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26 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

You established Mahamevnawa the Buddha, Gurulugomi, in the 12 praise that it was well said; the
th
Buddhist Monastery in 1999 to century, there is a beautiful simile true credit goes to the Buddha. If
benefit human beings through for the Teachings of the Buddha: he who gives a Dhamma talk were
the teachings of Buddha. In what A messenger of the King arrives to tell his own thing in the name
way is this monastery different at a village with a royal decree. of the Dhamma, he will misguide
from the many other thousands Thereafter, all the villagers assemble his listeners and thus exploit the
of monasteries in Sri Lanka? to listen to this royal decree. From natural tendency of people to

amongst the villagers, they find only choose a person as their savior.
When I established the one person who can read, and they Here in Mahamevnawa, we have
Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastic choose him to read the royal decree. no intention to enact our own
Order, I did not seek to emulate Then he reads out the royal decree decree; we teach the royal decree,
any other institution in the world. to the people and they praise him the decree of the Buddha, the Lord
Before I began Mahamevnawa, I for reading it out, but it actually of the Dhamma—that’s what sets
had spent many years in forest carries the words of the King. How apart Mahamevnawa from other
monasteries associating with is he praised? They praise him thus: monasteries in Sri Lanka.
various monks. During this period, I “Well said!” That’s all. They praise
gained a lot of experience regarding him for properly reading out the You mentioned you wish to
monastic life and the organizational royal decree. The decree doesn’t present the Buddha Dharma
structures of different forest belong to him though, it belongs in modern language so that it
monasteries. It is with these years to the King. Likewise, the one who easy for people to understand.
of experience that I founded this gives a Dhamma talk is just like How would you communicate
organization. Mahamevnawa the one who reads out the royal an ancient truth such as the
is unique in the sense that it is decree. Beginning even with the Four Noble Truths or Dependent
an organization based solely on Great Arahant Venerable Sāriputta, Origination to modern lay
the Buddha’s Teachings. I did anyone who gives a Dhamma talk is Buddhists?
not model Mahamevnawa after simply a person who reads out the
the methodologies of any other royal decree, not one who enacts it. Both teachings—the Four
organization. Even now, my The Buddha out of respect regarded Noble Truths and Dependent
continued motivation is to create an the Dhamma as His Teacher. It is Origination—are timeless truths
organization where the Buddha’s through the practice of Dhamma that the wise can realize even
Teachings can flourish. that a person realizes the fruits of today provided they are conveyed
the path and that Dhamma belongs properly. In the Vinaya, the Buddha
In the book, Dharmapradīpikā, only to the Buddha, not to anyone declared that disciples may learn
authored by the great Sri Lankan else. Everyone else who gives the Dhamma in their own language,
literary scholar and lay-disciple of Dhamma talks merely receives the which is why I translated the Sutta