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Mahanayaka
Mahanayaka (also spelled as Maha Nayaka, Maha Nayake) theros are high-ranking Buddhist monks who oversee and regulate the Buddhist clergy in Theravada Buddhist countries. The title ''Maha Nayaka'' translates to English as 'Great Leader' and it is considered to be a very important position held by a monk in a Theravada Buddhist country. It is usually bestowed upon the senior Buddhist monks who are appointed the chief prelates of monastic fraternities known as '' Nikayas''. Sri Lankan tradition In Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition, the title ''Mahanayaka'' is held by the heads of the chapters of all three main sects, Siam Nikaya (Estd. 1753), Amarapura Nikaya (Estd. 1803) and Ramanna Nikaya (Estd. 1864). Appointment of senior Buddhist monks to the Mahanayaka position in Sri Lanka began with the re-establishment of Upasampada higher ordination in 1753 on the initiatives taken by Sangharaja Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero during the reign of king Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy. The deputies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thero
Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thero (17 March 1930 - 8 April 2015) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, who was the 20th Mahanayaka of the Asgiriya chapter of Siyam Nikaya.Tribute to an erudite Mahanayake Kumar Wettasinghe, Daily Mirror He was presented with the religious title of by the government of on March 7, 2007, in recognition of his contribution to the purification, perpetuation and propagation of Buddhism. His complete title was Most Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Udugama Sddharmakirthi Sri Dhammadassi Rathanapala Buddharakkhithabhidhana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thera
Agga Maha Pandita Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thero ( si, කොටුගොඩ ධම්මාවාස හිමි, Koṭugoḍa Dhammāvāsa Himi; lay name: Sirimevan Rodrigo; 23 January 1933 – 22 March 2021) was an eminent Sri Lankan Buddhist monk. He was the supreme Mahanayaka of Sri Lanka Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya and was the chief incumbent of Sri Dharmapalaramaya, Mount Lavinia. Early life He was born on January 23, 1933, in the village Kotugoda, Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka as the youngest of the family with seven siblings: five sons and two daughters. His lay name was Sirimevan Rodrigo. His father was Haramanis Rodrigo and mother was Selestina Rodrigo. He had his education from Buddhist mixed school in Kotugoda which was later known as Kotugoda Rahula Maha Vidyalaya. Meanwhile, he was very close to village temple and its Chief Incumbent Ven. Kotugoda Pemananda Nayaka Thera. Later, he became the disciple of Ven. Unavatune Dhammapala Thera, who was the Chief Incumbent of Sr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero
Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero (born 18 March 1942) is a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who is the present Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya chapter of Siam Nikaya. He was appointed as the 22nd Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter on 7 April 2016, by the ''Karaka Sangha Sabha'' of Asgiriya chapter, after the demise of Most Ven. Galagama Sri Aththadassi Mahanayaka Thera. Gnanarathana thero is known for voicing his right-wing political proclivities in public. In 2017, he issued a statement condoning the views of the hard-line nationalist monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara. At a public event in 2019, Gnanarathana thero endorsed the views of those who called for the stoning of a Muslim doctor accused of sterilization of Sinhala women as well as the boycotting of Muslim businesses, stating that Muslims are sterilizing Sinhalese through food sold in their shops. At the same event, he endorsed the purported presidential candidacy of Chamal Rajapaksa. The ensuing public backlash forced Gnanarat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera
Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera (11 January 1922 – 9 March 2016) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who served as the 21st Mahanayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter of Siyam Nikaya. , Sri Lankan Guardian, 10 March 2016 He was appointed on 8 May 2015 following the death of Chief Prelate Most Venerable on 8 April 2015. The Venerable Thera died aged 94 while receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the . He w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asgiriya Chapter
Asgiri Maha Viharaya (also called Asgiriya temple, Asgiriya Gedige) is a Buddhist monastery located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is the headquarters of the Asgiriya chapter of Siyam Nikaya, one of the two Buddhist monasteries that holds the custodianship of sacred tooth relic of Buddha kept in Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy. The chief incumbent of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya is the Mahanayaka thero of Asgiri chapter of Siyam nikaya, a leading Buddhist monastic fraternity in Sri Lanka. The present chief incumbent of Asgiri Maha Viharaya is Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero. Asgiri Maha Vihara traces its origin from the Wanavasi sect of the Dimbulagala forest monastery of Polonnaruva. Currently, 565 Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka function under Asgiri Viharaya of Kandy. History Asgiri Maha Viharaya was founded by Commander Siriwardhana on the instructions of Parakramabahu IV of Kurunegala (1305-1335 A.D.). Situated north of the Kandy Lake, this temple is believed to be considerably ol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siyam Nikaya
The Siam (also Siyamopali and Siyam) Nikaya is a monastic order within Sri Lankan Buddhism, founded by Upali Thera and located predominantly around the city of Kandy. It is so named because it originated within Thailand (formerly known in Sri Lanka as "Siyam Deshaya" and Europe as the "Kingdom of Siam"). The Siyam Nikaya has two major divisions ( Malwatta and Asgiriya) and five other divisions within these two major units. The Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters have two separate Maha Nayakas or chief Monks. History On the initiative of Ven. Weliwita Saranankara (1698–1778) the Thai monk Upali visited the Kingdom of Kandy in 1753 during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy (1747–1782), and there performed upasampada for a group of Kandyans. The Buddhist monastic order had become extinct thrice during the preceding five hundred years and was reestablished in the reigns of Vimala Dharma Suriya I (1591–1604) and Vimala Dharma Suriya II (1687–1707) as well. These reestablis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malwatta Chapter
Malwathu Maha Viharaya (also called Malwatta temple) is a Buddhist monastery located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is the headquarters of the Malwatta chapter of Siyam Nikaya and one of the two Buddhist monasteries that holds the custodianship of sacred tooth relic of Buddha kept in Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy. The chief incumbent of the Malwathu Maha Viharaya is the Mahanayaka thero of Malwatta chapter of Siyam nikaya, a leading Buddhist monastic fraternity in Sri Lanka. The present chief incumbent of Malwathu Maha Viharaya is Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero. History This temple is believed to be built by Senasammatha Vickramabahu (1473-1511) along with a stupa and a double storey ordination hall (''Uposhathagaraya'') in the late 15th century or early 16th century. It was originally built as the residence of three monks but today it houses many Buddhist monks including the monks of ''Karaka Sangha Sabha'' (executive council) of Malwatta chapter of Siyam Nikaya. The buildi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero
Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero (born 30 May 1944) is a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who is the present Mahanayaka Thero of the Malwatta chapter of Siam Nikaya. He was appointed as the 26th Mahanayke Thera of Malwatta Chapter on 20 June 2004, by the ''Karaka Sangha Sabha'' of Malwatta chapter, after the demise oMost Ven. Rambukwelle Sri Dharmarakkitha Vipassi Mahanayka Thera.His act of appointment was presented on 16 August 2004 at the historic ''Magul Maduwa'' in Kandy. Biography Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera was born on May 30, 1944, in the village Thibbatuwawe in "Kohonsiya Paththuwa" of Matale District. A descendant of a respected family, his father was Badnaranayake Wasala Mudali Tikiri Bandara Nilame of Thibbatuwawe Walauwa and his mother was Loku Kumarihamy of Karalliyadda Idame Walauwa. His lay name was Loku Bandara and was the youngest of the family with two elder sisters. Loku Bandara stayed with his grand parents from a young age and had his early educatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Davuldena Gnanissara Thero
Agga Maha Pandita Davuldena Sri Gnanissara Thero (31 December 1915 in Badulla District3 April 2017) was a Sri Lankan scholar Buddhist monk and a centenarian. He served as the supreme Mahanayaka of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikaya from 2002 until his death on 3 April 2017. Thero has also authored several books and was proficient in Pali, Sanskrit and English Languages. Born on 31 December 1915 at Dawuldena in Badulla District, he entered the order of Buddhist monks under the guidance of Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cathol ... Umele Pagnananda and Ven. Umele Piyarathana Nayake Theros in 1928. He was appointed to the Mahanayaka post of Amarapura Nikaya in 2002 and was 101 years old at the time of his death. References External links Ven. Dawuldena Gnanissara Mahnay ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Napana Pemasiri Thera
Most Ven Aggamaha Panditha Napane Pemasiri Thero ( si, නාපාන පෙමසිරි ථෙර, Nāpāna Pemasiri Thera) also spelt either as Napane Premasiri Thero or Napane Pemasiri Thero(2 January 1922/1923 – 17 November 2020) was a Sri Lankan Sinhalese Buddhist monk. He served as the 13th head of the Ramanna Nikaya since September 2012 and also served as the chief incumbent of Menikhinna Hurikaduwa Vidyasagara Privena. He was ordained on 8 July 1933. On 3 September 2012, he was appointed as the 13th Maha Nayaka of the Ramanna Nikaya succeeding Weweldeniye Medhalankara Thero who died in August 2012. On August 16, 2019, Pemasiri and Koṭugoḍa Dhammāvāsa Thera presided over the union of the Amarapura and Rāmañña monastic orders, creating the Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya The Amarapura–Rāmañña Nikāya ( si, අමරපුර–රාමඤ්ඤ සාමග්රී මහා සංඝ සභාව, Amarapura–Rāmañña Sāmagrī Mahā Saṁgh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sangharaja
Sangharaja (Pāli: ''sangha'' religious community + ''raja'' ruler, king, or prince) is the title given in many Theravada Buddhist countries to a senior monk who is the titular head either of a monastic fraternity ( nikaya), or of the ''Sangha'' throughout the country. This term is often rendered in English as 'Patriarch' or 'Supreme Patriarch'. Overview The position of ''sangharaja'' has been assigned according to various methods in different countries and time periods. In some cases, the sangharaja is determined by absolute monastic seniority; the sangharaja is the monk who has spent the most rains retreats (vassa) as a monk. In other cases, royal appointment may play a role- the sangharaja may be appointed by the king, particularly in Southeast Asian countries where the monarchy is closely associated with Buddhism (Thailand, for example). Alternatively, the ''sangharaja'' may be chosen semi-democratically by monks or the laity (similar to the election of an abbot in some T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero
Sri Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero ( si, දොඩන්දුවේ ශ්රි පියරත්න තිස්ස මහ නායක ස්වාමින් වහන්සේ) (12 December 1826 - 20 May 1907), also known as Dodanduwa Piyaratne Thero, was the Mahanayaka Thero of the Amarapura Nikaya (circa 1860s), and the Sanganayake of the Southern Province. He popularised the 'Poruwa' ceremony at Buddhist weddings. He established Sri Lanka's first Buddhist school in 1869, Jinalabdhi Vishodaka, now known as Dodanduwa Piyarathana Vidyalaya. He is believed to be the founding father of Buddhist education in Sri Lanka. He was a member of the Weerasooriya family of Dodanduwa and Hikkaduwa, he was the brother of David Weerasooriya and uncle of Arnolis Weerasooriya. The Tibetan Monk S. Mahinda was ordained by him. He was also a close friend of Henry Steel Olcott and administered 'pansil' to him. Early life and works Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero was the son o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
