Mawaragala forest monastery
It had been my long cherished dream to visit Dambana, the ancestral
vedda village, one day. I had spent years looking forward to it and finally
it took months to plan the trip. Dambana was not a disappointment, but there
was something different for me in the trip as well.
Long before I reached Dambana, my mind was made up on what I wanted to
do there – to document the daily life of that fast-vanishing indigenous
tribe of our land. However, as I drove along the A-26 Mahiyangana-Padiyatalawa
Road on one sunny morning, I was suddenly struck with the idea of visiting
the ancient forest monastery called Mawaragala, which lies on the slope
of a rocky mountain in Dambana. There I was at Mawaragala forest monastery,
15 kilometres away from the main road, taking the turn just before
the ancestral vedda village, Kotabakina.
A neatly kept pathway led me on a steady climb through the forest and
rock boulder, the greenery all around providing a salubrious climate.
It was a hot sunny morning, yet the ample tree shade protected me from
the heat. The rocky landscape and the serene undisturbed environment
seemed ideal for meditation. Those pathways were leading to kuti or monk’s
adobes built in drip-ledge caves, where monks stay and mediate.
The Mawaragala monastery was on top of a rocky mountain in the midst
of a 500-acre forest. The drip-ledge caves with brahmi inscriptions
had been built on the slope of that mountain. The chief monk of the
monastery has taken many steps to protect the existing flora, while
growing more trees in the area surrounding the monastery as well.
At the monastery, I met a young resident monk named Ven. Kewle Samithawansa.
He took me to every nook and comer of the monastery while deciphering
the history of the site for me. First he took me to the chief monk’s
kuti. The Chief Monk of the Mawaragala forest monastery, Ven. Migahakiule
Sugathawansa Thera said the monastery’s history goes back to the King
Valagambahu’s reign. Also, he said that according to legend, an erudite
monk called Ven. Maliyadeva and 60 Buddhist monks lived in this place
during that period. Later, those rock caves had been used by veddas
of Dambana for dwelling.
“Water is the burning problem for us here. Tissa Jinasena, a devotee
from Colombo has donated four water tanks for the use of monks and
devotees who come to give alms,” said the Chief Monk.
“Today what we need is a spacious resting hall for the devotees who
come from far away to give alms. I don’t even put a in the monastery
to collect money from the people and don’t print any books to sell
to people in order to collect money for the place. Whatever they give,
I accept. Most of the people in our village are veddas. They don’t
even have a proper income to make ends meet. So, we can’t expect anything
from them. Most of our dayakayas (devotees) are outsiders,” he added.
All in all, there are enough kuti for at least 25 monks at the monastery.
These have been built inside the drip-ledge caves in the forest reserve,
away from the entrance to the monastery, where the shrine room has
been located. A small building has been built for the devotees to prepare
alms for the monks. It is only during restricted periods that visitors
are allowed into the areas where the kuti are located. The restricted
time is between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. This is to avoid disturbing the
meditating monks.
During my stay at the monastery, I witnessed the midday dana (alms
giving) activities. Over 20 monks were present for midday dana. At
around 11 a.m, one monk rang the bell to alert the monks in distant
kuti, informing them to gather near the main entrance. From there,
they walked to the danasalawa (alms hall). It was a rare sight, to
see them walking silently down the pathway on pindapatha, in keeping
with the tradition dating back to the days of the Buddha.
They came in single file, one after the other, each carrying alms bowl.
Once their feet were washed, they moved as one, and patiently let the
devotees serve the alms, which they prepared in the morning, into their
begging bowls. Then they retired into the alms hall located a little
further in the forest and sat down to eat the food they had been offered.
The Bawanagala was the most interesting place to see in the monastery.
The rock surface offered a naturally laid floor area, which was about
25 square feet. Legend has it that it was where Monk Maliyadeva and
the 60 monks mediated. The holes on the rock surface, it was learnt,
were indications that in the past it was covered with a roof to offer
shelter to the monks from the rain and sun.
While there are mediating monks in permanent residence at the monastery,
foreign Buddhist monks also visit and stay for a short period to practice
mediation. In addition to mediation, the monastery has a pirivena (school
for novice monks) for those who come from places like Padiyathalawa,
Maha Oya and other remote areas. There are about 25 monks studying
at the pirivena.
The award winning film, Suriya Arana that was filmed in a cave of this
monastery, is a favourite site among the visitors who come to see this
monastery. Ven. Samithawansa who was my guide at the monastery took
me to the cave through a footpath to show me where the filming was
done. The Mawaragala monastery was a gift of nature where silence and
serenity prevail – the ideal place for mediating monks who struggle
to seek emancipation, and finally attain nirvana.
The Chief Monk of the monastery said, the place is open for nature
lovers – the best medicine for a stressed-out mind. Before I left the
monastery, I said this to the Chief Monk – “the forest of the monastery
has been protected because the people in the village love the forest.”
Although they are poor, the vedda community of Dambana is instrumental
in this task.
Created : September 3, 2009
Updated :
September 4, 2009
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