Tribute to a bhikkhu luminary of the 21st century

Today, April 20, 2025, Most Venerable Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera, the Mahânâyaka Thera or Prelate of the Amarapura Sri Dhammarakshita Mahânikâya and Chief Abbot of Siri Vajirârâmaya, Bambalapitiya, will be completing sixty-seven years, of which fifty-five years was as a bhikkhu. It is usual that when a person gets ordained, the given name tags the place of birth. It is to distinguish a person from others having the same name.

Ananda is a very popular name and there could be many Anandas; but there could be only a single Tirikunamale Ananda. Tirikunamale is the Sinhala form of Trincomalee, a town strategically located in the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka and famous because of its natural harbour, the largest in the world. When the Allied Forces had to leave Singapore after the Japanese raid during the Second World War, the Britishers made Trincomalee the base of operation.

Even when independence was granted to Sri Lanka in 1948, Trincomalee was not ceded initially by the British. Such was its importance. Although the parents of Most Ven.

Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera were originally from the Matara District in the South of Sri Lanka, they located themselves permanently in Trincomalee due to exigencies of service of his father. Ven. Maha Thera, born on April 20, 1958 , is the fourth of a family of twelve children.

He had his primary education at Vidyaloka Royal College, Trincomalee, and at the age of nine, on his own will, expressed his wish to become a monk. Ven. Talalle Seelaratana Thera, one of his grandfathers, had influenced him greatly in taking this decision.

The day arrived, and at the age of 11, he left home accompanying Ven. Ampitiye Sri Rahula Maha Thera to be ordained at Siri Vajirañâṇa Dharmâyatanaya, Maharagama. His preceptor was late Most Ven.

Madihe Paññâsîha Mahânâyaka Thera and his tutor was late Ampitiye Sri Rahula Nâyaka Thera. With the ordination that took place on October 29, 1969 , which was the day prior to the laying of the foundation stone for the new buildings of the Dharamayatanaya, Master Ananda Geeganage became Samanera Tirikunamale Ananda. The course of studies at Dharmayatanya is 10 years, which the young novice completed so successfully that he was invited in 1979 to be a member of the teaching staff immediately after finishing his studies with the Royal Pandit Examination certificate in oriental languages.

The latter is recognized by Universities in Sri Lanka as equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued as a teacher at the Dharmayatanaya until 2003. In 1990 he obtained the Master of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies from the Buddhist and Pali University, Sri Lanka.

In addition, in 1977/1978, he passed the Vinayâcârya examination conducted by the Siri Sumangala Commemorative Society situated at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda. In the meantime, he received his higher ordination ( upasampadâ ) on November 25, 1978 , after his twentieth birthday. He has an impeccable knowledge of the Sinhala language.

He has been the co-editor of many publications of the Siri Vajirañâṇa Dharmayatanaya and a recognized lyricist. His lyrics in the Sinhala language have much depth though written in simple Sinhala. His talents were soon recognized and in 1998 on completion of 20 years as a Higher Ordained bhikkhu and becoming a Mahâ Thera, he was elected a member of the Executive Committee of the Amarapura Sri Dharmaraksita Mahâ Nikâya , to which he belongs.

From there onwards his rise within the Nikâya could be termed meteoric. In 2003 , he was elected by the Sangha Sabhâ as the Deputy Head ( Anunâyaka) of the Nikâya . In 2014 , after the demise of Most Ven.

Weligama Ñâṇaratana Mahâ Thera, who was the Mahânâyaka (Prelate) of the Amarapura Sri Dharmaraksita Mahânikâya , Ven. Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera was unanimously elected to that position. Since then, the Ven.

Mahanayaka Thera has been working untiringly to maintain the unity of the Mahâ Sangha of his own Nikaya and the Mahâ Sangha in general, inspired by the words of the Buddha – sukho sanghassa sâmaggî . In 2007, a momentous event of great significance occurred: the Ven. Maha Thera became the chief abbot of Vajiraramaya temple .

A new phase in the annals of Vajiraramaya originated with this appointment. With expansion of the activities of Vajiraramaya temple, there were many needs which called for immediate attention. In 2009, Vajiraramaya precincts were declared a sacred area and along with that the name Vajiraramaya was changed to Siri Vajiraramaya.

The then President of the country was the chief guest on that occasion. A life-size statue of Most Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Thera, erected at the behest of the Mahanayaka Thera to revere his respected teacher, was also unveiled on that occasion.

A new four-storied building was constructed and equipped for the use of the Siri Vajirarama Dhamma School that had expanded to nearly 2000 children. Its centenary was celebrated in 2018. The Bauddha Lamayâ, the monthly organ of Siri Vajiraramaya started in 1937, received his continuous attention as its Editor and the readers given a monthly treat with his beautifully thoughtful lyrics that always adorn the first page of the publication under the name Anada .

Siri Vajirarama Library that completed 100 years of existence was relocated after modernization in the three-storied building that was specially constructed and reopened for use of the public on July 24, 2024. The front section of the old library building was converted to a Relic Chamber. It was as if the late Most Ven.

Pelene Vajirañâṇa Mahanayaka Thera had returned in a new life to complete the work he started. Most Ven. Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera is effectively carrying the mantle of chief abbot of Siri Vajiraramaya that had produced very erudite monks such as Venerables Narada Maha Thera, Piyadassi Maha Thera, Madihe Paññâsâha Mahanayaka Thera, Ampitiye Sri Rahula Maha Thera among many others.

The personal contributions of Most Ven. Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera for the upliftment of the Buddhasasana, the betterment of society and the preservation of the Sinhala language are too numerous to be listed in a short biography. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka and the Bhikkhu University in Anuradhapura.

Since 2004, he is a member of the Society of Oriental Languages that conducts examinations culminating in the Royal Pandit examination. He serves on many ad hoc committees set up by the Ministry of Buddhasasana on dhamma education and ecclesiastical matters. He has been a permanent member of the committee tasked with the preparation of a concise Tripitaka in simple Sinhala.

He is a member of many advisory boards of which only a few are mentioned, namely, Sinhala Dictionary Office, Sri Lanka Temperance Association, All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, Hela Havula Society of Sri Lanka and Dharmavijaya Foundation. In the Munidasa Kumaratunga Foundation he holds the position of Nayu, meaning Leader. Since 2002 he holds the position of Joint Secretary of the Buddhasasana Karyasadhaka Mandalaya, comprising erudite monks and representatives of the major national level Buddhist Organisations, which monitors events impacting Buddhism, the Buddhasasana and national interests, culminating in collective action.

The Sambuddhatva Jayanti to commemorate the 2600 th Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha in 2011/2012 was celebrated on a twenty-point program presented by the Mandalaya. Similar are the tireless efforts to augur a new political culture of integrity in Sri Lanka, since 2019. These are only two examples.

As a tribute to the many faceted activities of the Mahanayaka Thera and his contributions to the preservation of the Buddha Dhamma and the Buddhasasana, he was honoured in 2022 with the honorific title of Aggamahâpaṇḍita by the Government of Myanmar. Most Ven. Tirikunamale Ananda Mahâ Thera is scholarly and accomplished, well-trained and disciplined, skilled and learned in the Dhamma, and treads correctly on the Path of the Dhamma.

There is no doubt that he enhances the Mahâ Sangha as a bhikkhu luminary of the 21 st century. Siri Vajiraramaye Ñānasīha.