by Shehara de Silva (Continued from last week) There are so many times I have seen Sumi in a boardroom or at work, where she is like a force of nature. She is like a battering ram who insists on having her way and on getting things done. She is relentless. It was thus amazing […]
by Ven. Aggamahapandita Dr. Walpola Piyananda Chief Sangha Nayake of America
A ten-year-old boy from Matara was taken up to Colombo by Ven. Galboda Devananda Nayaka Thera and handed over to Ven. Vacissara Nayaka Thera of Gangaramaya. The well-known monk, Ven. Morontuduwe Sri Dhammananda read the young boy’s horoscope and determined that he was suitable for ordination as a samanera. The wise Venerable said he was “a savior who should be ordained for the welfare of everybody.”
Eight days after his arrival in Colombo, on November 8, 1954, the boy was ordained and given the name Galboda Gnanissara Thera. It didn’t take long for the 10 year-old to become a favorite at the temple, and they nick-named the active child “Podi Hamudurwo” because of the smallness of his physical stature and his quick energy. To this day Ven. Gnanissara is still known as “Podi Hamuduruwo,” even though he grew up to become one of the great world figures of modern Buddhism.
By the Ven. Aggamahapandita Dr. Walpola Piyananda, Chief Sangha Nayake of America
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A ten-year-old boy from Matara was brought to Colombo by the Ven. Galboda Devananda Nayaka Thera and handed over to the Ven. Vachissara Nayaka Thera of the Colombo Hunupitiya Gangaramaya temple. The well-known monk, the Ven. Morontuduwe Sri Dhammananda Thera read the young boy’s horoscope and determined that he was suitable for ordination as a samanera. The wise Venerable said he was “a saviour who should be ordained for the welfare of everybody.”
Eight days after his arrival in Colombo, on November 8, 1954, the boy was ordained and given the name Galboda Gnanissara Thera. It did not take long for the ten-year-old to become a favourite at the temple, and they nick-named the active child “Podi Hamuduruwo” because of the smallness of his physical stature and his quick energy. Even today, the Ven. Gnanissara is known as “Podi Hamuduruwo”, though he grew up to bec