by Rajitha Weerakoon

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Asoka Weeraratna, a former leading importer of Swiss watches to Sri Lanka was on his business visits to West Germany in the early 1950s when his attention was drawn to a growing hunger taking place in that war-weary country. People in West Germany, recovering from the devastations of World War II, were looking towards the East for a moral and spiritual philosophy focused on peace and non-violence.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New vistas in the meantime were opening for Sri Lanka after 450 years of colonial rule. The re – awakening had boosted confidence in Sri Lanka to play a larger role in international affairs. Taking Buddhism to the West was a vision that fired this new spirit.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ German Dharmaduta Society

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, in order to converge the desire of Germany ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-to look towards the EastƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for spiritual upliftment with Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-take Buddhism to the WestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ spirit, Weeraratna founded the Lanka Dhammaduta Society in 1952, later renamed the German Dharmaduta Society. Its objective was to send a Buddhist mission to Germany to co – incide with the Buddha Jayanthi celebrations in 1956.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Erecting a Vihara, a library and a preaching hall and translating Tripitaka to German were included in its goals.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Asoka Weeraratna, the businessman, who before long,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  wholeheartedly dedicated himself towards the cultivation of the spiritual life, travelled widely in West Germany in 1953 to survey and report to the Dhammaduta Society of the state of Buddhism as existed in Germany. Weeraratna also had to study ways and means to be adopted to establish the Buddha Sasana in a country where Buddhism, history and literature of Sri Lanka had attracted German scholars since the 19^th century. Herman Oldenberg in 1879 had translated Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s earliest available Chronicle ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Dipavamsa into English while Wilhelm Geiger, held in high esteem by the Sri Lankans, had produced the Mahavamsa ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the backbone of the islandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s history as a critical and scholarly English translation in 1895.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WeeraratnaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s objective however was the establishment of the Buddha Sasana in Germany and following his travels in Germany he produced a Report under the title ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Buddhism in GermanyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which dealt with the prospects for a Buddhist Mission to Germany before the Buddha Jayanthi celebrations in 1956. Germany, he said, was the pulse of the European Continent with the largest number of Theravada Buddhists of Europe found. Thousands of copies of this Report (in both Sinhala and English) were distributed in various parts of the country.

An important outcome of his visit to Germany in 1953 was the recruitment of Friedrich Moller, a teacher of Rackow College, Hamburg for Dhammaduta work. He had translated the speech of Asoka Weeraratna from English into German at a meeting held in Hamburg in March 1953 organised by the Hamburg Buddhist Society. About 200 Germans had attended this meeting.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Moller (who later became known in Sri Lanka as Ven. Polgasduwa Nyanawimala Thera) was the first German recruit and trainee of the Society. The Society paid for the passage of Moller, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the 5th of June, 1953. He became an Upasaka and was placed at the Island Hermitage, Dodanduwa. Ven. Nyanatiloka Mahathera instructed him. It was originally intended to train Moller in Dharmaduta work for two and a half years and then make Moller a member of the first Buddhist Mission to Germany that was planned to leave Sri Lanka in 1956 (the year of the Buddha Jayanthi).

It was further intended that Friedrich Moller, should receive the Higher Ordination of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”UpasampadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ upon German soil, the first step in the establishment of the Sambuddha Sasana in Germany. He completed his period of training and received ordination under the name of Bhikkhu ƒÆ’†’ƒ¢¢”š¬’ƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¢navimala in Sri Lanka but did not join the Buddhist Mission to Germany as planned. He had expressed an interest in remaining in Sri Lanka for deeper study of the Dhamma. The Society respected his wish.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Accepting the recommendations of Weeraratna, the first Buddhist Mission to Germany, comprising Ven. Soma Thero, Ven Kheminda Thero and Ven. Vinita Thero from the Colombo Vajiraramaya Temple commenced the trek on Poson Poya Day in 1957 from Mihintale – the same hallowed place from where the teachings of the Buddha were first disseminated. The monks on reaching Colombo, set sail to Europe on board the ship ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-S.S. OrantesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ amidst loud venerations of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sadhu, sadhuƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ from the people gathered to witness the event. Once they reached Berlin in Germany, the Missionaries who were welcomed by the Berlin Buddhist Society, went into residence at ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Das Buddhistische HausƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the centre which was to become the beacon for the propagation of Buddhism in Germany. Weeraratna, in the meantime, had flown from Colombo to see to the programmes that were to be carried out by the three monks settled in Das Buddhistische Haus.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Das Buddhistische Haus

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Das Buddhistische HausƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ was built by the famed German physician Dr. Paul Dahlke who was one of the most profound among a number of reputed German writers whose literary efforts had drawn worldwide attention to Buddhist teachings and meditation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr. Dahlke together withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Mr. Weeraratna, the indefatigable Buddhist missionary who pioneered the establishment of the first Buddhist Vihara on the ContinentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were responsible in the strengthening of links between the peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and the cultures of Sri Lanka and Germany besides paving the way for the Sangha to propagate the DhammaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in Europe.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Although feeble health prevented Dr. Dahlke from joining the Sangha, he visited Sri Lanka 8 times, studied Buddhism and Pali, wrote books on Buddhism, translated Buddhist texts and published Buddhist Journals.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He founded Das Buddhistische Haus in 1924 on a 6-acre plot with living quarters, a library, a meeting hall, rooms and cells for guests for quiet contemplation and for receiving instructions in the Buddhist Teachings. More importantly, it was conceived as a place devoted to inner purification as far as this could be achieved in a life of compromise between the life of a Buddhist monk and western conditions. As it could not function as a monastery due to lack of material and spiritual requirements, it served as a midway solution with the Five Precepts of Buddhism as the basic rules of conduct for the residents.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr. Paul Dahlke

Before long, Dr. Dahlke and a group of reputed thinkers around him prepared themselves to live according to the Dhamma and the Buddhist House soon became the Centre of German Buddhism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The world renowned Sri Lankan Buddhist Missionary Anagarika Dharmapala was the guest of Dr. Dahlke in 1925 while on his way to England. Dr. DahlkeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Buddhist Group in factƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  had a strong link with the International Buddhist Union (Jatyantara Bauddha Samagama) headquartered in the picturesque Island Hermitage in Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  (Polgasduwa Tapasrama) under German born monk Ven. Nyanatiloka Maha Nayaka Thero. One of its tasks was the publishing and distribution of Buddhist Literature.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Its Publication Centre and Headquarters for Europe was the Buddhist Publishing House in Germany to which Dr. Dahlke was one of the leading contributors.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Following WeeraratnaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s observations made after his study-tour of Germany, preparations got underway to set up a Training Centre in Sri Lanka for Dharmadutha work. A Million Rupee Trust Fund was also launched in 1954 which the Government declared as an approved charity. In 1956, the new Headquarters and Training Centre of the German Dharmaduta Society came up at 417, Bauddhaloka Mawatha,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Colombo 07 which was declared open by the then Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. Prominent Buddhist monks led by German monk Ven. Nyanatiloka Maha Thera, Ven. Nyanaponika Thera offered their services to train German Buddhists.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Purchase of Das Buddhistische Haus by GDS in 1957

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With the death of Dr. Dahlke in 1928, Mr. Weeraratna on behalf of the Trustees of the German Dharmaduta Society purchased ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Das Buddhistische HausƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in 1957 following negotiations with Dr. DahlkeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nephew. Obstacles did come in the way with Christian opposition made to the sale of the premises to a Buddhist organisation. Weeraratna waded through and the purchase of the entire premises took place over a period of 4 years. With the acquisition of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Das Buddhistische Haus,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the Buddhist Centre, was made into a Vihara which came to be widely known as the Berlin Vihara and this acquisition remains one of the most notable achievements of the German Dharmaduta Society. A Bank Interest that generated from a sizeable legacy left behind by the German Buddhist Walther Schmits who had befriended Weeraratna in Colombo and was supportive of his pioneering missionary endeavour met the costs of maintenance of the Berlin Vihara.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 1967, a Library was added and a stream of Buddhist monks from here and abroad who took up residence took to the propagation of the Dhamma on a greater scale while correcting the negative impressions of Buddhism in the western mind.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ven. Pandit Aturugiriye Sri Gnanawimala Maha Thero

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The longest to act as the Viharadhipathi of the Berlin Vihara was Ven. Pandit Aturugiriye Sri Gnanawimala Maha Thero who delivered Buddhist discourses in German which proved to be very popular. He oversaw to the improvement in the dissemination of the Dhamma to the German public and initiated the publication of a Buddhist Newsletter among other tasks and was the first to ordain a German national as a Buddhist monk on German soil (in Berlin Vihara) in 1972.

In a seminal article on the state of Buddhism in Germany, Dr. Hans Wolfgang Schumann, the reputed scholar and chronicler of the history of Buddhism in Germany, states:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- another important Buddhist Centre is the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- BuddhistƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  HouseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ founded by Paul Dahlke in Berlin ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Frohnau in 1924. It survived World War II in a dilapidated condition and probably would have been auctioned and dismantled if the Ceylonese ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”German Dhammaduta SocietyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (founded in 1952) which inherited a large sum of money from a German Buddhist had not come to its rescue. The GDS purchased the house in 1958, renovated it, furnished it with additional rooms, a well stocked library and Ceylonese Bhikkhus (monks) sent from the GDS took charge of regular lectures and meditation courses. -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Hans Wolfgang Schumann ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” Buddhism and Buddhist Studies in GermanyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, Maha Bodhi Journal, Vol. 79, (February ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” March 1971) page 99.

Dr.Schumann further states ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..Asian Buddhist mission was successful. The organizational help which Asian Buddhist Societies, in particular Ceylon, in several critical periods had extended saved the flame of the Dhamma in Germany. IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t this for the Germans reason enough to be grateful? ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Asoka Weeraratna ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the leading businessman in the meantime, who committed his life to the setting up of the German Dharmaduta Society, the Berlin Vihara for the propagation of the Dhamma in Germany, and later the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage, resigned from the post of Secretary of the Society in the early 1970s and entered the Buddhist Order as Ven. Dhammanisanthi Thera in August 1972. He spent 27 years of his monkhood mostly as a forest monk at Mitirigala and passed away in 1999 at the age of 80 years. But not before leaving instructions that his funeral should reflect the fundamental Buddhist concepts and conducted in a simple austere manner.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His last request was faithfully followed by mourners mostly from the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage.