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| Sunday, 13 June 2004 |
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Erudite monk who rendered yeoman service to the nation by Deepal Warnakulasuriya
The Ven. Thera was born to a Buddhist family at Deegalla Gangoda Walawwa in Ududumbara on June 26, 1916 and was named Samarakoon Bandara. Abeykoon Wasala Mudiyanse Punchibanda of Weragama, a retired Village Headman, was his father and his mother was Istela Aguluwanna Ekanayake Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Rambukkwelle Wimalamune Walawwe Muthubanda Nilamege Medduma Kumarihamy. He received his primary education at Mediwaka Vidyalaya in Gampaha' a village in the Kandy district. When he was 13, he followed his maternal uncle Ven. Rambukwelle Sri Dhammaratana Sobitha Thera and was ordained at the Malwatte Maha Vihara on May 12, 1930. Then he was named Rambukwelle Vipassi and entered the Vidyalankara Pirivena, Peliyagoda in 1934 where he received his higher studies for 10 years and practised and mastered the Dhamma Vinaya. He also learnt oriental languages and English there and received the Higher Ordination (Upasampada) on May 13, 1938 which was a Vesak Poya Day. In 1945, he was appointed as a `Karmacharya' of the Malwatte Chapter and was subsequently appointed to serve the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He became the Trustee of the Gangarama Rajamaha Vihara in Kandy in 1949 and also became the Chief Incumbent of the temple. He was also appointed to the `Karaka Sanga Sabha' (Executive Committee) of the Malwatte Chapter in 1950. In 1970 he was promoted to the `Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha' by the Malwatte Chapter. He also became the chief incumbent of four temples - Kundasale Vihara, Gonawatte Vihara, Udagampitiya Purana Vihara and the Rambukwelle temple known as Malwatte Maha Vihara after the demise of his mentor. The Most Ven. Thera became the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter in 1989 at the age of 72, succeeding the late Ven. Sri Sumana Panditha Sirimalwatte Ananda Mahanayake Thera. He successfully held the post of the Head of the Chapter for 15 years. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in her condolence message has said that he was an erudite monk who rendered yeomen service to the nation and to the Buddha Sasana. She has mentioned that the Maha Nayaka Thera will be immortalised as a great Bhikku who bravely enunciated his opinions on problems faced by the country as well as issues concerning the Buddha Sasana. She further added that his demise was an unbearable loss to the Buddha Sasana which is confronted with various problems at present. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse in his condolence message said that the Mahanayake Thera had always earned honour and respect not only from Buddhists but also from leaders of other religions. The PM also appreciated his unbiased views on contemporary national and international issues and said that the moderate and simple lifestyle of a Bhikku enunciated by the Buddha was clearly evident in his life. May the most Venerable Mahanayake Thera attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana. |
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The cremation of the Most. Ven. Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi Mahanayake
Thera of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya will take place
this evening at the Asgiriya Police Grounds. Ven. Mahanayake Thera who
rendered yeomen service to the Buddha Sasana and all countrymen during the
last seven decades, passed away last Monday (June 07) afternoon at the
Kandy General Hospital. He was 88 at the time and was receiving treatment
at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for over five days.
