chose Ananda to serve as his attendant. Thus, Ananda
became the Buddha’s constant companion for the
twenty-five years preceding the Buddha’s death. The
canonical texts are replete with examples of Ananda’s
dedicated care for the Buddha’s comfort, health, and
safety. In an extreme situation, Ananda was even pre-
pared to risk his life to save that of his master. Ananda
is depicted in the scriptures as extremely amicable to-
ward both ordained or laypersons. He was known as a
brilliant organizer who essentially served as the Bud-
dha’s personal secretary, as he would be called in pre-
sent terms. Ananda was instrumental in the creation
of the Buddhist order of NUNS, a move that the Bud-
dha did not initially favor. Ananda, however, asked the
Buddha if women were capable of realizing supreme
enlightenment like men, whereupon the Buddha an-
swered in the affirmative.
Ananda was the key figure in the transmission of the
BUDDHAVACANA(WORD OF THEBUDDHA). He served
as an indispensable authority at the First Council, which
was held to codify the Buddha’s legacy soon after his
death. Ananda is reported to have recited the texts of
the discourses (sutras); in the line that opens all sutras—
“Thus have I heard”—the Irefers to Ananda. The Bud-
dha’s declaration that Ananda was foremost among the
erudite and upright is a monument to his talents, moral
strength, and determination. Ananda was said to have
lived an extraordinarily long life. He later came to be
revered as the second Indian patriarch of the CHAN
SCHOOL.
See also:Councils, Buddhist; Disciples of the Buddha
Bibliography
Malalasekera, G. P. “1. Ananda.” Dictionary of Pali Proper
Names,Vol. 1. London: Indian Text Series, 1937–1938.
Wang, Bangwei. “The Indian Origin of the Chinese Chan
School’s Patriarch Tradition.” In Dharmaduta: Mélanges of-
ferts au Vénérable Thich Huyên-Vi,ed. Bhikkhu Tam-
palawela Dhammaratana and Bhikkhu Pasadika. Paris:
Éditions You-Feng, 1997.
BHIKKHUPASADIKA
ANANDA TEMPLE
The most uplifting of Pagan temples, the Ananda was
built by King Kyanzittha in the mid-eleventh century.
The Ananda Temple represents the maturity of the early
period style at Pagan. Based on a single story
elevation, it is a balanced and harmonious design with
its central spire rising from a square base and terraces.
The true effect is best seen from the west side, where
nineteenth-century donors did not add covered walk-
ways. The plan is a Greek cross: a two hundred-foot cen-
tral square with four prayer halls that project out at the
cardinal points. Facing these prayer halls, the four car-
dinal shrines are set in giant arched niches cut into the
block. These contain colossal standing buddhas. Only
the south image is original early period; the others are
Konbaung replacements from the late eighteenth and
early nineteenth centuries, as are the splendid carved
wood doors at the entrance to the outer ambulatory.
These images are dramatically lit by concealed shafts that
connect to skylights contained in the external pedi-
ments. Fragments of the original paintings have been re-
covered in the halls; the remainder, which would have
covered all the walls and vaults, were whitewashed by
misguided do-gooders during an earlier period. There
is a double ambulatory running around the main block
over which the exterior terraces climb. These terraces
contain glazed plaque scenes of the JATAKAS.Around the
base are more glazed plaques depicting the attack and
defeat of the army of MARA(the personification of evil
who tried to tempt the Buddha just before his enlight-
enment). Inside, the outer ambulatory contains ninety
relief scenes from the life of the Buddha. This was a time
when people were converting to the new faith and these
scenes were intended to teach the story of the Buddha’s
life. The stone carving is vigorous and at times dynamic.
As with the entire building there is an energy and ex-
citement to these scenes. The Ananda is a monument
to the establishment of THERAVADAas the state religion
of Myanmar (Burma). There is none of the grand com-
placency of the colossal late temples; the place vibrates
with the force of a newfound faith.See also:Monastic Architecture; Myanmar; Myanmar,
Buddhist Art in; Southeast Asia, Buddhist Art inBibliography
Duroiselle, Charles. The Ananda Temple at Pagan.Delhi: Man-
ager of Publications, Archaeological Survey of India, 1937.
Luce, G. H. Old Burma—Early Pagan.3 vols. Locust Valley, NY:
J. J. Augustin, 1969–1970.
Strachan, Paul. Pagan: Art and Architecture of Old Burma.Whit-
ing Bay, Arran, Scotland: Kiscadale Publications, 1989.PAULSTRACHANANANDATEMPLE