Historic Milestones and Competing Memorials left by the First Two Disciples

Emeritus Prof Manouri P Senanayake President, Servants of the Buddha The seven weeks or ‘Sath Sathiya’ commences in the immediate aftermath of Vesak Full-Moon Poya Day and is spiritually important to Buddhists because of the deeply meditative aspects of this period in the Buddha…

Emeritus Prof Manouri P Senanayake President, Servants of the Buddha The seven weeks or ‘Sath Sathiya’ commences in the immediate aftermath of Vesak Full-Moon Poya Day and is spiritually important to Buddhists because of the deeply meditative aspects of this period in the Buddha’s Life. Spent in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree, each week has an identified location where a distinct occurrence of significance took place. This article reflects on the Blessed One meeting with two travelling merchants named Tapassu and Bhalluka – an encounter that has added many historic milestones and competing memorials to Buddhist history. The two merchants, Tapassu and Bhalluka occupy a unique and renowned position throughout the Buddhist world as the First Two Disciples. They form the starting point of the Buddha Sasana i.e. Buddha’s dispensation which quickly expanded to a mammoth following. Twenty-six centuries later it is continuing to grow, drawing to its folds men and women of all ages and all walks of life without inducements. An occurrence seen in all parts of the world. In the Tipitaka, Vinaya Pitaka, records the arrival of Tapassu and Bhalluka as two travelling tradesmen hailing from an area called Ukkala and makes mention of them offering to the Buddha a meal of cereal (possibly a gruel of barley) and honey balls. Their expression of interest in becoming the Buddha’s First Disciples and being recipients of hair relics following their request for a token to take away, are also mentioned. It is widely believed that these events took place in the seventh week. The brevity of this account in the Pali Canon is in keeping with the Tipitaka’s main focus, which is the Teachings of the Doctrine (Dhamma) and Discipline (Vinaya), while details on the Life of the Buddha are relatively little. Narratives surrounding these events are however more extensive today and some are attributed to Commentarial literature. The items of food mentioned fulfil the long-lasting quality required for a long journey and Anguttara Nikaya states the merchants as caravanners. ‘Foundational Firsts’ that are credited to Tapassu and Bhalluka Among the history-making events to the names of Tapassu and Bhallika that are worthy of recollection, are: being the first humans to meet the recently enlightened Buddha and donors of the first post-enlightenment meal, the first devotees (dayakes) who helped end the fast after attaining Buddhahood, the first humans to have heard the Buddha’s Teachings, the first to declare their confidence (shraddha) in the Buddha and the Dhamma, the first laymen to recite the Refuges which were Two-fold instead of the Triple Gem as this was prior to the existence of the Sangha. For this reason the two merchants are referred to as the first Dvevacika-sarana upasakes. The list also includes them as the first recipients of a Buddha relic for worship and the first to build a place of worship that enshrines relics. Irrespective of whether all of the above are correct or not, the confidence in the Buddha’s Teachings generated in the two merchants who asked for a sacred item to keep with them, is irrefutable. Competing Memorials of Sites where the Hair relics are enshrined In this backdrop, an important question that arises is, “Where were the hair relics enshrined?” However, no historical or sociological discussion on where the hair relics were enshrined by Tapassu and Bhalluka ends with no definitive single answer. It is widely believed that the relics were enshrined by the two merchants either in their homeland or in a place they travelled to. Interestingly, multiple regions or more specifically four countries claim ownership to the site where the relics were enshrined. Each country has differing and even overlapping historical evidence to support their claim. The evidence varies from rock inscriptions and cave inscriptions to travelogues of explorers. Three of the sites claim to be in the homeland of Tapassu and Bhallika while one site (the one in Sri Lanka) is claimed as a place visited by the two travelling merchants. Furthermore, each site has evidence of a stupa or a brick covered mound where the hair relics could have been enshrined. The single common feature all these countries share is a rich Buddhist history. The four main locations that are contenders for authenticity are listed here in no specific order. Balkh in Northern Afghanistan, was once the most active Buddhist centre in Central Asia and has been claimed to be the hometown of Bhalluka. That he had built a stupa enshrining hair relics is documented by the famous Chinese Buddhist traveller cum explorer Xuanzang who visited Afghanistan and India in the 6th century CE. It is well recognised that Buddhism reached Afghanistan (then Bactria) at a very early stage, along trade routes. Another site is Tiriyaye in the North-East of Sri Lanka, a location close to the east coast of the island where an ancient seaport had thrived over several centuries attracting many ships – and very possibly merchants via the sea-route. Evidence of an ancient temple with archaeological evidence as a place of worship exits to date. Cave inscriptions dating back to 2nd century BCE testify to pilgrims from South India arriving at the site to “worship the shrine containing the relics placed by Tapassu and Bhalluka”. This is written in Sanskrit using an ancient Tamil script. The legend is that the two merchants left the casket containing the hair relics covered for safety at this site and went about their business. On return they found it difficult to remove and believing this to be a holy place had the relics enshrined at the site. Sri Lankan Buddhists believe the stupa called Girihanduseya which has been expanded over the years by various Kings, to either contain or had ‘once-contained’ the hair relics. Orissa in India also has a ruined stupa i.e. a brick-walled mound and the names of both Tapassu and Bhallika inscribed and visible near-by. Furthermore, most scholars believe Ukkala to be in the region of Orissa (today’s Odisha). This is in the eastern part of India, not too far from Uruvela and Bodh Gaya. Finally the Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar is claimed to enshrine the hair relics. This beautiful Stupa of a golden hue is among the most revered places of worship in Myanmar. Tapassu and Bhalluka are said to have been from Myanmar. In instances when historical and/or sociological evidence causes different communities to vie for ownership of a historical monument or object, the French term lieu de mémoire is used and is a concept that could resolve the confusion, with participation of all stake cholders. ‘Competing Memorials’ or a ‘Competition of Memories’ are also terms that frame such situations. In the case of these relics, there is no active conflict among the different claimants. Hence it appears that “the jury is still out” and will continue to remain so into the foreseeable future. However, as no active conflict exists surrounding the above four claims “the jury that is still out” on this matter appears it will remain so.