The Golden Jubilee of the Sasana Sevaka Samiti and its Maharagama Bhikshu Training Center is an event of national and international significance. Nationally, it has been the flagship institution in the forefront of not only introducing the most advanced and comprehensive curriculum for the training of bhikkhus but also of leading public opinion on matters of great concern to the nation. Internationally, it has become the most dependable nursery for the supply of well-trained and accomplished dharmadutas of the highest calibre.

I am hence deeply appreciative of the privilege and the honour accorded to me to be a keynote speaker on this occasion. I thank the organizers of the celebrations for the invitation. I am also very grateful to His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse for making my participation possible. I am fortunate to be here not only to celebrate the success of a unique Buddhist institution but also to express our eternal gratitude to its revered founder and several generations of teachers, students and supporters.

This great institution owes its creation to the intense religious fervour generated among Buddhists during the celebration of Buddha Jayanti in 1956-57, marking the 2500th anniversary of the Parinibbana of the Buddha and also the foundation of the Kingdom. This event witnessed a worldwide awakening of interest in Buddhism and many were the major activities commenced by various organizations. This institution is one of them and has the exceptional credit for being immediately effective. It has continued to serve the cause of Buddhism without a break over half a century.

On this solemn occasion, our thoughts go back to that great visionary whose foresightedness was matched by courage, determination and perseverance. I refer to none other than the Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayaka Thera, its founder and its perpetual inspiration. We also observe his ninety-fifth birth anniversary today. I have known him from my days as a student in the University of Ceylon.  As a frequent visitor to Vajirarama to use its library, I had to seek his assistance to locate books and more often to find out where the information I needed could be found in the Pali Canon. His erudition and memory were remarkable.

He had just completed a special program of the University, which the late Professor Gunapala Malasekera had designed to provide modern higher education to Buddhist monks to supplement the traditional training of the Pirivena system. What impressed me most at that time was his admirable ability to maintain intellectual objectivity while being passionately concerned with religious and national issues. He helped me immensely to understand the vital need for the protection and promotion of our national assets in the form of Buddhism and the way of life it has taught us, the outstanding literary heritage in Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit, the Sri Lankan historical tradition and the cultural achievements in diverse fields, including our ideals and customs. It is with great gratitude that I acknowledge that my own life of devotion to these very concerns was fashioned by my taking him as one of my role models. To spend an hour with him was equal to reading a host of books and more, because he not only shared his knowledge generously but also added an affective element of using such knowledge for the national good.

The Most Venerable Madihe Pannsiha Maha Nayaka Thera is undoubtedly the star product of Vajirarama of Bambalapitiya and as such the most celebrated pupil of that doyen of Buddhist prelates, the Most Venerable Pelene Vajiranana Maha Nayaka Thera. To say this is to make a comparison among a galaxy of champions who, with the training and inspiration of the Most   Venerable Pelene Vajiranana, achieved the highest recognition nationally and internationally for their piety, erudition and service. In this group of rare talents were Venerables Khema, Soma, and Kassapa, known for their profound scholarship, Venerables Narada and Piyadasssi, who distinguished themselves as the most eloquent preachers of Dhamma and promoters of international Buddhist progress, and Venerable Ampitiye Rahula, the pioneer in Buddhist hospital service. With the most remarkable leadership of the Most Venerable Pelene Vajiranana Maha Nayaka Thera, all of them had made Vajirarama the center of a new awakening in Buddhist practice, attracting the educated urban population to the temple – an extremely difficult task in the light of the colonial mentality, which had “denationalized” most of them. In my article to the Souvenir is a full account of how its example has contributed to new trends in congregational worship, dhamma-preaching, Poya-day programs and Dharmaduta services.

The Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayaka Thera excelled all of them by being the most versatile as well as the most creative and innovative as regards action in every field of interest. He was ardently pious and observed the highest standards of conduct as a Buddhist monk. His elevation to the headship of the Nikaya at a relatively young age testified to his abilities as well as impeccable character. He wielded an easy pen and wrote lucidly and convincingly. He embarked on ambitious literary ventures such as the production of an encyclopedic reference book on the teachings of the Buddha. His calmly delivered and soft-spoken discourses in a mellifluous tone were rich in substance and sustained the attention of the audience.

He was an equally talented debater who had his facts ready at hand and presented his arguments with clinical precision. There was no national issue, which was not within his purview because he was intensely patriotic and wanted the best for the country. He was critical of everything and everyone that jeopardized or threatened the good of the people. He could be devastating in his poignantly directed criticism. But he did so without malice. This I know from my personal experience. He had often been my most virulent critic in public for some decisions and action as a government servant. He would himself accept blame and criticism with equanimity and never hesitated to apologize if he has unknowingly hurt someone’s feelings.

These magnificent qualities made the Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayaka Thera a most likeable and affable person. Neither high office as the Maha Nayaka Thera representing all the sections of the Amarapura Nikaya nor the high esteem he enjoyed with the people for his leadership in national issues robbed him of his exemplary humility and simplicity. His most welcome letters commenced with his usually affectionate greeting “Ape (our) ….” and ended with “Sepa veva (may you be well).” He had time for anyone who needed his advice and never has he shown any sign of impatience when he could be of service to others. I have often sought his advice in many matters of national concern and he had always shared his insights without reservation.

He established the Maharagama Bhikshu Training Centre with the sole objective of producing a generation of monks who will uphold his laudable ideals and serve humanity through the teachings of the Buddha. I recall a discussion with him on the importance of placing equal emphasis on “knowledge” and “feeling” as objectives of education. By “feeling” he meant the attitudinal change as regards values of dedication and commitment to ideals. This is what Western educationalists call objectives of the affective domain.  “To have a lot of knowledge is not enough,” he argued. “One must have a deep sense of patriotism, commitment to moral standards and devotion to serve fellow beings.” He would quote from Sidat Sangarava and say that knowledge in the hand of the morally corrupt was like a gem in the possession of a snake.

I am fully aware of the curriculum and methods of instruction of this institution. Very wisely, equal emphasis is given to our traditional knowledge and methods of instruction and learning and to diversified modern knowledge and skills of learning that are constantly being evolved. In its early days I have often come to speak to students and share with them my views on religion and education. I have been so closely associated with the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Thera that I was not surprised when I was invited to be the first President of Turunusaviya – the national youth organization, he set up to disseminate his message of national service. His visit to my home for a mid-day meal during his last journey to the USA symbolized the lasting affection that we had for each other over a period of nearly six decades.

Over the last fifty years, this institution has performed its functions to the satisfaction of all concerned. It has produced a whole new generation of monastic leaders, whose knowledge, attitude and skills have resulted in enormous benefit to Buddhism as a whole. The alumni of this institution are effective both nationally and internationally.   They have set for themselves very high standards of conduct and service and thus won the hearts of the people they serve. I have met many of them and have been closely associated with their work in various fields. Each one of them is a tribute to the wise and far-seeing founder who believed that the future of Buddhism in our own country as well as in the world depended on the availability of well-educated and highly motivated monastic leaders. May the merits acquired by the Maha Nayaka Thera by this service alone enable him to shorten his journey in samsara and attain the ultimate bliss of Nibbana.

On this occasion when we recall the noble example of the Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Nayaka Thera, our thoughts must be directed to a matter of major concern to all Buddhists. There is no doubt that Sri Lanka continues to enjoy a high degree of intellectual leadership as regards Buddhist studies and our contribution to research and publications is quite substantial. Our country, in fact, enjoys a special reputation for having as many lay scholars of Buddhism of international stature as scholar-monks. The question to which I wish to draw our attention today is: Is the Sangha of Sri Lanka adequate numerically to meet the national needs while at the same time to continue Sri Lanka’s leadership in Buddhist movements throughout the world?

Numerically, the position of the Sri Lankan Sangha compares unfavorably with the Sangha of Myanmar and Thailand. The per capita distribution of monks in Sri Lanka is the lowest. Myanmar has around 200,000 bhikkhus and 270,000 samaneras while Thailand has around 270,000 bhikkhus and 90,000 samaneras, averaging roughly to one monastic for 150 people. The Sri Lankan average is at most one for 500. We should have at least three times the present monastic population to provide the essential spiritual guidance to the Buddhist population. I choose the term “monastic population” in this context as I am conscious of Sri Lanka’s unique position as having with us all the four elements of the Buddhist society – bhikkhu, bhikkhuni, upasaka and upasika. I believe that the dearth of monks is being to some extent relieved by the bhikkhunis and dasa-sil-matas.

The need for more recruits to the Sangha is further demanded as there is a significant brain drain as monks are increasingly required to serve in the growing number of temples abroad and a steady reduction takes place as educated monks return to lay life. We do need our Sangha to fulfill satisfactorily the needs at both ends.

We continually hear of communities, which remain totally or partially unserved, and of temples closed down due to the absence of the Sangha. We are concerned that such communities fall prey to unethical means of conversion of certain aggressive organizations. The Buddha considered the Vinaya to be the life of the Buddha Sasana. What this statement means is that the Sasana will exist only as long as a Sangha, committed to the Vinaya, is in existence. Buddhism disappeared in India not merely due to its absorption into Hinduism with the acceptance of the Buddha as a reincarnation of Vishnu but moreso because of the destruction of the institutions and the dispersal of the Sangha due to foreign invasion. More members of the Sangha – both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis – are most urgently needed for Sri Lanka to continue its twenty-three century old status as the home of Buddhism.

The Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayaka Thera’s modality was to create this Training Center. Our assessment today is that this strategy is a signal success. Its task is in no way over. This institution must continue to grow and produce more monks of the quality that it is reputed to turn out. I am sure that, with the leadership of such dedicated pupils of the Maha Nayaka Thera as Venerable Maharagama Dhammasiri Nayaka Thera and Venerable Tirukunamale Ananda Anu Nayaka Thera, the institution will continue its progress.

In the national scene, what can we do to attract more recruits to the Sangha? What incentives have we to provide for more and more young people to choose a life of dedication to Buddhism?  The Sangha has provided excellent opportunities for gifted persons to get a good education and become highly venerated scholars. We need to think innovatively on how to use the leadership of the Sangha and in the process rethink the support system that has been traditionally provided to temples and the Sangha.

Sri Lanka Ranjana Professor Richard Gombritch, who is as much an admirer of Sri Lanka’s contribution to the cause of Buddhism as he is a critic of many things done in the name of Buddhism, says, “To hold its best-educated members, the Sangha will have to offer them more interesting careers. … The Sangha as some of them realize will have to learn the use of mass media so that they can operate on a national scale rather than a local basis; at the same time they have to increase effective presence in the towns, especially in the slums.”  What the Sangha has to do in the twenty-first century to attract more and more gifted persons to a self-effacing career as members of the Sangha and to retain them in it should be a matter of urgent discussion and action. One wonders whether the introduction of temporary ordination of young persons as in Myanmar and Thailand is a possible solution. What other ways can we think of to get the youth of both sexes to be closer to monastic establishments and experience the serenity of a life of renunciation dedicated to the service of humanity and the preservation of a unique spiritual heritage bequeathed to us by our history to Sri Lanka?

As I congratulate most heartily the teachers and students as well as the governing bodies and supporters of this great institution, I wish to leave these thoughts for you to ponder over.

Thank you.
 

Ananda W.P. Guruge
University of the West
Rosemead, Los Angeles County
California, U.S.A.