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Third Samadhi Statue and the Asanaghara

This Samadhi Statue along with the the 'Bodhighara' (Bo tree Shrine) and the 'Asanaghara' (the shrine of the Buddhas Seat) is located close to the Ratnaprasada and belongs to the Abayagiri Aramic Complex. The origin of this statue is unkown.

What is important in this location is that all three symbolic representations of Buddha belonging to three different eras can be found there. The oldest representation is the 'Asana' also called 'Vajrasana' ( the seat of the Buddha ) which is a long slab of stone. This is the most ancient form of Buddha worship. The 'Asana' represent the seat that the Buddha which he sat when he attained Nirvana. The shrine that the 'Asana' was kept and worshipped is called 'Asanaghara' and this type of worship is called the 'Asana Vandanava'

Here the Asana was a 5.5m x 1.83m slab of stone and has been kept on a brick pedestal. And the Shrine ( 'Asanaghara' ) has been brick building supported by 13 feet stone pillars.

The next stage of the representation of the Buddha was the 'Sri Pathul Gala', which is basically a stone carved with the footprint of Buddha. People used this object to represent the Buddha in worshipping him. At present there are 5 such stones on this site.

The final stage of representation of Buddha was in the form of Buddha statues.

Today you can see that some of the 'Sri Pathul Gala' objects has been used as building material and used in the structure itself. This has been prabably done during a expansion or a reconstruction stage when the people were worshipping Buddha Statues.

During excavation a torso of a Buddha statue was found and is kept on a pedestal at the far end. A stone pedestal suggests that there probably had been another standing Buddha statue in the site.

Behind the 'Asanaghara' is the pit where the Bo Tree would have been. The great traveler monk Fa-Hien who visited Sri Lanka in the 5th centaury describes a great bo-tree in Abayagiri monastery which is a branch of the original Sri Maha Bodhi in India

A former king of the country had sent to Central India and got a slip of the patra tree which he planted by the side of the hall of Buddha, where a tree grew up to the height of about 200 cubits. As it bent on one side towards the south-east, the king, fearing it would fall, propped it with a post eight or nine spans round. The tree began to grow at the very heart of the prop, where it met (the trunk); (a shoot) pierced through the post, and went down to the ground, where it entered and formed roots, that rose (to the surface) and were about four spans round. Although the post was split in the middle, the outer portions kept hold (of the shoot), and people did not remove them. Beneath the tree there has been built a vihara, in which there is an image (of Buddha) seated, which the monks and commonalty reverence and look up to without ever becoming wearied. ..........

Record of Buddhist Kingdoms by Fa-Hien
Translator: James Legge

This Bodhighara is believed to be the shrine of the bo-tree which is described above. There are also two massive stone inscriptions now conserved at the site. These inscriptions are attributed to King Kassapa V (914-923 AC) and King Mahinda IV ( 956-972 AC). Administrative rules and regulations for the Abayagiri Monastery is inscribed on them.

Album

The "Asana" resting on a brick pedestal	A Sri Pathul Gala	The "Asana" resting on a brick pedestal
The Torso of the buddha ( 3rd Samadhi) now resting on a protected pedestal	The Torso of the buddha ( 3rd Samadhi) now resting on a protected pedestal	Large stone inscriptions found at the location
A Sri Pathul Gala, later used in the building structure		A Sri Pathul Gala

Home > Heritage > Anuradhapura > Third Samadhi Statue and the Asanaghara

Created : March 2, 2008
Updated : March 15, 2008