Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya
A Personal Tribute
by
VEN. DR. BHIKKHU BODHI

The Venerable BalangodaAnandaMaitreya is one of the great prersonalities of Theravada Budhism in the twentieth century, and it is testimony to his vast store of past metrits that his life span stretches clear across this century from its beginning almost to its end. In the course of his exemplary life, this outstanding Elder of the Sangha has held some of the most prestigious academic and ecclesiastical titles in the country, yet he hasalways remained at hearta simple monk whose greatest joy is quit study and meditation at his village temple near to town of Balangoda. For me it is a psersonalhonour to be able to name the Venerable AnandaMaitreya as my own ordination teacher, as the one who brough me into the Sangha and guided my first steps in the life of a bhikkhu.


The background story to my meeting with the Venerable goes back to the year 1971. At that time I was living at a Vietnamese Buddhist meditation centure in Los Angeles. I had been ordained as a novice –monk in the Vitenamese Mahayana Order and was lecturing in world religions at a local university. By a stroke of good fortune, VenPiyadassiMahathera of Vajirarama came to Los Angeles and gave a series of lectures at our centure. Iserved as Ven. PIyadassi's host during his stay with us, and when he departed he suggested to me thtsome day I should come come to Sri Lanka. where he could arrange for me to stay at a Buddhism monastery.

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