K. Sri Dhammananda
K. Sri Dhammananda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | First Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia (1963-2006) |
| Personal | |
| Born | Martin Garmage 18 March 1919 Matara, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 31 August 2006 (aged 87) Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Malaysia |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Theravada |
| Education | Banaras Hindu University |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Successor | Kirinde Sri Dhammaratana |
K. Sri Dhammananda (born Martin Gamage, 18 March 1919 – 31 August 2006) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, scholar, and was an especially prominent figure for Buddhism in Malaysia.
Early life
[edit]Born in the village of Kirinde in Matara, Sri Lanka, Dhammananda spent most of his life and career in Malaysia. He was ordained as a novice monk (samanera) at the age of 12 and was fully ordained in 1940. After arriving in Malaya in 1952, now part of Malaysia, Dhammananda established himself as a leading Theravada Buddhist monk in the region and was appointed as the Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia.[1] He was also influential to the nearby Singaporean Buddhist community. In 2000, Dhammanada was honored with the Aggamaha Saddhammajotikadhaja award by the Myanmar government.
Death
[edit]Dhammananda died on 31 August, 2006 at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre in Selangor, Malaysia.[2] It was claimed that there were auspicious signs including lights and auras around the funeral site.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Simon, Marilyn (4 June 2018). "Love and kindness, key to harmonious living". Herald Malaysia. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Loving Monk". The Buddhist Channel. 6 September 2006.
- ^ "Odd Sighting At Dhammananda's Cremation". The Buddhist Channel. 7 September 2006.
External links
[edit]
- Dhammananda home page
- Dhammananda, K. Sri (1964). What Buddhists Believe (PDF). Buddhist Mission Society of Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
- Books & Articles by K Sri Dhammananda
- Archive: Funeral of the late Chief Venerable K Sri Dhammananda
- 1919 births
- 2006 deaths
- Buddhist apologists
- Theravada Buddhism writers
- Theravada Buddhist monks
- Sinhalese writers
- Sri Lankan Buddhist monks
- Sri Lankan Buddhist missionaries
- Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhists
- Malaysian Theravada Buddhists
- People from Southern Province, Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan emigrants to Malaysia
- 20th-century Buddhist monks