23 March 2021 12:00 am Views - 407
The Thera passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Born on January 26 1933, he was ordained as a monk on August 17, 1948 and received his higher ordination on July 10, 1953.
He was selected as Mahanayaka Thera of the Amarapura Nikaya in May 2017, following the demise of Most Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Davuldena Gnanissara Thera.
He was conferred the ‘Aggamahapandita’ title by the Burmese government on March 2, 2007. Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawasa is credited with the distinction of having delivered sermons over national radio for over 50 years. His sermons have also been widely attended by audiences overseas including in India, Nepal, China, Japan, Germany, USA, Russia, Singapore, Burma, Thailand, Pakistan and Mongolia.
Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawasa had also been a prolific author, having published more than 36 books on various subjects related to Buddhism since the 1960s.