Ven. Gnanissara’s Legacy Expands in America

Gangaramaya’s “Podi Hamuduruwo”:

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.

The talented young samanera quickly caught the attention of four of the highest-ranking Sangha members in Sri Lanka: Ven. Morontuduwe Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera, Ven. Welewitiye Soratha Nayaka Maha Thera, Ven. Dehigaspe Pannasara Nayaka Maha Thera, and Ven. Kotagama Wacchissara Maha Thera. They protected, educated, and mentored him, and most of all they blessed him and his future life – understanding full-well his potential as a vital force for both the sasana and general welfare of the people of Sri Lanka. The distinguished lay patron, Mr.Ranjith Wijewardane, took a particular life-long interest in Podi Hamuduruwo when he was 10 years old and continues to support his projects and programs today.

Ten years later, on June 21, 1964 he received his higher ordination at the Malwatta Viharaya in Kandy at the historic poye ge.

He was educated at the Vidyodaya (now Sri Jayawardenapura) University, and graduated in 1967. He wasn’t able to study for higher degrees because of the illness of the Gangaramaya Nayaka Thera who depended on him to administer the affairs of the temple. This is the period when he started to explore his humanitarian leanings, and put his focus on the country’s underprivileged youth.

One day young Podi Hamuduruwo caught the attention of Mr. William Gopallawa, the first President of Sri Lanka, when he visited Gangaramaya for a religious event. A close relationship with the statesman developed from that day forward, and Mr. Gopallawa treated the young monk as if he were his own son.

Two of Podi Hamuduruwo’s most notable characteristics, recognized even at this early age, are confidence and fearlessness. He has demonstrated these two strong traits time and again over the last five decades by expanding Gangaramaya’s programs for the poor, implementing his visions of social welfare, and speaking out for what he knew was right.

A good example of this trait was when President J. R. Jayewardene another close friend of Podi Hamuduruwo, made an ill-advised pact with India in 1983 that didn’t sit well with him and many others. Instead of taking his friend’s side in the issue, Podi Hamuduruwo took the opposite side and participated with the people of Sri Lanka in public demonstrations against the pact. He put his relationship with the President in jeopardy, but he won the respect of many, and his view on this issue has since been proven to be correct Mr. Jayewardene later said that if Podi Hamuduruwo had been a layperson he would have appointed him to the highest Cabinet position in the land. He admired the young man’s charisma leadership, wisdom_ and fearlessness.

Speaking of Presidents, Podi Hamuduruwo is a close friend and confidante of Sri Lanka’s former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. They have known one another for three decades. He is also close to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and is called upon from time to time to provide wise counsel.

Not accepting the idea that his only role in life would be as a Buddhist monk who performed the traditional rituals, he began creating a variety of social programs for the benefit of the people of Sri Lanka. During the last 30 years he founded vocational and technical schools at both Gangaramaya and Kataragama. Literally thousands of young men have received free educations in various trades that enabled them to work and support their families, leading productive lives.

Fifteen years ago he set up a program in Kataragama for Colombo’s homeless people, and be provides education counseling and vocational training for rehabilitating these unfortunate citizens. Thanks to Ven. Gnanissara one rarely sees beggars or homeless people on the streets of our capital – as we do so often here in Los Angeles or San Francisco or in other big American cities where there are no such far-sighted programs in place.

Other projects Podi Hamuduruwo developed in the Kataragama area are orphanages for children, and a 100-bed guesthouse for pilgrims visiting the sacred sites in the area. On one occasion he went to Taiwan where he persuaded a group of devotees there to donate thousands of bicycles, which he distributed free to the underprivileged of Kataragama.

One of Podi Hamuduruwo’s most notable characteristics is his love of nature and commitment to maintaining a healthy, dean environment in Sri Lanka. During the past few decades, he has caused to be planted over one million trees on the island. He has also been an advocate for animal rights, and as everyone knows, he is particularly fond of elephants, having kept one as a pet in Gangaramaya temple for many years.

My favorite example of Ven. Gnanissara’s genius is how he one day decided to improve the appearance of the country’s young monks. He noticed that they weren’t cutting their hair properly, or often enough. When he enquired he discovered that the razors they used in the temples were old, dull and painful to use, and shaving their heads became something to be avoided. Podi Hamuduruwo’s answer was to buy two thousand sets of hair clippers and offer them to monks throughout the island. He started this program twenty years ago, and he still performs this act of generosity to this day.

Another favorite example that demonstrates Podi Hamuduruwo’s practical nature is his program to clean and modernize all of the toilet facilities in Pirivenas all over the country. An important part of this program was to train the young monks how to use and maintain the facilities since many of them were from rural areas and had no knowledge of such devices, or understood the personal hygiene that went along with using them.

His generosity and broad vision led him to help Buddhists in other countries as well. A good example is how he often traveled to Burma where he offered dana to the monks there. He developed talented assistants such as Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji and Ven. Dr. Ratanasara who help him administer the vast array of programs he has created under the aegis of Gangaramaya temple.

Another of his gifted students is Ven. Henbunne Kondanna who oversees five temples in the Metropolitan New York City Area, and other temples in Chicago and Boston as well. Ven. Gnanissara was the founder of the first Buddhist Vihara in New York City and brought well-known scholar/monk Ven. Kurunageda Piyatissa to be its abbot.

Ven. Siyabalagoda Ananda Thero is another good example of Podi Hamuduruwo’s positive influence and good training. After living at Gangaramaya as a young samanera and monk he went to the US in 1981 to attend university in New York. He returned to Sri Lanka in 1985 to assist his teacher in managing Gangaramaya’s vocational training center. In 1997 he returned to the US and lived in Seattle for a number of years. He stayed in a Vietnamese Buddhist temple where he did social work and performed religious services for that community.

Podi Hamudurwo and I have known each other for more than 50 years He is one of my closest friends and confidantes. He is a brilliant, visionary, energetic monk who has performed a vast number of meritorious deeds during his life, and his influence has spread around the world.

Podi Hamudurwo has been very ill and recovering in Singapore for the past few years, which has deprived us of both his company and his service to Sri Lanka. We hope to see him recover completely and return to our homeland very soon.

On the occasion of his 77th birthday, on behalf of all Sangha members in North America I wish him a very happy day. May he have long life and the Blessings of the Triple Gem.