Bak Poya: The day Buddha set foot in Lanka for the second time
The significance of Bak poya is historical, since it marks Buddha’s secondvisit to Sri Lanka. This is noteworthy, as Bak is a month of nationalimportance as well.
According to Mahavamsa, Buddha could foresee an imminent war between twoNaga Kings Culodara and Mahodara, uncle and nephew, over a jewel-studded thronethat made Him think of visiting Lanka for the second time. Professor WilhelmGeiger explains the conflict in the translation of Mahavamsa:
Mahavamsa
“That same Naga Mahodara was then a King, gifted with miraculous power in aNaga Kingdom in the ocean, that covered half a thousand Yojanas. His youngersister had been given (in marriage) to the Naga-King on the Kannavaddhamanamountain; her son was Culodara. His mother’s father had given to his mother asplendid throne of jewels, then the Naga had died and therefore this war ofnephew with uncle was threatening and also the Nagas of the mountains were armedwith miraculous power. Mahavamsa also records that the Buddha was accompanied by a deity to SriLanka.
“The deva named Samiddhisumana took a rajayatana-tree standing in Jetavana,his own fair habitation and holding it like a parasol over the conqueror, hewith the Teacher’s leave, attended him to that spot where he had formerlydwelt. That very deva had been, in his latest birth, a man in Nagadipa.
On the spot where thereafter the rajayatana-tree stood, he sawpaccekabuddhas taking their meal. And at the sight his heart was glad and heoffered branches to cleanse the alms-bowl.
Therefore he was reborn in that tree in the pleasant Jetavans garden, and it(the tree) stood afterwards outside at the side of the gate-rampart. The God ofall gods saw (in this) an advantage for that deva and for the sake of the goodwhich should spring (therefrom) for our land, he brought him hither (to Lanka)together with his tree.
Mahavamsa then relates how Buddha settled the dispute and the nextdevelopment of events.
“Hovering there in mid-air above battlefield the Master, who drives away(spiritual) darkness, called forth dread darkness over the Nagas. Thencomforting those who were distressed by terror he once again spread lightabroad.
When they saw the Blessed One they joyfully did reverence to the Master’sfeet. Then preached the Vanquisher to them the doctrine that begets concord andboth (Nagas) gladly gave up the throne to the Sage.
“When the Master, having alighted on the earth, had taken his place on aseat there and had been refreshed with celestial food and drink by theNaga-Kings, he the Lord, established in the (three) refuges and in the moralprecepts eighty kotis of snake-spirits, dwellers in the ocean and on themainland.
“The Naga-King Maniakkhika of Kalyani mother’s brother to the Naga Mahodara,who had come thither to take part in the battle and who, aforetime, at theBuddha’s first coming, having heard the true doctrine preached, had becomeestablished in the refuges and the moral duties, prayed now to the Tathagata:‘Great is the compassion that thou hast [you have] shown us here, O Master!
Hadst thou [had you] not appeared we had all been consumed to ashes. May thy[your] compassion yet light also especially on me, O thou who art [are] rich inloving-kindness, in that thou shalt [shall] come again hither to my dwellingcountry, O thou peerless one’.
When the Buddha had consented by his silence to come thither [there], heplanted the rajayatana-tree on that very spot as a sacred memorial and the Lordof the Worlds gave over the rajayatana-tree and the precious throne-seat to theNaga-Kings to do homage thereto. ‘In remembrance that I have used these dohomage to them, ye Naga-Kings!”
Buddha’s calling forth dread darkness over the Nagas should not bemisunderstood. The Buddha holds fame for being the Greatest Compassionate onearth. The concept bears a symbolic meaning; Buddha preached the dark side ofthe world, and the Naga tribes were scared just to hear and visualise them.That paved the way for them to a comfort later on.
Visits
Buddha’s visits to Sri Lanka are believed to be false and legendary incertain sects. One reason is that it is not contained in Thripitaka, theofficial document of Buddha’s life. Thripitaka contains more of philosophicallyimportant factors, rather than history. Buddha had been to Sri Lanka thrice:first visit to Mahiyangana, second to Jaffna, then called as Nagadipa, andthird to Kelaniya.
The common question is that if Buddha had already been to Sri Lanka, notonly once, but thrice, why did Arahant Mahinda visit Sri Lanka once again.Arahant Mahinda, of course, had a mission to fulfil: to establish theUpasampada Bhikku order. The suitable time was not ripe for Buddha to considerestablishing the serious Bhikku order. However Buddhism was not alien whenArahant Mahinda set foot.
