Book review

He believed in the old and the new

Balangoda Hamuduruvo- by Mathugama Mahinda Wijethileke
Reviewed by D.C. Ranatunga

The Maha Nayaka Thero was returning to Balangoda from Colombo one night. He was in the front seat of the car. It was raining hard. As the car turned to the road leading to his temple, the Maha Nayaka Thero shouted "Stop, stop. Reverse the car." The driver obliged.

Water was gushing down the lane. It was like a little stream flowing down. A group of tiny puppies were shivering in one heap. Water was flowing over them. Their mother was missing. Either the mother may have been run over by a vehicle or someone may have brought the puppies and dumped them there.

The Maha Nayaka Thero got down from the car – in the pouring rain. He picked up the puppies one by one and placed them on the front seat. There were eight of them. He brought them to the Pirivena, wiped them, made them feel warm and fed them warm milk. Thus he saved their lives.

Feeding them milk every day the Maha Nayaka Thero brought them up. They spent many years in the temple growing up as a sturdy bunch.

The Maha Nayaka Thero had to visit England and on his return he looked for the dogs. They weren't around.

"Where are the dogs?" he asked. No one answered.

"What happened to the dogs?" he asked again.

A Podi Hamuduruwo answered, "Dharma Murti Hamuduruwo took them in the car and dropped them somewhere."

Looking down, the Maha Nayaka Thero quietly walked towards his room.

This is one of the many stories related by Matugama Mahinda Wijethileka in his book 'Balangoda Hamuduruwo' to demonstrate the kindness the Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitriya Maha Nayaka Thero showed to animals. It also demonstrated his patience and equanimity.

The life of this highly respected prelate who lived for 102 years (he passed away on 19 July 1998) has been captured by the author in the 228 page biography in a most interesting manner. It's easy reading full of anecdotes. The narrative is presented through interviews with members of the Sangha and laity who were close to the prelate, observations by the author and selected discourses and writings by the prelate.

The Maha Nayaka Thero was a great believer in native treatment. He relates several instances when indigenous medicines cured his illnesses. Here is one: "When I was at Ananda College I suffered from a nasty cough. I consulted many a specialist but nothing would cure me. The cough became worse day by day. A veda mahattaya from Wadduwa had heard about my illness and came to see me. He examined me and said "Sir, there are no symptoms of physical illness. It looks as if some poison has got into your system A purgative will cure you."

"Being proficient in astrology, the veda mahattaya decided on a suitable date and came and gave me some medicine. In a little while I started vomiting. By noon something like a beedi stump dropped. He examined it thoroughly and found some foreign matter had been introduced to the food. That was the end of my problem."

The Maha Nayaka Thero was prepared to move with the times. Just as much as he appreciated the traditional way of life, he was always prepared to make use of modern scientific methods which were beneficial to society. He even learnt to operate a computer in his nineties! He made use of a lap top to spread the Dhamma. The prelate had a fine sense of humour. As his pupils recollect, he was a good teacher. When he was teaching Pali at the Vidyodaya Pirivena, he started the day with a light breakfast of a banana and some honey. After mid - day alms, he would often be seen in Pettah browsing through books on the pavement. "Why in this hot sun?" his pupils would ask him. "Yes, it's hot. So what harm. Am I prohibited from walking in the sun?" he would reply.

"What about your umbrella?"

"Umbrella? What for? Did the Buddha use an umbrella?"

The book lists 69 books written by the Maha Nayaka Thero from 1925 onwards. They include Buddhist texts (originals and edited versions of Pali texts), a series on Sinhala language used in temples from early days, language texts on Pali, Sanskrit and English (among the latter are four on spoken English & English grammar), translations, and books on astrology and medicine. He has also written several books on meditation and the Buddhist way of life in English as well. He was also a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers.

Having been ordained when he was 14 years of age (on March 2, 1911) under the name 'Balangoda Sarana Gaveshi', he received his higher ordination in 1916 and two years later changed his name to 'Ananda Maitriya' on the advice of his teacher. By 1922 he was teaching Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala and Buddhism at Ananda College and a year later moved over to Nalanda. The name 'Nalanda' and the school motto "Apadana Sobhini Panna" are his creations.

The much travelled Maha Nayaka Thero was conferred the highest title of 'Abhidhaja Maha Ratta Guru' Sangharaja by the Government of Myanmar (Burma). His Dhammaduta work was appreciated in many countries. The naming of the 'Poya Seema Malaka' at the Amaravati temple in England as 'Ananda Maitriya Uposathagaraya' bears testimony to his service in training European monks on Dhammaduta work.

His health did not bother him and he was willing to travel till the end came. In April 1998 he was in Singapore and Thailand.

A grand reception was accorded to him at the Fokvangshan Buddhist Centre in Thailand when 2000 bhikkhus and bhikkhunis and 3000 students lined the route as a mark of respect. He received a PhD from the Chulolongkong Buddhist University there and travelled back to Sri Lanka to receive a D. Litt from the Sabaragamuwa University.

The author names the prelate as the last link in a long chain of Buddhist monks who did yeoman service in maintaining the highest traditions of Buddhist education and literature thereby contributing to the upliftment of the Sasana.

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