Papers presented at the International Buddhist Conference, March ...

national symbol became the lion. Then all sculptures in Mi hintale
and the main city, one way or another way depicted the lion symbol
very clearly. In addition to the lion symbol, later on the mythical
hybrid symbol emerged which included lion and the tuskers head
together “gajasingha” became a symbol of the North Central
Province. The concept hasthi (naga in Pali ) very predominant in
Buddhist culture and art: the hasthi upama always equivalent to the
Buddha dasabala, pragna, wisdom, and the capability of
exploration skills and un shivering behavior. The hasthi upama is
directly connected to the first introductory sutta to Sri Lankan
people by Arhath Mahinda (chullahasthipadopams sutta). Since
then all over the country all Buddhist religious places hasthi
prakara became compulsory Buddhist Value System feature and it
symbolizes the part of the central value system of the nation.
Nature and the Buddhist Value System
At the meeting when Arhath Mahinda replying to king
Devanampiyatissa “king you are not a ruler of this land, flying
birds, moving reptiles, as well as other animals and human beings
under your custody, you are not a ruler but you are the guardian of
the land” this statement says how significant the human beings are
as well as the other creatures. According to the new doctrine man is
part of the nature. Now you can see the nature associated new value
system introduced by Arhath Mahinda.
Nature and the Buddhist Value System
the nature. According to the above classification nature is not a
creation of the god, but the nature is considered as the god by the
people as well as the kings. So that , existence of every creature is
limited up to the existence of the sun and the moon. The sun and the
moon are regarded as excellent gods. In the past Sinhalese kings
did not forget to mention “until the existence of the sun and the
moon in the inscriptional grants when they transfer their properties
to others”. Since the world is created by the nature leading to sun
and the moon the wider area of the triangle is represented. These
two factors the sun and the moon, have become and exclusive
factors for the existence of all the creatures, human beings and the
earth. Hence, the people tend to worship them. Specially, in
Agricultural rituals the sun and the moon have very exclusive
position, blaming abusing or swearing to the sun and the moon is
considered as a very mean dangerous unacceptable according to
the Sinhalese Buddhist people.
Agricultural Activities and the Buddhist Value
System
In Sri Lanka, all cultivation activation directly assimilated into
Buddhist values; even in the four poya days people do not engage
in cultivation activities because the reason is to refrain from killing
creatures such as earth worms; even uneducated rural mothers they
do not put firewood, coconut husks or any other fire items in to the
hearth without cleaning the material, because the innocent small
creature such as white ants or ants can be inside of the firewood.
Even after boiling paddy, mothers do not put hot water into the
earth because they wish to protect creatures in the soil. These
values taken from the Buddhist “panchaseela principal” human
beings should refrain from parapana neseema or the pranagatha
and protect other creatures life. Even today, chena cultivators after
slashing down the chena forest keep five to six days for the drying
purpose. The end of the period before they set fire, they pray and
three rounds go around the dried chena asking all creatures to go
away including very small insect to big animals from the chena
and saying purposely and consciously that they do not burn the
insects and the main purpose of chena cultivation is for survival of
the family members.
All the above mentioned,ethics taken from the Buddhist value
system existing in the rural areas. Specially, in Anuradhapura
irrigation society all cultivation fields, two potions cultivate either
side of the field for birds that they introduced as “kurulupaluwa”
birds come and enjoy with that portion. In the agricultural cycle all
activities start from the stanza “sabbapapassa akeranam kusalassa
upasmpada….” Also, the end of the harvesting activities the super
portion is reserved for the Buddha pooja, before they consume the
harvest. All cereals and grain cultivated in the Sri Lankan soil
introduced as “bava boga” those bava boga devoted to the lord
Buddha are called “Buddha boga” they perpetuate seed and protect
for the next generation.
Life Cycle Ceremonies and the Buddhist Value
System
In this order, either side of the top of triangle the sun and the moon
located. The next step of the hierarchy the Earth(maheekanthawamother
) located, in the next, Air-(Meegha-father), then
forest(grand mother) Rivers (daughters) Hills (sons) then animals
(eththo- relatives) of human beings, finally man is the guardian of
In each and every society, birth, puberty, marriage and death are
major events of the life cycle. Sri Lankan society, traditionally all
aspects of life cycle connect to the Buddhist value system. Even
mothers in a pregnant stage elders do not allow certain actions such
as boiling eggs, cleaning cob webs, destroying pottery flies house,
etc. its indicate do not destroy others lives (pranagatha), at the
seventh month of the pregnant stage husband and relatives
organize Angullimala pariththa. This is the protective mechanism
for the baby and the mother. Mother has to be in peaceful manner
and she has to attend religious activities often that are the
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