‘Rebel’ monk’s endeavour for social justice
“I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done,” said Lord Buddha. Personifying these words is the most recent spiritual labour of Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thera – the International Bhikkhuni Training Centre in Kananwila. Affiliated to the Dekanduwala Dhamma Training and Meditation Centre for Bhikkhunis in Kananwila which was initiated by the Venerable Thera in 1993, the International Bhikkhuni Training Centre still under construction is tucked away in the lush green environs of the Dekanduwala Dhamma Training and Meditation Centre compound. At a time when local Bhikkhunis who have received upasampada are denied legally sanctioned means of identity for reasons best known to bureaucracy, the ambitious move by this ‘rebel in robes’ is a reminder of Lord Buddha’s liberal thinking of opening equal paths of Dhamma to both men and women.
The ultimate objective of the International Bhikkhuni Training Centre as Ven. Wimalajothi Thera explains, is to mould a generation of bhikkhunis conversant in the Dhamma who can become competent global ambassadors.“The siwuwanakpirisa or four-fold group Lord Buddha preached of, comprises Bhikkhu-Bhikkhuni, Upasaka-Upasika which is a clear manifestation of gender equality Buddhism seeks to champion, although narrow political and other agendas have denied our upasampada-attained bhikkhunis of their basic rights of an identification,” says Ven. Wimalajothi Thera who aspires to broaden the horizons of bhikkhunis- both local and foreign through the upcoming International Buddhist Faculty which is to be completed by the end of this year.
Dharmashanthi Bhikhuni. Pix by Indika Handuwala
The much travelled prelate who is credited with initiating the Buddhist Cultural Centre in Nedimala was also involved in setting up the Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Mandiraya, today a one-stop shop for many a need of Buddhists- both local and foreign. His latest endeavour of an International Buddhist Faculty aspires to impart not only knowledge of the Dhamma but also Buddhist Counselling, Management of Temples and language and communication skills. The facility will be also be open to dasa sil mathas who are yet to be ordained. The chief prelate who laments the loss of ‘piriven-based education’ for the Buddhist clergy in the country, hopes to fill the lacuna through this ambitious move. “Our leading piriven were transformed into universities which are not conducive to producing monks of character,” he observes.
The Faculty which will be served by qualified teaching staff is to be completed with a library, auditorium and hostel facilities for bhikkhunis and dasa sil mathas. Mainnaluwe Dharmashanthi Bhikkuni, the present Chief Bhikkhuni of the Dhamma Training and Meditation Centre who will be steering the initiative as the Head of the Faculty, notes that what the International Training Centre aspires is to produce fully-fledged bhikkunis who could become mentors not only for the clergy but also for the laymen, especially women.
A trained counsellor, Dharmashanthi Bhikkhuni has been heading the Dekanduwala Dhamma Training and Meditation Centre for the past 13 years touching the lives of both the clergy and the lay people. Many women have sought her wise counsel over the years, among them abused women, abandoned wives and some who were on the brink of suicide. “Bhikkhunis should be catalysts of social reform,” observes Dharmashanthi Bhikkhuni who urges responsible authorities in the country to recognize this and become pro-active stakeholders. “On the contrary we do not even have a proof of identity as a bhikkhuni,” says the veteran bhikkhuni whose expertise is sought even by overseas novice bhikkhunis to receive upasampada.
The two Indonesian bhikkhunis- Siriwattano and Samantha who were ordained at the Dekanduwala Dhamma Training and Meditation Centre a few years ago are regular visitors. “We find the tranquil environment here an oasis for meditation,” says Bhikkhuni Samantha, adding that the upcoming International Buddhist Faculty in the same compound will fulfil a regional spiritual need as well. Bhikkhuni Muditha from Taiwan who initially arrived here as a teacher of Chinese language, came under the wings of Dharmashanth Bhikkhuni, who she reveres as her guru of Pali. The bhikkhuni community is very strong in Taiwan where it plays a very proactive role in the lives of the lay people says Bhikkhuni.
The funding of the International Bhikkhuni Training Centre both locally and regionally is a daunting task, says Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thera. “The centre does not depend on any state grant and will be fully funded by a group of like-minded individuals which is no easy task,” he says adding that public support will be most welcome in this challenging endeavour, reminding once more of Lord Buddha’s words: ‘thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared…’
Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi Thera