Kammaṭṭhānasaṅgaha of Asgiri Mahāvihāraya, Sri Lanka: A Study with Reference to the Initiative Proceedings of Meditation

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the Kammaṭṭhānasaṅgaha of Asgiri Mahavihāraya, Kandy. A content and textual analyses were used as methodologies. A manuscript titled ‘Mahāvihāra Asgirivaṃsaye Kamaṭahan Pota’ found from Medapansala of Asgiri Mahavihāraya, Kandy has been published by two bhikkhus named K. Ratanapala and G. Ratanajoti in 1938. This printed version consists of three parts i.e. ‘Vimuttimaggo’, ‘Vimuttimaggo-uddānaṃ’ and ‘Bambaragale Pota’. The first two parts have been written in Pali as a whole and the third one is a mixture of Pali and Sinhala. As the editors recorded in their long introduction, the aforesaid two Pali texts have been written by one author named Mahāriṭṭha Upatissa thera who was the first Sinhalese pupil of Arahant Mahā Mahinda. However, upon critical examination, it can be concluded that a clear, verifiable connection between these two texts as the editors understood cannot be found. It has been briefly mentioned by Venerable Balangoḍa Ananda Metteyya thera in his forward of the text. In 1972, criticizing this Sinhalese character Vimuttimagga, P.V. Bapat has also proved this claim put forward by Ven. Ānanda Metteyya thera. Therefore, it is necessary that these two texts i.e. the Vimuttimagga and Vimuttimagga-uddānaṃ be identified as two separate texts. This study proposes that Vimuttimagga-uddānaṃ i.e. collection of 1135 of verses, can be ascertained as the Kammaṭṭhānasaṅgaha of the Asgiri Mahāvihāraya.