Sunday Times 2
With his action and speeches, the erudite Mahanayake spread the light of Dhamma
It is with profound grief that I came to know about the passing away of the Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammavasa Mahanayake Thera in the early hours of March 22. The incomparable services he rendered to the Buddha Sasana, both nationally and internationally, come to my mind at this time. It will be difficult to fill the vacuum he left in the realm of Bhikkhu leadership.
The Venerable Thera was born on January 26, 1933 as the youngest in a family of seven in the village of Kotugoda in Minuwangoda. His father, a landed proprietor, was Vitharanage Harmanis Rodrigo and his mother Selestina. He had his primary education at Kotugoda Buddhist Mixed School. He left the householder’s life and was ordained as a novice monk named Ven. Kotugoda Dhammavasa Thera on August 17, 1948 at Dharmapalaramaya in Mount Lavinia under the patronage of Ven. Unawatune Dhammapala Thera.
In 1949, he enrolled at the Ratmalana Parama Dhammachetiya Pirivena where he had his secondary education before entering Vidyodaya Pirivena at Maligakanda for his higher education. Passing out as a pundit in Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit along with a higher knowledge in the Tripitaka, he received his Higher Ordination under the Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha Beruwala Srini Niwasa Maha Thera on July 10, 1954 at Udakkukhepa Seemamalakaya on the Kalu Ganga in Kalutara.
An expert in the Pali language and an author, he had been involved in distributing a Dhamma book annually since 1960 to commemorate Vesak. His prime oratory skills combined with his extremely humble personality guaranteed his popularity and saw a ceaseless flow of invitations to all parts of the island to deliver sermons with people flocking to hear him speak. His eloquent Dhamma sermons were instrumental in improving the Dhamma knowledge of many through radio programmes broadcast nationally and internationally. His infinite services to the Buddha Dhamma earned him utmost respect and praise.
Following in the footsteps of Anagarika Dharmapala who mobilised Sri Lankans to value their national dignity, religion and language following the ill-effects of colonial rule, the Most Ven. Dhammavasa Thera was instrumental in the continuation of the reawakening and dissemination of the Dhamma not only in remote areas of Sri Lanka but internationally as well.
He became the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Dharmapalaramaya after the demise of Venerable Unawatune Dhammapala Thera on May 14, 1967. Thereafter he spared no effort to develop the temple to its present status. Sri Dharmapalaramaya today is a testament to his untiring efforts and endless courage and determination to develop the temple into a model of peace and tranquility.
From the inception of the Sarvodaya Sharamadama Movement, the Most Venerable Kotugoda Dhammavasa Thera provided continuous support and guidance. In the 1960s when we began our Sarvodaya bhikkhu training to support rural leadership in Sarvodaya villages, he was kind enough to not only give us his blessings and guidance but also to provide residential facilities for the trainee bhikkhus at Sri Dharmapalarama for a few months.
The Most Venerable Thera invariably participated in the annual all-night pirith ceremony and almsgiving held from November 4-5. He wholeheartedly commended the work of Sarvodaya wherever he went. Associating with an erudite monk like him led me to follow the path of the Dhamma.
May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Dr A T Ariyaratne
Founder/President, Sarvodaya Movement