Passing away of Ven. Medagama Vajiragnana Thera:

Opposition Leader condoles

COLOMBO: Opposition Leader in a condolence message over the passing away of Most Ven. Medagama Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera, the Chief Sanganayake of United Kingdom and the Viharadhipathi of Buddhist Temple, London, UK says the Thera was truly a model of the ideal Bhikku learned, high principled, tolerant of diversity and always ready to accept the challenges that modernism posed.

The message: Ven. Vajiragnana Thera was a towering personality in Britain where he was the head of the Interfaith Network Organisation for Religious Harmony for several years.

He was largely responsible for making the tenets of Buddhism well-known throughout Europe and received recognition by Her Majesty the Queen for the services on behalf of his religion.

I knew Ven. Vajiragnana Thera well and benefited greatly by my discussions with him on the manner in which Dhamma was being propagated in Europe. He was truly a model of the ideal Bhikku-learned, high principled, tolerant of diversity and always ready to accept the challenge that modernism posed.

His passing away is a great loss to the world of learning and to us all who knew him and benefited by his association.