A collection of scholarly articles covering many aspects of Buddhism has been published to mark Ven. Udupihille Vimalabuddhi’s 60 years of dedicated service to Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Canada.
The felicitation volume of 1029 pages titled ‘Wimalasara’ contains congratulatory messages from all the major Buddhist temples in Canada and monks serving in several temples abroad.
Ven. Ahangama Rathanasiri, Chief Abott of the Toronto Maha Vihara, in a message appreciates Ven. Vimalabuddhi untiring efforts to impart Buddhist education to about 200 students at the Sunday dhamma school. Ven. Vimalabuddhi functions as the principal and librarian.
Ven. Vimalabuddhi was born on April 9, 1947 in Matale as Ratnayake Mudiyaselage Ananda Wijesiri Ratnayake and renounced lay life and became a monk at the tender age of 10 as Udupihille Vimalabuddhi and received higher ordination 10 years later. He read for his BA degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and obtained MA from Pali Buddhist University of Sri Lanka in 1992 while serving as a government teacher.
Ven. Vimalabuddhi’s career as a teacher began in a remote school in Polonnaruwa in 1975 and worked under trying conditions and was later transferred to a school in Kandy where he taught for 11 years. He built a reputation as an excellent preacher, educationist and toured about 20 countries for Buddhist missionary activities. After teaching in Nalanda College, one of the two main Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka (the other being Ananda College) he retired in 2002 and arrived in Toronto.
Among the articles written by many prominent scholars is one by Ven. Ahangama Rathanasiri about the evolution and propagation of Buddhist temples in Toronto and surrounding areas. The Toronto Maha Vihara was established in 1974 which the Chief Abott describes as a landmark in the history of Buddhism in the Province of Ontario.
The articles begin with one written by Siri Vajiraramaye Nanasiha about Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Nayake Thera who is a ‘faithful scion of the Buddha and the missionary of the highest order’ responsible for opening up several Buddhist temples in the world.
Physical and mental diseases
Ven. Nelliwala Meththananda Thero in his in-depth article discusses the memory, its aspects and development in the context of Buddhism while Prof. Chandana Jayewardene presents an experimental analysis of how, by developing loving-kindness can lead to the elimination of diseases.
Prof. Oliver Abeynayake discusses how eight-fold path of Buddhism can lead to economic prosperity. In another interesting essay W.P.L.M. Nilushika discusses some unusual people in Jataka stories and how each such character is categorized in Pali according to their questionable mental traits. We still meet such people in our day-to-day life identified under various terms devised by modern psychoanalysis. Terms differ, but people still remain the same.
According to a well-researched article by Senior Lecturer Dr. Jayantha Jayasiri, Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures in three parts dealing with the discipline of monks, Buddhist discourse and doctrine) was composed in third century BCE extensively discussing physical and mental diseases, offering solutions to such problems through proper practice of Buddhism. According to the article, Sallekha Sutta preached by the Buddha enumerates 44 mental diseases and in another section He had mentioned 1550 psychological problems mainly arising out of sins. Tripitaka also deals with protection of the environment and personal hygiene.
Buddha has discussed environmental pollution more than 2000 years ago, says Ven. Vilgamuwe Piyananda. Buddha’s life had been closely connected to nature. He spent a greater part of his life in remote areas after attaining enlightenment under a ‘peepal’ tree which Buddhists still treat with veneration. The Buddah asked disciples not to break even a branch from a tree. In the article titled ‘Buddhism and Environment’ the writer says The Great One even decreed that the monks should not go about begging for alms for a few weeks when the rainy season starts, to prevent them from trampling grass that sprouts with the new showers. Monks observe a few weeks of retreat till the rainy season is over even today.
Evolution of Buddhist songs and poetry
Discussing the evolution of Buddhist songs and poetry inspired by the religion, Dr Praneeth Abeysundara outlines the literary aspects of the religion. An interesting point he discusses is that even the sensuous poems written on a rock on Sigiriya fortress are coloured by religious emotions. The visitors in the ancient times wrote poems on a rock wall – known as mirror wall – where there are several well-preserved 1600-year-old frescos of bare-chested beauties.
In another interesting article Ven. Ketawala Samitha discusses Buddhist view of consumption of meat. Buddha did not outlaw meat-eating but He said it is not a sin provided that three conditions are fulfilled: one who has not seen the animal being killed; if one does not hear that the animal has been killed for him and, without doubt that the animal has not been killed on his behalf. If meals are offered with meat to the monks in places where people survive by fishing or hunting it is not prohibited to consume such food. As trading in meat is one of the five occupations outlawed by Buddhism the person who consumes meat is not responsible for animal’s death. It is the slaughterer who commits the sin. Buddha has banned eating 10 kinds of meat which include human flesh, meat of elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards and two kinds of bears. Buddha has said the consumption of meat creates unfavourable effects on physical and mental health.
Senior Librarian R.D. Ananda Tissa reveals the efficient civic administration in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura (5th century BC) in his article and the evolution of caste-based employment system in Sri Lanka those days.
Ven. Pathegama Gnanissara in a timely article discusses legal and religious implications of sexual offences and violence against women. There seems to be a sharp rise in these types of crime in Sri Lanka. Buddhism has said that a person obsessed with lust is blind to truth and it is also the most destructive of human emotions. The passages in Tripitaka relating to sexual abuse by monks has been revised three times to outlaw bestiality and homosexuality.
Contemporary Buddhism in Canada
Ven. Bante Saranapala in his article titled ‘Contemporary Buddhism in Canada’ traces the development of Buddhism a century ago with the arrival of Chinese and Japanese immigrants. According to him there are three major traditions of Buddhism in Canada, namely Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. There are Buddhist temples and meditation centres in most major cities providing classes, retreats, cultural, religious programmes and counselling services, according to his article.
Among the other contributors to the volume are Ven. Athkandure Sumanasara, Prof. Asanga Thilakarathne, Prof. Ven. Bellanwila Vimalathana, Ven. Dapane Chanadrathana, Ven. Panamure Chandima, Ven. Akiriyagala Nanada, Ven. Parasangaswewa Sumanthissa, P.E.S. Sithumina Warnakulasooriya, M.A. Prasad Kumar, Ven. Weliwita Soratha, Ven. Dr. Lenagala Sririniwasa, Ven. Karapikkada Sobitha, Prof. Ven. Uthurawala Dhammarathana, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Chandkiththi, Ven. Karandagolle Vijithathissa, Ven. Medagampitiye Vijithadhamma and Ven. Vijithapura Gunarathana. The compilation of articles has been éditiez by Ven. Dankande Seelarathana.
Ven. Udupihille Vimalabuddhi says the printing of the book was made possible by a generous contribution from Vasantha Amarasinghe and his family residing in Canada. – Newstrails.com
