MOST VENERABLE DR. PANNILA ANANDA THERA’S 75TH BIRTHDAY - 班尼拉阿難陀長老

wefußldfõ m%Odk
ix>kdhl iajdóJøhka
jykafiaf.a Y=NdYsxik
mKsjqvh
Message of the Chief
Sangha Nayaka of
America
mE,shf.dv úoHd,xldr uy msßfjfkka uQ,sl
wOHdmkh ,enQ mkaks, wdkkao ysñhka 1965 j¾Ifha §
le,Ksh úYajúoHd,hg we;=<;aj md,sNdIdj ms<sn`oj
f.!rj Wmdêhla ,nd.;af;ah' wms fofokd l=vdl, isgu
ñ;%hka ú isá w;r úYajúoHd,fha fkajdisld.drfha tlu
ldurfha cSj;a jQ ld,fha § tu ñ;%;ajh jvd;a ;Sj% úh'
Wkajykafia i;= oCI;djhka yd l=vdl, isgu wm w;r
;snQ ñ;%YS,S;ajfha m%;sM,h fya;=fjka uu Wkajykafiag
weußldfõ f,dia wekac,Sia k`.rhg meñfKk f,i wdrdOkd
lf<ñ' ta 1978 j¾Ifha §h' weußldfõ yqfol,d Ôú;hla
.;l< ug Wkajykafiaf.a meñKSu uy;a wiajeis,a,la úh'
Wkajykafiaf.a wd.ukh;a iu`.u weußldfõ fojk f:arjdo
úydria:dkh f,dia wekac,Sia fn!oaO úydrh kñka wdrïN
lsßug yelsùu O¾u ¥; fufyjfrys wm ,o m<uq id¾:lu
msïu f,i i`oyka l< yelsh' úúO ndOl ye, yemamSï j,ska
mkakrh ,o wm fofokd .;dkq.;sl woyia mej;s we;eï Y%S
,dxlslhskag hg fkdù" ud oekg cSj;a jk f,dia wekac,Sia
O¾u úch fn!oaO úydrh wdrïN lf<a O¾ufhka f,dalh
úch.%yKh lrk wêIaGdkfhks' ta 1980 j¾Ifha §h' wo
jk úg weußldj mqrd YS% ,dxlsl úydria:dk ish.Kkla
we;s w;r ta iEu úydria:dkhlu wdrïNhg wm fofokd
fh¥ wä;d,u uy;a rel=<la jq nj fkdryils'
nqÿoyu f,dalfhys jHdma; fkdjqKq hq.hl fukau
fn!oaO NsCIqj ms<sn`o wxY+ud;%hl
wjfndaOhla fkdue;s we;eï weußldkqjka wmg úúO
;dvk mSvk t,a, lroa§ bkaølS,hla fia wdkkao ysñhka ud
iu`. isá ksidfjka weußldfõ wmg id¾:l .ukla hEug
yels hú'
mrd¾:ldñ;ajh w.hk mkaks, wdkkao ysñhka ;uka
jykafiag ;dhsjdk yd cmka odhl odhsldjkaf.ka ,efnk
wdOdr Wmldr Y%S ,xldfõ wkd.; mrmqr fjkqfjka mß;Hd.
lsÍu b;d Wiia .Kfha lghq;a;ls' j;=msáj, uyfrdayf,a
ÈhqKqj fjkqfjka lghq;= lsÍu" uykqjr uyfrday,g
nqÿueÿrla idod mQcdlsÍu" f;uy,a f.dvke`.s,s 28 iys;j
rcfha mdie,a 35 lg f.dvke.s,s idod §u" u;aøjj,g
weíneys jQ ;reK ;reKshka mqkre;a:dmkh lsÍu ioyd
wdh;khla ks¾udKh lsÍu wdoS jQ iudc fufyjrhka
Wkajykafiaf.a odk mdrñ;dfõ fldgils'
iSkd§ isõfldarf,a m%Odk ix>kdhl Oqrh fydnjk udf.a
l<HdK ñ;% ufydamdOHdh wdpd¾h mkaks, wdkkao kdysñhka
b;d ksy;udkS Èú fmfj;la .;lrñka ish 75 jk ckau
Èkh iurkq ,nhs' f,dal Ydiksl Wkak;sh fjkqfjka uy;a
lemlsÍula isÿl< tfukau jpkfha mßiudma; w¾:fhka
u NsCIq Èúfmfj;la .;lrk mkaks, wdkkao kdysñmdKka
jykafiag ksÿla ksfrda.S jdikdjka; iqn WmkaÈkhla fõjdhs
b; is;ska m%d¾:kd lrñ'
It gives me great pleasure to wish my dear friend, Ven.
Dr. Pannila Ananda Nayaka Maha Thera, a very happy 75th
birthday. Ven. Ananda and I have tracked a great deal of
mileage together on this current earthly journey. He has
been one of my closest associates and confidantes since
he was ordained in 1958. Ven. Ananda and I were even
roommates together at the University of Kelaniya.
Ven. Ananda has many talents, and is a born leader. He
is an accomplished linguist, having first mastered Pali with
Honors at the university; then Japanese at Kyoto University
in Japan; Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan; and also Spanish
while here with me in Los Angeles.
I invited him to join me here in America in 1978, and
we became the co-founders of the Los Angeles Buddhist
Vihara at that time second Sri Lankan Buddhist Vihara in
America. We both faced numerous difficulties – including
being ridiculed, stoned, and mocked by strangers on the
streets for wearing our orange robes. At the time, most
people had never met or even seen a Buddhist monk in the
US. In those early days we were young, progressive in our
thinking, and interested in reaching out to American people
so we could spread the Buddha’s teachings here. Eventually
we founded Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara on Crenshaw
Boulevard in 1980.
Ven. Ananda and I co-founded the Houston Buddhist
Vihara in 1988, and he became its
first Abbot. He was influential in bringing Ven. Alavala
Subuthi and Ven. Watogala Saranasiri to America who
subsequently founded their own temples in Las Vegas,
Nevada and Riverside, California. Ven. Kaburagalle Nanda
was also brought to America by Ven. Ananda and founded
Dallas Buddhist Vihara. He was responsible for bringing
Ven. Ven. Dr. Basnagoda Rahula to America, and sent him to
the university; he became a Professor of English Literature.
He is currently the Abbot of the Houston Buddhist Vihara.
There are now over 100 Sri Lankan temples in the country
and Ven. Ananda assisted many of our new American
temples.
Ven. Ananda built 35 school buildings for the
Gampaha District. He also built a special wing for monks
in the Wathupitiwala Hospital furnished with a high-tech
MRI machine. He also started the Pathiraja Pirivena in
Attanagala, where ther are twelve temples. He was awarded
the title of Mahaopajjraya by the Malwatta Chapter. He
serves as the Preceptor for all monks in Sri Lanka receiving
higher ordination from this Chapter.
My friend for over sixty years is a highly-accomplished
Sangha member, of whom I am very proud. I wish him long
life and the Blessings of the Triple Gem to continue his
service to the sasana.
w.a.uy mKaä;"
wdpd¾h j,afmd, mshkkao kd ysñ
weußldfõ m%Odk ix> kdhl'
Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha
Walpola Piyananda,
Chief Sangha Nayaka of America.
24 25