Most Venerable Nā Uyanē Sri Ariyadhammābhidhāna Mahāthēra
Honourable men with good virtues are rare in this world. Such nobles do not descend to this world frequently. Wherever such a wise lord is born in the world, it brings great happiness to that caste-nation.
The rest of the document carries a bit of information about a great Buddhist Thero, who dedicated his life to the Buddha Sasana and resided in the Sri Kalyani Yogastrama Corporation, which was established based on noble ideals of the aforementioned honourable men of the most significant kind.
Birth Place
Kudapola alias Imihaminegama belongs to the village boundary of Keeralankadawala of Ihala Othota Korale in Kurunegala District.
Parents
Father was Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Kalubanda, who belonged to Dissanayake Adikaram lineage, which continued from the Kurunegala kingdom.
Mother was Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Maaningamuwe Gedara Punchi Manika.
The Birth
Born on Monday, April 24 1939, the lucky prince was named Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Heenbanda.
He had two older brothers, an older sister, a younger brother, and two younger sisters.
Focusing on the Priesthood
Due to the Na Uyana monastery, founded in 1954 and his acquaintance with Mathara Sri Gnanarama Thero and Kadawadduwe Sri Jinawansa Thero, at the age of 14, his thoughts projected more and more towards priesthood.
Abhinikmana – Pandupalasa Stage (Abandoning the lay life).
On October 27 1956, the year of Buddha Jayanthi, he went with his father and handed himself over to the Vigoda Bodhirakkhita Thero, who resided in the Na Uyana monastery. Afterwards, he was observed with dasasil (Ten meritorious deeds) after shaving his head and attired with the red-brown colour robe. Following necessary rituals, he went to Galduwa on March 2, 1957, where they practised Pali language, sermons, meditation techniques, and other rituals.
Becoming a priest in the Buddha Sasana
He became a Buddhist priest by Na Uyane Ariyadhamma in the morning of March 27, 1957, from the Most Venerable Matara Sri Gnanaramabhidhana Thero and the chief patron Most Venerable Kadawadduwe Sri Jinawansabhidhana Thero.
Herana Bana Dhamma Training (Studying and Practicing Dhamma as a Monk)
Educated during the novice (samanera) period in the presence of his teacher, The Most Venerable Getamaanne Wimalawansa Panditha Thero – The Head of Naathagana Monastery. Memorized the whole Majjhima sect (Majjhima Nikaya) and also memorized grammatical texts such as Baalaawathaaraya and Roopasiddhi while learning their meanings.
The monk who even memorized the Pirith book, sathipaththana sermon, Dhammapadaya, Suthra Sangrahaya at the novice stage also practised cutting and sewing robes. Completing Kankhawitharani Maathikaththakathawa, Sikhawalanda, and Sikhawalada Winisa while learning Abhidharmaartha Sangrahaya and memorizing Praathimoksha Pali within a week qualified him to enter highly meritorious upasampada territory.
Receiving the Higher Ordination
On July 15 1959, with the assistance of the Most Venerable Madawala Dhammathilakabhidhana Thero who was the Head of Nimalawa Aranya Senasana, He attained the precious higher ordination in Kuda Oya Udakukkhepa Palace Chambers (Seema Malakaya) at Ashoka Monastery premises, Alawwa, in front of twenty-seven sangha group (a group of Buddhist priests) headed by Venerable Mathara Sri Gnanarama Mahopadyaya Thero, Kadawadduwe Sri Jinawamsa Panditha Thero, Getamaanne Sri Wimalawamsa Thero, Munugama Sirisumana Thero, and Dewagoda Mangalasiri Thero.
Further Study and Memorizing Capability
Learned Vinaya Pitakaya, including Atuwa from Venerable Getamanne Panditha Thero and rewarded as ‘Vibhangachariya’ as he completed memorizing the Vibhanga section of Vinaya Pitakaya by the time of 10th Anniversary celebrations of Yogasharama Cooperation which was held in July 1961. He finished memorizing the entire Vinaya Pitakaya on February 2, 1962 and then studying Abhidharmaya Pitakaya and Suthra Pitakaya. He mainly studied Abhidharma Pitakaya very well from Venerable Renukane Chandawimala Maha Thero and Devinuwara Gnanawasa Maha Thero.
Fame and Service towards Buddha Sasana
Did an amicable service to heal the hearts and minds of many by doing many meritorious deeds, including holding Dhamma Sermons, Giving Kamatahan, teaching fellow monks, and performing Upasampada (Higher Ordination).
While the wisdom which Maha Thero received on Meditation and Dhamma ascends to the sky as his Dhamma Sermons, he wrote many Dhamma books, namely ‘Soowisi Pattana Prathyana Sangrahaya – an abridged version of Patthana Sannaya’, ‘Patthana Thrirashiya with Weethi Wibhagaya’, ‘History of Sri Kalyana Yogasrama’, ‘Sanshiptha Bhikkhu Seelaya’, ‘Saaraaniya Dharma Chintha’, ‘Bhawana’, ‘Yamaka Waachana Maargaya’, ‘Karmasthana Pradeepaya’, ‘Buduguna Bhawana’, ‘Daham Guna Bhawana’, ‘Sanga Guna Bhawana’, ‘Maithree-Asubha-Marana Sathi Bhawana’, ‘Sathipattana Bhawana’, ‘Vipassana Bhawana’, ‘Abhidharma Bhaawana’, ‘Wishesha Abhidharma Bhaawana’ etc. More than a thousand books are written based on his grace’s Dhamma Sermons in addition to these books. The Venerable Maha Thero, who was self-sufficient with Dhamma, did not forget to take care of his teachers and Lord Buddha. When Mathara Gnanarama Thero and Kadawadduwe Sri Jinawansa Thero fell on ill, he did his duty without any less by treating and taking care of them well. He also took good care of his father. Our great Thero did not limit himself to Sri Lanka as he visited other countries around the world with the determination of exploring the core concepts and spirituality of Buddhism.
He visited Burma eleven times and gained Vidharshana by practising Mahasi meditation and then favouring Samatha Purwangama Vipassana Meditation method more. As a result of acquaintance that he made with the chief in charge of Pa-Auk Sayado Monastery, Venerable U Aachinna Pa Auk Sayado Thero, a great teacher, received Samatha Vipassana Meditation Training. He thereby gave his advice to build a Nobel policy resort called Na Uyana Monastery. Thero conducted Dhamma Sermons and Meditation programs in many countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra Islands, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Nepal to enlighten the minds of thousands of people.
Positions and Awards
The Venerable Maha Thero obeyed his teachers’ advice and adapted to the yogashramic discourse and daily routine. He did not chase after awards and accepted whatever he got. Due to his competency to bear the Tripitaka Buddha’s word, his grace was awarded the honorary degree of ‘Tripitakadharaacharya’ and awarded the ‘Mahakammattanachariya’ award Burma in 2006 for his long-term practice of Samatha and Vipassana Meditation. Maha Thero rendered an excellent service to Sangha Sasana by holding Sangya Secretary’s post up to General Secretary of Yogashramiya Sangha Sabha (a congregation of priests) respectively from 1968 onwards. After the Venerable Panditha Thero’s demise in the year 2003, the Venerable Maha Thero has conferred Chief Patron and Chief Incumbent of Yogastrama. He appreciated the service rendered towards Buddha Sasana by Maha Thero, who was given the honorary name of ‘Tripitaka Vaageeshwaracharya Sasanadhaja’ along with the position of Mahopadya in Sri Lanka Ramanya sect in 2012, also granted the position of Anunayaka (Deputy Leader) of the Raamanna Sect which carries the title of Sri Jinawansa Gnanaramawanshawathansa in the year 2014 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya (The Great Ramanna Sect). Altogether, Maha Thero was one of the most significant fatherly figures in Sangha Sasana who was endowed with virtues of exemplary priests who followed a religious path according to Buddhist Philosophy.
The Last Minute
On July 17 2016, Maha Thero held his 69th Sangha conference and advised his students, and the next day, he gifted a child to the Sangha Sasana for the last time. He did an amicable service for sangha sasana throughout a whole half-century by higher ordinating more than eighty priests. After that, Thero rested for a while and received heart disease treatments and other ailments and got hospitalized on July 21 2016. There he underwent a 13-hour operation at the Durdans Hospital in Colombo, where he recovered very well after the first surgery but became critically ill after the second one. Thero received care and blessings from the whole sangha community, including Venerable Angulgamuwe Ariyananda Thero and Venerable Naagapokune Ariyaseela Thero. Maha Thero lived for another month and a half amidst Pirith Chantings and passed away at the dawn of 2.15 on September 7 2016, with full consciousness depicting uncertainty and instability of life and all otherworldly subjects.
