Ven Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Thera: a career, a journey, a life

The title of my article this week is the title of the felicitation program organized and conducted in Sri Lanka at the Bhikkhu’s abode – Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya Monastery – and streamed virtually worldwide. It was to mark Ven Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thera’s 70th birthday; “his 33 years of monastic life; his contribution to the Buddha’s Dispensation and his introducing mindfulness to school children and dissemination of mindfulness amongst all.” The free online event was streamed online on Saturday February 5.

The term ‘a career’ comes in here as he, in lay life, was a qualified agriculturist in the mercantile sector who gave it all up at age 37 and joined the Sangha as a forest monk. Most fortunately he did not recluse himself once he was higher ordained, rather did he engage in dhammaduta work – spreading the Word of the Buddha in many countries including the US, UK, Germany and Australia, and to lead Sri Lankans on the correct Path. But his life’s work now seems to be propagating sathi.

About a decade ago, he introduced and actively promoted the concept and practice of Sathi – Mindfulness. His great beneficial innovation was to start Sathi Paasal or ‘schools’ for Sathi introduction and practice. Children are targeted, as young as primary students, with no preaching of Buddhist Dhamma. Emphasized here is that there is not the slightest intention of conversion to Buddhism or judgment of other religions. Children of both sexes, all religions, and from different strata of society are welcomed in the paasal which are mostly daytime sessions conducted by trained teachers. Sathi as an educational concept is now within the school curriculum, Ven U Dhammajiva Maha Thera having worked closely with the Education Department in preparation of syllabi and training teachers. The concept is spreading in other countries too.

‘A life’ as given in the title of the felicitation program was referred to by various speakers referring to his life as a monk. He was born in Eriyagama, a hamlet close to Kandy. Details of childhood were missing in the articles I researched. (A biograohy in Sinhala is available). He graduated with both BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Peradeniya and was a CEO of a foreign company based in the island. In 1977 as a graduand on vacation at home for one month, he had his father falling seriously ill. He nursed him but he died. That had a strong impact on him, when he earnestly pondered on life and its eternal dukka – unsatisfactoriness.

He became “disillusioned with the fruitless pursuit of material enrichment.” On November 16, 1988, he ordained and in June 1990 received higher ordination. From the time of ordination up until 1992, he was under training by the great meditator – (then believed by many to be an Arahat) – Matara Sri Nanarama Maha Thera of the Mitirigala forest hermitage. He nursed this monk too and when he passed away in 1993, U Dhammajiva Thera went to Burma for intense vippassana bhavana.

He learnt a fourth language Burmese and helped much in translation of scriptures. Requested to return home to Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya, he did so, continuing studies of Pali, Abidhamma; and translating and writing. Thus he continued in near solitude up until 2006 when requests poured in from very many countries to visit and preach and teach meditation. And now a huge beneficial gift he has bestowed to our future generation, promoting and facilitating mindfulness, which is now accepted as most beneficial to the individual, family, society, and in extension, a country itself. The newest concept it that sathi in people impacts on the environment, the warming of which threatens the entire world.

‘A Journey’ in the title of the felicitation is of course Ven Dhammajiva Thera’s upward path to end samsaric existences, and his leading others to the Path, while enriching their lay lives with dedication to mindfulness.

The felicitation program

On Saturday, February 5th, an entire day’s felicitation program was organized and carried out with virtual worldwide participation. It was in three slots: the morning session in Sinhala with a video clip of a sathi class in session. The evening session was from 5.30 – 8.30 pm excellently facilitated by Tara de Mel. The final session to 11.30 pm was also in English with different mediation methods being elucidated such as Tibetan, Theravada etc.

In the second session about which I write, Bhikkhu Bodhi was the first speaker. He narrated how he got to know Ven Dhammajiva and invited him to New Jersey to co-conduct medication retreats. A Sri Lankan who has attended some of these retreats and also attends Saturday sutta discussions conducted by Bhikkhu Bodhi said he found Ven Dhammajiva Thera an excellent exponent of the Dhamma. He said the Bhikkhu was a pride to Sri Lanka.

The American monk Bhante Yogavacari Rahula started his address by quoting the words of the Buddha that it is a blessing to hear the Buddha Word and difficult to obtain suitable conditions and difficult to go on the Path. He said: But Ven Dhammajiva has achieved much, spending his time and effort in new creative ways for the good of lay people and particularly for children.

Sathi

is not only good for a person and society but beneficial to the environment too, which is now severely threatened. He recalled how when he was in Sri Lanka and staying in the Nilambe meditation centre in the 1970s, and 80s, a young, bearded, troubled man grappling with questions visited him wanting advice. The young man said he wished to give up lay life which seemed so unsatisfactory. Bhante Rahula had asked him to renounce lay life immediately and go forth to homelessness. The young man had done so, and thus was the Sangha enriched with the entry of Uda Eriyagama Dhammjiva Thera.

A Tibetan monk too spoke on Ven Dhammajiva whom he got to know well.

A discussion followed facilitated competently by Tara with panelists Richard J Davidson and Chris Ruane. Davidson (b. Brooklyn, 1951)) is Professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and founder and chair of the Center for Healthy Minds and affiliated Healthy Minds innovations. Christopher Shaun Ruane (b. 1958) is a Welsh Labour Party politician who served as MP for the Vale of Clwyd from 1997-2015 and 2017-2019.

He co-founded the Oxford Mindfulness Centre to establish mindfulness practice in the UK Parliament, training 260 UK parliamentarians and 460 staff members, in between his MP years. In 2018 he re-established the All Party Group on Wellbeing Economics. “He has been a consistent campaigner for embedding wellbeing considerations in public policy formation and decision making.”

The questions asked, mostly by Sri Lankan women, were both incisive and probing while the answers were full and most satisfying.

Personal encounter

I must pay my personal tribute to the Maha Thera to whose teachings I have listened, and observed a sathi paasal session in progress. My nephew in Kandy donated a family inheritance of some acres of land – Nagastenna in Boyagama, Peradeniya, to the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya and to receive the deed, Ven U Dhammajiva Thera himself arrived at my nephew’s home in Anniewatte. He was certainly arresting to look at and spoke extremely clearly.

He made one statement that startled me then (three years ago) but the truth of it has dawned and become crystal clear as time went by. He queried: “Do you consider and call yourselves Sinhala Buddhists?” Pregnant silence ensured.”If you do, you are not a Buddhist.” He did not use epithets ‘true’ or ‘devoted’. His pronouncement has proven to be the stark truth. The term is used with its ring of majoritarianism and superiority. Why does a Buddhist need an appellation or qualifier?

I heard recently that a bit of land owned by the donor which belongs to his sisters was sought by the head bhikkhuni of a nuns’ pirivena, their present building being cramped. Permission was sought from Ven Dhammajiva since the land was now owned by the Nissarana hermitage. He was more than willing for the sathi paasal premises to be adjacent to a nuns’ abode. Magnanimity shown again.

We are so thankful and praise Karma or whatever for giving this land so many devout and truly saintly bhikkhus and among them those who also help others to progress on the Path. Ven Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Thera who, starting with children, helps those willing to benefit from mindfulness, Sathi, is a shining example of sanctity plus pragmatism.