Throughout history, Buddhism has flourished under the guidance of great spiritual leaders who not only upheld its teachings but also contributed to its artistic and cultural heritage. In the recent history of Sri Lanka, Ven. Dr. Mapalagama Wipulasara Thera left an indelible mark by using art as a medium to spread the Dhamma and foster global Buddhist connections.
Born as the eldest son to Ganegoda Withnarachchige Lilawathie and Gannewatte Siyadoris, young Wijedasa Ganewatta had a rare opportunity of meeting Ven. Walane Satissara Thera in his native village at Gintota in 1939. Ven. Satissara Thera who was the Chief Incumbent of the Ratmalana Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena encouraged the young Wijedasa to embark on a spiritual journey. Under his guidance, the young Wijedasa was ordained as a Samanera on August 26, 1940 at the Ratmalana temple.
The Ratmalana Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena founded by Ven. Walane Sri Siddhartha Thera in 1841, is a pioneer institution for Buddhist education as well as for national independence and national leadership. It’s also the nursery ground for Buddhist scholars such as Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera, Ven. Ratmalana Dharmaloka Thera, Ven. Pibure Soratha Thera, Ven. Suriyagoda Sumangala Thera, and Ven. Widurupola Piyatissa Thera.
Passion for painting
As a novice bhikkhu, young Wipulasara Thera was more inclined to painting Buddhist murals than learning Pali or Bhikkhu Vinaya. His passion for painting rather than the confines of academic pursuits was neither objected or supported by his teacher. His intuitive understanding of art was noticed by Prof. Gunapala Malalasekara and J. D. A Perera who helped him pursue his passion for art at the prestigious Heywood institute.
At Heywood, young Wipulasara Thera had the opportunity to meet and associate Henry Dharmasena, Ariya Wansha Jayakody and Erine Amarasekara. This association later led to the formation of the Jathika Kala Peramuna, the organisation instrumental in making post-colonial art revival in the island renewing interest in reclaiming national identity through art.
By mid-1954, young Wipulasara Thera and his colleagues of the Jathika Kala Peramuna made an art statement in a national exhibition held at the Vihara Maha Devi ground. Within a few years, their Movement came to the forefront to promote national art and became a platform for various local artists to showcase their artistic creativity. Ven. Wipulasara Thera himself held art exhibitions in Tokyo, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. He was able to use this movement as an instrument in strengthening international Buddhist ties as he later called it as Buddha statue diplomacy. He also held art exhibitions in the Soviet Union in 1961 and China in 1963, showcasing Sri Lankan Buddhist art to the global audience.
In 1972, he was given the task of designing the national emblem for the first republic in the island. Together with the support of Nissanka Wijeratna, he designed the emblem which remained in use until 1978.
Some of the masterpieces done by Ven. Wipulasara Thera, are the statue of Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera in front of the Maligakanda Pirivena, the replica of the Avukana Buddha statue for the Non-Aligned Summit in front of the BMICH in 1977, restoration of the ancient Maligawila Buddha statue, the Anagarika Dharmapala statue at the Maligakanda Maha Bodhi, the statue of Ho Chi Min for the Vietnamese Government and the statue of Lenin at the request of the Russian Government which lies at the Moscow museum. He was also assigned the task to restore the Samadhi Buddha statue of Anuradhapura under the supervision of Prof. Senarath Paranavithana. He was able to carefully restore the damaged parts of the statue preserving its original craftsmanship.
Ven. Wipulasara visited the Vatican on the special invitation by his Holiness Paul the 6th as a mark of gratitude for creating the magnificent podium with local art in 1966 for his holiness’ visit to the island. He also built another podium at the Galle face green for Pope John Paul 2nd in 1995.
In 1960, Ven. Wipulasara Thera ascended to the position of Chief Incumbent of the Parama Dhamma Chetiya Maha Pirivena in Ratmalana. Under his stewardship, the institution flourished as a beacon of Buddhist education, attracting bhikkhus and novices from Sri Lanka and abroad to study Buddhism, Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit, and English. In 1985, he was selected as the President of the Mahabodhi Society of India, a position he held for more than 10 years. During this period, he worked tirelessly to preserve and promote Buddhist heritage sites and teachings in India, the cradle of Buddhism.
International delegate
From his early years, Ven. Wipulasara was a political enthusiast. His close association with leftist thinkers such as Chandra Gunasekara opened doors for him to be an international delegate for many global leftist leaders such as Fidel Castro of Cuba, Ho Chi Min of Vietnam, Kim Ull Sung of North Korea. The Thera was instrumental in strengthening international Buddhist ties among these nations. He leveraged these opportunities to showcase Sri Lankan Buddhist art to the global audience.
He was appointed as the General Secretary of the World Sangha Conference in Taipei in December 1981. He used this opportunity to bring all Buddhist leaders in different traditions onto a one platform and focus on “Buddhism and peace”. Understanding the requirement to modernising Buddhism and make it more inclusive and progressive to aligned with contemporary values of gender equality also following the principles of his guru Anagarika Dharmapala as he firmly believed that the historical absence or marginalisation of fully ordained nuns in many Theravada traditions has created an imbalance in spiritual opportunities for women, Ven. Wipulasara Thera boldly supported towards the steps of re-introduction of bhikkhunis to the Sasana. Though there were several objections from conservative Buddhist scholars and monastic institutions, in 1997 at Saranath, India, on the occasion of the centenary birth anniversary of Anagarika Dharmapala, he ordained 10 Dasa Sil Mathas (Samanarese), ushering in a new era for the bhikkuni order.
Honouring his service to Buddhism, an honorary doctorate was awarded to Ven. Wipulasara Thera by the Maha Chulalankara University in Thailand. The Benares Hindu University in India offered him the title Kala Shura and The Sri Lankan Government offered him the Kala Shuree title on 1984.
Ven. Dr. Mapalagama Wipulasara Maha Thera passed away on October 29, 2000. His enduring legacy is evident in the numerous artistic and cultural landmarks he left behind, which continue to inspire and educate future generations. His work stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of artistic talent and spiritual devotion, enriching both Sri Lankan culture and the global Buddhist community.
The writer is a former student of the Sri Siddhartha Dhamma School, Ratmalana.
