104TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF
HIKKADUWE SRI SUMANGALA MAHA NAHIMI- THAT HONOURED VOICE AND A RENOWNED
BEACON OF LIGHT IN A BYGONE DARK ERA
by
Prof. Ananda
Abeysiriwardena-
Chief Editor of the
Sinhalese Dictionary
The 104th death anniversary of Thripitaka Vagishwaracharya
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Maha Nahimi the founder of the Vidyodaya Pirvena - who
carved a niche in the annals of Buddhist revivalism in Ceylon through his deep
scholarship, vast intellect and as a guiding light for a long line of pupils heralded
a new era - falls on the 29th April.
The 17th century was a dark era of Buddhism where later
Welivita Sri Sangaraja Mahimi’s indispensable role and his name in the latter
era is etched in gold in gold in resuscitating the lost decline. His erudite pupils
that moved hither and thither of the country rejuvenated the lost religious and
intellectual scholarship which inevitably resulted in regaining the lost
enthusiasm. But one could foresee that there was a void and the indispensable requirement
of an intellect of repute in these religious and intellectual spheres. It was a
boon to Ceylon, that Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nahimi who was ingrained in Bodisatva
qualities could aptly fill up this void as the tower of strength.
Ordaining
He was born on 1827
in Hikkaduwa belonged to govi caste with the lay name of Don Nicolas Abeyweera
Goonewardena and was ordained as a monk in 1840 on the Telwatte Wijayaba Maha Pirivena a
‘Hikkaduwe Sumangala’. The young monk had vistas of opportunity of learning
under Walane Siri Siddartha of Parama Dharma Chethiya Pirivena of Ratmalana who
was the leading authority and resonance accounted the monk of the times. The
young monk Sumangala was conferred the ordination of Upasampada at the Malwatta
Maha Viharaya of Kandy. Apart from this he leant Sanskrit, under the
Batuwantudawe Pandit and from the Kachinatha Vidyalankara Brahmin Pandit. He
also cultivated English, Arithmatics and other languages from various other
teachers.
Young Ven.
Hikkaduwé Sumangala with the guidance of his teachers cultivated a remarkable
position. He also became erudite in Sinhala Pali, Sanskrit and Prakrit
languages grammar, astrology and history and an accomplished author of these
fields. The Mahawansa edited together with Batuwantudawe pandit became a
renowned work. His facile pen wrote Sidat Sangara Sannaya, Balavathara, Brahma
Kavya Sannaya and Kavyasekara. His masterly unsurpassable works were Warna
Reethiya, Masarthu Lakshakaya, Sathya Sangrahaya, Sandi Vigrahaya, Seema Vibhagaya
and Akyatha Viyakyawa.
The Balavatara
teekawa his magnum opus bears ample testimony for his deep intellect of par
excellence. He devoted his whole life for intellectual scholarly pursuits which
was his forte. He played a pivotal role in establishing Lankopakaraya Press and
starting Lankaloka Samaya magazine, and the Sarasavi Sandaresa newspaper.
Debates
Hikkaduwe Sumangala
Maha Nahimi was not only instrumental in writing works of dhamma he also took
part in intellectual debates. These debates were of languages and of literary subjects. Among them were Savusathdam debate,
Panadura debate, NNaLLa debate, Parupana debate and Adi Masa debate. It is recorded
in history that all these debates were in pursuance of truth. The Maha Nahimi never took part in them
only to gain victory until truth was realized he aspired to make them realize
same. His skills of debate, logical presentation, rapier thrust, incised
rhetoric, razor sharp intellect, fearlessness were compact of indomitable
innate qualities, which made him to refute to lead to cross swords against his
formidable opponents.
The yeoman services
to Dhamma rendered by him was to learn Dhamma locally and to the foreign
countries. He managed to build up a large circle of pupils. Among them were :
Kojin Gunaratne, Kojima Kondagngna and Sumana Tavubana priests and erudite
Pandit named Satho from Japan, Rev. Kõsambika Dhammananda, Pandith Sathichandra
Vidya Vibhushana from Bharatha, two Chitagong Buddhist Bhikkus Bewaradasa and
Hara Govinda, N. K. Bhagavat and Visharada Gnanananda Bhikkhu from Gujarat.
From the Mysoor desa Wimalabuddhi Bhikku a Tamil priest and a Pandit Nithyananda
Gosswamy. Two who hail from were: Siam Vukum Amarabhirakkita and Pramaha
Kantachara and from the Tibet Subahu were well-known among them. Kosambika
Dhammananda and Sathichchandra Vidyabhushana were reputed as students who
excelled from Mahanahimi Among his local students Heiyyantuduwe Sri Dewamithra
Nayaka Mahimi, Mahagoda Sri Gnaneshwara Nayaka Mahimi, Bihalpola Sri
Dewarakshita, Kahawe Sri Ratanasara, Baddegama Sri Piyaratne were acclaimed as
prominent pupils. Apart from those pupils Pandit Paul Darlké the German scholar
Pandit who posed queries from the Sumangala Maha Nahimi on the philosophy of
Mahayana his authoritative seholarly eminence were widely accepted. Colonel
Henry Steel Olcott arrived Ceylon as a theosophist but he left the island as a
Buddhist Upasaka who sans Atma. This was learnt as a result of extensive
discussions and in depth that study and learning together he had with Sumangala
Maha Nahimi.
Vidyodaya Pirivena
In 1867 Hikkaduwe
Sumangala Maha Nahimi played a prominent Buddhist revivalist role is Dhamma
Sangayanawa in Pelmadulla. In 1873 he was instrumental in establishing the
Vidyodaya Pirivena of Maligakanda the prominent Oriental seat of learning of
Dhamma. This institution led a pioneering role in preserving national heritage
for posterity. The Vidyodaya Pirivena institution played a pivotal role in
rejuvenating the indolent Sinhalese with fresh mode of thoughts that infused a
new lease of life in every nook and corner of the country. Predominantly the
Maha Nahahimi elevated the level of the mother tongue Sinhalese. Vidyodaya
became the seat of learning for oriental scholars who learnt their languages,
writers with articulate pens Sinhalese and which brought a promising future to
the country. Also for the Ayurvedha and traditional medicine in medical fields
and for astrology this institution rendered a remarkable service which entwined
scholarship and tradition.
The other
invaluable facet was Vidyodaya became the mother institution which was destined
to nurture Ceylon as the cradle of oriental learning for a large circle of
pirivenas in all parts of the country. Therefore it is our prime duty to
protect the future of the Vidyodaya Pirivena as devout Buddhists.
Hikkaduwe Sri
Sumangala Maha Nahimi The founder of Vidyodaya Pirivena was a sui generis,
famed for the recent Buddhist revivalism in Ceylon May he attain the Supreme Bliss
of Nirvana !
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