Pansukulika Monasteries - with Padanagara double platforms
Padanagara double platform in Anuradhapura's Western Monasteries
The Pansukulikas, a Buddhist reform movement in the late Anuradhapura period (7th to 10th century AD), intended to lead an even more austere life than required by the monastic rule and to focus on meditation more than on scholarship. For their mediation practices they created a new type of monastic architecture called Padanagara (also spelled Padhanagara or Padhanaghara). This kind of building is a double platform, the two terraces of which are separated by a dig but connected by an often monolithic small bridge. This type of mediation platform, which is unique to Sri Lanka, was namegiving for this specific kind of specific forest monasteries. So the terms "Pansukulika monastery" and "Padanagara monatery" are used synonymously, they refer to the same forest temples used by the Pansukulika fraternity and including Padanagara structures. The main Pansukulika monasteries of Sri Lanka are Kirilagala, which seems to be the oldest one, Ritigala, which is the largest, Arankale and Manakanda, both situated at the feet of mountains just like Ritigala, and the so-called Western monasteries of Anuradhapura, which represent the most developed type of Padanagara architecture.
"Pansukulika" is somtimes transcribed "Pamsukulika", more correctly "Paṃsukulikaṃ", but this "ṃ" (called Anusvara in Indian languages) is a nasal that is homorganic to a following plosive, for example, it's pronounced "m" in front of a "b", but "ng" when followed by a "k". Followed by an "s", however, "ṃ" sounds like an "n". This is why prefer "Pansukulika" as the English transcription, because it's pronounced this way.
The Pali term "pansu-kula", from which the word "pansukulika" for its practitioner is derived, literally means "dust-jutting", but is often translated as "rag robes". The term actually refers to "forsaken clothes", abandoned rags found at garbage heaps and particularly at cremation sites, where discarded textiles full of dust could be seen jutting out from the ground. Wearing robes made of such rags is considered a rigid form of asceticism in Buddhism. This practice is one of the so-called Dhutangas. It's the first one on a list of 13 Dhutanga austerities mentioned in the Visuddhimaggha of Buddhaghosa Thero, which is considered the authorative compendium of Theravad teachings and practices, arranging the canonical teachings in a systematic compilation. Dhutangas are means to eliminate the defilements in the mind, and thus contributing to deepening Buddhist practice. However, Dhutangas are not part of the Vinaya. This is to say, they do not belong to the mandatory monastic rules of Buddhism. The Buddha called his teachings the middle path between sensual pleasures and extreme forms of austerities. He refused practicing both extremes, this means, unlike Jainism, Buddhism does not teach "the more asceticism the better for the path to salvation". But the Buddha allowed some ascetic practices without prescribing them as rules of the community of monks, the Sangha. The Dhutangas in general and Pansukula in particular belong to such permitted austerity practices of monks.
The Pansukulika brotherhood of the ancient Sinhalese civilization was not formed as a separate Nikaya, it did not constitute a schism of the Sangha. Rather, all existing Nikayas seem to have developed their own respective Pansukulika branch in the late Anuradhapura period. Pansukulika monks did not refuse to share ceremonies with monks from the urban or other monasteries of their respective Nikaya. (Not sharing common ceremonies any longer though living in the same town or village is the definition of schism in the monastic religion of Buddhism.) Nor did Pansukulika strictly disagree with other monks in questions concerning basic teachings of their religion or regarding leadership authority (which would be the definition of schism in confessional or hierarchical religions of the Western style). They simply wanted to focus more on meditation and austerity practices than on scholarship and priestly functions. (For comparison, if some Roman Catholic priests are Jesuits, this does not mean that they form a separate church).
For culturally interested travelers who enjoy visiting heritage sites, Pansukulika monasteries are interesting, because in style they differ much from other temples from the same period. Surprisingly, Pansukulika monasteries have no stupas within the sacred monastic compounds. Strikingly, they do not have any works of sculptural art, though sometimes there is an exceptions: Toilets and urinal stones in particularly are elobaretely carved, depicting ornaments or even palace buildings. This, of course, is a highly symbolic method of expressing contempt of the fine arts. Pansukulika monasteries have no Bo-trees, either. They have no symbols or idols used in worshiping practices of lay people. However, they welcomed lay people as visitors. The veneration of the Sangha in itself, however, was the only accepted practice of lay devotion within a monastic compound. Instead of classic Buddhist buildings, Pansukulika monasteries gad lots of the double platforms called Padanagaras. The function of having a second platform is not entirely clear. There are mainly two different interpretations, which do not exclude each other. Both interpretations agree that the main platform served as the place where monks dwelt. Monk cells where erected there as single huts or groups of such cells. The separate other platform was void of buildings. One interoretation says, this is where monks meditated under the open sky, but protected from wild animals, just as it is recommended in the ancient scriptures. The other interpretation says, that the plain platform served as the place where lay devotees stood or sat down when bringing alms or asking for blessings or sermons. As said, both explanations are not mutually exclusive. They may both be true at the same time. Or some double platforms may have been used only for mediations, whereas others, the larger and more elaborate ones, were also used for audiences. Remarkably, the largest Padanagaras have three platforms.
Apart from the Padanagaras, Pansukulika monasteries have two other architectural features in common. The bathing place plays a more is more relevant role than at other monastaries. And so-called Janthagaras, Ayurvedic treatment centers with warm-water or even steam-bath facilities and millstones to grind herbs, are of much significance in Pansukulika monasteries, too. To be sure, elaborate bathes and Ayurvedic hospitals are found in some other monasteries, too, for example in Mihintale, where even a Padanagara survived, though Mihintale was definitely not a Pansukulika monastery. However, in contrast to ordinary hospitals, the three abovementioned typical features play a much more predominant and, as said, almost exclusive role in the architecture of Pansukulika monasteries. The bathes and Ayrvedic facilities are of much larger proportion in relation to the size of the monastery, and whereas some other monasteries sometimes have Padhanagara, Pansukulika monasteries have numerous of them. This is why the term Padanagara monasteries obviously makes sense for this special type of temple complexes.
The Pansukulika brotherhood of the ancient Sinhalese civilization was not formed as a separate Nikaya, it did not constitute a schism of the Sangha. Rather, all existing Nikayas seem to have developed their own respective Pansukulika branch in the late Anuradhapura period. Pansukulika monks did not refuse to share ceremonies with monks from the urban or other monasteries of their respective Nikaya. (Not sharing common ceremonies any longer though living in the same town or village is the definition of schism in the monastic religion of Buddhism.) Nor did Pansukulika strictly disagree with other monks in questions concerning basic teachings of their religion or regarding leadership authority (which would be the definition of schism in confessional or hierarchical religions of the Western style). They simply wanted to focus more on meditation and austerity practices than on scholarship and priestly functions. (For comparison, if some Roman Catholic priests are Jesuits, this does not mean that they form a separate church).
For culturally interested travelers who enjoy visiting heritage sites, Pansukulika monasteries are interesting, because in style they differ much from other temples from the same period. Surprisingly, Pansukulika monasteries have no stupas within the sacred monastic compounds. Strikingly, they do not have any works of sculptural art, though sometimes there is an exceptions: Toilets and urinal stones in particularly are elobaretely carved, depicting ornaments or even palace buildings. This, of course, is a highly symbolic method of expressing contempt of the fine arts. Pansukulika monasteries have no Bo-trees, either. They have no symbols or idols used in worshiping practices of lay people. However, they welcomed lay people as visitors. The veneration of the Sangha in itself, however, was the only accepted practice of lay devotion within a monastic compound. Instead of classic Buddhist buildings, Pansukulika monasteries gad lots of the double platforms called Padanagaras. The function of having a second platform is not entirely clear. There are mainly two different interpretations, which do not exclude each other. Both interpretations agree that the main platform served as the place where monks dwelt. Monk cells where erected there as single huts or groups of such cells. The separate other platform was void of buildings. One interoretation says, this is where monks meditated under the open sky, but protected from wild animals, just as it is recommended in the ancient scriptures. The other interpretation says, that the plain platform served as the place where lay devotees stood or sat down when bringing alms or asking for blessings or sermons. As said, both explanations are not mutually exclusive. They may both be true at the same time. Or some double platforms may have been used only for mediations, whereas others, the larger and more elaborate ones, were also used for audiences. Remarkably, the largest Padanagaras have three platforms.
Apart from the Padanagaras, Pansukulika monasteries have two other architectural features in common. The bathing place plays a more is more relevant role than at other monastaries. And so-called Janthagaras, Ayurvedic treatment centers with warm-water or even steam-bath facilities and millstones to grind herbs, are of much significance in Pansukulika monasteries, too. To be sure, elaborate bathes and Ayurvedic hospitals are found in some other monasteries, too, for example in Mihintale, where even a Padanagara survived, though Mihintale was definitely not a Pansukulika monastery. However, in contrast to ordinary hospitals, the three abovementioned typical features play a much more predominant and, as said, almost exclusive role in the architecture of Pansukulika monasteries. The bathes and Ayrvedic facilities are of much larger proportion in relation to the size of the monastery, and whereas some other monasteries sometimes have Padhanagara, Pansukulika monasteries have numerous of them. This is why the term Padanagara monasteries obviously makes sense for this special type of temple complexes.
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