Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
| Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Theravada |
| Sect | Amarapura Nikaya (for registration purposes) |
| Order | Sri Kalyaniwansa Nikaya |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Born |
1 July 1961 Iriyawetiya, Kiribathgoda, Sri Lanka |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Sri Lanka |
| Title | Vener |
| Religious career | |
| Teacher | Dambagasare Shri Sumedhankara Thero and Dikwelle Pannananda Thero |
| Initiation | Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery |
| Website | http://www.mahamevnawa.lk |
Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero (born 1 July 1961) is the founder of Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.
Gnanananda was born into a Roman Catholic family. The family converted to Buddhism six months after his birth, going so far as to give up their main source of income: animal husbandry for meat.
Gnanananda became a monk at age 17 on 26 March 1979 under Dambagasare Sumedhankara Thero and Dikwelle Pannananda Thero at Seruwavila. He received a traditional Buddhist academic education and entered the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He founded Mahamevnawa Monastery in 1999 under the guidance of Kotapola Amarakitti Thero, in Waduwava, Polgahawela. Mahamevnawa monastery now has around 40 branch monasteries for meditation throughout Sri Lanka and overseas, including in Canada, the United States,Australia, the United Kingdom,GermanyItaly, Dubai, South Korea and India.
He now teaches Buddhism (Theravada), emphasizing the need to practice it in pure form (i.e. as in the Suttas) and casting off what is not advocated by the Buddha.
Our Teacher, the Buddha has taught that birth as a human being is, indeed, a very rare achievement. Fortunately, we have now obtained that rare achievement. Yet, we have to remember that man's greatness does not lie either in his nationality, caste, clan or any such feature. His greatness depends solely on his conduct. Man's experiencing of happiness and suffering, too, is related to his three modes of action, namely mental, verbal and physical action.
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