Metamorphosis

Hotelier becomes a Buddhist monk

by Ananda Kannangara

To be dressed in saffron robes to become a Buddhist monk was my childhood dream, says Dr. G.B. Pieris relaxing at his residence in Moratuwa.

A hotelier by profession Dr. Berty Pieris, says.

"This fortune came to me after several decades and now I am eagerly awaiting this golden day."

He is expected to leave Sri Lanka during the early part of next month to be ordained as a Buddhist monk for six-months at a temple in Thailand.

In an interview with the `Sunday Observer', Dr. Pieris said he would give up all his everyday desires to be a Buddhist monk in a foreign country. "My objective is to get used to the religious life style of Buddhists in Thailand and study the history of Buddhism further," he said.

Dr. Pieris is also expected to visit places of Buddhist value during his stay in Thailand and conduct research on temples and ancient dagabas.

"I also wish to meet the Buddhist community in Thailand and study their day to day religious activities," he said.

He further stated he would get the opportunity of participating in religious ceremonies, conducted by Thai Buddhists during the period of the Vesak Full Moon Poya days in the month of May.

"As a memento of my historical visit I would take a bo-sapling from the Kalutara bodiya to be planted at the temple premises where I will be ordained and stay during the six months," he added.

"I have never heard about a Sri Lankan who had been to a foreign country to be ordained as a Buddhist monk for a short period," he added.

He said his sole intention was to come back to his motherland after the assignment and conduct seminars for Sri Lankan Buddhists and also hold exhibitions along with the photographs taken during his stay in Thailand.

A product of Ananda College, Colombo, Dr. Pieris had taken a keen interest in the college extra curricular activities and was chosen as the Secretary of the School Buddhist Society for his painstaking efforts to develop Buddhist activities in the school.

He also thanked the General Manager of Thai Airways for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Suradhana Sibunruang for granting him a free passage to Thailand to fulfil his dream of being a Buddhist monk. Dr. Pieris said several members of the Thai Royal family had also achieved the feat of being Buddhist monks, in the past.

Dr. Pieris proudly said that he started his career at Lake House in 1956 and worked as an advertising assistant for ten years before leaving for Germany to follow a course in hotel management in Berlin.

Recalling his younger days, he said he met his wife Janina, a lady from Poland while following the hotel management course in Berlin.

"I was the General Manager of Queens and Swiss hotels in Kandy as well as the Lihiniya Surf Hotel, Bentota and at present I am engaged in consultancy work at Hotel Paradise Island in Bentota," he said.

He is the Secretary of the Sri Lanka-Thailand Buddhist Central Committee.

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