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by Professor Asanga Tilakaratne, Head of the Department of Buddhist Philosophy, Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya.

After a brief illness the most venerable Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Thera passed away on the 9th of this month at the age of ninety (born: 1913). Ever since the body was brought to Siri Vajiranana Dharmayatana at Maharagama what is seen is a spectacle: clad in white, unbroken chain of people of all ages silently lining up in thousands to pay their last homage to the undisputed leader of all the Buddhists of Sri Lanka.

The sheer number is staggering. The atmosphere of veneration is extraordinaryly serene. In this act of silent mourning people not only pay respect to a Buddhist monk they valued so much; they also make a clear statement of allegiance to the course the Venerable Mahanayake Thera stood for and lament what seems to be an irreparable loss to this course.

Most venerable Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Thera

Born in Madihe in Matara, brought up in a mixed religious background at home with a piously Buddhist mother and a sincerely Christian father (who later became a Buddhist), the late Mahanayaka Thera entered monkhood at the tender age of 13. He was trained under the strict discipline of the late Great Elder Pelene Vajiranana Mahanayaka Thera at Vajiraramaya, Bambalapitiya. He had his monastic education under his own teacher Pelene Mahanayaka Thera and subsequently joined the (then) Colombo University College and obtained 'Vidyavisarada' degree under the guidance of the late Professor G. P. Malalasekera.

The monastic training he received under his teacher was very traditional and strict. The late Pelene Mahanayaka Thera was one who firmly believed that the Buddhist monks should not get involved in politics. Even in social activism, he believed that a Buddhist monk's role is confined only to preaching and guidance and nothing more. In his own behaviour Madihe Nayaka Thera was both similar to his teacher in some very important respects and different in some other equally important respects. For instance, the Mahanayaka Thera, like his own teacher, believed in strict monastic discipline. This is an area where he never made any concession or compromise. Looking back at his exemplary life, this is a point even his detractors would not dare to dispute.

Moral uprightness is really the source from which the real strength of a Buddhist monks springs. It is what makes him approach any individual or group unhesitant and confident. The late Mahanayaka Thera had this in abundance. During Pelene Vajiranana Mahanayaka Thera's time it is well known that all the big and powerful personalities of the country visited him at Vajirarama. He never went to a political platform but politicians sought his advice and guidance which he made available from his monastery.

It was the same with Madihe Mahanayaka Thera: he never went to meet politicians, they came to see him.

Where Madihe Nayaka Thera differed from his teacher was that he went far beyond mere preaching and discharging advice but devoted his entire life to go into people and to actively participate in development activities insofar as a Buddhist monks' Vinaya allows him to do so.

As a young leader of the Sangha he was a member of the Buddhist Commission of Inquiry appointed by the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress in 1953 and subsequently he was appointed a member of the Buddha Sasana Commission appointed by the Bandaranaike Government in 1956. Both these appointments made the Venerable Nayaka Thera travel all over the island, cities and villages in all areas, meeting with Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

He had a first-hand experience of both urban and rural Buddhist life in the country. Subsequently he was appointed the chairman of Dhamma School Commission and the commission appointed to look into the matters of new settlements. All these instances were occasions for the Mahanayaka Thera to understand deeply the issue involving the life of Buddhists in particular and that of other religionists in general in the country.

His involvement in the Temperance Movement, first as a member and subsequently as its president, got him involved with hundreds of organisations and thousands of people all over the island. One cannot imagine a monk more travelled in the country, more knowledgeable of its people and more aware of their problems. Fortified with this knowledge and experience he devoted his entire life for the course of uplifting the standards of economic, religious and cultural life of people of this country.

His motto was: Develop the man first; the country will develop automatically. This is essentially the Buddhist philosophy of development. It is ultimately the refinement of each individual in his behaviour, attitudes and modes of living that makes a particular society developed or otherwise. In his developmental philosophy the most Venerable Nayaka Thera envisaged a society advanced in economy, education and morality. To achieve this noble end he designed a village rehabilitation program and implemented it in selected villages in Anuradhapura district. Subsequently he established the Dharma Vijaya Society as a more permanent body meant to put the Buddhist philosophy of development into practice.

The Mahanayaka Thera believed in a moral reawakening based on the principles of Buddhism as the solution to the social ills of this country. From the time of 2500 Buddha Jayanti he was active in this process raising awareness of people of their cultural heritage by forming and guiding Buddhist organisations, by writing guide books, tracts and articles to newspapers describing ideal Buddhist life. In fact, it is factually true to say that none has written so much on these issues. As an essential aspect of this process he fought successfully for the State take-over of the public schools run by Christian churches and reestablishment of Poya as a public holiday. Although this latter step was not long-lived it nevertheless showed the Venerable Nayaka Thera's dedication for a course which he believed to be right.

It is well-known that the Venerable Nayaka Thera fought for regaining the historical position the Sinhala Buddhists were deprived of under colonial rule. The course he advocated to achieve this goal was seen by some as chauvinistic. The fact of the matter, however, is that the Venerable Nayaka Thera was guided by a deep sense of fairness and justice informed by Buddhist understanding of reality. His advocacy of Buddhism and the rights of Sinhala were not at all at the expenses of the rights of others.

When historical errors are corrected, however, there can automatically be some changes and amendments to be made and the situations of that kind need to be understood in their proper contexts. The Nayaka Thera never advocated war as the means of solving the ongoing problem of separatism in the country. What he did make clear is that the people and the Government of this country have a duty to protect what they rightly value as their cultural heritage from being destroyed. He showed, in his innumerable writings, that the so-called 'home-land' is a fabrication nurtured in hatred.

He believed and advocated that all the people in the country, irrespective of their ethnicity or religion, have a right to live in any place in the country. This undoubtedly is the right vision to be adopted by all those who wish to live in a peaceful and prosperous country.

Madihe Mahanayake Thera was, first and foremost, a Buddhist monk, a true disciple of the Buddha, who exemplified through his life the rich spiritual tradition of Buddhism. He was kind, gentle and generous. Even his close associates have not seen him losing his temper or have not heard him raising his voice.

He, nevertheless, was very firm in his convictions. He never belonged to any political party. He did not have a party; what he had was issues to sort out and ideals to be realised. His policy was to guide the political system of the country to achieve these goals, although, we must admit that he was not successful always. He nevertheless believed that it was his duty as a Buddhist monk with a social duty as 'kula-devata' to make his views known and help implement them as long as he lived.

This he did till the last moment of his active life. What the thousands of silent mourners testify to is that they share his vision of this country as a place for all to live happily and peacefully.

May he attain the supreme happiness of Nibbana!

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