Old pirivena turns new page with English Daham Pasela
Sitting in tranquillity at the corner where Pepiliyana Road meets the busy Piliyandala Road at Pepiliyana, is the Sunethra Mahadevi Piriven Raja Maha Viharaya believed to have been established more than 600 years ago by Parakrama Bahu VI, famous for the unification of Sri Lanka, in memory of his beloved mother.
Ven. Dr. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera
Traditionally well known as a centre of learning, with a stone inscription giving proof that the first Principal was Mangala Sangharaja Thera who was a student of Galaturumula Medhalankara Maha Thera, it had been among the best five pirivenas in the country in ancient times, pointed out the Nayake Hamuduruwo, Ven. Dr. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera, adding that it had also been a centre for writing the Tripitika.
Although over the years the pirivena had gone into decline, the current Nayake Hamuduruwo had set his sights on restoring its past glory as a centre of learning.
Weaving together tradition and modernity, this monk has been instrumental in launching Dhamma lessons for children not only in Sinhala but also in English. Realising the Dhamma lacuna faced by a growing population of children who are studying in international schools, he had stepped in to breach this gap two years ago.
Ithama vishishta jayagrahanayak, he smiles, explaining that it is a major triumph. The bad influences are many and it is important for children who don’t get a religious education, to be guided according to Lord Buddha’s teachings. These are also times when many families have trouble within the home and Buddhism is like an oasis in the scorching desert.
It is in this light that while men, women and children leave the chaos of their routine behind and sit cross-legged on the sandy ground beneath the gently rustling leaves of the Bo-tree in meditation or murmur gathas, both Samaneras and lay students pore over their books during the week in regular classes up to the Advanced Level and the Post-Graduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies functions here.
On Sunday morning, white-clad children troop in to the Sinhala Daham Pasela and in the evening the English Daham Pasela.
“We have more than 400 including 120 bhikkhus who go up to the Advanced Level,” says Ven. Abhayatissa, while Chief Teacher of the English Daham Pasela, Samanthi Colonne adds that with about 60 students being on the roll, on average about 40–including those in the English medium of regular schools–attend the Sunday-evening lessons from 3-5.
Sunethra Mahadevi Piriven Raja Maha Viharaya: Traditionally known as a learning centre. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Within two short years, the English Daham Pasel students have proven their prowess, while engaging in many an activity to improve their spirituality. Starting in May 2010 with just three levels of study, for children over five years of age the achievements of the English Daham Pasela under the guidance of Samanthi and her six teachers, have been many. The ‘Light of Asia’ contest organised by the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) has been a good testing ground for these students, with Mahin de Silva just last July carrying away the Challenge Cup in the ‘Primary Boys – Colombo Division’ while Abhisheka Kumarage came in fifth.
It was in the very first year in September that Mahin was selected to represent all Dhamma School students of Sri Lanka at the 146th birth anniversary celebrations of Anagarika Dharmapala in India.
With justified pride, Samanthi points out that in 2011, there was a 100% pass rate among the first batch of students from the English Daham Pasela who sat the ‘Basic Level – International Dhamma & Abhidhamma Examination’ conducted by the Colombo YMBA. Seventy-eight per cent passed with Distinctions and the others with Credits, she adds.
The demand has been so much that we have now expanded the levels of study to six, according to her, which include the ‘Beginners Level 1–3’, ‘Basic Level’, ‘Junior Part 1’and ‘Junior Part 2’.
It is, however, not only book learning that is imparted at this Daham Pasela and this year a ‘residential training camp’, a pilgrimage, special training session on 5S, public speaking and table manners are on the cards for the students, while a parenting course by a British-qualified doctor is being organised for their parents.
With this rounded education, the English Daham Pasela seems to be the latest ray of hope for children living amid the pressures of materialism.
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