Saṅghamittā Day
Significance
Sanghamitta Theri was a fully-awakened Bhikkhuni, and the daughter of Emperor Ashoka. She lived about 200 years after the Buddha, and famously made the journey from India to Sri Lanka: bringing the Bodhi Tree and the Bhikkhuni Sangha to the island nation.
Her journey, and the legacy she founded in Sri Lanka, is a well-documented and beloved part of the history of this Buddhist country. This history contributed to Sri Lanka being the center of the re-arising of the Bhikkhuni Sangha in our lifetime.
Date
Sanghamitta's entire journey is well-documented, and the lunar dates of her preparations in India, journey from India to Sri Lanka, and arrival in Sri Lanka with the Bodhi tree are all recorded.
"Sanghamitta Day" commemorates her arrival in Sri Lanka with the Bodhi Tree, and is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Maggasira (Maggasira Puṇṇamī) - December, on the Western solar calendar.
Video Resources
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Walking in the Footsteps of Great Theri Sanghamitta, offered by Bhikkhunī Tathālokā Therī: 12-minute video about Sanghamitta's Journey, presented for United Theravāda Bhikkhunī Saṅgha International (UTBSI) in December 2021.
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Arahat Sanghamittā and the Bodhi Tree, offered by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu. This is a short illustrated talk on the significance of the Full Moon Day in December
Writings
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Arahat Saṅghamittā’s Story (from Extended Mahāvaṁsa), e-book edited by G. P. Malalasekera, translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, available at Ancient Buddhist Texts. An English translation of the ancient Pali texts which describe the journey made by Arahat Sanghamittā to bring the Bhikkhuni order to Sri Lanka.
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Ayya Tathaloka's Blog post series on the Sanghamitta Story Cycle:
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Ayya Tathaloka's other blog posts related to Sanghamitta Theri