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PATRIOT OF SRI LANKA AND POULAR LEADER OF THE SINHALESEVENERABLE GANGODAWILA SOMA THERO DIES IN RUSSIA

By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles

Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera , great patriot of Sri Lanka and a popular leader of the Sinhalese who fought fearlessly for the lost rights of his people died of a massive heart attack in a hospital in St. Petersburg , Russia, in the early hours of today.

Reports from Moscow said that the Venerable Soma Thera went to Russia to receive an honorary degree from a university in St. Petersburgh on the invitation of a teacher of the university, Shanthi Jayasekera.

Venerable Soma Thera who was also the head of the Victoria Buddhist Vihara in Melbourne was a citizen of Australia and started his trip from Colombo to Moscow when he first fell sick in the airplane.

After he suffered angina pains for the second time in St. Petersburgh, Russian doctors decided to perform a bypass operation on the monk but postponed it until he recovered from some diabetics complications from which he was also suffering.

He suffered a heart attack while he was spending time in a sanitarium until the bypass operation scheduled two weeks later. Sources in Moscow said his funeral arrangements have not been finalized.

Loved, respected and honored by millions of Sri Lankans for being a spokesman for them at the bleak hours of their recent history he was hailed by many during the television debate he had with the Muslim Congress leader A.H.M. Ashroff when his supporters were allowed to invade historic lands belonging to an ancient temple in the East.

The following is the biography of Soma Thera published by his temple :

“Soma Thera was ordained in 1974 when he was 26 years of age under the tutelage of two of the most revered monks in Sri Lanka - Most Reverend Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayake Thera and Venerable Ampitiye Rahula Maha Thera. He received training at the Bhikkhu Training Centre, Maharagama - an institution established by these two monks for the training of novices who enter the Order of the Maha Sangha.

“ Having obtained his higher ordination in 1976, Some Thera continued to study the Buddhist texts in Pali, their original language. He was particularly interested in doing research into the teachings of the Buddha and have written several books based on such research.

”His mission was to mould the younger generation to live according to the Dhamma. He had the right approach in handling youth problems and soon they rallied round him in an organisation called 'Thrunu Saviya' (Strength of the Youth).

”A keen student of meditation, he also took time off to be in solitude in distant, lonely locations where undisturbed he could meditate. His interest in meditating on the qualities of the Buddha made him work on an exhaustive study on the subject. His published work 'Buddhastupa' is a useful guide to those interested in such meditation.

“ Soma Thera's links with Victoria dates back to 1986 when he was invited by some Sri Lankans to spend some time preaching the Dhamma. After six months he returned to Sri Lanka. When he came back in 1989, the groundwork had been done to set up the Buddhist Vihara Victoria.

“ Soma Thera's last visit to Sri Lanka made him realise the need to inject Buddhist values into the minds of people and has undertaken that task earnestly. In the past few months he has been travelling widely throughout the country spreading the message of the Buddha on how to lead simple lives based on the Five Precepts. Thousands flock to listen to his sermons, which are delivered in simple language yet most effectively. Most of the listeners are young men and women. Television stations clamour to get him to discuss religious and social issues and these have become the most popular programmes of the day.
The Buddhist Vihara Victoria, a new temple, was established in 1993 at Noble Park. This was established in view of spreading the Dhamma to not only the Sri Lankan community but also other nationalities. At present all religious work is going well. As this premises is not big enough to provide the Buddhist service on a global scale, Soma There bought another 5 acre block of land with the help of the community to found the Sakyamuni Sambuddha Vihara. At present 800 trees have been planted on the land and necessary plans have been drawn up.

“ Very devoted and talented executive members of the community are doing their best to make this massive project a reality. If this task can be realised it would be a great service for the Buddhist world, and a large step in Soma Thera's missionary work for Buddhists in the Millennium.”

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