Be no avaricious and do no wrong

Know thus. O, good man: "not easy of restraint are evil things" let no greed and wickedness drag you to protracted misery.

- Mala vagga - The Dhammapada

Ven. Wimalananditissa Maha Thera passes away

The cremation of Ven. Agga Maha Pandita Wimalakeerthi Sri Ahungalle Wimalananditissa Maha Thera of Amarapura Sect will take place on Saturday July 2, afternoon at Ahungalle Weerasinghe playground.

He was born on November 9, 1914 and ordained on October 29, 1925. His teacher was the chief incumbent of Sugatha Sasanodaya Pirivena Ahungalle Wimalananditissa Thera spent 80 years of his life as a bhikkhu and was appointed as the Chief Thera of Amarapura Sect on December 26, 1977.

He studied at Sugatha Saranodaya Pirivena and obtained the BA Degree in Sinhalese, Pali and Sanskrit languages. He held the post of a teacher at the above Pirivena and also was the chief incumbent and a Director of the Pirivena. He was a great writer and has written a large number of books.

He has visited Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Myanmar several times on Theravada Buddhist missionary activities, and he was awarded the Honour of Agga Maha Pandita in 1999, by the Government of Myanmar.

He has rendered great service towards the development of Ambaghapitimula Temple.

The funeral procession will commence at 2.00 p.m. on July 02, from Ambagahapitimula Temple.

The arrival of PHRA Raja Mangalachariya (SomDET) Deputy Sangha Raja

by Ven. Amugoda Somananda Maha Thera

Ven. P. Rajamangalachariya Maha Thera, the Chief Incumbent of "Vat-Pat-Nam" Maha Viharaya of Thailand will declare open the four storeyed Dharma Mandiraya, Siri Dhammawansa Siri Dhammananda Rajamangalachariya at Jayasekararamaya Maha Viharaya, Kuppiyawatta, Colombo on July 5, 2005 ceremonially.

He will also participate at the 8th commemorative religious ceremonies of late Talalle Rajakeeya Panditha Siri Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thera of Siri Saddhammawansa Amarapura Chapter.

Ven. P. Rajamangalachariya Maha Thera - the Chief Incumbent of (Vat-Pat-Nam) Maha Viharaya of Deva Nagaraya (Tom Buri) at Bangkok, Thailand. His teacher is Ven. Bauguna Mangala Maha Deva Muni" Thera who conducts "Dhammakaya" meditation methods.

As there is no adequate space in the temple, he has bought one hundred acres of land at "Sucnharq" and set up a resting place with religious atmosphere and it is named as "Vali-dhamma Kaya". There are veteran teachers of meditation to conduct training daily. Although his religious name is "Vara Punchno", the Maha Theras and the King of Thai have given several names.

He too has become popular by the names of "Bo-Guna Deva Vara Vedi "Po", "Thoq", Bo Guna Dhams Dhira, Raja Maha Mangalachariya.

He is now eighty two years old and a versatile bhikkhu, a popular preacher and disciplined Buddha Putra.

He has constructed a Buddha Mandalaya to commemorate the event of 2500 Buddha Jayanthiya at Patna Nagara where more than one thousand devotees could be assembled at a time with the assistance of government. He has constructed buildings in Sri Lanka, India, Japan, Switzerland and Australia to propagate Buddha Dhamma. He has buildings constructed at Jayasekararamaya and Jayatillakaramaya in Colombo by donating funds.

The Deputy Sangha Nayaka has developed a great friendship with Jayasekararamaya when Ven. Kosgoda Dhammawasa Maha Nayaka Thera and Ven. Thalalle Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thera were living.

They were invited to Thailand and developed a relationship with the Most Ven. Dhammadhira Maha Nayaka Thera and contributed funds for the construction of Aawasa Mandiraya at Jayasekararamaya Maha Viharaya, Kuppiyawatta, Colombo.

Jayasekerarama Temple:

Spiritual and cultural centre for over eight decades

by C. V. Rajapakse, District Judge, Matale

Jayasekerarama temple at Kuppiyawatta, Colombo 10 is situated in an ideal place and also a spiritual and cultural centre of Sangha and contribute greatly to propagate Buddha Dhamma for several decades.

Ven. Kosgoda Dhammawansabhidana Maha Nayaka Thera	Ven. Thalalle Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thera

History records that this elegant temple was inaugurated on 25, October 1823 and the valuable land was donated by Mudali Arnoldas de Abrew Rajapaksa.

Several eminent Bhikkus of Amarapura Chapter resided in the temple and rendered a yeoman service to protect Buddha-Dhamma.

Ven. Lankagoda Dhirananda Nayake Thera, who resided in the temple passed away in January. He was succeeded by Ven. Thalalle Siri Sivaka Maha Thera as the Chief Incumbent of the temple. He ordained Ven. Siri Dhammarakitha as a pupil of him and he entered Vidyodaya Pirivena in Colombo and obtained the title of "Sama Rajaya" in the year 1908. He became the chief incumbent of Jayasekararamaya temple, and appointed as the Maha Nayaka of Amarapura Chapter of Siri Saddhammawansa. His pupils were Thalalle Dhirakanda and Talalle Dhammananda. Ven. Dhammananda Thera had a natural gift of learning. As a student and due to his outstanding qualities he was ordained on April 27, 1932 and Ven. Dhirakanda was also ordained as the second pupil and lived 65 years rendering a national service to Buddha Sasana.

Ven. Dhammananda Thera was appointed as the Chief Incumbent and contributed immensely for the development of the temple.

Born as the sixth child into a respectable family at Thalalle, his father was known as Don Dinesh de Silva at Thalalle and mother was Beba Mendis Karunaratna.

He had a natural gift for hearing and it is said that he was assiduous in the pursuit of studies. As a teacher, erudite scholar, well-known Buddhist preacher, pious monk and well-versed in the Dhamma and Vinaya, he had rendered yeoman service to the country, religion and education.

He was a student of Vidyodaya Pirivena and the University and served as a teacher in these educational institutes.

He had written several books for the benefit of the students of higher education and among them his popular books were Sambuddha Desana, Sigiri Padya, Thripitakayo, Sanskruthika Lakshana and many more books.

His linguistic ability including western language made him at home wherever he went to propagate the Buddha Dhamma.

He was a popular preacher of Dhamma Desana over radio, at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, then CBC, and he was appointed to the Buddhist Advisory Board of Radio Ceylon.

He had participated in several foreign delegations to propagate Buddha Dhammma. He was the first head of the Sri Lanka Buddhist and Pali University of Pinwatte Saddarmakara University and a Ayathanadipati attached to Bhikkhu Education Institute at Ratmalana. A stamp was issued on 13.3.2004 to honour Ven. Thalalle Dhammananda Maha Thera.

He was also appointed as the Chief Sangha Nayaka of Western Province later as the Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka and the Registrar of Amarapura Sangha Sabha during the period of Ven. Kosgoda Dhammawansabhidana Maha Nayaka Thera of Amarapura Sadhamwansa Nikaya. In 1985 when the Maha Nayaka Thera passed away, he was assigned the Deputy Chief Sangha Nayaka of Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha.

He rendered an excellent service and devoted his life to develop the Jayasekararamaya Buddhist Centre. He practised the art of generosity with great zeal. He always helped the bhikkhu who were in need, and very sincerely gave the best he had.

He converted the Jayasekararamaya as a centre for welfare activities for people and inculcated the teaching of Dhamma to the people to set up a decent society. His pupils, Ven. Thalalle Mahinda Thera, Sasthrapathi Rajawatte Wappa Thera, and Mapallane Shantha Thera followed the footsteps of 'guru' and the rendering a similar service to Buddha Sasana.

He had travelled wide to propagate Buddha Sasana. It was one of his concepts to construct a four storied International Dharmamandiraya and laid the foundation on February 1993, but due to ill-health he could not complete the construction work of 'Dharmamandiraya'. He passed away on April 12, 1997.

The three pupils of late Thalalle Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thera took the initiative to complete the construction work.

It was due to the devoted efforts of the present incumbent of Jayasekararamaya Ven. Thallale Mahinda Thera, and under the patronage of Ven. Rajawatte Wappa Thera and with the co-operation of Dr. Dickwelle Sugathawansa Thera, the construction work of four storied building was completed soon.

Ven. Mapalane Shantha Thera was invited to Thailand and he discussed the construction work of the building with Ven. Rajamangalachariya Thera (Som Det) the chief incumbent of (Wat-Pat-Nam) and Deputy Sangha Raja and he donated funds for the construction work of the Dharmamandiraya.

The Ven. Sasthrapathi Amugoda Somananda Thera - the principal of Saddharmakara Pirivena, Pinwatte, also extended his co-operation.