{"id":152849,"date":"2025-11-04T16:39:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T23:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=152849"},"modified":"2025-11-04T16:39:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T23:39:01","slug":"death-of-queen-sirikit-evokes-memories-of-thai-royalty-as-patrons-of-theravada-buddhism-and-the-priceless-800-year-old-thai-sri-lanka-buddhist-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/11\/04\/death-of-queen-sirikit-evokes-memories-of-thai-royalty-as-patrons-of-theravada-buddhism-and-the-priceless-800-year-old-thai-sri-lanka-buddhist-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"Death of Queen Sirikit evokes memories of Thai Royalty as patrons of Theravada Buddhism and the priceless 800-year-old Thai – Sri Lanka Buddhist Relations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Thailand\u2019s Queen Mother Sirikit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand\u2019s Queen Mother Sirikit passed away on October 25 at the age of 93.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is the mother of the King of Thailand King Vajiralongkorn Sirikit. She was Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1950 along with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  On this trip they had visited the Deepaduttaramaya Purana Raja Maha Viharaya, the oldest temple in Colombo, and planted a madara <\/em>tree which flourishes to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Embassy of Thailand in Colombo opened a Condolence Book and two VIPs namely the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath signed the condolence book at the Embassy of Thailand, among others. He extended the condolences from Sri Lanka to the Royal Family, the Government, and the people of Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Regional Centres of the World Fellowship of Buddhists based in Sri Lanka namely the Sri Lanka Regional Centre of WFB, All \u2013 Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC), German Dharmaduta Society, Secretariat for the Uplift and Conservation of Cultural, Economic and Social Standards (SUCCESS) and Sri Lanka Dharma Chakkra Child Foundation will undoubtedly join the writer in expressing our profound sorrow and sadness over the death of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and conveying our heartfelt and deepest sympathies to members of the bereaved family of Her Royal Highness, the Government and people of Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>One of the notable gifts of Thailand to the progress of Buddhism worldwide is the sustenance of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) movement by maintaining its Headquarters in Bangkok and funding its activities. This is largely due to the keen interest and support given by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej<\/strong> and the Thai Royal family for the ongoing work of the WFB. It was during the early part of King Bhumibol\u2019s 70-year-old reign (1946 \u2013 2016) that the WFB was formed in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1950 under the vision and able guidance of its founder Dr. Gunapala Malalasekera. The Headquarters was moved from Colombo to Rangoon in 1958 and thereafter to Bangkok in 1963 and it has continued to remain in Bangkok pursuant to a decision taken by the WFB in 1969 to make Bangkok the permanent venue of the Headquarters of the WFB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WFB will be commemorating the 75th<\/sup> Anniversary of the Establishment of The WFB (1950 \u2013 2025) at the 31st<\/sup> General Conference, which will be held from 4th<\/sup> to 7th<\/sup> December B.E. 2568 (2025), in Bangkok, Thailand. The current President of the WFB is Mr. Phallop Thaiarry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhist Ties between Sri Lanka and Thailand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka and Thailand have forged strong and long-lasting ties that go back to over 8 centuries. They share a common faith in Theravada Buddhism which is the predominant belief system in both countries. Both are heirs to a proud history and high achieving Buddhist civilization. However, there is one significant difference. Sri Lanka was subject to European colonial rule for almost 450 years (1505 \u2013 1948). Thailand was very fortunate being the only country in Asia that was never invaded or occupied or came under the jackboot of colonial rule. Consequently, the Thai people were never uprooted from their Buddhist heritage, customs and traditions. The monarchy, civil and military Governments of Thailand have continuously supported Theravada Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The historic Sri Lanka \u2013 Thai relationship covers religion, arts and culture. When Buddhism in Thailand was in recession, assistance was offered by Sinhalese monks from Sri Lanka, and this goodwill was reciprocated when the situation changed a couple of hundred years later. In other words, the highlights of the Sri Lanka \u2013 Thailand ties are the rendering of unequivocal support on a viable give and take basis at critical moments in the history of the two nations. It was Sinhala Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka then resident at Nakhon Si Thammarat in the South of Thailand at the invitation of King Ramkhamhaeng that introduced the Sihala (Sinhala) Sangha Sect (also known as Lanka Wongse Buddhism or Lankavamsa) to Thailand when it had its capital at Sukhothai. Sinhala Sangha sect rapidly spread to Chiangmai, Lamphun and Sajjanalaya \u2013 all in Northern Thailand. This undoubtedly was Sri Lanka\u2019s greatest gift to Thailand. Lanka Wongse Buddhism thereafter spread all over Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ties between these two sister Buddhist nations reached a decisive moment in 1753 when the Thai people had an opportunity to return the favor to Sri Lanka when King Boromkot based in Ayutthaya sent Phra Upali and others to revive the higher ordination tradition in Sri Lanka, after the ordination lineage in this island had been broken by the Portuguese Inquisition under the orders of the Kings of Portugal and the blessings of the Vatican, which included wholesale destruction of Buddhist Temples, construction of Catholic Churches on top of sites of destroyed Buddhist Temples, killing of Buddhist monks and forbidding the practice of Buddhism in the Portuguese occupied territories of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Padroado (Portuguese word for \u2018Patronage\u2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Padroado refers to a historic system of patronage where the Portuguese monarchy, and later the Spanish crown with Patronado, received privileges from the Pope to administer Catholic Churches and missions in their colonial territories. In exchange for the right to nominate bishops and control church matters, the monarchs were obligated to financially support and organize the missions, including sending missionaries and building churches. This system merged religious and political power in the colonies for centuries, with Portugal officially abolishing its role in 1928 (AI Overview)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dutch too promoted their religion using both stick and carrot. All this had the effect of weakening Buddhism\u2019s hold on the Sangha and public. Through the great sacrifice of Phra Upali, the higher ordination tradition was reintroduced to Sri Lanka, and it was followed by the establishment of the Siam Nikaya. We, the people of Sri Lanka, must be grateful immensely to Thailand for this huge contribution. It is left to one\u2019s imagination to determine what the position of Buddhism would have been in Sri Lanka without properly ordained monks when the British occupied Sri Lanka in 1796.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical chronicles record the frequent nursing of this fraternal relationship by several Thai Kings at a time when Sri Lanka was under colonial rule and was lacking in an effective and proper Buddhist leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thakur Phanit author of Book \u2018Thai \u2013 Sri Lankan True Friendship: Close and Cordial Relations in Buddhism\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hon Thakur Phanit<\/strong> wrote a book entitled \u2018Thai \u2013 Sri Lankan True Friendship: Close and Cordial Relations in Buddhism\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thai Buddhist writer Pairuth Plangdee<\/strong> says as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201d It is interesting to learn that whereas the major Nikaya of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka is known as Siam Nikaya, Buddhism in
Thailand is called Lankavamsa. This is due to a historical fact that
Thailand received Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka during the
Sukhothai period in the 12th Century of the Common Era and has
maintained a canonical tradition and an unbroken ordination lineage since.
In contemporary Thailand, Buddhism is the state religion of
the country. Under the Constitution, the King, as a symbol of the
nation, must be a Buddhist. The Crown and the State have always
been involved in supporting and assisting the Ordained Sangha and
in promoting Buddhism among the people. According to the
census (2016), with a total population of 63 million, approximately 94%
of Thais are Buddhist. As of 2002, there were 32,000 monasteries,
265,956 monks and 87,695 novices in the Kingdom. Besides
numerous forest monasteries where monks may go for extended
meditation, there is a monastery in nearly every village and there
are many more monasteries in the cities, Schools are often located
on monastery grounds, and the Sangha is actively involved in the
efforts of the State to raise the educational level of the people as
a whole. Buddhism and the Sangha, therefore, are deeply
intertwined with the daily lives of the people of Thailand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/pairut0052.blogspot.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Majesty, the late King Bhumipol was the ninth monarch of the Chakra Dynasty. Being a devout follower and Patron of Buddhism, he has played a pivotal role in the protection and promotion of Buddhism. He has been ordained in a Thai Monastery in 1956. He has abided by the Dasa Raja Dhamma (The Ten Virtues of the King) principles in Governance. In Thai culture the ruler must act like a Dhamma Raja (Righteous King). He has called for the use of Dhamma principles in economic affairs by espousing Sufficiency Economics for appropriate conduct and way of life. He has funded the re-construction of the Buddhapadipa Temple in London to serve as a residence for Theravada Monks from Thailand when they are engaged in Dharmaduta work in Europe. The late King has also patronized the construction of the King Rama IX Golden Jubilee Temple in Bangkok, such that it could become a model for Temple constructions that match the standards of community and environmental protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>Dipaduttamaramaya Temple in Kotahena<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the oldest Temple within the Colombo city limits being built in 1775.  It was the temple of the famed orator Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Maha Thera and Ven. Waskaduwe Subuthi Maha Nayaka Thera. Migettuwatte Thera was the Chief Incumbent of the temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dipaduttamaramaya also enjoys the status of being considered the official temple of the Thai Monarchy in Sri Lanka.  Ven. Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Maha Nayaka Thera was a great Pali Scholar. The scholar monk was highly respected both within and outside Sri Lanka. He served as an advisor to Kings of Siam and Burma while being the Chief Monk of the Abhinavaaramaya Temple in Waskaduwa (later renamed as the Sri Subuthi Viharaya in his honour). Sri Subuthi Maha Nayaka Thera exchanged letters with the governing elite of these two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Sri Subuthi Maha Nayaka Thera who was instrumental in getting the British Vice \u2013 Roy of India to place the bones of the Buddha complete with inscriptions found in the premises occupied by Mr. Peppe, the English landowner, under the care of King Chulalongkorn of Siam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince Prisdang Chumsai, grandson of King Rama the Third of Thailand after reading the letters from Ven. Sri Subhuthi developed a serious interest in Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince Prisdang<\/strong> (rtgs: Pritsadang); 23 February 1851 \u2013 16 March 1935) became a Thai diplomat for some time. He was born in Bangkok, as M.C. Prisdang Xumsai, a grandson of Rama III. He was educated in Singapore and in England, subsequently graduated with all the top awards from King\u2019s College London in 1876. The event was reported in The Times of London, July 7, 1876.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1881 he established the first permanent Siamese Embassy in England presenting his credentials to Queen Victoria in 1882. Over the next five years he became Ambassador to eleven European countries and the United States of America. King Rama V sought from Prince Prisdang his opinion on how to deal with predatory European countries consistently seeking new colonies for exploitation. In response Prince Prisdang and his associates prepared a draft democratic constitution which required the monarchy to be subject to constitutional law and formation of a cabinet of Ministers. Siam was not yet ready for such radical proposed change and the Prince was therefore recalled to Bangkok where he worked as a civil servant until 1890.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He fell into disfavor with the monarchy subsequently and decided to go into exile. He went to Sri Lanka to become a Buddhist monk under the watch of Sri Subuthi Maha Nayaka Thera who acted as his preceptor. Prince Prisdang Chumsai was ordained in 1896 as Ven. P.C Jinavarawansa Thera -a disciple of the Nayaka Thera- eventually he was made the Chief Incumbent of the Dipaduttamaramaya Temple in 1904, thus becoming the first foreign monk to become an incumbent of a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. He also laid the foundation for the construction of the Rathna Chaitya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven. P.C. Jinavarawansa Thera<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dipaduttamaramaya became known as the \u2018Thai Temple\u2019. Ven. P.C. Jinavarawansa Thera established a close rapport and friendship with the people of the area and was referred to as the \u2018Kumara Hamuduruwo\u2019 (Prince monk).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prince monk returned to Bangkok in 1911 to attend the funeral of King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn) where he was forced to disrobe as a pre-requisite to view the remains of the late King and lived thereafter in relative obscurity until his death in 1935.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Life and Time of Prince Prisdang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/www.geocities.ws\/RainForest\/Vines\/8769\/Prisdang.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biography of Prince Prisdang has been published in a book entitled \u2018Bones around My Neck \u2013 The Life and Exile of a Prince Provocateur\u2019 by Tamara Loos ( Cornell University Press : 2016)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/www.cornellpress.cornell.edu\/book\/?GCOI=80140100295130<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Excerpts from the Blurb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince Prisdang Chumsai (1852\u20131935) served as Siam\u2019s first diplomat to Europe during the most dramatic moment of Siam\u2019s political history, when its independence was threatened by European imperialism. Despite serving with patriotic zeal, he suffered irreparable social and political ruin based on rumours\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.Tamara Loos pursues the truth behind these rumours, which chased Prisdang out of Siam. Her book recounts the personal and political adventures of an unwitting provocateur who caused a commotion in every country he inhabited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prisdang spent his first five years in exile from Siam living in disguise as a commoner and employee of the British Empire in colonial Southeast Asia. He then resurfaced in the 1890s in British Ceylon, where he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and became a widely respected abbot. Foreigners from around the world were drawn to this Prince who had discarded wealth and royal status to lead the life of an ascetic. His fluency in English, royal blood, acute intellect, and charisma earned him importance in international diplomatic and Buddhist circles. Prisdang\u2019s life journey reminds us of the complexities of the colonial encounter and the recalibrations it caused in local political cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various members of the Thai Royal Family have over a period of time visited and extended patronage to the Dipaduttamaramaya Temple. Former rulers, King Rama VIII and King Rama IX, the Princess Mother, Queen Sirikit, Queen Rambhai Barni, Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, Princess Chulabhorn and Prince Prem Purachatra are some of the Thai dignitaries to have visited the Temple during the last century. Several Thai government officials and Prime Ministers e.g. Yingluck Shinawatra, and other eminent Thai professionals have also made it a point to visit the Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Thai connection to this Temple is the Saplings planted by King Ananda Mahidol, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Princess Chulaborn on three different occasions. These Saplings gracefully epitomize in a natural and non \u2013 harm manner, the depth and feeling of the Thai links to the Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara in Galle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara is situated in Elliot Road, Galle (lately renamed as Woodward Road in honour of F.L. Woodward, a former Principal of Mahinda College). It is alsoknown as ATAPATTAM VIHARAYA\u201d because of the octagonal shaped roof. The Vihara was founded by Ven. Bulathgama Sri Sumanathissa Dhammalankara Thera on a beautifully located piece of elevated land overlooking Elliot Road and over one acre in extent. This land was gifted by Buddhist Philanthropist D.F. de Silva to the monk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atapattam Vihara (alternate name for Sri Paramananda Raja Maha Vihara) because of the Octagonal shaped roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Bulathgama Sri Sumanathissa Dhammalankara Thera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Pioneer of the Buddhist Revival Movement in Sri Lanka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corresponded with two Thai Kings (King Rama IV and King Rama V)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Bulathgama Sri Sumanathissa Dhammalankara Thera (circa 1880)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo taken at the Studio premises of P.B. Karolis in Wakwella Road, Galle at the time of the visit of Henry Steele Olcott and Ms. Helena Blavatsky to Galle in May 1880.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhist Philanthropist D.F. de Silva (Devendra Frederick de Silva)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.F. de Silva (Devendra Frederick de Silva) (One of the Richest Men in Galle in the late 19th<\/sup> Century)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms. Helena Blavatsky (Left) with D.F. de Silva (Right) (circa May 1880).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo taken on the studio premises of P.B. Karolis, Wakwella Road, Galle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rare images in family photos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n