The Advent of a Religious King to Sri Lankan Theravāda Tradition

Abstract

This article examines the semantic changes of the term ‘mahā-sammata’ in the later Pāli texts and inscriptions, focusing on the legitimation of the Mahāvihāra’s authority in the isle of Laṅkā. (In this paper, ‘later’ does not have any chronological meaning. It only means the texts, which are philosophically based on the Tipiṭaka.) In the Buddhist Canon, the combination of ‘mahā’ with ‘sammata’ tells us that one was chosen by the people based on their needs. In this manner, it was sometimes translated to the plural form as ‘land-guardians’ in the Chinese translations. The meaning of it, however, was changed to the legendary name of the first king in the later texts from various Buddhist schools. According to them, the term ‘mahā-sammata’ is regarded as a king named Mahāsammata who ruled people in the beginning of this present era. Furthermore, the Buddha is described as a descendant of the king Mahāsammata in the later texts. Based upon the regal and deific status conferred upon Mahāsammata, the later Pāli texts, namely Commentaries (Pāli Aṭṭhakathā) and Chronicles (Vaṃsa), and the Sri Lankan inscriptions, established the legendary lineage for the political rulers who patronised the Mahāvihāra fraternity. The rulers, as the ideal religious leaders of Dhammadīpa, were inserted into the lineage of Mahāsammata in the texts and inscriptions, elevating the rulers, who were devotees for the Mahāvihāra fraternity, to the status of the Buddha. It holds that the righteous rulers, whom Mahāvihāra approved as a member of the lineage, are the same as the Buddha (or Bodhisatta). The advent of Mahāsammata in the Theravāda tradition is sequentially related to the authority of the Mahāvihāra fraternity.