Homage to a hermitage that embodies the timeless wisdom of the Buddha
View(s):“A gift of Dhamma is rarely possible without collective effort,” aptly justifies the labour of the anthology of teachings by monks of the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya lineage. The commemorative publication which celebrates 45 years of service to the Buddha Sasana by the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage (in 2012) which marked half a century of yeoman service both to the Sasana and the lay community this year, further acknowledges that the publication is made possible by the collective effort of the editor and the ‘generous contribution of a number of lay disciples of the hermitage’.
Established in 1967 by Asoka Weeraratna (later Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi) who is credited for setting up the German Dharmaduta Society and the Berlin Buddhist Vihara in Germany, the Hermitage ‘is a sanctuary to those steeped in the practice of liberation’ the book notes. Famed as one of the most revered meditation monasteries of the country, today, it has Most Venerable Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thera at its helm
As the Editor’s note states, ‘the physical absence of Ven. Dhammanisanthi Thera and Ven. Nanarama Maha Thera, (who mentored the former) has not reduced them to silence. Their vision, discipline, erudition and insight continues to be emulated with great dexterity by the present day meditation masters of the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya, gifting life and continuity to a spiritual legacy that the two forefathers have left behind.’ In this spirit, the publication pays homage to the ‘Meditation Masters’ of the Hermitage who kept their legacy alive. The anthology navigates through the labours of Ven. Panaduwe Khemananda Maha Thera, Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Thera, Ven. Dhammavasa Maha Thera and Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thera, the present Chief Preceptor at the Monastery.
A prominent figure in Sri Lanka’s post-independence Buddhist renaissance phase, the founder of the hermitage, Asoka Weeraratne is celebrated in the Anthology, enabling the reader to traverse along his entire life journey. The literary content is complemented by a pictorial depiction of his life. This is fused with the evolution of the hermitage from its Spartan beginnings to what it is today, its reputation transcending oceans.
Edited by Kenneth Morris and Barbara Janus of the Saddhamma Foundation, the publication also credits the Mitirigala Preservation Society for its assistance in compiling the book. The anthology aspires to encourage Buddhists to revisit the timeless wisdom of Lord Buddha.
-Randima Attygalle