Maliyadeva

{{Short description|Sri Lankan buddhist monk}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

Maliyadeva was a monk who is said to have lived in Sri Lanka during the 2nd century BCE and to have attained nirvana.{{cite journal

| last1 = Gombrich

| first1 = Richard

| authorlink =

| last2 = Bond

| first2 = George D.| title = Review: The Buddhist Revival in Sri Lanka: Religious Tradition, Reinterpretation and Response by George D. Bond

| journal = Journal of the American Oriental Society

| volume = 109

| issue = 4

| pages = 661–664

| publisher = American Oriental Society

| date = Oct–Dec 1989

| issn =

| doi = 10.2307/604094| id =

| jstor = 604094}}

According to the Mahavamsa, part of Theravādin tradition, Maliyadeva was the last well-known arhat who had high psychic powers ( Abiññalabhi: in Sinhala:අභිඥ්ඥාලාභී අරහතුන් වහන්සේ ) in Sri Lanka{{Cite book

| first = Gombrich

| last = Richard

| author-link =

| editor-last = Howe

| editor-first = Leo

| editor2-last = Wain

| editor2-first = Alan

| contribution = How open is the future?

| contribution-url =

| title = Predicting the Future: the Darwin College lectures

| year = 1993

| pages = 160

| place =

| publisher = Cambridge University Press

| url =

| doi =

| id =

| isbn = 978-0-521-41323-7}} and Buddhism in Sri Lanka declined after this period. A legend says he brought four Buddha statues from India to Sri Lanka.{{cite book

| last = Seneviratna

| first = Anuradha

| authorlink =

|author2=Benjamin Polk

| title = Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka: The Woodland Shrines

| publisher = Abhinav Publications

| year = 1992

| location =

| pages = 96

| url =

| doi =

| id =

| isbn = 978-81-7017-281-9}}

His meditation chamber may be seen at Arankale[http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/aran.htm The Arankale monastery]{{cite news|last1=Pathiravitana|first1=S|title=Arahat Maliyadeva's cave|url=http://www.island.lk/2005/05/21/satmag1.html|accessdate=27 April 2015|agency=The Island|publisher=Upali Group of Companies|date=21 May 2005}}

and his dwelling place at Guharamaya.[http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/cave.htm Guharamaya: a cave of stone age man] According to folklore, Arahant Maliyadeva is said to have lived in Ravanagoda, Kotmale.