Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera
Encyclopedia
Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera is a Sri Lanka
n bhikkhu
(Buddhist monk
) and a senior meditation teacher. He is the Spiritual Advisor of the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, and resides at the Na Uyana Aranya
.
, and was educated at the Government School of Nilagama. His father was a supporter of Ven. Wigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera, who was resident at the nearby Na Uyana forest monastery. The close relationship with the monastics from childhood inspired his decision to ordain, and he trained under Ven. Wigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera in 1956 as an upasaka
. He went forth
on 27 March 1957 with Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera as his upajjhaya
, and received upasampada
on 15 July 1959 with Ven. Madawala Dhammatilaka Mahathera as the upajjhaya.
, Ven. Devagoda Mangalasiri Mahathera and Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera. He studied Burmese language
from Ven. Nyaninda Sayadaw while he was in Sri Lanka in 1964.
Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera is proficient in Pali
and Sanskrit
, and has extensive knowledge of the Pali Canon
and the Pali commentaries. He was a teacher at the Gunawardena Yogasrama (the headquarters of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha) from 1965 to 1995. Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera was appointed the Registrar of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha in 1969, a position he held until being appointed the Spiritual Advisor and Head of the organization in 2003. In his current capacity, Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera leads about 1500 forest monks in 193 branch monasteries.
meditation system under Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera, and was guided in traditional Sri Lankan meditation methods by Ven. Matale Silarakkhita Mahathera of Ruwangirikanda Aranya. He did retreats at Mahasi centres in Myanmar in 1992 and 1993.
In 1996, Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera practiced under Ven. Sayadaw U Acinna (Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw) at Pa-Auk Meditation Centre in Mawlamyine, Myanmar. On returning to Sri Lanka in the beginning of 1997, he introduced the method to the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, and there are several monasteries in the organization now practicing the Pa-Auk method. Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera did further retreats at the same centre in 1997, 2001 and 2010.
Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera has been teaching meditation to monastics and lay practitioners since 1977. In 2006, he was awarded the ‘Mahākammaṭṭhānācariya’ (‘Great Meditation Teacher’) title by the Government of the Union of Myanmar, in recognition of his services in teaching Dhamma and meditation.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n bhikkhu
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
(Buddhist monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
) and a senior meditation teacher. He is the Spiritual Advisor of the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, and resides at the Na Uyana Aranya
Na Uyana Aranya
Nā Uyana Aranya Senāsanaya is a Buddhist forest monastery in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, associated with the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha. It spreads over more than 5000 acres of forest on the ‘Dummiya’ mountain range, and is residence to about 100 Buddhist monks...
.
Early life
Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera was born on 24 April 1939 to a traditional Buddhist family in KurunegalaKurunegala
Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...
, and was educated at the Government School of Nilagama. His father was a supporter of Ven. Wigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera, who was resident at the nearby Na Uyana forest monastery. The close relationship with the monastics from childhood inspired his decision to ordain, and he trained under Ven. Wigoda Bodhirakkhita Thera in 1956 as an upasaka
Upasaka
Upāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
. He went forth
Pabbajja
Pabbajja literally means "to go forth" and refers to when a layperson leaves home to live the life of a Buddhist renunciate among a community of monks . This generally involves preliminary ordination as a novice...
on 27 March 1957 with Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera as his upajjhaya
Upajjhaya
An Upajjhāya is a teacher in the Indian religions of South Asia.An upajjhāya is specifically a professional teacher in the technical subjects of Vedanga, i.e. Sanskrit grammar and other basic skills required for the perusal of the Vedas...
, and received upasampada
Upasampada
Upasampadā literally means "approaching or nearing the ascetic tradition." In more common parlance it specifically refers to the rite of ordination by which one undertakes the Buddhist monastic life....
on 15 July 1959 with Ven. Madawala Dhammatilaka Mahathera as the upajjhaya.
Monastic Life
Ven. Ariyadhamma studied under several learned elders, including Getamanne Sri Vimalavamsa Mahathera, Ven. Kadawedduwe Sri Jinavamsa MahatheraKadawedduwe Jinavamsa Mahathera
Kadawedduwe Sri Jinavamsa Mahathera was a Sri Lankan Bhikkhu . He was the founder of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, a reform movement within the Sri Lankan Rāmañña Nikāya....
, Ven. Devagoda Mangalasiri Mahathera and Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera. He studied Burmese language
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
from Ven. Nyaninda Sayadaw while he was in Sri Lanka in 1964.
Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera is proficient in Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, and has extensive knowledge of the Pali Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
and the Pali commentaries. He was a teacher at the Gunawardena Yogasrama (the headquarters of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha) from 1965 to 1995. Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera was appointed the Registrar of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha in 1969, a position he held until being appointed the Spiritual Advisor and Head of the organization in 2003. In his current capacity, Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera leads about 1500 forest monks in 193 branch monasteries.
Meditation Practice
During the 1960s, Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera studied the MahasiMahasi Sayadaw
The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw U Sobhana was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of Vipassana meditation in the West and throughout Asia...
meditation system under Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera, and was guided in traditional Sri Lankan meditation methods by Ven. Matale Silarakkhita Mahathera of Ruwangirikanda Aranya. He did retreats at Mahasi centres in Myanmar in 1992 and 1993.
In 1996, Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera practiced under Ven. Sayadaw U Acinna (Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw) at Pa-Auk Meditation Centre in Mawlamyine, Myanmar. On returning to Sri Lanka in the beginning of 1997, he introduced the method to the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, and there are several monasteries in the organization now practicing the Pa-Auk method. Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera did further retreats at the same centre in 1997, 2001 and 2010.
Ven. Ariyadhamma Mahathera has been teaching meditation to monastics and lay practitioners since 1977. In 2006, he was awarded the ‘Mahākammaṭṭhānācariya’ (‘Great Meditation Teacher’) title by the Government of the Union of Myanmar, in recognition of his services in teaching Dhamma and meditation.