His life’s mission was to serve mankind at every possible turn

Noel Wijenaike passed away on July 6. He was only two months away from his 91st birthday. For him, it was not just achieving longevity, although longevity was a hallmark of his generation that grew up without the stress and urgency of technology. More important than the years he lived, was the way he lived, focused on service to mankind at every possible turn.

And in all he did, there was his beloved wife Malini by his side, giving the strength, the encouragement and support he needed to achieve his goals. She was a model life partner who gave her all to make his dreams come true. And her unanticipated demise nine years before him, was an immeasurable loss of love and companionship in his life, and an unfillable void in his life’s work.

Nevertheless, his service to the country led him to be known in different ways – as a former Bribery Commissioner who was unafraid to speak truth to power, as the former Honorary Secretary General and subsequently President of the YMBA, former Chairman of the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust and the Founder and Chairman of the Somawathi Hewavitarne Trust, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Eye Donation Society, to name some of the lofty positions he held, engaging in service to all humankind, and in an endless quest to preserve the Dhamma and to see its global dissemination. His leadership in each role was unquestioned. His vision for each mission was fired by his own commitment to make it happen, and he achieved it all, the way he wished.

In his twilight years, reflecting on his life, he would say with satisfaction, “I did it all my way.” Yes, indeed he did. He did not do things just to please the world. He cared not for cheap popularity or for the opinions of people who did not matter to him. And in all he did, his main focus was to be fair and just.

Having lost his parents in his tender years, he realized much earlier than most, the inherent greed in people, and understood the need to have his feet planted firmly on the ground in order to stand up for himself and those he loved. He was compelled to be self-reliant, developing immense emotional and mental strength to face a cruel and merciless world. He also understood that the way to meet challenges was to be scrupulously honest in all he did.

As well as on a personal level, he realized how far a society can progress with honest citizens. Therefore, while in public service, he did his utmost to put in place rules and regulations to prevent people from being lured into corrupt living. Unfortunately, his advice, more often than not, fell on deaf ears of authority. Yet, even in the final years of his life, many people, big and small, reached out to him for advice and counsel. This supreme confidence in his vast knowledge, in the precision of his judgment, in his wisdom and foresight, was an unspoken endorsement of his capabilities and unique leadership skills.

Always empathizing with the underdog, he believed in the innate goodness of people, and never turned away anyone who reached out for help. He gave unhesitatingly, with an open heart, with generosity extending in all directions – towards family, towards the poor and helpless, and to the Buddha sasana. He used to say he never turned away from an outstretched hand.

One thing he was able to do, that most cannot today, was to gracefully get up and leave when he came to the end of his serviceable years, and passed on the baton to others who came after, guiding them to follow the path to success. The tragedy is that few had the capacity, ability or inclination to follow. He did not give up, however. He kept trying to do good in an increasingly corrupt society, until the very end of his life.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “Life well used brings happy death.” Similarly, having lived a life devoted to serving noble causes, Noel Wijenaike passed away peacefully, listening as he did every morning, to bana on the radio. Life could not have designed a more fitting finale for this extraordinary man.

To those who knew him, his passing was the loss of the last anchor that secured them to the principled living of a bygone era. For them, he represented the last of his generation left standing, who believed in honour, honesty, integrity and commitment to principles, as a way of life. He was never ruffled in times of trouble, and was an anchor to the troubled, through thick and thin. And timeless are his words of wisdom, “Never be afraid to be on the side of what is right and just. That is the only side to be on.”

May the samsaric sojourn of Noel and Malini Wijenaike be short, and may they attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.

RJ