Most Venerable Bhante Walpola Piyananda's 80th Birthday Celebrating - Collected Essays

a group of monks including Upali Thera. In addition, the Thai King
gave a golden Buddha image to the Sri Lankan King. According to the
account of Vilbagedara Rala, who guided the mission, 25 Thai monks
and five ministers came back with them. The Thai monks were housed
at the Malvatta temple in Kandy. To facilitate the ceremonies, because
they did not speak the same language, Venerable Upali Maha Thera
gave the higher ordination to one of his Thai students. Then, five Sri
Lankan novices received upasampada the next day. One of them was
Sri Siddharth Buddharakkhita, who wrote the Syamopasampadavata
(Record of the Thai Ordination). Each day Siamese monks ordained
and conferred upasampada on the other novices.
Mahanama Thera, one of the Thai monks, taught the
Sinhalese monks Vipassana (insight meditation). Another Thai monk,
Brahmajhoti, trained them in chanting sutras. The letter which Upali
sent to the Thai king said that his monks gave Upasampada (higher
ordination) to six hundred Sinhalese monks and ordained three
thousand novices. He requested that the King also share the merit of
that glorious undertaking.
Descendants of this distinguished group still exist in Sri Lanka,
now the largest and most influential religious denomination in Sri
Lanka; the cultural relations established between these two countries
continue. Those who follow this tradition of ordination are called
Syamopali Maha Nikaya, the large Thai sect of Upali Thera. This sect
remains dominant in Sri Lanka in religion, politics and social life.
The interactions between these Buddhist groups give us a
sense of the ebb and flow of political and cultural relations between the
two countries from early times providing many occasions for mutual
cultural enrichment and understanding.
4
Can We See the Buddha?
Although the Buddha lived over two thousand six hundred
years ago, it is still possible to see him through his Teachings. We
can also gain an understanding of him by reading numerous books
that have been published over the years. The Buddhist world has
sculptured statues of the Buddha which portray his unique compassion
and dynamic personality. It is in these ways we try to imagine and
understand what type of person he was. At the same time the Buddha
himself pointed out a way to see him by following his path. To help us
see him, we find passages in the suttas which explain his character and
qualities, his way of life, and his philosophy.
Once there was a faithful disciple named Vakkali who always
wanted to be in the presence of the Buddha. When Vakkali fell ill he
requested a visit from the Buddha. He was asked by the Buddha what
was troubling him, and Vakkali replied that what bothered him most
was that he could not see the Buddha every day since he was ill.
Then the Buddha said, “Vakkali, what good is there in seeing
this decaying body of mine? One who knows the Dhamma sees me.
One who sees me, sees the Dhamma. Vakkali, one who knows the
Dhamma sees me.”
This explains that one who knows the Dhamma, is able to see
the Buddha. The Mahahatthipadupama Sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya
says that the person who understands dependent origination can see
the Dhamma and one who can see the Dhamma understands dependent
origination. The following verse refers to dependent origination:
“When this is, -- that is.
This arising, -- that arises.
When this is not, -- that is not.
This ceasing, -- that ceases.”
Therefore, by understanding and experiencing dependent
origination we can realize the teaching of the Buddha.
The suttas of the Sutta Pitaka contain descriptive narratives of
the Buddha by some of his disciples. They tell of the manner in which
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