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The Sri
Saddhatissa International Buddhist
Centre observed the 20th
Anniversary of the passing away of
Venerable Dr. Hammalawa Saddhatissa
Nayaka Thero with a special programme
arranged by his disciple and the Chief
incumbent of the SSIBC, Venerable
Galayaye Piyadassi, MBE.
Venerable Dr
Maduluwawe Sri Sobhita Nayaka Thero of
the Naga Vihare, Kotte delivered special
sermons on Saturday 13th and
Sunday 14th February 2010
after the Buddha Puja and
Vandana conducted by the Venerable
Pallebage Chandrasiri, the Chief
Incumbent of the Oregon Buddhist Vihara
and the Chief Sangha Nayaka of the
United States of America. The
Sanghika Dana was held on Sunday 14th
Feb. with over 15 members of the
Maha Sangha participating.
Devotees flocked in their hundreds to
honour the internationally acclaimed
scholar monk and a pioneer in
Dharmaduta work who was instrumental
in establishing the first permanent
Buddhist Vihara in the UK, the London
Buddhist Vihara as well as to listen to
the oratory of another famous scholar
monk, the Venerable Dr Maduluwawe
Sobhita Nayaka Thero. Due to the
interest shown by the public, the London
based Sri Lankan Radio station and
Internet service made a live broadcast
of the puja and bana on
Saturday.
Among the
Mahasangha participating in the
dana were Ven. Bogoda Seelawimala
Nayaka Thero of the London Buddhist
Vihara, Ven. Dr. Kabellewe Siri Sumana
Nayaka Thero of the Buddha Vihara, Upton
Park, Ven. Makure Mangala Nayaka Thero
of the Lumbini Vihara, Eastham, and Ven.
Dr. Deegalle Mahinda Thero, lecturer in
Buddhism at BathSpa University. Ven.
Bogoda Seelawimala performed the
sanghika ceremony and Ven. Pallebage
Chandrasiri performed the
punyanumodana. After the dana
ceremony, Ven. Dr. Maduluwawe Sobhita
Nayaka Thero delivered the
bhuktanumodana before the
transference of merit. Among those
participating were His Excellency
Justice Nihal Jayasinghe, High
Commissioner and Mrs. Indira Jayasinghe,
Professor Lakshman Perera, and other
long-standing associates of Ven.
Hammalawa Saddhatissa Nayaka Thero.
Ven. Dr.
Maduluwawe Sobhita Nayaka Thero’s
sermons were enthusiastically received
by the gathered audience at the SSIBC.
The sermons were apt, full of advice on
conduct, behaviour, and directions for
Sri Lankans living abroad to work for
realizing their future ambitions. He
also reflected upon the challenges that
the dhammaduta monks face abroad
and encouraged Buddhists to support them
in their work. |
