Sir Cyril de Zoysa: He espoused a great cause
October 26, 1896 was a very special day for the family at Kankanangedera of Welitara Totamuna in Balapitiya for it was on this day that their second child was born – not at this very address but in the adjoining city of Galle. His parents, Solomon de Zoysa, a Notary, and his wife, Harriet, may not have even thought that here was born a child who would grow up to be a man of consequence for the future of Sri Lanka. This was none other than Cyril de Zoysa who was destined to render momentous service to the cause of the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka.
Sir Cyril de Zoysa
Sometime after his birth, his father, Solomon de Zoysa, chose to practise his profession in Matara. This led young Cyril, to begin schooling at St. Thomas’ College, Matara. Soon he left for Richmond College, Galle. After a brief spell of about one year there, he left for Royal College, Colombo, laying the foundation of a life dedicated to immense social service. At Royal College his contemporaries were magnificent personalities such as Sir John Kotalawela and Sir Nicholas Attygalla. After finishing his education at Royal College he entered the Law College and upon successful completion of his studies, returned home to practise as a lawyer in the Balapitiya Police Courts. Soon after, he moved to the Kalutara Courts where he earned a reputation as a clever young lawyer. This shift to Kalutara was one that also kindled his innate religious fervour.
During the era of British rule, it was on the very spot that the Kalutara Bodhiya stands today that the Residency of the Government Agent (GA) was located. The GA had imposed restrictions upon worship at the Bodhi. The Police would ward off worshippers who ventured to visit this place for veneration. Cyril de Zoysa would not countenance this. As if by force, he caused the construction of stands around the sacred Bodhi Tree, upon which to place flowers in traditional religious worship. He did not stop at this, but moved on by dint of sheer persistence to acquire the site on which the GA’s Residency stood and offered it to the sacred cause.
From this point on, Cyril de Zoysa was able to preserve the sanctity of the Bodhiya, protect it and also develop the place significantly. To Buddhists, any reference to Kalutara instantly brings to mind its stupendous Chaitya. It is Sir Cyril’s piety and religious fervour that confers upon him the distinction of causing its construction. He strongly believed that every success in his life was owing to his devotion to the Bodhiya.
He made it a practice for all buses belonging to the ‘Swarnpali’ fleet which he owned, to stop at this sacred place each time these buses plied back and forth, so that commuters would have an opportunity of ‘dropping a coin’, thus contributing to its maintenance. This practice continues to this day.
Sir Cyril’s service to the Buddha Sasana was not confined to the development of the Kalutara Bodhiya. He was able to effect, in a remarkably short time, the restoration of the Kiri Vehera, the historic chaitya at Kataragama. Thus he rendered many services for the propagation of the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka. By the same token he contributed towards the development of places sacred to Buddhists in India as well. One such place was the precincts upon which stands the sacred Ananda Bodhiya.
By this time, the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA) was in a state of decline and Sir Cyril became its President. He constructed a hall for the YMBA in Borella, in memory of his parents. He held the position of President for about thirty years and during this period performed the great service of getting booklets on the Buddha Dhamma printed and distributed among students in Dhamma schools – an important contribution towards the promotion of Dhamma education in Sri Lanka. He further expanded his service in the cause of education by donating the only land he owned in Kalutara to lay the foundation for two Buddhist schools in the region – Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya and Kalutara Vidyalaya – which are held in high esteem and stand out to this day as landmarks of his generosity. Thus his services in the field of education too warrant appreciation.
To Sir Cyril, engagement in social service projects just as in the affairs of the Buddhist revival of the day was as though they were virtually his hobbies. Apart from his service to the YMBA, some examples of his commitment to social service are his overwhelming contributions towards the Association for the prevention of Cancer, The School for the Deaf & Blind, the Scout Movement, the Sir Frank Gunasekera Trust, the Child Protection Society, and the Ceylon National Association for Prevention of Tuberculosis. The movement to provide free legal advice and services to the community is yet another initiative, which is an adornment as it were in his already outstanding record of social service.
No mention of Cyril de Zoysa, would be complete if reference is not made to his performance in the fields of politics and the law. His work in the field of politics began in 1941 when he became the Chairman of the Urban Council. In an era when the country had lost its independence this was an important event. With the passage of time he was appointed Deputy President of the Senate and later President.
As President of the Law Society established in Sri Lanka, he strove towards the development of the required physical resources and infrastructure and provided facilities necessary for Law students and helped resolve their problems. He also worked for the appointment of lawyers as Judges.
In appreciation of his services to society he was knighted by the King of England. Thus, Proctor Cyril de Zoysa became known as Sir Cyril de Zoysa. Much as his social status was elevated and much as he was busy, he never failed to visit and venerate the Kalutara Bodhi. Thus he committed his life, his time and his wealth to the service of the Buddha Sasana and to society at large. In the evening of his life he was relaxed and enjoyed peace of mind. More touching is this sentiment as cast in his own words:
“I am now free; however much wealth one may have it is all fruitless and empty. I was born without riches. I shall die without riches. My joy, my comfort, my strength is the Word of the Buddha (the Buddha Dhamma). As long as I live I shall be protected by the divine beings … …”
Thus, Sir Cyril demonstrated by example how a human life can be spent so meaningfully.
(The writer is Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Incumbent, Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara, Anunayaka Thera, Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha)