Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera
| Most Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Maha Thera | |
|---|---|
Most Ven. Ñanarama Maha Thera (left) and Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanissanthi Ther (right) in a hospital room in Colombo in 1974
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| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Theravada |
| Sect |
Ramanna Nikaya Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha |
| Personal | |
| Nationality |
 Sri Lankan
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| Born | Don Dias Jayathunga 11 December 1901 Bajjima Village, Tikkannagoda (presently known as Uduwe), Matara |
| Died | 30 April 1992 (aged 90) cremated in Galduwa Yogasrama premises, Galduva Aranya, Kahawa, Ambalangoda |
| Senior posting | |
| Title | Kammatthanacariya, Maha Thera |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | Most Ven. Sastrawelliye Upasena Nayaka Maha Thera |
| Students | Most Ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera |
| Works | Chief preceptor of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, Kammatthanacariya Thera of Nissarana Vanaya, Meethirigala |
| Ordination | 10 July 1922 (higher ordination) |
Most Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Maha Thera (spelled Ñāṇārāma in Pali, sometimes called Gnanarama in Sinhala, Sinhala: අති පූජ්ය මාතර ශ්රී ඤාණාරාම මහා ථේර) was an influential Sri Lankan meditation master, scholar and forest monk of the 20th century.
Dedduwa Jayathungage Don Bastian family of the Bajjima Village in Tikkannagoda (presently known as Uduwe) in the deep south of Sri Lanka was blessed with a child on 11 December 1901. Named as Don Dias Jayathunga, the devout parents offered this young child on his seventh birthday to the service of sasana under the tutelage of Ven Dedduwe Wimalajothi of Aliyatholla Temple, who was related to the family in his lay life.
Young Jayathunga was ordained in December 1917 with the given name of Ven Matara Nanarama under the patronage of Ven Matale Aggadhammalankara Thera. Young samanera Nanarama was bent on perfecting his knowledge in dhamma pursued the dhamma education with utmost zeal. He received higher ordination on 10 July 1922 under Ven Sastrawelliye Upasena Nayaka Thera.
Bent on experiencing wisdom Ven. Nanarama gave up almost all mundane comforts for the sake of the final goal. Some nights he spent without a wink of sleep absorbed in the study of Suttas. Having mastered all the aspects of Tipitaka, Logics, Chandolankara, and other contemporary philosophies the young Nanarama pursued on the path to Nibbana with diligent practice.
In 1951 the Most Venerable Kadawedduwe Jinavamsa Mahathera started a programme of activities for upholding the diminishing status of Sangha in Sri Lanka, and invited Ven Nanarama to head the program of the newly established Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha. This organization was set up as an association of hundreds of forest monasteries throughout Sri Lanka of the Ramanna Nikaya ordination line. Young monks were properly trained in the monastic code, connections with the Burmese Sangha were intensified and meditation training was guided by Ven. Nanarama.
During the auspicious year of 2500 Buddha Jayanthi several Burmese meditation masters arrived in Sri Lanka. Ven Matara Nanarama Thera joined the retreats conducted by these excellent teachers at the Danawkande Sri Mangala Yogasramaya, and advanced rapidly on the path of insight meditation. Having observed the extra ordinary talent and zeal of Venerable Nanarama, the Burmese masters taught him every aspect of the practice and acknowledged his status as a Kammatthanacariya (Meditation teacher) in the Burmese Vipassana system.
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Wikipedia