The Sun of Ceylon has set. Universally respected by the millions of Buddhists in Asia for his immaculate character and superhuman learning the great and illustrious Buddhist Chief High Priest His Holiness Hikkaduva Sumangala, leaving thousands of scholarly pupils and the whole Buddhist world behind him, left this world in his eighty-sixth year, on the 30th April them. morning, at the world fames Oriental University Colombo.
Till the day of his passing away the late High Priest Sumangala was in good health, and never for a moment lost the spirit of cheerfulness, which was an innate characteristic in him. European and American Orientalists held him in the highest personal esteem. Throughout the world of oriental scholars there was none to supersede this great gifted, self- sacrificing scholar. For nearly sixty years he was engaged in disseminating knowledge throughout the Buddhist world.
In 1873 the principal Buddhists of Colombo invited him to take the presidential chair of the Oriental College founded by them and since then he was its devoted head. The Vidyodaya College so named by him was the foremost seat of Oriental learning in the world. Students from all parts of the Buddhist world came there to learn Pali, Sanskrit, Elu, Astrological mathematics, Indian astronomy, &c., and the High Priest was especially kind to them
Buddhist Kings sent valuable gifts for his acceptance, and when the late King of Siam visited Ceylon, his majesty paid reverential homage to the illustrious scholar. The yellow robe from the time of Lord Buddha, was the sign of spiritual supremacy, and it was the custom in ancient India that crowned heads should bend down to the symbol of wisdom and holiness, and that custom has come down since then. The wearer of the yellow robe according to Buddhism is above men and gods, and the Bhikkhu is a member of the Most Holy ‘Church’ founded by the Lord Buddha 2500 years ago.
In the late illustrious and saintly scholar monk were found all the virtues required high character. He was born of a high family in sacrificing, useful life it was this most noble South Ceylon, was made a novice when he was personage whose loss to the world of scholars seven years old, under the illustrious holy is irreparable. He was the embodiment of
phenomenal activity from the time of his ordination when he was 21 years old. His daily ecclesiastical duties began at 4 a.m., and he is active till midnight..
He was the master of the Buddhist Law and Scriptures, the Dhamma and the Vinaya and the title conferred on him by the Buddhist Holy Church was “Supreme Master of the Holy TRI Pitakas”. He was an Honorary Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of London, and several of the Continental learned Societies elected him as an honorary member. He was the recipient of gifts from the late Kind Edward the VII, when he visited Ceylon in 1875 as Prince of Wales. he was the Lord Abbot of the sacred temple known throughout the world as the temple of Adam’s Peak. Ever cheerful, full of solicitude, willing to help every one that comes to him by spiritual advice, by his scholarly learning. He was loved by all revered by kings and peasants, admired for his marvellous learning.
The sun of Ceylon has set. Death is no respector of persons. The king and peasant, high and low, rich and poor, the wise and the foolish, the good and the bad, young and old all go the way of Death. Only the good that we do remains, and we talk of the good only when we speak of the personality of an individualised entity. The memory of the late high priest shall never die, for he was the embodiment of all the high virtues which are fond in human ideals.
The late illustrious High Priest, the Pradhana Nayaka Sumangala, Tripitaka Vagissarachariya, President of the Buddhist University, Colombo, was the life President of the Maha-Bodhi Society.
Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Maha Thera, the great scholar was the first president of the Maha Bodhi Society.
monk Walane… and from his boyhood showed signs of phenomenal learning. He is the inheritor of the virtues of the great monks of the Buddhist church founded in Ceylon by the great Son of the great Emperor Asoka, 220 years ago. If ever a person lived a virtuous, holy, self sacrificing, useful life it was this most noble personage whose loss to the world of scholars is irreparable. He was the embodiment of phenomenal activity from the time of his ordination when he was 21 years old. His daily ecclesiastical duties began at 4 a.m., and he is active till midnight.
He was the master of the Buddhist Law and Scriptures, the Dhamma and the Vinaya and the title conferred on him by the Buddhist Holy Church was “Supreme Master of the Holy TRI Pitakas”. He was an Honorary Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of London, and several of the Continental learned Societies elected him as an honorary member. He was the recipient of gifts from the late Kind Edward the VII, when he visited Ceylon in 1875 as Prince of Wales. he was the Lord Abbot of the sacred temple known throughout the world as the temple of Adam’s Peak. Ever cheerful, full of solicitude, willing to help everyone that comes to him by spiritual advice, by his scholarly learning. He was loved by all revered by kings and peasants, admired for his marvellous learning.
The sun of Ceylon has set. Death is no respect of persons. The king and peasant, high and low, rich and poor, the wise and the foolish, the good and the bad, young and old all go the way of Death. Only the good that we do remains, and we talk of the good only when we speak of the personality of an individualised entity. The memory of the late high priest shall never die, for he was the embodiment of all the high virtues which are fond in human ideals.
The late illustrious High Priest, the Pradhana Nayaka Sumangala, Tripitaka Vagissarachariya, President of the Buddhist University, Colombo, was the life President of the Maha Bodhi Society.
(Maha Bodhi Journal – May – 1911)
