Amarapura Nikāya

The Amarapura Nikaya () is a Sri Lankan monastic fraternity ('' gaṇa'' or ''nikāya'') founded in 1800. It is named after the city of Amarapura, Burma, the capital of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma at that time. Amarapura Nikaya monks are Theravada Buddhists. On 16 August 2019, the Amarapura and Ramanna Nikaya were unified as the Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya, making it the largest Buddhist fraternity in Sri Lanka.Amarapura and Ramanna denominations unified
the Morning Lanka, accessed 2019.08.17

History

By the mid-18th century, '' upasampada'' – higher ordination as a ''bhikkhu'' (monk), as distinct from '' sāmaṇera'' or novitiate ordination – had become extinct in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist order had become extinct thrice during the preceding five hundred years and was reestablished during the reigns of Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy (1591–1604) and Vimaladharmasuriya II of Kandy (1687–1707). These reestablishments were short lived. This was a period when the Vinaya had been virtually abandoned and some members of the Sangha in the Kingdom of Kandy privately held land, had wives and children, resided in the private homes and were called Ganinnanses. On the initiative of Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero (1698–1778) the Thai monk Upali Thera visited Kandy during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy (1747–1782) and once again reestablished the Buddhist order in Sri Lanka in 1753. It was called the Siam Nikaya after a name for Thailand.

However, in 1764, merely a decade after the reestablishment of the Buddhist order in Sri Lanka by reverend Upali, a group within the newly created Siam Nikaya succeeded in restricting upasampada only to the Govigama caste. Sitamaluwe Dhammajothi ( Durava) was the last monk to receive its upasampada. It was a period when the traditional nobility of the Kingdom of Kandy was decimated by continuous wars with the Dutch rulers of the maritime provinces. In the maritime provinces too, a new order was replacing the old. Mandarampura Puvata, a text from the Kandyan period, narrates the above radical changes to the monastic order and shows that it was not a unanimous decision by the body of the sangha. It says that thirty-two 'senior' members of the Sangha who opposed this change were banished to Jaffna by the leaders of the reform.

The Govigama exclusivity of the Sangha thus secured in 1764 was almost immediately challenged by other castes who without the patronage of the King of Kandy or of the British, held their own upasampada ceremony at Totagamuwa Vihara in 1772. Another was held at Tangalle in 1798. Neither of these ceremonies were approved by the Siam Nikaya which claimed that these were not in accordance with the Vinaya rules. King Rajadhi Rajasinghe (1782–1798) had made an order restricting the right of obtaining higher ordination to the members of a particular caste.

As a consequence of this 'exclusively Govigama' policy adopted in 1764 by the Siyam Nikaya, the Buddhists in the maritime provinces were denied access to a valid ordination lineage. Hoping to rectify this situation, wealthy laymen from the maritime provinces financed an expedition to Siam to found a new monastic lineage.

In 1799, Walitota Sri Gnanawimalatisssa a monk from the Salagama caste, from Balapitiya on the south western coast of Sri Lanka, departed for Siam with a group of novices to seek a new succession of Higher ordination. Two Sahabandu Mudaliyars and the other prominent dayakayas undertook to bear the expenses of the mission and make the necessary arrangements for the journey. But during the trip, they had an incident where the ship suddenly stopped moving. Once it was able to move again, the Dutch-national captain of the ship suggested that Buddhism was in a more flourishing condition in Amarapura, Burma, than in Siam. The monk agreed to the suggestion of the captain and the latter, through the Dutch consul at Hanthawaddy (now Bago, Burma), obtained the necessary introductions to the religious and administrative authorities in Amarapura. The first bhikkhu was ordained in Burma in 1800 by the Sangharaja of Burma, his party having been welcomed to Burma by King Bodawpaya. The members of the mission studied under the Sangharaja for two years.

The initial mission returned to Sri Lanka in 1803. Soon after their return to the island they established a ''udakhupkhepa sima'' (a flotilla of boats moved together to form a platform on the water) at the Maduganga River, Balapitiya and, under the most senior Burmese bhikkhus who accompanied them, held an upasampada ceremony on the Uposatha of Vesak. The new fraternity came to be known as the Amarapura Nikaya after the capital city of King Bodawpaya.

Several subsequent trips to Burma by Karava and Durava monks as well, created by 1810 a core group of ordained monks and provided the required quorum for higher ordination of Amarapura Nikaya monks in Sri Lanka. The higher ordination denied to them in 1764 by the Govigama conspirators had been regained and they were soon granted recognition by the colonial British government as well as Buddhists orders the world over. Later, Wahumpura, Bathgama and other castes also became part of the Amarapura Nikaya. However, the radical change of ordination rules by the Siam Nikaya in 1764 and its continuance despite it being contrary to the teachings of the Gautama Buddha, plagues the Sri Lankan Buddhist Sangha, which remains divided on caste lines. The caste division has been justified through historical sources from the perspective of Ancestry. The Karava, Durava and Salagama people who were of Dravidian origin arrived to the coastal regions of the Island after the 13th Century. The Sinhalese who lived in the Island before the 13th Century are represented by Up-Country castes consisting of the Wahumpura, which is the biggest Sinhalese caste at present, and also other Central region castes. Within the Sinhalese caste system the lowly Govi shudra the older pre-13th Century castes who were unfairly put to Shudra status by invading Dravidians thoughout history at the invitation of Lankan kings like Kasepa-Mugallan started to claim a higher level as they were put down in caste status. Karava, Durava and Salagama lead Dravidian invasions to the Sinhala coastal regions may have been a reason. However, these arguments are rejected especially by the Wahumpura, Bathgama and others who are not part of the Siyam nikaya which is another topic entirely. According to the Buddha, dividing the Sanga is one of the five major wrongs a Buddhist can do, regardless of casteism or racism. It was precisely because of this factor and the unconvincing imagination of their false perception, that all other castes including some Govikula people started the Amarapura Nikaya. This gives an indication of the type of primitive people even in modern society, particularly when uneducated and semi-educated people start using smart-phones and technology. Govi people are not totally of Dravidian origin but they have incorporated foreign migrants till recent times, even electing them to power, such as Nilaperu Kalu Bandaranayaka and Thambi Mudiyan Jayawardena and others who went on to betray the Kandyan king. In fact, it was a South Indian origin king that helped to divide the Sanga in the mid 18th century and effectlively divided the Sinhalese - a case of divide and rule to ensure no collaboration for uprisings. the Low Country was outside his jurisdiction and would not have been tollerated had there been a native king of Kotte. Also, no one invited the Aryans to colonise Lanka and those who claim to be the older population automatically become the ones responsible for causing the extinction of the indigenous Veddha population. The post 13th Century Dravidian arrivals from South India such as Karava, Durava and Salagama cannot accept the Adhivasu as the original people as they will effectively have to accept their lack of generational connection to construction of Ruwanwali and other historical Sinhala Buddhist Great Stupa sites built by pre-13th Century with as per the Mahavamsa from funds earned nort from rice farms but mining of metals and gems along with the diving for pearls done by South Indians before Vijaya the pirate came here, but he too invited south Indian Tamil Madurai people to become part of the state. Bathgama, Vahumpura also have smell these dung theories. Members of the predominantly Dravidian origin Bathgam, Vahumpura and Madurai Vijaya import govi, Karava, Durava and Salagama are quick to point minor assimilations of numerically minor Dravidian groups and minor exceptions into the larger Govigama family complex while ignoring the predominantly outdated Indo-Aryan origins promoted by hitler and European historians of the original Central region Sinhalese. Similar to present day Tamils who also deny the Indo-Aryan origins of original Sinhala people while trying to label the Sinhalese as Dravidians. Looking back at why the Karava, Durava and Salagama continue to do so, it is clear that this is due to the lack of a connection older than a thousand years to the Sinhala tradition which actually spans 2500 years. Cinanmon and peals were exported toEgypt before mono-race ideology retards like this were empowered. This is further demonstrated by their inability to digest the fact that the earlier and original Sinhalese castes control the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the Tooth relic of the Buddha housed in Mahayana Abayagiri not Hinyana temples and the historical Sinhala Buddhist monuments. It is further demonstrated by the fact that the vast majority of Portuguese name holders and the vast majority of Catholics being from these three castes. Due to these reasons the non-Sinhala blooded Dravidian origins tri-cast alliance of the coast has developed an inferiority complex ("Heena-Maana" like "Heenayana Buddhism" in Sinhala language. Note - Sinhala/Hela and Pali are both Prakrit rooted Aryan languages.). The best modern day example of the original Sinhala hatred among the Adhivasi exterminators and their bs post-13th Century Dravida migrant origin imaginary coastal tri-cast alliance (Karava, Durava, Salagama) and upcountry Estate Tamil mixed govi is the proclamation of the end of Sinhala Buddhist authority by Monk Omalpe Sobitha done at the Aragala protests. ("Sinhala Bauddha balaya iwarayi !"). He made this claim while teaming with his Eelamist NGO Dravidian brethren who were funding instability and violence. Velupillai Prabhakaran and Rohana Wijeweera, both of whom caused great damage, suffering and chaos to the original Sinhala society were from the Dravidian origin coast invading Karava caste. On the other hand Tamil people have stated that they had been targeted by Sinhala Buddhist Govi power-block like the 1956 Sinhala Only, 1983 Black July, along with the targeted killing of rural youth during and before the 1971 and 1989 uprising. Additionally, these governments ellected by these semi-educated peasants have grabbed even the last bits of the traditional lands and forests of the virtually extinct indigenous Veddha (who are of non Aryan people closer to the South Indian Adhivasi) such as the Maduruoya national park and for projects like the Victoria dam. Though the some 'mono-etnic' ideology nazis would wish, the minority races, religions and castes are determined to avoid what happened to the indigenous community of the of Sri Lanka.at the hands of the confused majority

Significance

The establishment of the Amarapura Nikaya was significant because it signaled a change in the social dynamic of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. For the first time, a monastic lineage had been created not through royal patronage of a Buddhist king, but through the collective action of a dedicated group of Buddhist laymen. The Amarapura Nikaya was thus both independent of government and royal power, and more closely tied to its patrons in the growing middle class. This presaged both the growing power of the middle class in Sri Lanka during the 19th and 18th centuries, and the rise of so-called Protestant Buddhism among the Sinhalese middle class- a modernized form of Buddhism in which increasing power and authority were vested in the laity, rather than monastic authorities.

Sri Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero, a chief monk of Amarapura sect is credited for establishing first Buddhist school in Sri Lanka in 1869. He is also credited for popularizing the 'Poruwa' ceremony at Buddhist weddings in Sri Lanka. Piyaratana Tissa Thero is one of the few monks who exchanged correspondence with Colonel Henry Steel Olcott several years before Olcott arrived in Sri Lanka. Arrival of Colonel Olcott lead to a significant revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka later.

Amarapura Mahasangha Sabha

The Amaprapura nikaya which was divided in to several sub nikayas (sub-orders) in the past was united on the initiatives taken by Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero and Madihe Pannaseeha Thero in the late 1960s. 'Sri Lanka Amarapura Mahasangha Sabha' was formed and a common higher ordination ceremony for all Amarapura nikaya was performed at the Uposathagharaya situated at Siri Vajiranana Dharmayatanaya, Maharagama on July 13, 1969. The event was graced by William Gopallawa, the governor-general of Ceylon. A supreme Mahanayaka position for the Sri Lanka Amarapura Mahasangha Sabha was created with this initiative and Madihe Pannaseeha thero was appointed as the first monk to hold the prestigious title. In addition to the supreme Mahanayaka position a post for the president of the Amarapura Nikaya was created and Balangoda Ananda Maitreya thero was appointed as the first president of Amarapura Mahasangha Sabha. On 16 August 2019, the Amarapura and Ramanna Nikaya were unified as the Amarapaura-Ramanna Samagri Maha Sangha Sabha, making it the largest Buddhist fraternity in Sri Lanka.

The following is a list of Supreme mahanayaka theros of the Amarapura Nikaya.

Sub-orders

Right before its unification into the Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya, the Amarapura Nikāya was divided into no less than 21 sub-orders. These sub orders are believed to have been formed along caste divisions and regional differences.

1.Amarapura Mulawamsika Nikaya

2.Udarata Amarapura Nikaya

3.Amarapura Sirisaddhammawansa Maha Nikaya

4.Amarapura Sabaragamu Saddhamma Nikaya

5.Saddhamma Yutthika (Matara) Nikaya

6.Dadalu Paramparayatta Amarapura Nikaya

7.Amarapura Mrammawansabhidhaja

8.Amarapura Vajirawansa Nikaya

9.Kalyanavansika Sri Dharmarama Saddhamma Yuttika Nikaya

10.Sri Lanka Svejin Maha Nikaya

11.Sabaragamu Saddhammawansa Nikaya

12.Amarapura Ariyavansa Saddhamma Yuttika Nikaya

13.Amarapuara Chulagandhi Nikaya

14.Udarata Amarapura Samagri Sangha Sabhawa

15.Uva Amarapura Nikaya

16.Amarapura Sri Dhammarakshita Nikaya

17.Udukinda Amarapura Nikaya

18.Sambuddha Sasanodaya Sangha Sabhawa

19.Amarapura Maha Nikaya

20.Amarapura Chapter of Amarapura Nikaya

21.Amarapura Sri Kalyaniwansa Nikaya

In addition to this, there is a Sangha Sabha of nearly 1000 monks called " Mahamevnawa Maha Sangha Sabha" in the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monasteries reserve belonging to the Amarapura Sri Kalayaniwansa sect.

See also

* Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya
* Sri Lankan Buddhism
* Weligama Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera
* Gangodawila Soma Thero
* Rāmañña Nikāya

References

* Gombrich, Richard. ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo''. Oxon, England: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd., 2004.

Rohan L. Jayetilleke, 'The bi-centennial of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya of Sri Lanka', ''Daily News'', 17 September 2003
accessed 16 December 2005.


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{{Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Religious organizations established in 1800
Theravada Buddhist orders
Schools of Buddhism founded in Sri Lanka
1800s establishments in Sri Lanka
2019 disestablishments in Sri Lanka