Foreign Relations Minister, Leader of the House and Leader of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna said that the Most Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Nayaka Thera, Head of the Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayathana of Maharagama and Senior Member of the Supreme Council of the Amarapura Sri Dharmarakkitha Maha Nikaya was a great Buddhist monk who shone in the skies of Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka.
Following is the full text of the statement:
“The sad demise of Most Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Nayaka Thera, Head of the Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayathanaya of Maharagama and Senior Member of the Supreme Council of the Amarapura Sri Dharmarakkitha Maha Nikaya, is a great loss for this country. He was a great Buddhist monk who shone in the skies of Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka.”
“He dedicated his whole life to the welfare of the Buddha Sasana, country, nation and the religion. He was a great bhikkhu who was well behaved, virtuous, disciplined and learned in the Dhamma. The great Thera who never paid an iota of attention to any personal gain, set an example for all lay people as well as the clergy of the modern world. He was revered as a rare type of a Nayaka Thera who could preach fluently in both Sinhala and English languages. The Venerable Thera continued his services towards the religion and the Buddha Sasana until his passing away.”
“I believe that Ven. Ampitiye Nayaka Thera was the last pupil of Ven. Pelene Siri Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera. Further, he was a brother in robes to Ven. Madihe Pangnaseeha Nayaka Thera, Ven. Narada Thera, Ven. Piyadassi Thera and the Sangha Nayaka Theras. I know that he took the initiative to establish the Siri Vajiragnana Dharmayathana of Maharagama together with Ven. Madihe Nayaka Thera.”
“Similarly, the great services towards the Buddha Sasana rendered by Ven. Ampitiye Rahula Nayaka Thera by creating a generation of bhikkhus who could fit into the modern world by combining the Gramavasi and Aranyavasi bhikku traditions, is subject to the gratitude of all. Similar to initiating the establishment of the Dharmayathanaya of Maharagama, Ven. Rahula Nayaka Thera pioneered in establishing many other temples such as the Vajiraramaya Temple at Primrose Hill, Kandy, Bowalawatta Aranya Senasana, Vajiraramaya in Ambakote, Temple at the University of Peradeniya and the Katupothakanda Aranya Senasana in Anuradhapura.”
“Further, I wish to note with reverence that he went on Pindapatha carrying the alms bowl for 57 years. The great Thera preferred a minimalistic life and his services rendered to our country and the Sasana since the day he was ordained in 1936 will be remembered forever.
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