Nagadipa/Nagadeepa Purana Vihara (S)
At a Glance
This marks the site of the Buddha's second visit to Sri Lanka, where he pacified hordes of battling nagas spirits. Upon teaching the Dharma, thousands of Nagas took refuge in the Three Jewels, and the Buddha gifted a rajayatana tree and a throne as a support for their offerings.
The Story
Five years after the Buddha’s enlightenment, the island of Lanka was again beset by warring lords. Mountain-dwelling nagas and ocean-dwelling nagas engaged in a fierce battle to control the island and possess a jeweled throne. As the conflict raged between the uncle and nephew Mahadora and Culadora nagas, Buddha saw by means of his divine eye that he must compassionately intervene. Leaving his meditation in the Jetavana Grove, he once again flew southwards. On this second visit, he was accompanied only by a rajayatana tree spirit, Samiddhi, who held his branches as a great umbrella above the Buddha. Chastising the nagas for their avarice and anger, the Buddha preached the Dharma.
Over eight hundred million nagas quickly took refuge. Inspired by the teaching, they offered the contested beryl throne to the Buddha. They praised the Buddha and offered a meal. A naga chieftain named Maniakkhika then acclaimed the Buddha for his previous compassion and beseeched him to grant another blessing.
“Out of compassion to this island, thou hast first dispelled the Yakkhas; this kindness towards the Nagas is thy second act of compassion towards the island.
May the holy, great Sage show his compassion still another time; I shall attend and do service to thee.”
In the Mahavamsa account, we read that the Buddha assented in silence and then the naga king,
“planted the rajayatana-tree on that very spot as a sacred memorial, and the Lord of the Worlds gave over the rajayatana-tree and the precious throne-seat to the naga-kings to do homage thereto. `In remembrance that I have used these do homage to them, ye naga-kings!”
While At the Main Site
When we make pilgrimage here, then we can recall that the sublime teacher himself encouraged the paying of homage to relics of use. We can rejoice that after years of damage in the civil wars of the 20th century, that the temple has undergone much restoration. In 2011 a gem-studded throne plated with gold and silver was donated by businessmen in Ratnapura to represent the throne in the legend that caused the war between Chulodara and Mahodara.