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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Ven. Hikkaduwe Sumangala Thero was invited to the World
Parliament of Religion held in Chicago 1893 as the representative
of the Theravada teachings of Buddhism. However, at Ven. Thero’s
request, and with his blessings, Anagarika Dharmapala participated
in the conference in his stead, and brought about a wave of interest
regarding Buddhism in America. This built a great rapport between
Ven. Thero and Anagarika Dharmapala.
Ven. Hikkaduwe Sumangala Thero became the very first
chairperson of Mahabodhi Society. Ven. Sumangala supported and
guided Anagarika Dharmapala all through his efforts to re-establish
Buddhism on the Indian sub-continent.
In January of 1891 Ven. Thero made sure to send Ven.
Kojin Gunaratana Thero, of Japanese descent, along with Anagarika
Dharmapala, when he made his way to Bodh Gaya in India. However,
Anagarika Dharmapala had to leave India that very same year in order
to ask for the support of the Japanese government to rescue Bodh
Gaya from the clutches of other religions that sought to destroy the
sacred place. Upon his arrival back in India he was greatly dismayed to
discover that Ven. Kojin Gunaratana Thero had passed away.
Ven. Hikkaduwe Sumangala Thero firmly stated that the best
way to re-establish Buddhism in India was to educate the Indian scholars
in the Pali language. In 1907, upon Ven. Thero’s request, Anagarika
Dharmapala, together with the help of Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee,
Chancellor of the University of Kolkata, established the Department
of Pali language within the University. With permission from our Ven.
Thero, Ven. Sooriyagoda Sumangala Thero was invited to Kolkata to
become the very first Head of the newly established Department.
Great intellectuals such as Dr. Nalinaksha Datta, Sukumar
Datta, Dr. B. C. Low, Dr. B. M. Baruwa, Anukul Chandra Banrgee, and
Deepak Kumar Baruwa graduated from the Department of Pali language,
University of Kolkata, and went on to contribute their valuable services
in universities all over India as well as in Europe. Even some wellknown
Sri Lankan scholars, Ven. Dr. Walpola Rahula Thero, Ven. Dr.
Uruwela Dhammaratana Thero, Mr. Sagara Palansooriya, Dr. Siripala
Leelarathna, Dr. Wimalananda Thennakoon, Dr. D. E. Hettiarachchi
and Dr. Jinadasa Perera also graduated from the same Department in
Kolkata University, India.
The scholars thus graduated, Ven. Jagdish- kashyap Thero
and Ven. Dr. Uruwela Dhammaratana Thero together established the
University of Nalanda, which gifted the world with many more great
Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Cambodian and Sri Lankan scholars.
Among them were Most Ven. Akuratiye Amarawansa Thero, Ven.
Raddalle Pangnaloka Thero, Ven. Ganegama Saranankara Thero, Ven.
Kananke Wajiragnana Thero and Ven. Hagoda Kemananda Thero.
Most of them went on to provide their valuable services at Vidyodaya
Pirivena in Sri Lanka. The Department of Pali Language, which
was first established only in the University of Kolkata, was later on
established in several other Universities, such as Varanasi, Delhi, Pune
as well as in Magadha University.
Ven. Thero’s influence is still felt today in many ways, all of
which contribute to the worldwide propagation of Buddhism.
17
Anaragika Dharmapala: A True Visionary
I am sure that the details of the Anagarika Dharmapala’s life
and many of his contributions to Buddhism, India, and Sri Lanka will be
recounted and discussed in other articles in this publication. His great
accomplishments in Bodhi Gaya and Kolkata; his tireless propagation
of the Dhamma around the world; and his sowing the seeds for Indian
and Sri Lankan independence are all very well described in many
books and articles about him. Here, I wish to focus on a few pivotal
occurrences in his life that prove without doubt that he was one of the
great visionaries of his time. It has often been said that it is indeed rare
for anyone to see five years into the future; much rarer still to be able
to see decades ahead and beyond. The Anagarika Dharmapala had this
ability, and his influence on Buddhism and current events is still being
felt today.
Firstly, in our Theravada tradition, it is impossible to fully
study the teachings of the Buddha in depth without an understanding
of the Pali language, which illuminates the deeper meanings and subtle
nuances of the Buddha’s actual words. When Dharmapala arrived
on the scene there were no formal academic studies of this ancient
tongue, which is the vernacular of the Buddha. Dharmapala realized
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