Professor Most Ven. Neluwe Sumanawansa Nayaka Maha Thera has been unanimously appointed by the Sangha Council to the post of the Chief Sanghanayaka of the Bentara Vihara Chapter in the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Kalyani Samagree Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha.
Accordingly, the presentation of appointment will be held at a ceremony at Kotte Raja Maha Vihara on January 18. A ceremony to welcome the New Sangha Nayaka thera will be held on the January 18.
The Thera was born on January 20, 1961 in Neluwa in the Galle district. His parents are Dasili Liyanage Siriyawathie Wijenayake and late Bamunusinghe Liyanage Don Nandasena.
Ven. Nuluwe Sumanawansa was ordained in 1976 when he was 12 years under the tutelage of the Most Venerable Dediyawala Dewasumana Nayaka Thera, the Vice Chief Sanghanayake for the Kalutara region. After completing his initial educational training as a novice monk, he obtained higher ordination (Upasampada) in the year 1983 from the Maha Sangha at the Kotte Sri Mangala Uposathagaraya in the Kotte Rajamaha Viharaya.
Education
As a lay student, Ven. Neluwe Sumanawansa received his primary education at the Neluwa Primary School for several years and approached the Dharmavijaya Pirivena for ordination with the blessings of his parents. Then onwards, he stayed at the Pirivena and obtained Pirivena education until he joined the Maligakanda Vidyodaya Pirivena in Colombo 10 for his Oriental Studies (Prachina Education) in the year 1980.
With the guidance given by his teachers and his own commitment and effort he was able to pass the final year examination of the Vidyodaya Pirivena with excellent results which nominated him obtaining the “Syamaraja Aard” of the Pirivena in 1984. Furthermore, he was able to receive two degrees respectively: ‘Thripitakacharya and Royal pandit’ in 1983 and 1984 while he was studying at the pirivena. In 1988, he was selected to the University of Kelaniya, where he pursued a Sanskrit degree course as a special subject. His tremendous had work and his own devotion towards learning led him to receive a first class pass in Sanskrit. In the year 1989 Ven. N. Sumanawansa obtained a Masters degree from the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, and he successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)in 1993 from the University of Colombo.
Later, he received an MPhil degree from the University of Kelaniya in 1997. As a talented student, he was able to gain is Ph.D degree in 2005 from the University of Delhi in India. After obtaining basic and postgraduate degrees from local and foreign universities, he functioned as an academic, a researcher and an administrator holding diverse positions. Professor Most Venerable N. Sumanawansa Thera does not restrict his academic activities to one university. Presently, he works as a visiting lecturer in several universities and other institutions as well.
Educational Service
After passing the Royal Pandi degree, Ven. Sumanawansa received the first appointment as a teacher in Sanskrit at the Maligakanda Vidyodaya Pirivena and thereby was able to render his service to the Buddhist monks at the institute where he studied. While he was teaching at the pirivena, he was invited by his High Priest to assume duties as the principal of the Dharmavijaya Pirivena (Parivenadhipathi) in the year 1990. Subsequently, in 1994, the Thera was appointed as a probationary lecturer in Sanskrit at the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, in Homagama. Although he had an immense workload during that period, he never thought of giving up his great and noble voluntary service to the Sunday Dhamma school in which he renders a great service for the betterment of children in the area.
Local and Foreign Students
As the chief incumbent of the temple, the Thera understood his responsibilities. He made arrangements to enter a number of local and foreign monks to the Order of the Maha Sangha during this period. At present, some of his local monk students bear their responsibilities as chief incumbents in Nepal.
Besides the above responsibilities, the Nayaka Thera holds diverse voluntary posts in a number of institutions, such as the Secretary of the Past Students’ Association of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, a Member of the Colombo Oriental Studies Society, a Senior Karmavagacharya of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagree Dhamma Maha Sangha Sabha and is also its Vice Secretary.
Professor Ven. Nayaka Thera has been a Dhamma preacher, an honourable advisor, a counsellor and a mentor as well as an effective social worker. In fact, he possesses good humanitarian qualities like tolerance, compassion, tranquility, loving-kindness, affection and so on. On the other hand, venerable professor is a very knowledgeable, simple, understanding and a kind monk. Hence, he is highly respected and venerated by senior and junior monks, close associate Theras and Maha Theras, devotees (Upasaka and Upasika) and other laities in society.
We all wish the newly appointed Chief Sangha Nayaka Thero all the very best !
‘Sukhi Dighayuko Bhava!”
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