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| Sunday, 21 August 2005 |
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Features |  |
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Ven. Habarakada Indarathana Thera : Chief Judicial Head Priest of the South
Venerable Habarakada Indarathana Thera the incumbent Chief Priest of the Habarakada Sri Vijayananda Rajamaha Viharaya, Matara Budugala Rajamaha Viharaya, Hokandara Vijayananda Dharmayathanaya, Habarakada Jethawana Viharaya and Ela-ihala Abheenawaramaya, has been honoured by the Malwatte Chapter and its' Mahanayaka the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera and the Karaka Sanga Sabhawa of the Malwatte Chapter, by being vested with the title "Keerthi Sri Paryapathi Visharadha' and appointment as the Chief Judicial Head Priest of Southern Sri Lanka (Dhakshina Lankawe Pradhana Adhikarana Sanghanayake). Ven. Habarakada Indarathana Thera who was born on October 16, 1937 in Galle had his primary education at the Habarakada Government School. He was ordained on December 5, 1951 at the Habarakada Sri Vijayananda Temple. He received the Upasampadawa in 1958 as a student of the most Ven. Mawanane Sri Sonuthara Thera and Venerable Mawanane Keerthi Sri Premananda Chief Priest. In 1960, Ven. Indarathana Thera entered the Vidyodaya University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree (Honours) in Philosophy. In 1963, he joined the Education Department as a Teacher and was appointed to the Tangalle Maha Vidyalaya. In 1964, he was appointed Chief Priest of the Matara Budugala Rajamaha Viharaya, and in the same year as the Chief Priest of the Habarakada Batahira Jethawana Viharaya. In 1968 Venerable Indarathana Thera obtained the Masters Degree from the University of Vidyodaya. In 1971, he was appointed a Dhamma teacher at Thurstan College and in 1975, he was transferred to Ananda College, in which he served until his retirement in 1996. Ven. Indarathana Thera's versatile ability to preach the Dhamma through the mass media and in particular the radio for the last three decades, has gained him recognition. Venerable Indarathana Thera has been an efficacious Buddhist Missionary by introducing Buddhism and preaching the Dhamma to a large number of Europeans (without in any way engaging in unethical conversions of non buddhists to buddhism, by luring them towards Buddhism through the offer of various forms of promises and inducements). Ven. Indarathana Thera has been successful in presenting the teachings of the Buddha to westerners who have become frustrated and unhappy, notwithstanding the material benefits of western societies, and the absence of solutions to their problems in western religions. Ven. Indarathana Thera along with his younger brother Thawalama Dhammika Thera, Ven. Paravahera Chandarathana Thera and the Ven. Thalangalle Sumangala Thera established several temples in European countries including France and Switzerland, through which yeoman service is being rendered to Europeans. Ven. Indarathana Thera has been successful in attracting a considerable amount of funds from overseas for the implementation of several projects for the benefit of those affected by the Tsunami. -Yasantha Kodagoda LL. M. (Lond.) |
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Ven. Indarathana Thera has been successful in presenting the teachings of
the Buddha to westerners who have become frustrated and unhappy
notwithstanding material benefits of western societies and the absence of
solutions to their problems in western religions. 
