The meetings I had with this erudite monk will always reverberate in my mind

The departure of an erudite monk creates a huge vacuum. Ven. Dr. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Anunayaka Thera who passed away one week ago, had so many great qualities apart from being a well-educated, knowledgeable, cultured personality. He was simple and approachable; a keen listener; a good teacher; a proficient writer; a fearless speaker; a skilled administrator and a silent social worker.

I had met the Venerable Thera only a few times but those meetings still reverberate in my mind. We mainly discussed writing. Though he has written over a dozen books, both in Sinhala and English, I must confess I have only read a couple. I remember the launch of his book on Buddhist rituals. Venerable Wimalaratana had completed 55 years in robes on that day – February 28, 2013. For several years he commemorated the day with the release of a new book.

In the book on Buddhist rituals he had traced the history from the Buddha’s time, the progress, objects of worship and the literature developed in relation to these objects. It was also a study of the Buddhist arts and crafts. Stating that the rituals have undergone many a change over a long period of time, he said he was not attempting to either highlight those or criticise them but his was a mere narrative thus leaving the reader to assess and decide which way these were moving.

In the book he released less than a year ago - ‘Buddhagama Handunageneema’ (Get to know Buddhism) Ven. Wimalaratana discusses the different ideologies in Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana/Zen, and Vajrayana - in a simple, easy to understand way. The average reader can get a broad understanding of these schools. He has not delved into the intricacies of each form thereby not making it purely an academic study.

Bellanwila murals

Noticing that the paintings in the imposing image house of the Bellanwila temple were deteriorating, Ven Wimalaratna took a bold decision to replace them with a new set of murals. He chose Somabandu Vidyapathi, the multi-faceted artiste to create a new set of murals. To quote Professor Sarath Chandrajiva, the artist has created a new tradition in Sri Lanka’s rich history of the art of wall paintings. “It is the work of an artiste who is not only a painter but a sculptor, a dancer and an expert in stage décor. He is a scholarly artiste with a wide knowledge of many aspects of art. The style he has created should go down in history as the ‘Somabandu Tradition,” he says.

The credit goes to Ven. Wimalaratana for picking the right man for the job and for initiating the publication, ‘Bellanwila Murals’ - a valuable book for one’s library.

Straight talk

Ven. Wimalaratana never dabbled in politics but he was watchful and concerned about where the country was heading. Exactly one year ago he addressed a meeting where the President was present and reminded that much was expected from the government but the anticipated changes had not hap- pened. “I have no politics. I don’t take any sides. I have never sought a favour from any politician. I don’t intend seeking their help. I don’t get involved in toppling governments. I am not interested,” he said.

Admitting that it’s not an easy task to achieve what has been promised, he insisted that the President should use his authority and take action and move the country forward. “Why wait for foreign resources. We have enough resources in our soil to go ahead. Make use of them,” he stressed. He said there was no need of a new constitution. “The right place for Buddhism has been declared in the present constitution. So what more is there to be done? Look at the loopholes in the area of the President’s powers and make the necessary adjustments. That’s all.”

Academic

Ven. Wimalaratana first served as a teacher in the Pirivena Teacher Training College, then as a lecturer at the Sri Jayewardenapura University rising to be the Professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies. He paved the way for hundreds, if not thousands, of students to progress in their lives. It was most fitting that he was appointed Chancellor in the university where he served for nearly two decades.

His service to the Sasana won recogni- tion when he was appointed the Anunayaka of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Syamopali (Siyam) Maha Nikaya.

He was a prominent member of a number of inter-religious groups formed in recent years and his goodwill with all religious leaders - both lay andclergy - is demonstrated by their visits to pay their last respects and the release of messages.

The community service activities intitiated by him are administered by the Bellanwila Community Development Foundation of which he was the President.

His management skills are well demonstrated the way the Bellanwila temple has developed over the years.

It was after Venerable Bellanwila Sri Somaratana Nayaka Thera became the chief incumbent in 1947 that the Bellanwila temple rose to its present glory and grandeur. He was succeeded by his pupil monk, Venerable Bellanwila Dr. Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera who made his brother, Venerable Dr Bellanwila Wimalaratana as deputy head and administrator when he moved over to Singapore to propagate the Dhamma.

While the Venerable Thera’s name will be well remembered, we salute him and wish that his path to Nibbana may be smooth and speedy. D. C. Ranatunga