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The
kindom of Sri Lanka dates back to Anuradhapura
, Polonnaruwa , Dambadeniya , Kurunegala , Gampola
, Kotte , Seethawaka and finally Kandyan Kindom.
From
the reign of Sri Wijaya Rajasinhe (1739) to
the reign of Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1815)
for seventy six years Sri Lanka was ruled by
“The Wadiga dynasty”. Therefore
the Royal patronage for the higher ordination
in the Buddhist order wasn’t successful
during the period of King Weeraparakrama Narendrasinhe
who ruled for thirty one years from 1707 –
1738. The third attempt of the establishment
of the higher ordination too become fruitless
during the time of King Wijayarajasinhe who
ruled for seven years from 1739 – 1746
due to his death and due to the wreckage of
the ship with envoys who were on their way to
Burma (Myanmar)
Therefore
during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe
who ruled for thirty two years from 1747 –
1746 a group of envoys including “Vilbagedara
Upasaka” (laymen) dispatched a message
to the King of Siyam “Thailand”
And with the assistance of whom a group of envoys
with Upali Thero reached the Trincomalee port.
Then they were taken in a procession to kandy
Senkadagala and offered King’s garden.
Thereafter the novice monk Ven.Velivita Saranankara
with other six novice monks were placed in higher
ordination in specially built enclosed Platform
in the centre of the Malwatta Vihara (Visumgama
Badda Seemawa) and well established the Buddha
order in Sri Lanka.
Taking
into consideration the great service rendered
to the order and qualities and disciplines of
Ven. Velivita Saranankara Thero His majesty
Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe him self came to Malwaththa
Vihara and offered him two Fans (Watapatha)
and declared the Sangharaja “The supreme
head of Bikku community of sri lanka and the
chief of two Viharas (Malwatta and Asgiriya)”.
The royal declaration which reads as follows.
“I declare you appoint Sangharaja of ThreeSinhala”
(Three territories) from today.
The
Service rendered by the great Thero
1. Sacrificed and dedicated for learning the
Dhamma and teaching it.
2. The establishment of the “Silwath Samagama”
(Discipline Group)
3. The establishment of “Pirivena”
(Dhamma Teaching School)
4. The enrichment of the knowledge of the laymen
5. The establishment of erudite Bikku order
for the purpose of spreading the Dhamma.
The temple where Rev. Velivita Sangharaja Thero
lived has been converted in to a museum.Dhamma
books and various items used by the Thero are
kept there as tokens of gratitude. Ven. Upali
Thero who brought the higher ordination too
had lived in that temple which can be seen even
today. There are several other Viharas where
Rev. Velivita Thero lived Gadaladeniya Viharaya
, Velivita Wele Pansala , Pothuhara Algama Temple
(where his life size statue has been erected)
Katupotha , Wathukena temple are among them.
This
virtuous and disciplined Ven. Saranankara Thero
was born 1698 on Poson Full moon day in June
in Thumpane Velivita in Kandy as Kulathunga
Banda. Young Kulathunga ordained at the age
of sixteen in 1714 under the guidance of Ven.
Sooriyagoda Thero.
The
great service done to the Buddha order by this
virtuous Thero can not be erased from the history
of Sri Lanka. This great Thero passed away with
right mindfulness when Rev. Malinbada Gunarathana
was preaching “Sathipattana” in
July full moon day in 1778.
Translated By : S. Jayarathne
English
Trained Teacher,
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