has religious beliefs according to Buddhist cosmology from various Buddhist scriptures in which the unive