Our Founder: Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero.
Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero is the founder of Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka. He was ordained on 26 March 1979 at the age of 17, under Most Venerable Dambagssare Sumedhankara Thero and Most Venerable Dikwelle Pannananda Thero at Seruwavila. He received a traditional Buddhist academic education and entered the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. Realizing he could not achieve his goals in a university, he quit and began visiting meditation centers and hermitages.
His deep meditation practice and understanding of Buddhist philosophy later led him to start his own Buddhist monastery, Mahamevnawa, in 1999, under the guidance of Kotapola Amarakitti Thero, in Waduwava, Polgahawela.
Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero has translated the sacred Pali Canon into a clear Sinhala, a local language of many Sri Lankans. In addition, he has written many books about the discourses of the Supreme Buddha; over a hundred books have been published to date. There are also hundreds of audio cassettes and CDs of talks. In addition, Mahamegha Dhamma magazine and Shraddha TV take the message of Dhamma into the homes of thousands of lay followers around the world.
Message from Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
Two thousand five hundred years ago, on the road of history, the most beautiful and gracious event occurred: the emergence of our mighty Lord Buddha. In the same era, there was an unquenched public thirst for the truth about life, and people sought it through various methods. However, those people were fortunate enough to be touched by the supreme wisdom of Gautama Buddha. Lord Buddha went looking for them and showed them the hidden truth of life in a unique way no one had ever encountered. It was the astonishing and ultimate truth that the Buddha discovered. Once they heard the Buddha’s wonderful words, they became the sages of their time, bringing the ‘Golden Era’ to India. People successfully got rid of the ongoing misery, anxiety, agony, awkwardness, and grief with the great teachings of the Buddha. They were able to face their life challenges without heartache, and they managed to mark the end of the continuing cycle of Samsara – birth and death. The Buddha, with his ultimate kindness, saved the people from pain and suffering. This was the most successful and beautiful time that had ever occurred. The intelligence of people in that era was not the same as todays, and it was pretty hard to compare. They were so advanced in their thinking about life and did not easily fall into or get trapped by life’s simple, fake tastes, unlike nowadays. Lord Buddha spoke of different ways to see the path with intelligence, rejecting the myths of life with proper explanations as per the ’cause and effect theory’. Buddhism is a collection of these noble discourses, the Dhamma, which awakened the people’s wisdom.
After the passing away (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha, all his noble disciples (Sangha) who attained enlightenment safeguarded the Dhamma for the future in the ‘Magadhi’ (alias Pali) language, which was used in India at the time of the Buddha. The noble Sangha became ambassadors of the Buddha’s Dhamma and disseminated the Buddha’s teachings throughout the world. The sublime mission was carried out by the great king Dharmashoka. As a result, his son, Arahant Mihindu Thero, arrived on our little Island with the intact words of Lord Buddha. The most respected Arahant Mihindu Thero delivered the original sermons of the Lord Buddha to our fortunate ancestors. Arahant Mihindu Thero also introduced our ancestors to the Bhikku-hood (becoming a Buddhist monk) to help them follow a sacred life higher than the secular life patterns they knew. Lay disciples also learned to practice this Dhamma in their day-to-day lives. The noble mission of Arahant Mihindu Thero established Buddhism in Sri Lanka and safeguarded its existence for many generations to come.
Over time, anonymous changes affected the economic, social, political, educational, and religious sectors in every part of the world. As a result, the novel Buddhism and the practicality among followers disappeared. Fortunately, the most precious teachings of the Buddha that were rendered to us by Arahant Mihindu Thero were safely protected.
Though the practical application of Buddhism among the people began to fade, people have continued to seek something better and more realistic for themselves. At present, the public is not as keen to seek the truth as in the Buddha’s era. Still, there are wise groups interested in investigating the hidden side of life. I tried hard to learn the Dhamma, facing many challenges along the way as I sought to uncover this ultimate truth. I was fortunate to read the noble Dhamma of the Buddha in full – the dignified inheritance of Arahant Mihindu Thero. Buddhism is the most wondrous wisdom in the world. These teachings show us the enormous talent, kindness, self-consciousness, pure mind, intelligence, and the unmatched identity of the greatest person who ever appeared on this earth – the Buddha. All these points together reflect one thing—the uniqueness of the Thathagatha (one of many names used to address the Supreme Buddha).
I started the Dhamma service under the name ‘Mahamewnawa’ in 1999 as a memorial to the noble mission of Arahant Mihindu Thero. When we at Mahamewnawa began preaching the lucid Dhamma of the Buddha, intelligent groups from all over the Island gathered around us with renewed interest in this ultimate truth. We shall be found only of the truth that the Buddha revealed to us. If someone respects and worships the Dhamma, has a perspective on life, and lives according to the Dhamma, then that will be enough for the disciple who seeks the truth. This is because the truth of life can be expressed exclusively by Buddhism.
I welcome you all to Mahamewnawa with Mettha. Within our Dhamma service, we have no restrictions on race, caste, language, color, or religion. The truth unveiled by Gautama Buddha is open to everyone. If you are wise enough to understand that truth, then that truth is for you and for your own good and protection. Therefore, let us gather around that truth, the righteous Dhamma. Let us learn it, understand it, and live accordingly. Let us share this splendid gift of Dhamma with everybody. That is our noble duty at this time. May you all be blessed by the Buddha, the noble Dhamma, and the Sangha, good noble friends in Dhamma, and all deities!
~ Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero ~