A great communicator and dynamic leader
The last rites of Ven. Daranagama Kusaladhamma Thera were held on Thursday. Pic by Sameera Weerasekera
Shasthravedi Panditha Venerable Daranagama Kusaladhamma Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Sri Sambodhi Viharaya, Colombo 7 who passed away on March 3 at the age of 54 and was accorded a state funeral, was one of the most effective communicators of our time whose pioneering efforts in the dissemination of Buddhism during his 33 years of monkhood, were unprecedented.
Veering away from orthodox methods of teaching Buddhism, he, responding to the needs of an increasingly changing and an electronically wired society, began to think of innovative ways by which to teach the Buddha Dhamma. His efforts culminated in the launching of the first exclusive 24 hour Buddhist television channel in 2007, which telecasts Buddhist sermons, and religious programmes, some “live.” Conducted in both Sinhala and English languages, the non-profit, Buddhist media network, reaches out to Sri Lankan viewers and millions round the world.
Following the success of the TV channel, in 2011, the first ever Buddhist Radio Station was inaugurated by the indefatigable monk, broadcasting five sermons a day besides conducting other religious programmes. Devotees who organise sermons or religious events, are afforded the opportunity to air or broadcast them on TV or radio at no cost, thus opening them out to the public. Both stations are located within the Sri Sambodhi Viharaya. He also began the Sambodhi Magazine, initiating communication through audio, visual and print media.
His advocacy for the consumption of chemical-free foods was propounded in all three mediums and he opened a shop within the Viharaya, which sold healthy food, vegetables and fruits free of chemicals.
Born Ananda Neville Kumarapeli in Biyagama, he was the eldest in a family of two sisters and a brother. He had his early education at Daranagama Maha Vidyalaya, Siyambalape and his higher education at Royal College, Colombo. For his Masters Degree which he obtained from the University of Kelaniya, he offered Sinhala, Buddhism and Buddhist Civilisation. In 1985, at the age of 22 years, he took to robes. Later, on the passing away of Venerable Ariyadhamma Thera, he arrived at Sri Sambodhi Viharaya with the Most Venerable Piyadassi Nayaka Thera and in 1998, was appointed its Chief Incumbent.
The Venerable monk learnt the importance of communication when he was the Chief Incumbent of the Vajiraramaya Dhamma School in Bambalapitiya where as a young monk, he received teacher-training guidance from the Most Venerable Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Nikaya Aggamaha Panditha Venerable Madihe Pannaseeha Nayake Thera. Armed with this teaching experience and convinced that those proficient in the English language would prefer to learn the Dhamma in English, he for the first time in Sri Lanka, commenced Dhamma Schools in the English medium, to help Buddhist teachings reach out to the world.
He set up a Buddhist Library with books written in English, which he named “The Lakshman Kadirgamar Library” – a tribute to the late Foreign Minister for convincing the United Nations to declare Vesak as a Day of Observance.
In order to popularise the teachings of the Dhamma overseas, he founded the Sambodhi Community Development Foundation in London in 2014 with the patronage of the Most Ven. Aggapanditha Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Rathnapala Maha Thero. He also set up the Sri Sambodhi Buddhist Meditation Centre in London for mind training in developing concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (panna.)
Within Sri Lanka, he initiated programmes to assist the development of monks and temples with few facilities, assisted rural families which had over four children and implemented a programme which saved cattle from being slaughtered. During national calamities, Sri Sambodhi Viharaya became a collection centre from where the Venerable monk organised the distribution.
His “Parahitha Sanvidanaya” and “Sri Buddha Rashmi Samaja Sanwardhana Padanama” worked towards the development and nurturing of a righteous society, enriched by the Dhamma.