Aggamaha Panditha, Dr. Walpola Piyananda Thera is one of the greatest Sangha who was born in the Walpola village which is located in the Galle District.
He has played a significant role in the spread of Theravada Buddhism throughout the world, and he is currently the Chief Sanghanayake in the United States of America.
The Thera is engaging in various religious and social services and Buddhist missionary works. He has earned the respect of people in many parts of the world and is showing his exemplary life to the world.
Biography
Piyananda Thera was born on October 2, 1943 in the beautiful village of Walpola
His father was Bulegoda Arachchige Don Anderis Bulegoda and the mother was Dombagoda Liyanage Laura Hamine. The family consisted of Bulegoda Arachchige Gunawathi, Sumanawathi, Punyasekara, Chullawathi, Ranaweera, Pemalatha and Urdisena and the Thera’s lay name was Bulegoda Arachchige Piyasena.
From childhood, he dealt closely with the natural beauty and village life. He started his school life at the village Buddhist Mixed School. Ven. Piyananda Thera aspired to be ordained from childhood. At the invitation of Ven. Walpola Gnanaratana Thera of Bopagama Sri Sudarshanarama Vihara in Attanagalle, he left his home in June 1955 for ordination. At that time he had not completed 12 years of age.
Priestly life and education
The training and studies to be gained at the temple before obtaining the monkhood took place under the tutelage of Ven. Andugoda Dhammaratana and Ven. Walpola Gnanaratana Theras.
During the training at the temple, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike’s special appreciation about him in a ceremony was an unforgettable experience.
Then, on the auspicious day of October 26, 1955, he entered the monkhood under the name of Walpola Piyananda. His preceptor was the abbot of Attanagalla Royal Temple ven. Kongoda Pemananda Nayaka thera.
As a novice bhikkhu he started his Pirivena education at the Sirisangabo Pirivena in Bopáthe. The Guru Thera was Ven. Udunuwara Dhammaratana. Piyananda Thera then entered the Aswane Dharmaratnodaya Pirivena. Venerable Watinapaha Piyarathana and Magammana Rathanasara Theras were the teachers.
After Bandaranaike’s victory in the 1956 election, when he was on his way to address the UN General Assembly, Piyananda Thera participated in Pirith chanting at the Ratmalana Airport and it was a special occasion for him. In 1957 he had to leave his Pirivena life and return to his village temple in Walpola.
Thereafter, the educational activities resumed in the Mahamodara Pirivena under the guidance of Ven. Hegoda Yasassi Thera. Then he was admitted to the Vidyodaya Pirivena by Ven. Prof. Dehigaspe Pannasara Thera, a relative of Ven. Piyananda Thera. The bikkhus such as Ven. Kalukodayawe Pannasekera, Ven. Ambanwelle Pannasekera, Ven. Raddelle Pannaloka, Ven. Panangala Jinaratana, Thalalle Dhammananda Theras and A. T. Ariyaratne were the teachers there.
While he was in the Vidyodaya pirivena, he attended night classes at Stafford College and passed the S.S.C. examination.
In The Vidyalankara Pirivena he studied for the university entrance exam and was educated under Ven. Yakkaduwe Pannarama, Ven. Kotahena Pannakitti, Ven. Welamitiyawe Dhammarakkitha, Ven. Kãkkapalliye Anuruddha, Niwandama Dhammakitthi and Thalakiriyagama Dhammakitthi Theras.
Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera was the best friend of Piyananda Thera who studied in the same class. In 1963, Ven. Piyananda Thera entered the University of Vidyalankara (presently the University of Kelaniya) after passing the University Entrance Examination.
Ven. Kumburugamuwe Vajira, Ven. Bellanwila Wimalarathana and Anagarika Dharmasekara, Hudson Samarasinha were among the university friends of Piyananda Thera. Ven. Piyananda Thero was an active member of the University debating society as well as in political activities.
In 1967 he was able to pass his degree with a first class upper division. He then completed his postgraduate studies at the University of Peradeniya under the topic of ‘Buddhist awakening in Rohana’ but was unable to complete the degree.
At the age of 25 Ven. Piyananda Thera obtained the highest Bhikkhu ordination (Upasampada) as a Bhikkhu in the Sri Maha Vihara of Kotte chapter under the guidance of Ven. Prof. Walpola Rahula and Ven. Kotagama Wachissara Theras.
Ven. Piyananda Thera later received a Commonwealth Scholarship and went to Kolkatta University in India to pursue postgraduate studies. The door to international Buddhist missionary service was open to him in India.
With the intervention of Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera, through his friend Professor Ednan Perry of Northwestern University, Ven. Piyananda Thera received a scholarship to study at that University. There he received a Masters Degree in Comparative Religious Studies.
Although he enrolled for a PhD at the University of California (UCLA) under the title ‘a Comparative Study of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Concept of Nibbana’ and completed his dissertation, Dr. K. C. Bola, the supervisor, wanted Ven. Piyananda Thera to write that Nirvana and the Kingdom of Heaven are equivalent. However, due to ideological issues, he had to drop out the PhD. He was later awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Oriental Studies as well as the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka.
Professions engaged
Piyananda Thera’s first job was the appointment as a Sinhala teacher in the external degree class at the College of Sri Lanka. In 1969 he became an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Jayewardenepura. He also taught at the University of Colombo.
Ven. Dimbulkumbure Wimaladhamma Thera who was educated there by Piyananda Thera is currently the Anunayaka Thera of the Malwathu Chapter.
Academic services
Ven. Piyananda Thera had the ability of writing from his school days. After entering the university, he wrote articles for various political and academic publications, including university academic journals and Lake House journals. He also wrote articles for newspapers such as the ‘Dawasa’ and ‘Budusarana’. The book ‘Sangayana and Nikaya Bhedaya’ (Buddhist Convocations and Schism) was written when he was in his first year of the university. He wrote articles in the United States on ‘The Buddhist revival in America’ and ‘Do Americans worship the Buddha?’ The essay written to Rajiv Gandhi titled ‘Tamil Terrorism and the Ethnic Issue’ had a profound effect on the politics of Sri Lanka and India.
The article written to Manmohan Singh ‘Crimes committed by South Indian politicians by building mythical concepts to promote racism’ was also an essay of concern to many. ‘Saffron Days in LA’ was written for Americans and their problems are discussed in the book. This has been translated into many languages.
‘The Bodhi Tree LA’ Grows in which describes Buddhism in America is one of his famous books. ‘Away from L.A.’, ‘Sharing Buddhism in the Western World’, ‘Love in Buddhism’ and also ‘Thus We Heard’ which relates to the life of the Buddha written with Stephen Long are important books. In addition, Ven. Piyananda Thera has served as a lecturer at various local and foreign universities and institutions and has rendered a great deal of academic service.
Missionary service
Piyananda Thera’s Buddhist mission began with his visit to India. There he studied and held various responsibilities in the Mahabodhi Society, working closely with bhikkhus and Buddhist representatives from various countries, including the Dalai Lama, and engaged in various religious activities.
Piyananda Thera was selected for a three-month meditation training program at the invitation of the Indian Mahabodhi Society from the City of Ten Thousand Buddha organisation in the United States. Accordingly, on July 4, 1976, he first arrived in San Francisco, USA. He then visited the Thich Thien An Thera’s International Buddhist Center in Los Angeles to work closely with Americans and Buddhists elsewhere.
He then returned to California in 1979 after graduating with a Master’s Degree from the University of Northwestern, Chicago. With the help and blessings of the bhikkhus such as Ven. Dikwela Piyananda, Ven. Neluwe Jinaratana, Ven. Uruwala Dhammaratana Theras and America – Sri Lanka Buddha Dhamma Society, he started the first Theravada Buddhist temple in Beachwood with Ven. Pannila Ananda Thera. It was named as ‘Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara.’
The temple hosted religious programs for native Americans, Laos, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Thai and so on.
Also, under the leadership of Ven. Piyananda Thera, more than twenty temples of various nationalities were established in the state of California. Ven. Hewanpola Ratanasara, Ven. Lenagala Sumedhananda and Ven. Pannila Ananda, Ven. Madawala Seelawimala theras gave their utmost support for these activities.
He then co-founded the Los Angeles Dharmavijaya Vihara with Ven. Havanpola Ratanasara and Ven. Pannila Ananda Theras. The temple serves the religious, spiritual and educational needs of not only the Sinhala Buddhists living in the country but also other nationalities.
Here he is doing a great service to propagate Buddhism among native Americans. He uses various tactics to bring Buddhism to the Americans. These included helping Americans to become bhikkhus, finding answers to their problems in Buddhism, starting meditation programs, and a Dhamma school. In addition, positions such as Dharmacari and Bodhicari were established and people are trained to propagate the Dhamma in various parts of the United States.
The constitution for the Dharmavijaya Temple enabled the temple to be governed successfully minimising conflicts between the laity and the clergy, and is currently in effect in many temples in the United States. This constitution was prepared by Dr. Gamini Jayasinghe.
His next focus was on the establishment of the Theravada Bhikkhuni Sasana in America. Thus, on May 23, 1988, Chutima Charatha Chandra, a Thai, was ordained as the first female novice bikkhu at the Dharmavijaya Vihara. As a result of the revival created by Ven. Piyananda Thera, women of various countries are living as Upasampada Bhikkhunis in various parts of the United States, rendering a great service to the Buddha Sasana and society.
Aggamaha Panditha Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thera’s seven year stay at the Dharmavijaya Vihara was a great support to Ven. Walpola Piyananda Thera’s missionary work and other religious activities. And Also Ven. Lenagala Sumedhananda, Ven. Madawala Punnaji, Ven. Dr. Eallawala Nandissara and Ven. Bengali Buddharakkhitha Theras were staying in the Vihara and practising Buddhist missionary service.
Ven. Piyananda Thera also contributed to the building of temples throughout the United States by imparting language training to bhikkhus from Sri Lanka for propagating the Dhamma. Not only that.
He also assisted bhikkhus and Buddhists coming to America from all over the world, and provided much needed assistance in all religious activities, such as building temples and propagating the Dhamma.
Ven. Piyananda Thera has been took the initiative to protect and popularise Buddhism and Sinhala culture by organising various festivals such as Vesak and Poya programs, Sinhala New Year, Independence Day celebrations and Katina Pinkama based on the temple.
Acting as a regular member to the International Inter Religious Association, he has resolved issues that arose on various occasions among Buddhists as well as various religious groups.
Social services
Piyananda Thera is a great bikkhu who works for the benefit of all human beings, irrespective of race or religion. His social work has been done since childhood. During his stay in India, he worked with Mother Teresa on social work for street children.
The help received by Sri Lankans living in America from Piyananda Thera was immense. He and his disciples have been instrumental in helping Sri Lankans come to the United States accommodation, employment, food, legal issues, financial difficulties, and scholarships and so on. Also, the support given to temples,bhikkhus, students, people and institutions in Sri Lanka is innumerable.
American society was another social service through his intervention. Instead of the marriage that had taken place in the Christian Church until then, the temple-based traditional Buddhist marriage system began with an American couple and is now very popular in American society.
He also actively participated in almost every challenge faced by Sri Lanka both locally and internationally and fought to overcome those challenges. His involvement in the 1983 riots, the battle against terrorism, the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, the Tsunami disaster and so on and various diplomatic issues were significant both locally and internationally.
Recognition and reception
Ven. Piyananda Thera, who is currently the Chief Sanghanayake of the United States, is a distinguished bikkhu in Sri Lanka as well as in many countries around the world, including the United States and Buddhist countries. He is also a regular member of the International Religious Association. He is the International Religious Affairs Adviser to the President of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Positions and awards received by Ven. Piyananda Thera
1965 – Won second place in the Inter-University debate Competition - Sri Lanka.
1966 - Won first place in the Inter-University debate Competition - Sri Lanka.
1969 - 1972 Assistant Lecturer - Department of Buddhist Studies, Vidyodaya University and University of Colombo.
1972 - Commonwealth Higher Education Scholarship – Kolkata
1979 - Founding Chief Incumbent - Los Angeles Buddhist Temple, California
1980 - Founding President and Chief Incumbent - Dharmavijaya Buddhist Temple, Los Angeles.
1984-92 - Buddhist Representative - University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
1984 - Buddhist Representative - Olympic Games, United States.
1987 - Chief Sanghanayake of the United States - Kotte Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya.
1995 - Founding Member - Buddhist and Christian Dialogue Cluster, Los Angeles.
1995 - Founding member - Interfaith Council, Southern California.
1997 - Honorary Doctorate - Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Oriental Studies, Los Angeles.
2000 - 2010 President - Buddhist Sangha Congregation, Southern California.
2002 - Excellent religious leadership - Urban Council, Los Angeles.
2003 - Tipitaka Vagishwara - Rohana Sangha Sabha of the Siam Maha Nikaya.
2004 - President of the Sangha Council of Sri Lanka, USA and Canada.
2006 - Presidential Adviser to the Republic of Sri Lanka - on International Religious Affairs.
2009 - Sri Saddharma Senadhipathi - Dambulla Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya.
2011 - Sri Saddharma Shiromani - Vidyalankara Pirivena.
2010 - Consultant - Mahabodhi Society of India.
2011 – Tipitaka Dharma Visharada Keerthi Sri – University of Ruhuna.
2013 - Agga Maha Panditha – Myanmar
2019 - Presidential Adviser to the Republic of Sri Lanka - on International Religious Affairs.
Walpola Piyananda Thera is currently the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Maha Vihara in Pamankada, Sri Lanka and the Dharmavijaya Vihara in Los Angeles, USA. Occasionally he resides in both temples and performs his incomparable service to the whole world.