Brief Biography of The Most Venerable Angulgamuwa AriyaNanda MahāThera
The Most Ven. Nā-Uyane AriyaDhamma MahāThera can be interpreted as an extraordinary buddhist monk who emerged from The Sri Kalyāni Yōgāshrama Saṁsthā (The Association of Sri Kalyāni Hermitages), which was founded by Most Ven. Matara Ñānārāma MahāThera and Most Ven. Kadawaddūwē JinaWaṁsa MahāThera. Ven. Angulgamuwē AriyaNanda MahāThera can be introduced as one of the important buddhist figures who was born during the Sāsana renaissance carried out by the aforesaid great sons of The Blessed One.
This humble AriyaNanda MahāThera works with a strong determination, courage, and perseverance for the upliftment of Buddha Sāsana by dedicating himself to build a disciplined generation of monastic bhikkhus as well as to expand Buddhism not only in the country but also in foreign countries while explaining deep and complex concepts of Buddhism in a simple, accessible and understandable way to the grassroot Buddhists drawing down-to-earth examples. He now lives in the Nā-Uyana Forest Monastery leading a simple lifestyle.
Most Ven. Angulgamuwē Ariyananda MahāThera was born on the 27th of February 1964 as the 5th and the youngest son of Mr. D.M. Muthubandā and Mrs. D.M. Lokumenikā. At the age of 11, his parents offered him to the Sāsana (The Dispensation of the Buddha) in front of Most Ven. Kadawaddūwē Jinawaṁsa MahāThera, from whom he received happy predictions.
When he was still a child he showed inborn talents and competencies for learning. He received his primary education from the village school and then his secondary education from Ibbagamuwa Central College. He completed his higher education by qualifying himself as a competent Electronic Engineer.
On such a sound footing of completion of his formal education, he led a virtuous life as a layman until he renounced his lay life on 18th March 1992. On 18th June 1992, he decided to have the going-forth in the Buddha Sāsana by the name of “Ven. Angulgamuwē AriyaNanda” in order to fulfil his ‘Pāramī’ powers to call a halt to the cycle of saṁsāra. He lit up his bhikkhu life by the influence of both Most Ven. Kadawaddūwē JinaWaṁsa MahāThero and Most Ven. Nā-Uyane AriyaDhamma MahāThero who could be considered as great sources appeared in the world to lit up the Buddha Sāsana. On 18th June 1993, he obtained higher ordination which elevated him to a higher step in his religious life.
Most Ven. Ariyananda thero has now traversed a long distance of his arduous religious life as a buddhist monk while doing meditation and studying Dhamma and Vinaya. The knowhow he received during the Myanmar Meditation Program became a real test of his mettle and a milestone on his journey. During his stay in Myanmar for a period of one year, he expertized the Pa-Auk meditation method even he was gravely ill but forgetting all his physical inconveniences he had to suffer in the poor health condition. Thera, who now lives by practising qualities required for a great follower of The Blessed One, by coming to Nā-Uyana monastery along with 10 other bhikkhus on the 10th of November 1997, initialized a project to build a Meditation Centre to bring out exemplary bhikkhus for the community of Saṅgha in the motherland who would be able to taste the flavor of real monasticism in this emancipation-bound Sāsana.
Since then, he has been rendering a layman service manly possible for the upliftment of Buddha Sāsana beyond words up to today.
Committed to give advice and admonitions without any reluctance to enhance the virtue, concentration and wisdom of his student bhikkhus while giving priority to meditative monks and nuns, he gives dhamma talks on a basis of a regular timetable to all who may like to reap the benefit of dhamma.
The MahāThera is an exemplary character who demonstrates the advice he may give others through his actions. The monastery which was founded with 10 bhikkhus then, now is committed to housing for nearly 200 including local and foreign monks.
MahāThera who dedicates his time and labor for the betterment of the Dispensation of The Blessed One, lives his life while travelling abroad and interpreting the core concepts of Buddhism in an accessible manner to other peoples in other countries too.
Having embodied the whole bhikkhu life through Dhamma, the venerable MahāThera has been working hard to introduce the comfort and the sheer contentment he experienced from the strenuous training, to the vast majority of people out there who may be not even at the border of the understanding and bliss of the Dhamma, for, they are stuck fast in the mire of the world of endless suffering owing to the ignorance.
DhammaJāta Arañña
