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| Thursday, 10 June 2004 |
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Reception for Ven. Dr. Mirisse Dhammika Thera Dr. Mirisse Dhammika Thera the chief incumbent of Sri Sudassanarama temple, Battaramulla, returns to the island on 12.06.04 having obtained his M.A and Ph.D. degrees from the Simon Fraser University of Canada. A reception is being organised to welcome him, with the participation of distinguished Buddhist dignitaries and the Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Ven. Dr. Mirisse Dhammika Thera, the chief incumbent of Sri Sudassanaramaya, Battaramulla proceeded to Canada in 1995 to pursue his post graduate studies at Simon Fraser University. After his studies and the research work that he undertook at the said university he has obtained his M.A. and the Ph.D. degrees. Venerable Mirisse Dhammika was born in 1964 at Mirissa in the Matara District and was ordained a Buddhist monk at the tender age of nine years in 1973 at Sri Sudharmaramaya, Udupila Mirissa. His teachers were most Venerable Pandit Mirisse Chandajothi Maha Thera and Most Venerable Mirisse Piyadassi Maha Thera. As a novice monk he pursued Buddhism based on original three discourses (Suthra, Vinaya and Abhidharma), Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhalese and English in Siri Sunanda Pirivena, Mirissa. Following a monastic life, he practised meditation on techniques of tranquility (Samata) and insight (Vipassana). After acquiring traditional Buddhist education, he got his higher ordination (Upasampada) at Vajiragnana Dharmayathana, Maharagama in 1982. The Most Venerable Madihe Pannaseeha Maha Nayaka Thera was his preceptor. He pursued his higher education at the Colombo University, and graduated in 1986 and was appointed as the principal of a Pirivena in Dambadeniya in the same year. In 1988, the Ministry of Education appointed Venerable Mirisse Dhammika as a graduate teacher. Prior to his departure for Canada his last appointment was to D. S. Senanayake Vidyalaya, Colombo where he rendered an invaluable service and was the subject coordinator for Buddhism. In addition he did counselling for students who were under traumatic stress. As the chief incumbent of Siri Sudassanaramaya temple in Battaramulla, he served over twelve hundred families with religious counselling and spiritual guidance. He was the principal of the Sunday school conducted at this temple with approximately 300 students and twenty academic staff. Venerable Dhammika left Sri Lanka in 1995 accepting the invitation of Buddhist Vihara Society in British Colombia, Canada to conduct meditation sessions on regular basis for the Sri Lankan community as well as non-Sri Lankans. He also conducted meditation sessions in rehabilitation centres (prisons) for women and Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. Venerable Dhammika continued his social service in high schools in Canada by giving talks on stress management and anger management based on Mindfulness and Loving - Kindness meditations. In 1997, Venerable Dhammika joined the faculty of education in Simon Fraser University, and successfully completed his Master of Arts degree in the year 2000. Thesis he submitted for his Masters Degree was "Stress Reduction for Youth through Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness Meditation". In 2004, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy of education. The thesis he submitted for his Ph.D. thesis was "Mindfulness for Education" (from the diary of a Buddhist monk). These presentations were accepted as great contributions towards secular educational system in North America & Canada. He has published following works on Buddhism. "Buddhist Meditation for Beginners" (English), "Vesak Thoughts" (English), and "Parents and Children" (Sinhala). |
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