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Farewell to Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

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Farewell to Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Volume 14 No. 13 Spring 2006 / 2549 On 31 August last, the Most Venerable K Sri Dhammananda Maha Nayaka Thera, Chief High Priest of Malaysia and Singapore passed away peacefully in hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Farewell to Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda from Azlan of The Malay Mail, posted on www.jeffooi.com As a news reporter with The Malay Mail between 1994 and 2005, I met Rev. Dhammananda several times - usually during Wesak Day celebrations he led at the Buddhist Maha Vihara (temple) in Brickfields and a few other occasions. Every time I bumped into him, I only asked a few questions just to get some quotes for my news report. Never did I have a proper conversation with him. I regret that now. I©d like to share what to me was a very special experience during one of my meetings with him. It was on Christmas Day in 1998 when my Assistant News Editor assigned me to cover a Christmas party for some 200 underprivileged children. It was quite a news-worthy item to cover as it was held at the vihara in Brickfields, organised by a group of Christians, the Santa Claus was a Hindu and the contributor for all the balloons adorning the party area was a Muslim! But what I will remember of that day forever was what the Reverend said and did. You see, Dec ©98 was also the month of Ramadhan, where (many) Muslims like me were fasting. By the time I arrived at the vihara, it was 6.30 pm and many children were already playing around, taking photos with Santa and being entertained by a clown, among others. At about 15 minutes before 7-something pm (buka puasa time), I was busy thinking of where to go for my dinner - either the nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken or a roadside teh tarik stall, both within walking distances from the vihara. The Reverend, the vihara©s religious advisor back then, must have been observing me. He walked up to me and, as if he had read my mind, calmly said: "Young man, don©t think too much. You can buka puasa here. I will accompany you." I agreed in a split second. He solved my problem! "Please forgive us. We only have vegetarian dishes here," he humbly and smilingly added, while leading me to a dining table somewhere in the vihara©s premises. I was speechless. He brought me right down to earth with those few simple words. Even if there were only cookies served with lots of plain water at the vihara, I©ll be happy enough. So, there we were, sitting at the dining table, together with a few other priests in their saffron robes and a spread of vegetarian dishes was laid out in front of us. As I was making sure my wristwatch was accurate, the Reverend took out a small pocket radio transistor from somewhere, turned it on and tuned into a Bahasa Malaysia radio station. As scheduled, the muezzin recited the call for the evening prayer through the little speaker, which also marked the moment to break fast. "Go ahead, Azlan," he told me to start first. Only after I had my first Buddhãloka 2 gulp of water for the day, did he and the other priests start eating. I was honoured and humbled at the same time. The fact that I didn©t go to KFC or the the tarik stall wasn©t because I didn©t know how to turn down the Chief High Priest of Malaysian and Singaporean Theravada Buddhists© dinner invitation. It was buka puasa in a Buddhist temple for me, during a Christmas party! How cool was that, eh? Seriously, the Reverend©s humble gestures greatly raised my respect and admiration for him. During that brief encounter with him, my personal tolerance and understanding towards other people©s faiths, beliefs and cultures was greatly altered, for the better. In less than an hour of dining together, his simple acts of humility made me a better person, more open- minded and drastically changed, for the better, my ways of looking at the world I live in. It was a small but very refreshing respite for this one tired reporter near the end of that very colourful and turbulent year ± street ÁReformasi© protests, KL Commonwealth Games, the horrible smog and the Asian economic crisis, among many others. To me, the Rev. Dhammananda was a great Buddhist and more importantly, a great human being. Malaysia and its Buddhist community have lost a very special person. With much sadness, I bid farewell to him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Venerable Dhammananda's last book `Where is the Buddha' was published on the day he died. A commemorative page was quickly inserted. A copy has been donated to the BSV's library. Katina Celebrations at the BSV The end of the Rains retreat was celebrated at the BSV on October 8th, the day after the October full moon. It was a very happy occasion beginning at 9.00am with a procession which wound its way out to the street and around the temple three times (see left), finally entering the hall and culminating in the offering of flowers, candles and incense at the shrine and a robe to Ajahn Dhammanando. Ajahn accepted the robe from our President, Cora Thomas on behalf of the Sangha (below left). The making of the robe had brought great joy to many people, for whom it was the first time such a task had been undertaken. We felt great gratitude to Ajahn for the most beautiful Parittha chanting which followed the offering and included the Ratana, Mangala and Metta Suttas, which are traditionally chanted at this time and rich with the power of praise and blessings. Ajahn's talk was also a very wise and valuable one as he suggested to us all that we reflect on what has happened within ourselves over the past three months, the period of the Rains Retreat, in terms of our practice of the Teachings both in meditation and our daily lives and in terms of what we set out to 2 Buddhãloka 3 develop and accomplish during that period. In what areas have we learnt, made some progress? Where have we been less successful? During the last part of the formal celebration Ajahn offered his thanks to the community for its ªexcellentº support during the period he spent with us. The community also opened its heart in asking for forgiveness in response to Ajahn, and in the expression of deeply felt gratitude to Ajahn for enabling us to practice dana during the period of the Rains. Furthermore, his very generous and wise teaching program and his kind-hearted support of us with our individual Dhamma questions had enriched our lives during this period. We extended a very warm and heart-felt invitation to Ajahn to return for a longer stay if this should become possible. We then offered and shared in a beautiful lunch dana, as you can see to the left!! Sangha Sister Thanasanti hopes to arrive with Sister Taniya in November next year for a short stay, Ajahn Ariyasilo plans to arrive at the Society including a retreat. on 20 October this year and leave on 1 December, a little over a month later. Ayya Sucinta is due to arrive on 10 January next year. Her (unpaid religious worker) visa Ajahn Ariyasilo ordained with Ajahn Jagaro at is now approved. Bodhinyanarama Monastery, Western Australia in 1986. After five years with Ajahn Jagaro he went to live in Wellington monastery with Ajahn Viradhammo. In 1994 he returned to England after a long absence and took up residence in Amaravati Monastery where Ajahn Sumedho was the spiritual director and Ajahn Viradhammo was Abbot. He lived at Amaravati until 2005 with a short visit to Australia in the late 1990s. He is now living at the Wellington Monastery again with Ajahn Thiradhammo. He has spent time at various other monasteries of our small western tradition. He has mostly been influenced by Ajahn Sumedho's teachings because of his Sewing this year's Kathina robe, at the BSV time at Amaravati monastery in England. Nuns’ Monastery 3 Buddhãloka 4 As suggested by Ayya Sucinta, the nuns' rôle each of the great world religions has to play monastery will be named Sanghamitta (friend of in achieving global peace; and `Open Arms' to the Sangha). The fund-raising garage sale was a China because His Holiness wishes to embrace a decided success ± approximately $2000 was relationship with China enabling him to make a raised. Further fund-raising activities include: pilgrimage to the holy sites in China. • An ongoing project to compose a His Holiness' schedule in Victoria is ± vegetarian cook book for sale at the 8 June Buddhist Teaching, Melbourne ± Open BSV. Members and friends are invited to Arms for Peace, a multi-faith youth forum for email their favourite, tested recipes to schools, Russell Dunne. Email address: Buddhist teaching, Melbourne ± ATC [email protected] 9 June Conflict Resolution Conference, free public talk, • A stall in Koonang Road, Carnegie on Buddhist Initiation & Buddhist teaching, Saturday 28th October from 9:00 am until 10 June 2.00 pm. We require members and Melbourne, and friends to contribute homemade jams, 11 June Free public talk, Geelong. marmalades, cakes, savouries, confectionary, desserts, pickles, chutneys From the Organising Committee for the Dalai and other saleable but not meat or other Lama's visit tel. (03) 94286292 or ªfresh foodº items by Friday, 27th at 6:00 www.dalailama.org.au pm to the BSV. To comply with regulations all food must be carefully Forthcoming Retreat wrapped in cellophane or plastic wrap and the ingredients clearly listed.
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