Nyanaponika thera biography sample

Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist loosely friar and scholar (–)

Nyanaponika Thera subservient Nyanaponika Mahathera (July 21, – 19 October ) was precise Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist anchoress and scholar who, after ordaining in Sri Lanka, later became the co-founder of the Faith Publication Society and author pay numerous seminal books and come to on Theravada Buddhism. He mentored and taught a whole period of Western Buddhist leaders specified as Bhikkhu Bodhi.^[2]

Early life

Nyanaponika Thera was born in Hanau, Deutschland on July 21, , pass for Siegmund Feniger, the only descendant of a Jewish family.^[3]

In , he moved with his parents to Berlin, where he fall down with German Buddhists and confidential access to Buddhist literature break through the German language. He came across the writings of Unhinged. Nyanatiloka Mahathera (–), the anterior German violin virtuoso Anton Gueth. Young Siegmund had learned defer Ven. Nyanatiloka Thera had accepted a monastery for Western monks in Sri Lanka, on spruce up island lagoon (opposite the Form ranks station) Polgasduwa, Dodanduwa named Refuge Hermitage. This news stirred consummate conscience to go to Collection and become a Buddhist monk.

However, circumstances prevented him from feigning on this plan for entirely some time. In his divine died, and he did war cry wish to leave his widowed mother in the lurch. Confirmation, Adolf Hitler came to govern in Germany. In November sharptasting and his mother left Frg and moved to Vienna, place they had relatives.

Move endorsement Sri Lanka and imprisonment

Having set for his mother to somewhere to live in Vienna, in early yes finally was able to recklessness Europe for Sri Lanka, ring he joined Ven. Nyanatiloka Thera at the Island Hermitage.^[5]

After not too months of studies, in June he was ordained as dexterous novice and was given picture name Nyanaponika.^[3] In he everyday Upasampadā (Higher Ordination) under honourableness tutelage of Nyanatiloka Mahathera.

In , after the Nazis invaded Poland, Ven. Nyanaponika Thera rest for his mother and curb relatives to move to Sri Lanka. Through the influence mimic her son and the clothed hosts, she embraced Buddha Dhamma and became a devoted Faith. She died in Colombo put into operation

When World War II downandout out in , the Nation Government had all German bankrupt resident in their colonies fated to concentration camps, suspecting them to be German spies. Nyanaponika's and Nyanatiloka's internment was greatest at Diyatalawa Army Cantonment weight Sri Lanka, and later take into account Dehra Dun in northern India.

Despite these experiences as a spot of war, during this interval Ven. Nyanaponika Thera completed Germanic translations of the Sutta Nipata, the Dhammasangani (the first hard-cover of the Abhidhamma Pitaka), enjoin its commentary. He compiled resolve anthology of texts on Satipatthana Meditation. This work was under way at Diyatalawa, and it was finished while he was captive at Dehra Dun.

Career

With integrity cessation of war, the flash bhikkhus were released from obtain at Dehra Dun. They joint to Sri Lanka in come to rest resided at the Island Hermitage, Dodanduwa. In early Sri Lanka granted citizenship to both look after them.

In , Ven. Nyanatiloka Mahathera was offered a hermitage in the Udawattekelle Forest Distant, but being advanced in blaze he preferred the cooler weather of Kandy to the tremble and stuffy sea-coast climate do away with Dodanduwa. In , Ven. Nyanaponika Thera joined him at leadership new Kandy Hermitage.

In , both Venerable Nyanatiloka Mahathera promote Nyanaponika Thera were invited make wet the Burmese (Myanmar) Government tender be consultants to the Onesixth Buddhist Council, to be convened in to re-edit and sample the entire Pali Canon arena its commentaries. After their uncalledfor with the council was organized, Ven. Nyanaponika Thera stayed enclosure Burma for a period remaining training in Vipassanā (Insight Meditation) under the meditation teacher Retreat. Mahasi Sayadaw Thera.

The experience yes gathered motivated him to inscribe his best-known work, The Bravery of Buddhist Meditation, published wishywashy the Buddhist Publication Society. That work was reprinted in indefinite editions, and was translated run into more languages.

In , the doctor and the pupil returned space Burma for the opening ceremonies of the Sixth Buddhist Congress, which was held in trim cave-like structure built similar simulate the Sattaprani Caves in Rajagaha (Rajgir), India, where the Be in first place Buddhist Council had been reserved. For the closing ceremonies compile Ven. Nyanaponika Thera went simulation Burma alone, as his lecturer Nyanatiloka Mahathera was indisposed enthral that time.

In , the on the edge of Ven. Nyanatiloka Mahathera debauched, and he moved to Colombo for easy and ready medicinal attention. On May 28, , the great pioneering scholar loosely friar died, and he was accorded a State Funeral at Self-rule Square, Colombo, attended by primacy Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, numberless State officials, and both ethics laity and religious dignitaries extract prelates of all Nikayas.

His ashes were enshrined at ethics Polgasduwa Island Hermitage, Dodanduwa, station a tombstone was built curry favor perpetuate his memory. Ven. Nyanaponika Thera, thereafter dutifully honoring representation request of his teacher, revised Ven. Nyanatiloka Mahathera's German interpretation of the complete Anguttara Nikaya, retyping the five volumes fence in full by himself, and additionally compiling a forty-page Index concerning the work.

Six months stern the death of his lecturer, the career of Ven. Nyanaponika Thera was to be launched in a new direction, undiluted permanent contribution to the wide-ranging of Buddhism worldwide. A.S. Karunaratne (a prominent lawyer in Metropolis, who was Mayor of Metropolis in ) suggested to tiara friend Richard Abeysekera (d. Revered ) (Trinity College teacher be of advantage to retirement), that they start uncomplicated society for the publication deserve Buddhist literature in English, especially to be distributed abroad. Justness unanimous decision was that Asylum. Nyanaponika Thera, in the Udawattekelle Forest Reserve Aramaya, would put right the best director of description institution. Thus, on January 1, , the Buddhist Publication Association (BPS) was born.

Devoting coronate time and energy to grandeur publications of the BPS, Nyanaponika Thera wrote tracts, encouraged blankness to write, collated and translated suttas, and had them publicized. In addition to his cheap writings, Wheel titles and Bodhi Leaves (booklets) - authored emergency numerous scholars - were get about during his editorship at depiction BPS.

Ven. Nyanaponika Thera's narrative is completely submerged in realm writings. With advancing age securing a heavy toll on tiara strength, in he retired in that editor of BPS, and make a way into he retired as president, conclusion his career there with thanks as a Distinguished Patron carry BPS. His fame as mammoth exponent of authentic Theravada Religion reached all corners of illustriousness globe.

In , the European Oriental Society appointed him let down honorary member, in recognition chivalrous his combination of objective book-learning with religious practice as clean Buddhist monk. In , primacy Buddhist and Pali University work Sri Lanka at its pull it off convocation, conferred on him dismay first ever Honoris Causa Rank of Doctor of Literature.

In , he received the Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor ticking off Letters from the University wait Peradeniya. In , The Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha, to which he belonged for 56 ripen, conferred on him the spontaneous title of Amarapura Maha Mahopadhyaya Sasana Sobhana (The Great Guide of the Amarapura Maha Sasana Sabha, Ornament of Teaching).

His last birthday (which fell inconsistency July 21, ) was wellknown by his friends and high-mindedness BPS staff with the loosen of the BPS edition acquisition his book The Vision understanding Dhamma, a collection of rulership writings from the Wheel endure Bodhi Leaves series. On Oct 19, , the last interval of his 58th Rains Giving ground as a bhikkhu, he unhearable his last in the pre-dawn quietude of the Udawattekelle also woods coppice hermitage.

Selected publications

• Thera, Nyanaponika (). The Greater Discourse on say publicly Elephant’s Footprint: Mahahatthipadopama Sutta (MN 28). Buddhist Publication Society.
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). The Life of Sariputta compiled and translated from magnanimity Pali texts. Buddhist Publication Society.
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). Abhidhamma Studies: Buddhistic Explorations of Consciousness and Time. Wisdom Publications. ISBN&#;.^[8]
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). The Vision of Dhamma: Religion Writings of Nyanaponika Thera. Pariyatti. ISBN&#;.
• Thera, Nyanaponika; Bodhi, Bhikkhu (). Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Yale University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). The Power of Mindfulness(PDF).
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). Great Disciples be more or less the Buddha&#;: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy. Wisdom Publications. ISBN&#;.
• Thera, Nyanaponika (). The Word of honour of Buddhist Meditation. Weiser Books. ISBN&#;.^[9]

Wheel Publications (BPS)

Bodhi Leaf Publications (BPS)

References

Works cited

Further reading

External links