The advent of the Buddha marks a distinct epoch in the history of mankind. His influence on the lives of people for over twenty-five centuries in many ways, has set in motion a new stage of growth in the annals of human civilization and culture. Far reaching emphasize on objectivity and universal application, with the result the Four Noble Truths he taught to free the mind from the ever present defilements of attachment (lobha) enmity (dosa) and ignorance (moha) and the measures he set afoot to concretize these truths in the day - to - day lives of the people continue to be valid for ever and ever.
The Blessed One at Saranath, having formed his first group of sixty Arahant bhikkhus addressing them discourses, "Bhikkhus I am free from all shackles whether human or divine. Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of many (bahujana hitaya), out of compassion for the benefit, welfare and happiness of gods and men (bahujana sukhaya). Teach the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end, with meaning and the letter. Explain a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure. There are beings with little dust on their eyes who will be lost through not hearing the Dhamma. Some will understand the Dhamma. I shall go to Uruwela, to Senanigama, to teach the Dhamma" (Vinaya Pitaka, Mahavagga 1:7 - 20).
Once, the Buddha described the qualities of a missionary bhikkhu. "Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is fit to go on a mission when he has eight qualities. What are the eight? Here a bhikkhu is one who listens, who gets others to listen, who learns, who remembers, who recognizes, who get others to recognize, who is skilled in the consistent and the inconsistent, and who does not make trouble. A bhikkhu is fit to go on a mission when he has these eight qualities. Now Sariputta has these eight qualities, consequently he is fit to go on a mission."
"He does not falter when he comes Before a high assembly; He does not lose his thread of speech, Or cover up his message. Unhesitatingly, he speaks out; No questioning can ruffle him - A bhikkhu such as this is fit To go on a mission." (Vinaya Pitaka, Culavagga 7:4; Anuttara Nikaya 8:16).
The late Mahopadya Aggamaha Panditha Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Maha Nayaka Thera of the Amarapura Sadhammavamsa Maha Nikaya founded by Venerable Lankagoda Dhirananda (1811-1871) and Kapugama Dhammakhanda Maha Thera (1768-1816) of the Dadalla group of monks (Galle) that separated from the Amarapura Maha Nikaya established by Velitara monks (Balapitiya led by Venerable Ambagahapitiye Nanavimala (1768-1835). This fraternity was named Sadhammavamsa the title held by Venerables Dhammakhanda and Dhirananda, who received it (from King of Myanmar (Burma). The title bestowed on Venerable Kapugama Dhirananda by the King of Burma with an act of appointment to the office of Ganacariya (Chief Monk) carried the highest ecclesiastical title 'Sadhammavamsapala Dhammasenapati Mahadhamma Rajaguru' and this title was confirmed by the British governor of the maritime provinces by a certificate of confirmation dated 14 January 1814, recognizing the new Saddammavamsa fraternity. reading:-
"Whereas the Sinhalese Priest Dhammakhanda unnanse having proceeded to Ava, has brought from thence and produced a letter addressed to His Excellency, the Governor, together with a commission and signed from which it appears, that he has been nominated by the Emperor of Ava to the office of Ganachariya, and has received certain ornaments and honourary Distinctions.
This is to certify, that the said Dhammakanda unnanse has permission to assume and use within the British territories on the island of Ceylon, the ornaments and honourary Distinctions thus conferred upon him, without interruption, in so far as the same is consistent with existing regulations."
Ceylon National Archives Document 5/63/45/ (2).
This was the first such confirmation issued by the British colonial rulers, who held the State religion in their territories and even after 1815, having made the entire island a British colony till 1948.
Venerable Dhammakhanda like the members of both Amarapura Maha Nikaya, first parent body and the off-shoot Sadhammavamsa then as now were great scholars and who pioneered risking their lives to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka and afford admission to the fraternities without any caste distinction. The scholarship of Dhammakhanda is well attended by the reference in W. M. Harvad, memories of Mrs. Elizabeth Harvard, 3rd edition (London) 1833, p. 65)., in that: "Mrs. Elizabeth Harvard (with her husband, who was a Weslyan missionary in Ceylon) visited Kapugama's temple at Dadalla, Galle, wrote to her parents in England (26 August 1816); 'I afterwards went with our part, to inspect the Priest's dwelling house, and his library, which is very extensive and valuable one, containing many royal and noble presents which he received in the countries where he has travelled." It was also from the Sadhammavamsa fraternity of the Amarapura Nikaya, that the great debater Venerable Mohottivatte Gunananda (Migettuwatte) (1823-90) born at Migettuwatte, Balapitiya, and succeeding to the chief incumbency of Dupaduttaramaya, Kotahena, Colombo, after the death of the founder Venerable Sinigama Dhirakkhanda his uncle and teacher in 1843. (Ceylon National Achieves Document 5/63/47 (134) copy of his will dated 3 July 1843).
Venerable Gunananda in order to retrieve Buddhism which was at the lowest ebb in the littoral of the island being under foreign rule from 1505, took the first meaningful and major step in mobilizing resistance to the Christian missionaries was the organization, in 1862, of a society, which is called Sarvajana Sasanabhivurddhidayaka Dharma Samagama. The English translation of the name was 'Society for the Propagation of Buddhism' in evident similarity to 'Society for the propagation of the Gospel' of the Anglican church, which had been active in Sri Lanka since 1840. This society, through some devious means acquired through a change of hands, the printing press which in 1835 had been sold by the Church Missionaries and funds were raised went, into print media in rebuttal of Christian polemical tracts, phamphlets and periodicals.
The first publication of Gunananda's Society for the Propagation of Buddhism was Durlabdhi Vinodaniya, a reply written in rebuttal by Gunananda to Gogerly's Kristiyani Prajnapti. This society started a monthly periodical in June 1862; and soon after the appearance of its first number, Weslyans reciprocated, Gorgely himself, a rival periodical in July 1862 called Sudharma Prakaranaya. In October in Galle, a second Buddhist press as set up (Lamkopakara Press) and Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanghala Maha Thera, most scholarly monk at the time and kater to be in 1872, the founder principal of Vidyodaya Pirivena, joined forces from Galle with Gunananda's firing at Colombo. The Galle press with a periodical Sudarsanaya.
The Society for the Propagation of Buddhism forth with printed works, Kristiyani Vada Mardanaya (1862-63), Samyak Darsanaya (1863-64); Bauddha Vaksaraya (1863); Sumati Samgrahaya (1864) and Labdhi Tul ava (1864-65). The Weslyan in the battle wrote and published Bauddha Vakya Khadanaya (1863) and Satya Dvajaya (1863-64).
Debates
Inter-religious dialogues in the print media finally culminated in personal dialogues, or open debates. The Buddhists were led by Venerable Migettuvatte Gunananda and the Christians by John Edward Hunupola, a former Buddhist monk and convert to Christianity employed by the Anglican missionaries as one of their preachers, F. S. Sirimanne, a catechist of the Church Missionary Society, and David de Silva, of the Weslyan mission, who was the chief protagonist at the Panadura Debate.
The five Great vadayas or Debates were, Baddegama Vadaya (1865), where the first Anglican Church was built in Sri Lanka, Christ Church (still the church and school under the same name exist) Udanvita Vadaya (1866); Gampola Vadaya (1873) Varagoda Vadaya (1865) and finally most resounding one Panadura Vadaya (1873).
In English translation of the proceedings, together with a brief observations on the Panadura Vadaya (debate) was written and published in Ceylon Times by its special correspondent (John Perera, a Sinhalese Christian) by the editor of Ceylon Times John Capper, under the caption, a full account of the Buddhist correspondent (A Sinhalese Christian) by the editor of Ceylon Times John Capper, under caption, 'A Full Account of the Controversy held at Panature' (Colombo 1875).
Thereafter Peebles James Martin, an American published a resume of the Panadura Debate in is work, 'Three Journies Around the World or Travels in the Pacific Inland, New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon, India, Egypt and other oriental countries' (Boston, USA, 1898). These coverages in the print media, enlightened the western readership the renaissance that was being ushered in respect of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Mahopadya Agga Maha Panditha Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Maha Nayake Thera, born on 12 August 1896 at Balangoda, with his parents as N. A. Metiyas Appuhamy and B. Heenmenika having entered the order on 2 March 1911, in the Amarapura Sadhammavamsa fraternity, dedicated his life and time for the furtherance of the objectives of the founder of this fraternity. He entered the order with Venerable Damahena Dhammananda as the preceptor and Venerable Vinayacarya Abhidhammika Damahena Silakkhanda Nayaka Thera as the teacher. He had his higher ordination under his preceptor on 16 January 1916 and set himself in his long career in Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala, English, Mahayana and Theravada B
