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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 25

Applying the Buddha

Dharma in modern Times

By Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero

The Most Venerable Kiribathgoda
Gnānānanda Thero is the founder
of the Mahamevnawa Buddhist
Monastic Order. He was born into a
Catholic family in Sri Lanka in 1961,
and at the age of six months his
whole family embraced Buddhism.
At the age of eighteen, he was
ordained at Seruwila Mangala
Raja Maha Vihara under the
preceptorship of the Most Venerable
Dambagasare Sumedhankara Mahā
Thero, who was the Chief of the
Sri Kalyaniwansa Nikāya and the
Abbot of Seruwila Mangala Raja
Maha Vihara at the time. After a Lanka. Venerable Kiribathgoda Sinhala language, have elicited
traditional Sri Lankan monastic Gnānānanda Thero, by utilizing much praise from the people.
education, while studying for the his experience gained from many Moreover, Venerable Kiribathgoda
Sinhala Honours Degree at Sri years in monastic life, began Gnānānanda Thero’s translation
Jayawardhanapura University, Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery of the Sutta Piṭaka into simple
he had the rare and unexpected in August 1999. While teaching Sinhala language, helping it
opportunity to read the Buddha’s the Dhamma and holding Dhamma to be read and understood by
discourses in the Pāli Canon, and programs throughout various people from any walk of life, is an
as a result, he abandoned temple parts of Sri Lanka, he kindled in unparalleled service to the Buddha’s
life and began to frequent forest the people enormous faith in the Dispensation—undertaken by the
monasteries and hermitages, Buddha’s Dispensation. Venerable Venerable Thero out of compassion
offering his life to the Dhamma with Kiribathgoda Gnānānanda Thero for the world. Teaching the Dhamma
a great desire to practice it. has authored over 300 books devoid of capricious personal
in Sinhala and also several opinions, by revealing only the Pure
Thereafter, having acquired more books in English on the Word of the Buddha, is the unique
a profound knowledge of Buddha’s Teachings as recorded quality of the Most Venerable
the Dhamma by studying in the Pāli Canon, thus revealing Kiribathgoda Gnānānanda Thero’s
the Pāli Canon for a further ten the sacred Word of the Buddha outstanding Dhamma service.
years, Venerable Kiribathgoda to the public. Those Dhamma
Gnānānanda Thero accumulated books, along with CDs containing Venerable Gnānānanda very kindly
manifold experiences in life while his inspiring Dhamma talks and agreed to be interviewed on his
living in the Himalayas in India Vandana verses, which explain many missionary activities for
and the jungles of Sri Pāda in Sri the Buddha’s discourses in simple Eastern Horizon.