Venerable Matara Sri Nyanarama Maha Thera |
Young Jayathunga was ordained in December 1917 with the given name of Ven Matara Gnanarama under the patronage of Ven Matale Aggadhammalankara Thero. Young samanera Gnanarama was bent on perfecting his knowledge in dhamma pursued the dhamma education with utmost zeal. He received higher ordination on 10th July 1922 under Ven Sastrawelliye Upasena Nayaka Thero.
Bent on experiencing wisdom Venerable thero gave up almost all mundane comforts for the sake of the final goal. Some nights he spent without a wink of sleep absorbed in the study of Suttas . Having mastered all the aspects of Tipitaka, Logics, Chandolankara, Other ontemporary philosophies this extra ordinary sage pursued on the path with diligent practice.
During the 1951 Most Venerable Kadawedduwe Jinalankara Maha Swaminwahnse started a programme of activities for upholding the diminishing status of Sasana in Sri Lanka, and invited Ven Gnanarama to head the programme of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Sansthawa. During the auspices year of 2500 Buddha Jayanthi several Burmese meditation masters arrived in Sri Lanka. Ven Matara Gnanarama thero joined the retreats conducted by these excellent teachers at Danawkande Sri Mangala Yogasramaya, and advanced rapidly on the path of insight meditation. Having observed the extra ordinary talent and zeal of Venerable Gnanarama, the Burmese masters taught him every aspect of practice to be learned by a Kammattanacari.
During this time another rare opportunity opened up for the advancement of sasana in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist philanthropist Asoka Weerarathna who selected a land and developed the forest hermitage at Meethirigala was searching for a teacher to head this meditation center for Bhikkus. Mr Weerarathna was able to persuade Venerable Gnanarama to take up this position. At this Nissarana Wanaya center countless Bhikkus and lay devotees both local and foreign received instructions for their advancement on the path and many reaped benefit. Some of these instructions were recorded on tape and were made available in printed form as well. The recorded talks can be downloaded from internet. Several books written based on the talks have been translated to western languages and have helped hundreds of seekers in the west.
Venerable Nyanarama had such a personality that those who met him for the first time too were attracted to him as with parental respect. He was never interested in worldly gains and high positions and spent almost every minuite not spent on teaching, on meditation. Venerable thero expected all students in Nissarana wanaya to follow his example and deligently reap the results of such practice.
Having lit the lamp of practice in the then darkened Sangha sphere, he generated such an interest among the bhikkus of all sects they too were attracted to practice . This interest in the pursuance of the path of practice created by Venerable Maha Thero has kept the Dhamma of the blessed one in the land of Sinhala todate.
Venerable Nyanarama passed on to blissful existence on 30th April 1992 and the cremation took place on 7th May 1992 among thousands of devotees at Galduwa Yogasrama premises.
(Daluwatta R , 2011 , Most Venerable Matara Sri Gnanarama Maha Swaminwahanse)
Usual specifics:
Author: Venerable Matara Sri Nyanarama Thero
Genre: Buddhist Dharma Sermons
Language: Sinhala/Pali
Credits: These Talks are made available for free Distribution by Mr Ranjith Daluwatta. Many thanks to him for publishing these for the seekers of Dhamma.
Uploaded By: Tiraj Adikari
Copyright : If applicable is held by the Sri Kalyana Yogasrama sansthawa ,Galduva, Srilanka
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