Most Venerable Bhante Walpola Piyananda's 80th Birthday Celebrating - Collected Essays
Collected Essays of Bhante Walpola Piyananda Celebrating His 80th Birthday. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Nayake Maha Thera has chosen to dedicate his life to sharing the teaching of the Buddha in the Western World, knowing that it has so much wisdom to offer; not an easy task for someone coming from a foreign background. However these articles reflect his ability to make a great impact on the American Community. He has helped many people and monks new to this country in many ways throughout the years, He has helped these monks to establish Dharma Centers in various parts in this country. Venerable Walpola Piyananda is an extraordinary monk and dharma teacher who exemplifies wisdom, compassion and selflessness. He has made a profound impact on numberous individuals and communities worldwide through his teachings and service. On his auspicious 80th birthday, I express my deepest gratitude to Venerable Walpola Piyananda for his remarkable contributions and limitless love. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Maha Thero has been a pioneer in establishing Theravada Buddhism in America and developing knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma through radio and promoting education to uplift the children of his native Sri Lanka. As a Theravada monk, he has manifested a sense of caring with wisdom and compassion by providing hospitable spiritual and physical shelter at his Los Angeles monastery. Bhante, as he is affectionately known, is a teacher with a great breadth of interests spanning from the origins of Buddhism to how Western people could apply the teachings, Dhamma, into their daily life. I have known Bhante since we were students at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)…. This edition of his collected works is an important contribution for Western readers.
Collected Essays of Bhante Walpola Piyananda Celebrating His 80th Birthday. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Nayake Maha Thera has chosen to dedicate his life to sharing the teaching of the Buddha in the Western World, knowing that it has so much wisdom to offer; not an easy task for someone coming from a foreign background. However these articles reflect his ability to make a great impact on the American Community. He has helped many people and monks new to this country in many ways throughout the years, He has helped these monks to establish Dharma Centers in various parts in this country. Venerable Walpola Piyananda is an extraordinary monk and dharma teacher who exemplifies wisdom, compassion and selflessness. He has made a profound impact on numberous individuals and communities worldwide through his teachings and service. On his auspicious 80th birthday, I express my deepest gratitude to Venerable Walpola Piyananda for his remarkable contributions and limitless love. Ven. Walpola Piyananda Maha Thero has been a pioneer in establishing Theravada Buddhism in America and developing knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma through radio and promoting education to uplift the children of his native Sri Lanka. As a Theravada monk, he has manifested a sense of caring with wisdom and compassion by providing hospitable spiritual and physical shelter at his Los Angeles monastery. Bhante, as he is affectionately known, is a teacher with a great breadth of interests spanning from the origins of Buddhism to how Western people could apply the teachings, Dhamma, into their daily life. I have known Bhante since we were students at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)…. This edition of his collected works is an important contribution for Western readers.
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Sri Lankan King Parakramabahu’s reign was most important
in Thai Buddhist history. Parakramabahu was a powerful monarch and
a great supporter of Theravada Buddhism. As a result of his efforts,
Buddhism was greatly strengthened in Sri Lanka and it spread to
neighboring lands. Buddhist monks from Pegu (Myanmar), Cambodia,
Lanna (Northern Thailand) and Lunchanga (Laos) flocked to Sri Lanka
to learn Buddhism in its oldest form.
The First Sri Lankan Ordinations in Thailand
In the 13th century, Thai novices went to Sri Lanka and
obtained higher ordination (upasampada). They later returned after
their studies accompanied by Sri Lankan monks, to establish the
Lankavansa (Sri Lanka Sect) in southern Thailand. That was the
initial introduction of Theravada in a pure form. The Lankavansa
monks spread Theravada Buddhism to Sukhothai, an ancient capital
of Thailand. Their missionary activities were supported by the famous
Thai King Ram Khamhaeng (1279 - 1298 C.E.). Around this time
a Sinhalese monk, Udumbara, went to lower Burma (Ramanna) with
Bhikku Sumana. Sumana received help from the King of Sukhothai
to propagate Buddhism. Ananda was sent to King Kilana of Nabbisi.
The Sinhalese monks who had established the Lankavansa belonged
to the Vanawasi (Forest) Sect of Sri Lanka. Therefore Ananda, who
belonged to the Gramavasi (village) sect, did not like to take part with
the monthly ceremony of confession and forgiveness (uposata) with
them. In time, both sects played a prominent role in the religious
development of Thailand.
Ordination of Thai monks
According to the Sasanavansa, a Burmese history of Buddhism,
it became necessary again for Thai monks, during the reign of King
Parakrambahu VI (1425 C.E.) to go to Sri Lanka for higher ordination.
In the mission that came from Thailand and Cambodia were 25 chief
monks. Mahathera Wanaratana officiated at the ceremony. When the
Thai monks returned to their motherland, Sinhalese monks named
Mahavikramabahu and Mahauttamapanna accompanied them. The
religious sect established in Thailand was then known as the Sinhalese
Sangha.
The scholar Dr. Paranavitana shares more of this history,
writing:
One of the Siamese (Thai) monks who came to Ceylon
in 1425, Medhanakara, had visited a few years earlier
and had taken with him a replica of the footprint at
Sumanakuta with its Pali inscription and set up a vihara
there. In 1455 C.E., a seedling from the Bodhi tree at
Anuradhapura was taken to Nabbisipura in northern
Siam (Thailand) and planted at Mahabodharama, where
a shrine was built modeled after the famous shrine at
Bodhgaya. A relic taken from Ceylon was deposited
there in 1478 C.E. at another shrine in the same city.
Sinhalese Buddhism was very popular and widespread in
Thailand. Sinhalese monks were active in the religious
growth of Thailand.
Thai history proves that Thai Hindus and Mahayana followers
were converted to Theravada practice due to the religious activities and
political connections of Sinhalese monks. Dr. Ananda Kumarassamy
mentions that there are signs of Thai-Lanka relations that indicate
Siamese sculpture had come under the influence of Sinhalese art
(History of Indian and Indonesian Art 177). Furthermore, the
distinguished Buddhist scholar, Dr. Sukmar Dutt says:
Buddhism had been growing up as a state sponsored
religion in Siam until the impact of Ceylonese Theravada
Buddhism was felt in the later years of Sukhothai. The
idea of “church government” being a function of the
Sangha was central in Ceylonese Theravada Buddhism,
and that was impressed upon Siamese Buddhism via
instruction from monks from Ceylon.
Years later in Sri Lanka under King Vimaladharmasuriya
(1689 C.E.) doubt arose as to the validity of the Sinhalese higher
ordination, because the monks did not have time to practice due to
political problems. His mission returned with a positive report about
Thai Buddhism. King Vijayarajasinghe sent a mission to bring Thai
monks to receive higher ordination in Sri Lanka unfortunately, there
was a ship wreck and all perished.
In the third year of King Kirtisri Raja Singha (1741-1781
C.E.) a third mission consisting of 65 members was sent to Thailand.
The Dutch government of Batavia supplied the ship. The governor
of Malacca welcomed them and treated them well. After a yearlong
sea journey, the mission reached Amsterdam, a Dutch island at
the mouth of the Thai River. From there the Thai officers took them
through Muan Long district to a temple called Wat Prasat. After that,
the delegation was taken to the capital city of Ayuthya, where they met
King Bonomkot (1733-1758 C.E.) and his ministers.
Thailand was able to repay its debt to Sri Lanka by sending
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