by Tathālokā Therī
This painting of Sanghamitta and the Bodhi tree's journey is from the Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara in Sri Lanka, courtesy of the thai-sanscript blog post "Ashoka's first queen" (right side of the painting)
✨ 🌗 ✨ (now) ✨ Pilgrimage of the heart ~
Following Sanghamittā's Journey,
Today is the half moon, 🌗 ✨
~ the Atthāmī Uposatha ~
the day the great entourage
with Emperor Ashoka,
the eighteen skilled families,
Sanghamitta Theri and Bhikkhuni Sangha,
in the company of the southern branch sapling
of the most venerable Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree
at whose roots the Blessed One attained
unexcelled, perfect and complete enlightenment,
having passed through the Vindhya range
and down the river Ganges
arrived,
to meet together once again
for the last time
at the ancient, great Tamralipti port,
where, for seven days,
the emperor Dhamma-Ashoka,
offered Bodhi puja,
to his heart's content,
bestowed sovereignty upon
the Jayasri Maha Bodhi sapling,
preparing all for the great journey.
For they were to set sail
on the coming New Moon,
never to return again,
as arhantas and arahantīs
do not return:
"Like swans they set sail,
leaving their former resting places behind."
Uyyuñjanti satīmanto,
na nikete ramanti te;
haṁsāva pallalaṁ hitvā,
okamokam jahanti te.*
"Those who awaken
Never rest in one place.
Like swans, they rise
And leave the lake.
"On the air they rise
And fly an invisible course,
Gathering nothing, storing nothing.
Their food is knowledge.
They live upon emptiness.
They have seen how to break free.
"Who can follow them?
Only the master,
Such is their purity.
"Like a bird,
Who rises on the limitless air
And flies an invisible course.
Who wishes for nothing.
Who's food is knowledge.
Who lives upon emptiness.
Who has broken free."**
*the Buddha, Dhammapāda v. 91
**adapted from: http://www.pa56.org/ross/Buddha.htm
This painting of Sanghamitta and the Bodhi tree's journey is from the Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara in Sri Lanka, courtesy of the thai-sanscript blog post "Ashoka's first queen" (left side of the painting)
This post is part of a series on the Sanghamitta Story Cycle:
The Journey of Sanghamittā & the Bodhi Tree Part II (this post)