A ten-year-old boy from Matara was taken to Colombo by Ven. Galboda Devananda Nayaka Thera and handed over to Ven. Vacissara Nayaka Thera of the Gangaramaya. The well-known bhikkhu, Ven. Morontuduwe Sri Dhammananda read the young boy’s horoscope and determined that he was suitable for ordination as a Samanera. The wise Ven. Thera said he was “a saviour who should be ordained for the welfare of everybody.”
Eight days after his arrival in Colombo, on November 8, 1954, the boy was ordained and given the name Galboda Gnanissara Thera. It didn’t take long for the ten-year-old to become a favourite at the temple. They nick-named the child Podi Hamudurwo because of the smallness of his physical stature and his quickness in work. Ven. Gnanissara is still known as Podi Hamuduruwo, even though he grew up to become one of the great world figures of modern Buddhism.
The talented young Samanera quickly caught the attention of four of the highest-ranking Sangha members in Sri Lanka: Ven. Morontuduwe Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera, Ven. Welewitiye Soratha Nayake Maha Thera, Ven. Dehigaspe Pannasara Nayake Maha Thera and Ven. Kotagama Wacchissara Maha Thera. They protected, educated and mentored him, and most of all, they blessed him and his future – understanding full-well his potential as a vital force for the Sasana and the welfare of the people of Sri Lanka. The distinguished lay patron, Ranjith Wijewardene took a life-long interest in Podi Hamduruwo when he was ten years old and continues to support his projects and programs today.
Higher ordination
Ten years later, on June 21, 1964, he received his higher ordination at the historic poye ge at the Malwatta Vihara in Kandy.
He was educated at the Vidyodaya (now Sri Jayewardenepura) University and graduated in 1967. He wasn’t able to study for higher degrees because of the illness of the Gangaramaya Nayake Thera who depended on him to administer the affairs of the temple. This is the period when he started to explore his humanitarian leanings and focus his attention on the country’s underprivileged youth.
One day, young Podi Hamuduruwo caught the attention of William Gopallawa, the first President of Sri Lanka, when he visited the Gangaramaya for a religious service. A close relationship with the statesman developed from that day. President Gopallawa treated the young bhikkhu as if he were his son.
Two of Podi Hamuduruwo’s most notable characteristics, recognised even at this early age, are confidence and fearlessness. He has demonstrated these two strong traits time and again over the past five decades by expanding Gangaramaya’s programs for the poor, implementing his visions of social welfare and speaking out for what he knew was right.
A good example of this trait was when President J. R. Jayewardene, another close friend of Podi Hamduruwo, made an ill-advised pact with India in 1983 that didn’t sit well with him and many others. Instead of taking his friend’s side in the issue, Podi Hamuduruwo took the opposite side and participated with the people of Sri Lanka in public demonstrations against the pact. He put his relationship with the President in jeopardy, but he won the respect of many, and his view on the issue has since been proven to be correct. President Jayewardene later said that if Podi Hamuduruwo had been a lay person, he would have appointed him to the highest Cabinet position in the country. He admired the young man’s charisma, leadership, wisdom and fearlessness.
Speaking of Presidents, Podi Hamduruwo is a close friend and confidant of Sri Lanka’s former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. They have known each another for three decades. He is also close to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who calls him upon from time to time to seek wise counsel.
Social service
Not accepting the idea that his only role in life would be, as a bhikkhu, to perform traditional rituals, he began creating a variety of social programs for the benefit of the people of the country. During the past 30 years, he founded vocational and technical schools at Gangaramaya and Kataragama. Literally thousands of young men have received free education in various trades that enabled them to work and support their families, leading productive lives.
Fifteen years ago, he set up a program in Kataragama for Colombo’s homeless people. He provides education, counselling and vocational training to rehabilitate these citizens. Thanks to Ven. Gnanissara, one rarely sees beggars or homeless people on the streets of our capital – as we do so often here in Los Angeles or San Francisco or in other big American cities where there are no such far-sighted programs in place.
Other projects Podi Hamuduruwo developed in Kataragama are orphanages for children, and a hundred-bed guesthouse for pilgrims visiting the sacred sites in the area. On one occasion, he went to Taiwan where he persuaded a group of devotees there to donate thousands of bicycles, which he distributed free to the underprivileged of Kataragama.
One of Podi Hamuduruwo’s most notable characteristics is his love of nature and commitment to maintaining a healthy, clean environment in Sri Lanka. Over one million trees have been planted in the island during the past few decades under his initiative. He has also been an advocate for animal rights. He is particularly fond of elephants, having kept one as a pet in the Gangaramaya temple for many years.
My favourite example of Ven. Gnanissara’s genius is how he, one day, decided to improve the appearance of the country’s young monks. He noticed that they weren’t cutting their hair properly, or often enough. When he enquired, he discovered that the razors they used in the temples were old, dull and painful to use, and shaving their heads became something to be avoided.
Podi Hamuduruwo’s answer was to buy two-thousand sets of hair clippers and offer them to bhikkhus throughout the island. He started this program 20 years ago, and he performs this act of generosity even today.
Another favourite example that demonstrates Podi Hamuduruwo’s practical nature is his program to clean and modernise toilet facilities in Pirivenas all over the country. An important part of the program was to train the young bhikkhus how to use and maintain the facilities since many of them were from rural areas and had no knowledge of such devices, or understood the personal hygiene that went along with using them.
Service in other countries
His generosity and broad vision led him to help Buddhists in other countries as well. A good example is how he often travelled to Burma where he offered dana to the bhikkhus there. He developed talented assistants, such as Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji and Ven. Dr. Ratanasara who help him administer the vast array of programs he has created under the aegis of the Gangaramaya temple.
Another of his gifted students is Ven. Henbunne Kondanna who oversees five temples in the Metropolitan New York City Area and other temples in Chicago and Boston as well. Ven. Gnanissara was the founder of the first Buddhist Vihara in New York City and brought well-known scholar bhikkhu Ven. Kurunageda Piyatissa to be its abbot.
Ven. Siyabalagoda Ananda Thera is another good example of Podi Hamduruwo’s positive influence and good training. After living at Gangaramaya as a young Samanera and bhikkhu, he went to the US in 1981 to attend university in New York.
He returned to Sri Lanka in 1985 to assist his teacher in managing Gangaramaya’s vocational training centre. In 1997, he returned to the US and lived in Seattle for a number of years. He stayed in a Vietnamese Buddhist temple where he did social work and performed religious services for that community.
Podi Hamduruwo and I have known each other for more than 50 years. He is one of my closest friends and confidants. He is a brilliant, visionary, energetic monk who has performed a vast number of meritorious deeds during his life, and his influence has spread around the world.
Podi Hamuduro has been ill and recovering in Singapore for the past few years, which has deprived us of both his company and his service to Sri Lanka. We hope to see him recover fully and return to our homeland soon.
On the occasion of his 77th birthday, on behalf of all Sangha members in North America, I wish him a very happy day. May he have long life and the Blessings of the Triple Gem!