Services to the Sasana

Sri Saugata Vidyalaya Pirivena

A report on the Sri Saugata Vidyalaya Pirivena states unequivocally that its purpose was to impart an English education to Buddhist students.

The Sri Dharmarakshawa Council was established with the patronage of Jeremias Dias and Matthes Perera of Panadura, Seemon Fernando of Horetuduwa, Mudliyar Nagoda Jayasinghe and Thomas Silva of Galle, Aron Perera of Molligoda, Lewis Dias of Panadura, Cornelis Silva of Ahangama, Pines Fernando of Pothupitiya, Andiris Perera of Thalpitiya, and Samuel Dias of Waththalpala in the month of Binara, 2439 BE or the 17th of September, 1896. It was through the Council that the Vidyalaya Pirivena had been planned to be built.
The Venerable Dodanduwa Ariyawansalankara Vinayacharya Piyarathana Tissabhidhana Nayaka Thera and the Venerable Waskaduwe Pavaraneruttikachariya Mahavichavi Rajaguru Subhuthi Thera was assigned this institution, set up to spread the Doctrine of the Buddha to those in the West through imparting an English education on local Buddhist children. Since it did not come into fruition thanks to the demise of the Council, in October of 1903 a council called the Saugata Sanrakshaka was formed. On the 20th of December 1903 the affairs of Saugata Vidyalaya were handed over to this organization .

The Venerable Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala Mahanayaka Thera, Founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, was appointed to conduct examinations at the Sri Saugata Vidyalaya.

Buddhist Association

A perusal of the history of the Buddhist Association shows that by the year 1960, it had engaged in a number of social service activities for the city of Panadura. Among them,

1. The establishment of the Gotama Child Development Centre in 1954
2. The donation of the land on which the Panadura Maha Vadaya had been held to the Buddhist Maha Sangamaya on the 9th of July 1954
   
3. The commencement of monthly Sila Pinkam at the Rankoth Viharaya from the Unduwap Poya Day of 1954
4. The unveiling of the statue of Gunananda Thera on the 29th of December 1956
5. The unveiling of the Walana Buddha statue on the 11th of May, 1960

The pioneering founders, drivers, and shapers of this Association were the bourgeoisie of Panadura engaged in plantation enterprises. They led the initiative to establish schools in Panadura as well as other cities in Sri Lanka.

The Buddhist Association of Panadura was registered at the office of the Assistant Director of Social Services in Kalutara on the 17th of May 1985 with the number 11/4/4/396/85 and as a Non-Governmental organization or NGO on the 11th of May 1994 in Colombo with the number 0120 in terms of Act No 1 of 1993 at the Department of Social Services.

Walana Samadhi Buddha Statue

The Buddha statue came to fruition long after the demise of the Buddha. The Bodhi Tree, the Dharma Chakra, the Sri Patula, and the Stupa were the symbols associated with him even in Bharhut, Sanchi, Buddhagaya, and Amaravati. The statues were initially built as per the traditions of the Gandhara, Matura, Amaravati, and Gupta traditions. By the 4th century AD, the art of the statue had reached its peak in India. These reflected the blend of great kindness and great wisdom which the Venerable Dr Kamburupitiye Vanaratana Thera says are the two prerequisites of any Buddha statue.

The history of the Buddha statue in Sri Lanka goes back to the time of Devanampiyatissa (247-207 BC). According to the Mahavamsa, Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) brought a Bodhi Tree and placed it by the side of the Ranmuwa Buddha statue. Dr Siri Gunasinghe, Venerable Dr Kamburupitiye Vanaratana Thera, and C. A. Devendra are of the opinion that the first ever Buddha statue was actually carved in Sri Lanka.

Records tell us that Devanampiyatissa placed a statue at the Sthuparama back in the 3rd century BC, and this was later relocated to the Panchinatissa Viharaya by Jayatissa and thereafter to the Abhayagiri Vihayara by Mahasen.

Buddhist literature refers to certain key principles in the statue: the placing of hands of the hips, a straight figure, a perfectly carved nose, and a downward gaze by the Buddha at his the soles of his feet. These are the characteristics embedded in a Samadi statue. Distortions of form are not permitted, except to emphasize the twin qualities of great kindness and great wisdom of the Buddha.

Buddha statues can be from various elements: stone, wood, clay, bronze, brass, cement, and so on. We hear of brass statues being made in the Kandyan period. The art of crafting these in bronze has been passed from generation to generation ever since. Bronze statues have been found in Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Kanthanodai, as well as Kandy.

The Walana Buddha statue was cast in bronze. Although it casts a distinct figure along Galle Road and travellers passing into Panadura or leaving it can’t miss it, most visitors lose sight of its uniqueness. This is in large part because no archaeological value has been imputed to it, given that it was built in the 1960s. The sheer size of such a sculpture exudes and inspires awe, yet for some reason it has lost its appeal on visitors.

Inspired by the Buddha images of Rankoth Viharaya from the 19th century, it bears a striking similarity to the statue of the Buddha at the Young Men’s Buddhist Association in Borella. The latter was studied by a team of officials from the Panadura Buddhist Association. According to Raja Salgado, the delegation was headed by Richard Salgado.The reason for erecting such an edifice in Panadura was the 2,500th Buddha Jayanthi. There had been a discussion for some time that a sculpture of that magnitude and size should be built and placed in the city from where sprang the famous Panadura Vadaya. Eventually, a three-acre plot of land was acquired for the purpose. Professor Gunadasa Malalasekara laid the foundation stone for the occasion.

Sri Chandrasekara Mudali, a kinsman of the founder of Sri Chandrasekara Maha Vidyalaya who lived in Horetuduwa, Panadura, undertook the responsibility of erecting the statue. In line with the original plan, then, the Panadura Buddhist Association brought to Sri Lanka the eminent Indian Tamil sculptor Mani, from Madras, entrusting him with the task of sculpting it to perfection.

The inscription on the pedestal reads, “To commemorate the 2,500th Buddha Jayanthi, this statue was erected on the initiative of the Panadura Buddhist Association with the help of the government and devotees. The cost of erecting it was borne by J. M. Sri Chandrasekara.”

On the 11th of May, 1960, Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, the statue finally saw the light of day. It was unveiled by Arthur V. Dias. Gunadasa Malalasekara, who had laid the foundation stone, was unable to attend the ceremony as he was residing at the time in the US as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN. On Mani’s recommendation, the statue has been coated in gold every two years since its unveiling.

Monthly Sila Pinkama

By the end of the 18th century, according to the historian Webber, many changes were unfolding in Sri Lanka. An agrarian society was being replaced by a plantation economy, from where a privileged, moneyed Buddhist elite or bourgeoisie emerged. This bourgeoisie was instrumental in the founding of Rankoth Viharaya.Founded by Arthur V. Dias, the son of Jeremiah Dias of the Dias family, the Panadura Buddhist Association has been actively working at the Temple since the Unduwap Poya Day in 1954. Initially this association conducted Poya Pinkam in line with the Poya Pinkam held at other temples in the area: the Welipitiya Abhayakarunaratne Mudalindaramaya, the Moravinna Sri Sudharmaramaya, and the Nalluruwa Nigrodharamaya.

Among the religious activities initiated by the Panadura Buddhist Association on the occasion of the 1956 Buddha Jayanthi was the preaching of the Dhamma by educated Dhamma preachers and the printing and distribution of those sermons.

Venerable Walane Siridharma Thera, Venerable Gorakana Premaratne Thera, Venerable Panadure Ariyawansa Thera, Venerable Ranmihike Wimalajothi Thera, Venerable Magedara Somasena Thero, Venerable Warakagoda Seelarathana Thera, Venerable Madupitiye Medhananda Thera, Venerable Naramane Buddharakkitha Thera, Venerable Rathnapure Sumedhalankara Thera, Venerable Madagoda Wimalakiththi Thera, and Venerable Karathota Wimalarathna Thera were all invited to deliver sermons and chant pirith each month. All the pirith sermons were published as an anthology.

Under the patronage of the Panadura Buddhist Association, Dhamma Sermons were conducted every Saturday night at the Rankoth Viharaya from 1960, under the auspices of the then Chief Incumbent Venerable Moratuwe Sasanaratne Thera..

The present Chairman of the Committee on Buddhist Affairs Mr. Noel Fernando has been working in the Buddhist Committee for several decades now. Monks from other temples are invited to the Rankoth Temple for preaching sessions, Dhamma lectures, and meditation programs. Mr Fernando also shoulders the responsibility of formulating and preparing the monthly budget of the Sheela Pinkama, working tirelessly and dedicating his wealth, labour and time to the success of the programme.

The Sila Pinkama continues to be organized by Mr Anthony Fernando with the assistance of Mr Sarath Perera, an endeavor with which they have been engaged for several decades. The Chief Incumbent of the Temple Venerable Kahapola Sugatharathana Anunayaka Thera gives approval and instructions regarding the task of bringing in monks from other temples for the pirith sermons, especially on Vesak and Poson Poya days.