Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thera appointed Chief Prelate of Singapore

Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thera, Chief Monk of the Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre was appointed ‘Chief Prelate of Singapore’ on November 15 at the Malwatta Convocation Hall of the Nikaya.

The official documents on the appointment were handed over by the Chief Prelate of the Malwatta Chapter of the Siamese Sect, Ven. Tibbotuwawe Siddhartha Sumangala Maha Nayake Thera Ven. Pandit Yatalamatte Sri Vacissara Jinaratana Vajiragnana Nayaka Maha Thera, Chief Incumbent, Jayanti Vihara, Weragoda, ordained as a 12-year-old on June 3, 1953. The little novice was given the religious name 'Sarada'. To the novice monk, this name was fairly unfamiliar. "Why was I given this name 'Sarada'?" he asked his mentor. Explaining its significance, the tutor-monk said: " 'Sara' implies the essentials, what is meaningful, 'da' means giver, distributor. This way Sarada means giver or distributor of what is essential and meaningful."

"If that were so, I will become a giver and distributor of what is essential - that is Buddhism." This was the young monk's resolve, in keeping with his status of monkhood.

While studying Buddhism along with Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and English languages, he took a keen interest in new technologies. He acquired a practical skill in the techniques of radio-circuitry and other electrical mechanisms. It was this in-born curiosity that made it possible for him to acquire a pragmatic grasp of computer technology, earning the pet name 'High Tech Monk' from the Buddhist community in Singapore.

On the completion of he traditional pirivena education, Ven. Sarada was fortunate to gain entrance to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura - then known as Vidyodaya University. This was in the early '60s. At the university his roommate was Ven. Galboda Gnanissara Nayaka Maha Thera.

After graduation Ven. Sarada functioned for a while as a pirivena teacher.

By 1969, the realization had dawned upon Ven. Sarada that his mission in life was not teaching at a pirivena. He travelled to Malaysia, on the invitation of Ven. Attudawe Upananda Nayaka Maha Thera, the then Chief Incumbent of the Mahindaramaya Buddhist temple in Penang.

At that time, the service that was being rendered towards the progress of the dispensation and Buddhist learning, by Ven. Kirinde Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera, at Brickfields Buddhist temple, Kuala Lumpur, was growing rapidly. The Nayaka Maha Thera needed the assistance of a learned dynamic and young monk . He selected Ven. Sarada. The latent talents of Ven. Sarada began to blossom under the benevolent inspiration and blessings of Ven. Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera. The young monk became adept at Malay and Chinese languages.

Soon, Singapore, which is in the neighbourhood of Malaysia, came within the purview of Ven. Sarada's missionary service. He founded the Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre on the west coast and became its resident missionary monk. He initiated a project to print basic Buddhist books for free distribution. He established an innovative approach towards the publication of books on the Doctrine of Buddhism. His aim was to enhance the significance of the text through illustrations and to bring out books with sophisticated typography. The work that earned Ven. Sarada Maha Thera, a global reputation was his "The Treasury of Truth - Illustrated Dhammapada".

President J.R. Jayewardene, President R. Premadasa and Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike selected this work as a fitting gift to be presented to visiting dignitaries. This book originally published in English was later translated into Sinhala, Chinese and subsequently Laotian. Recently its CD version was brought out.

The extent, to which the Ven. monk's early love of the modern electronic technology has been supportive of his publishing activities, can be gleaned if you peep into his premises. All such activities as electronic type-setting, graphics, CD recording, pre-publishing processes etc., are all done here.

He has established a computer centre at Jayanti Viharaya Weragoda, with the intention of providing the blessings of computer technology to children in the village of his birth, who are of the same age as he was when he lived there before his ordination.