Appreciations
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inspiring teacher This incident goes to show what a sensitive scholar Kularatna Muthukuda was. His was an indomitable passion for the Sinhala language. Kularatna Muthukuda joined the teaching profession in his early twenties and continued to pursue his commitment to the development of the language. His remarkable flair for Sinhala came to the notice of those involved in education in the country and he was soon absorbed to the ranks of teacher educators as a lecturer in Sinhala at the Meerigama Teachers' College in 1965. This was around the time that the Curriculum Development Centre was coming up on Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. Muthukuda played a key role in the Sinhala unit there helping in the development of curricula for the schools system of the island. He joined the staff of the Teachers' College, Maharagama in 1978 where he continued to teach hundreds of grateful students until he retired in 1989. His services to the country were immense and his contribution to the cause of Sinhala education, boundless. Out there, in schools all over the country are his students in their thousands who mourn the passing away of an inspiring teacher educator. May he attain Nibbana! K.D.D. Percival A
life devoted to the Dhamma I first learned of Sister Nyanasiri in 1981, when I was staying at the Washington Buddhist Vihara. I had been corresponding with Ven. Nyanaponika Thera, who was then almost 80 years and I was worried about the future of the Buddhist Publication Society. One day Ven. Nyanaponika Thera wrote to me that an American woman living in Kandy, Helen Wilder, whose husband had recently died had volunteered to help him with the editorial work of the BPS and that he found her assistance very satisfactory. I was relieved for I knew that the Mahathera now had the help he so badly needed. From early 1981 until June 1984, Helen (as she was then known) came to the forest hermitage every Tuesday morning to meet Ven. Nyanaponika Thera and discuss with him the BPS projects with which she was involved. She helped him in a variety of ways with selfless devotion born of her love for the Dhamma and joy at being able to assist the monk she regarded as her spiritual mentor. Her help at this time was especially welcome as the Mahathera's vision was growing weaker and he was no longer able to bear the burden of editorship alone. In June 1984 when Ven. Nyanaponika Thera transferred the editorship of BPS to me, Helen continued to help me with the same unwavering loyalty with which she helped him. In those days before the computer came on the scene, she typed out many of our books on her manual typewriter, including the entire manuscript of 'The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha'. She edited manuscripts, read proofs, went to the printers, helped at the office, organized the BPS library, arranged files etc. After we went in for computerized typesetting, she bought a small computer for her house and for two years, helped with the text input until her diminishing eyesight made it impossible for her to continue with such work. Though she contributed so much, she always used to say that she was the one who gained the most, for she had the opportunity to learn as she worked. All this work, though done with so much dedication was in a sense, a true self-sacrifice on her part, not because she was drawn to a life of materialistic self-indulgence but because she felt her deeper calling was towards a life of solitary meditation. She found her greatest inspiration in Buddhist literature came from the poems in the Sutta Nipata-that describe the 'muni', the solitary sage who wanders alone and meditates alone. It was towards this ideal that her heart most aspired. Yet in this life she could approach this ideal only gradually and imperfectly. Until 1987, she tried to fulfil it as a meditating Buddhist lay woman, but by mid-1987 she felt she could not continue to live as comfortably wearing the apparel of a householder. Thus stirred by a sense of urgency, she asked Ven. Nyanoponika Thera if he would grant her ordination as a dasa-sil-matha. The ordination ceremony was held at the Buddhist Publication Society itself, conducted by Ven. Piyadassi Mahathera, with Ven. Nyanaponika Thera as preceptor. From then on Ayya Nyanasiri lived in several small houses in the Kandy area until in 1996 Gen. and Chandrani Fernando kindly offered her the kuti on their property in Gurudeniya- a place which turned out to be an ideal setting for her meditative life. For the Fernandos this offering was an act of singular merit, which I am sure, will bring them abundant fruit. Here in Gurudeniya, many of the Buddhist women in the Kandy area had the opportunity to visit her and offer her alms and she became a mentor and spiritual friend to the English-speaking Buddhist women. With her customary prudence she was skilful in striking a wholesome balance in her schedule between the time she would give for others and the time she would reserve for her own Dhamma reading and meditation. This residence was also convenient for me to visit her. Often during the years I continued to serve as BPS editor, when I had to spend a full day at the BPS to catch up on editorial work I would go to her kuti for midday dana and we would have the chance to speak together at length, just as we did during the many years that we met on Tuesday mornings at the forest hermitage when Ven Nyanaoponika Thera was alive. Even now I can still see in my mind's eye her beautiful garden, with her gardener Shiva smiling at work and the path leading down to her kuti. For everyone who met her and knew her, Ayya Nyanasiri was a true Kalyanamitra, warm, loving and friendly, ever ready to share with them her own understanding of the Dhamma and her experience in the practice of the Buddhist path. I had earlier planned to visit Sri Lanka in March or April and would have seen Ayya Nyanasiri before her death. Unfortunately I could not but I did write her a farewell letter, just a little more than a week earlier and I was moved to learn that she had liked it so much she showed it to all her visitors. I know that Ayya was firm in her desire not to return to this world nor did she wish to take rebirth in any celestial realm. Her aspiration was to head directly for the ultimate goal, Nibbana. I hope that in the death process she has succeeded in fulfilling this wish though I also somehow hope that we will meet again in the future so that we can continue to work together once again for the good of the Dhamma. And so I bid farewell to my dear and beloved friend and I thank her for the wonderful friendship she granted me during the 22 years we knew each other. I would also thank all who were with her and helped her in her illness. May they all partake of the merit and may all blessings be upon them. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi Thera Many
were the lessons we learnt He had his early education at Holy Cross College, Kalutara and his secondary education at Kotte, Christian College and Zahira College, Colombo. His trading experience began with his brother at Kalutara (Maha Kade) and later with his uncles at Welikada, Rajagiriya and later in the family business Allied Trading Agency at Messenger Street. He was the founder of Thahirs (Pvt) Ltd., presently managed by his two youngest sons Mumthaz Sirajudeen and Kamal Pasha. His elder son Ifthikar Ahmed is the Chairman of Allied Trading International (Pvt) Ltd., named after the family business of Messenger Street fame. A meticulous, punctual, disciplined and well-dressed man, he always had a smile which earned him the nickname "Siriththa Muham" (smiley). He always maintained an excellent relationship with the villagers and relatives. He would often visit his relatives even in distant places and forge lasting bonds. He initiated the annual Mohideen Kanthuri (the annual mowlood of his firm) in the month of Rabi ul Akhir, which became an important family get-together for the next 54 years. In the early part of his life he lived mostly in Colombo to look after the business and later his sons' education. He would travel down to Beruwala every week with his sons and the return every Monday early in the morning involved a long walk to the railway station in Beruwala town.This gave his sons the opportunity to listen to many a discourse on family history and other topics. In 1998 he moved to Beruwala where his wife and five daughters lived. He was an avid reader and had an invaluable collection of old books. The happiness he derived at others' success and the wealth he sacrificed for others' education speaks volumes of the man he was. He encouraged every child to excel in studies. My beloved grandfather is no more, but he will be remembered for what he was and for what we learnt from him.
May he attain Jennathul firdouse. Ameen.
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