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Message: <blockquote data-quote="netlife007" data-source="post: 16946245" data-attributes="member: 79514">GUNANANDA THERA [FONT=&quot]The 'Panadura  Vadaya'[/FONT][FONT=&quot], the historic debate  of 1873, was a landmark in recent history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka owing  primarily to the leadership, initiative and actions of one of the greatest sons  of our motherland - Venerable Mohottiwatte or Migettuwaththe Gunananda Thera  (1823-1890). He defeated our nation’s adversaries and was the major force behind  re-establishing the identity and pride of Sinhala Buddhists who were subject to  undue oppression and discrimination during the colonial era. The significance of  Venerable Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera’s can be better appreciated when one  considers the repressive colonial historical background and the appalling  conditions under which he pursued his highly risk-ridden but heroic and  courageous actions against powerful forces that had overall control over affairs  in the country.  [/FONT]   [FONT=&quot]EUROPEAN COLONIAL  POWERS[/FONT][FONT=&quot] *[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]With the arrival in  1505 of the European colonial powers for over 440 years, the Sinhala Buddhists,  the dominant indigenous people of the island were subject to severe harassment,  discrimination and exploitation by the brutal colonial masters on the one hand  and their compatriots, the Catholic/Christian missionary workers on the other.  The latter virtually dominated the island with the encouragement and assistance  of the rulers to pursue their task of converting Buddhists (and Hindu Tamils) to  Christianity. People were forced to change their traditional names and embrace  Christianity if they wished to obtain employment under their regimes. School  systems that were installed were instrumental is proselytizing Buddhists and  Hindus.[/FONT]   [FONT=&quot]VIOLATION OF TERMS OF  THE ‘UDARATA GIVISUMA’[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Although the  protection of Buddhism, its places of worship and the Sangha, were guaranteed by  the British, under the ‘Udarata Givisuma” or the Kandyan Convention signed in  1815, once they had complete control over  the Kandyan kingdom, the  British rulers disregarded this commitment and  resorted to actions  that were aimed at undermining Buddhism and the Sangha community. One such  action was in April 1817, when they cancelled of the Poya day holiday which the  Buddhists have enjoyed since historic times, and in its place declaring Sunday  as a public holiday. The many actions taken by British to undermine Buddhism  incited the Maha-Sangha and the Sinhala people to revolt against the British in  1818. The aim was to regain the lost rights of the Buddhists. This national  uprising was brutally suppressed by the British killing many thousands including  Buddhist monks, and causing widespread property destruction, hardship and  suffering to people.[/FONT]  [FONT=&quot]EARLY YEARS OF HIS  LIFE[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Wadeehasinha   Mohottiwatte Gunananda Thera was born on February 09, 1823, five years  after the ghastly event of 1818, and throughout the early years of his life he  was exposed to the severe hardships and discrimination suffered by Buddhists in  the hands of the Christian colonial powers. When he was twelve years old, in  1835, with the blessings of his parents, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and  the name given to him at the ordination was Mohottiwatte Gunananda. He resided at the Balapitiye Subadraramaya Purana  Viharaya as a decuple or pupil of Thelikada Piyarathana Tissa Thera. A few years  later, with Balapitiye Gunarathana Mahathera, he moved to Colombo, and resided  with him at the Deepaduttaaraamaya in Kotahena which was the first Buddhist  Viharaya established in Kotahena Colombo in1832. [/FONT]</blockquote>

Verification: Hathara warak wissa keeyada? (Hathara wadi karanna 20)

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