Damsak Mandiraya
There is a beautiful, special statue of the Supreme Buddha that pleases everyone’s minds who see it in this Damsak mansion. There is also a beautiful seat made with statues of a group of young playful deer. The Supreme Buddha is sitting on this seat preaching the Dhamma Chakka, disclosing the Four Noble Truths shaking ten thousand world elements.
1st painting: There is a beautiful painting to the right side of the Dhamsak statue. The five Bhikkhus – Konhdañña, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahānāma, and Assaji – who attended the Bōdhisatta when He was following the strict asceticism giving suffering to the body – are painted in this image. The Bhikkhu at the center of them is the Bhikkhu Konhdañña. This picture shows how Bhikkhu Konhdañña was worshiping the Supreme Buddha with a great joy after him attaining the Sōwān state. All other Bhikkhus were contemplating the Dhamma they just heard from the Supreme Buddha.
2nd painting: With devoted thoughts about the forest of deer in Isipatana in Baransi come forward through its door to the interior of the mansion that bears of the main statue. There is a painting to the upper left when you have just come in to the mansion interior. It displays some swans who are to be fly away from a pond. This implies how the Supreme Buddha’s defilement-free Arahant disciple monks freely leave anything and any place without any attachment to those worldly things.
Parinirvanha Manchaka
To the right what you can see next is a display of the Parinirvānha of the Supreme Buddha. It shows the sad moment of the Supreme Buddha’s Maha Parinivānha (passing away) after completing His wonderful duty as the Supreme Buddha. The Parinirvānha Manchaka is prepared in between two cannonball trees, and the Supreme Buddha is laying on it on His right hand facing North. Mouth or hair of this statue of the Supreme Buddha are not colored like other statues. When you come here, you can imagine the moment of the Supreme Buddha’s Parinirvānha in the Sal tree garden of City Kushinagar. All the features displayed here show a remarkable stillness and a Dhamma sadness.
1st painting: There is another sorrowful painting on the top wall in the side of the Supreme Buddha’s statue at the Parinirvānha Manchaka. This painting shows how Ananda Thero and other disciple monks who had not attained higher path-fruition at that time crying in sorrow of the Supreme Buddha’s Parinirvānha. It also dipicts how gods and Brahmas were worshipping the Supreme Buddha, offering Parasatu and Madāra flowers from the sky.
2nd painting: There is a pond with lotus flowers in this next painting. The water droplets on these flowers are dripping without remaining on them. This signifies how the Arahant disciple monks, who realized the Dhamma of the Supreme Buddha, live without getting attached to anything.
1st painting: : This is the painting of our Supreme Buddha’s two main disciples – Arahant Sariputta who is the chief among wise and Arahant Moggallana who is the chief among who has supernatural powers.
2nd painting: This is the painting of our Supreme Buddha’s two main female disciples – Arahant Bhikkhuni Khēmā who is the chief among wise and Arahant Uppalavanhnhā who is the chief among who has supernatural powers.
3rd painting: You can see an image of the Great Stupa Swarnhāmali, which contains (dronhayak) the Supreme Buddha’s relics, in front of the 2nd painting.
4th painting: In front of that, there is a painting of the Sēruvila Mangala Maha Stupa, which holds the forehead relic of the Supreme Buddha. This stupa was built by King Kāvantissa near a rock named Varahasonhdi near the bank of Lake Sēru.
1st painting: There is beautiful painting next to the statue of Maha Kassapa Arahant Thero. It displays how god Sakdev, his wife female god Suja, female god Laja (female god who got that divine life by offering popcorn to Maha Kassapa Thero when she was a female human), and god Sivaka Deva (who took refuge of the Triple Gem because of Maha Kassapa Thero when he was in his Yakkha life) came to worship Maha Kassapa Arahant Thero.
2nd painting: This painting to the right side of the Ananda Thero’s statue shows how Sanankumara Brahma, god Sakdev, Suja female god, and god Matali came to attend Arahant Ananda Thero.
The stairs to the upstairs of the mansion is located at the leaving door of it. This is not always open to the general public. The ‘Vadahidina Mālhigāva’ in the upstairs is only open at special occasions. Up in these stairs one can see beautifully made paintings of the Supreme Buddha in five different Hasta Muddras (presentations of hand).