Sunday Times 2
Kadugannawa International Buddhist Centre to attract foreign visitors
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Dr Bellanwila Dhammaratana Na Thero
The Kadugannawa International Buddhist Centre established by Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara Abbot, Chief Sanghanayaka of Singapore and founder of the Singapore Buddhist Library, Dr Bellanwila Dhammaratana Na Thero was further enhanced by a Buddhist mandir with a stone Buddha statue donated from Indonesia, and an internal access road built for easy walking, Anunayaka Athi of the Asgiri faction. Under the leadership of venerable Vedaruwe Upali Anunahiyam and the participation of other lay dignitaries, the official opening of the centre was held on February 11 at 9.30 am.
Dhammarathana Thero, who was looking for the most suitable secluded place for a meditation centre in Sri Lanka, wanted to find a place with favourable terrain and peaceful environment connected to nature. After investigating several lands for this purpose, he finally decided on a land near the Kadugannawa climb on the Colombo-Kandy road. The area consisted of four acres and was an abandoned tea plantation. The meditation centre and related complex have been built on a hillock with spectacular views. A dense forest consisting of old tea bushes, pepper vines, jackfruit trees, avocado, nutmeg, and clove trees, is inhabited by long-tailed monkeys, squirrels and local birds that are used to human company. The meditation centre has been designed as a centre for spiritual development for the ashram residents as well as outsiders.
The purpose of this centre is to provide opportunities for people from all over the world to learn Buddhist meditation techniques and to improve their meditation practice to a more focused level through group training. Since this meditation centre is designed to target the international community, it also has the services of teachers who speak English. The centre also has a library.
(By Reuban Wickramaarachchi)