Tribute to an artist monk

Ven Mapalagama Vipulasara Thera, the founder of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress, was in the front line of artwork and projects of sculpture in Sri Lanka. He was an independent and positive thinker who contributed in a massive scale to the Buddha Sasana

Ven Prof Ittademaliye Indasara Thera

Ven Dr Mapalagama Vipulasara Thera was born on March 3, 1925. His parents were Siyadoris Ganewatta (the chieftain of Mapalagama Aluth Thanayamgoda) and Leelawathi Gunasekara Hamine. He had his primary education at Mapalagama Parana Thanayamgoda Government School. At a young age, he was already anxious to lead a clergy life. Therefore, he came to Ratmalana Parama Dhamma Cetiya Pirivena to seek the ordination with the blessing of his parents. He was ordained by Ven Walane Satthissara Maha Thera on July 14, 1939, the day which Indian Prime Minister Sri Jawaharlal Nehru came to Sri Lanka. He received his high ordination on February 18, 1940. As a Buddhist monk, he had his tertiary education at the prestigious oriental institution Vidyodhaya Pirivena. It is said that in his student life he showed capability in art.

The erudite professor G P Malalasekara saw the efficiency of Ven Vipulasara in art and introduced him to the Government’s Art Institution Head, J D A Perera. The Venerable studied art at the Government Art Institution under the supervision of Perera. Ven Vipulasara was disappointed with the Lanka Kala Society. He discussed the formation of an art society with Hendry Dharmasena and M D P Jayawardhene of Panadura who were consummate artists. He also called upon Ven Tiranagama Ratanasara, Ariyawansa Weerakkodi, Yasapala Salgadu, E A Buddhadasa and Aylin Samarasiri and together they formed the “Jatika Kala Peramuna”. This new art society had since been rendering enormous services for art and artist throughout this country.

Year 1956 was the year of Buddha Jayanthi. Many foreign dignitaries turned up in Sri Lanka to participate in that ceremonial event. Ven Mapalagama Vipulasara Thera used tender leaves from the coconut tree to decorate the roads lining the welcome procession of Prince Mikasa of Japan, all the way from the Ratmalana Airport to the Governor’s residence. This scored a first in the creative art history of Sri Lanka. From there, Ven Vipulasara also taught people how to use this traditional decorative art at wedding ceremonies and other auspicious events.

When the Chairman of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Prof Gunapala Malalasekara championed the idea of establishing a Bhikkhu Training College for the teachers of the Pirivena institution at the premises of Ratmalana Paramadhamma Cetiya Pirivena, Ven Vipulasara extended his full support in the setting up and later in the smooth running of the college.

After the passing away of his preceptor on January 17, 1960, Ven Vipulasara became Chief Incumbent of the Paramadhamma Cetiya Pirivena. In his tenure as the chief, he built many new facilities at the college, a new shrine room, preaching hall, cultural centre, dining hall and hostels for the Pirivena students.

In 1964, he started the Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress as the organization of monks and lay people. He was the inceptive General Secretary of the organization.

In 1972 he was selected as its Chief President. Using this organization as a platform, Ven Vipulasara has done great services to the country and Buddhism.

Ven Vipulasara had accomplished skills in creating innovative Buddha statues. His art work of marvellous significant meditation posture statues can be seen at the Ananda College Shrine Hall.

The Buddha statue at Sambuddhaloka Viharaya also exhibits Ven Vipulasara’s talent in this art form. Ven Vipulasara’s Buddha statue art form has also been fabricated in Japan (eg The Gobiyuru Pagoda at the Gomiyuru Garden in Tokyo), London, Washington, New York, West Berlin, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kwala Lumpur, Sydney and Toronto.

He received many national and international awards for his artistic career.

The Ven Vipulasara, who was also the Chief Secretary of World Buddhist Sangha Congress and General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, passed away on October 29, 2000.

To commemorate the great talent and services of Ven Vipulasara, a memorial ceremony will be held at the Secretariat Office of Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress on December 26, 2010.

Champion of Communications and Arts

Ven Walpola Piyananda Thera

The main reason I remember about this kind and generous monk is his unwavering positive attitude about everything. He never said “no” and he never used the word “can’t.” Not seeing the positive possibilities in everything, his approach was simply not in his understanding, and was foreign to his thinking. His famous phrase was “No Problem!” It was this positive attitude that encouraged the thousands of monks who received training in the pirivena system in Sri Lanka, which he re-developed and put into motion.

One of Ven Wipulasara’s most notable achievements was his ordination of 10 Sri Lankan women as bhikkhunis in 1996 in Saranath. This was the first such ordination of Theravada nuns in over 1200 years and it demonstrated his commitment to the egalitarian principles of his faith. I remember that Ven Wipulasara literally lived in airplanes more than anywhere else most of his life. Whenever a problem arose anywhere in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples around the world he would call and say “I’m on my way.” He immediately got on the plane and transported his positivism to wherever it was needed, and he pioneered the way for the modern version of Dhammaduta that so many of us have since followed as we take the teachings of the Buddha from country to country.

His direct and indirect disciple monks have followed his example, and many of them are currently serving the Buddha Sasana in a variety of foreign countries, including Ven Maitipe Wimalasara and Ven Muruthamure Pannaloka in Los Angeles; Ven Assaji and Ven Samita in Kusinara, India; and Ven Sumana in Singapore.

In addition to teaching and inspiring young Sangha members Ven Wipulasara expressed his generosity and liberal social views over the years by training many of Sri Lanka’s journalists, artists, and politicians including President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who sought his advice when he was a young man until the Venerable passed away. We may note that Ven Wipulasara also worked closely with Mrs Bandaranaike, our first female Prime Minister, on a variety of projects over the years.

His artistic achievements are many, but the one I’m sure he will be most remembered for the famous statue of the Buddha that has been copied and replicated tens of thousands of times, and whose grace, elegance, and simplicity speak to the hearts of millions of Buddhists everywhere. This is the Buddha image in the shrine room of my temple in Los Angeles, and nearly every other temples in North America and throughout the world.