Asoka Weeraratna
Sri Lankan Buddhist missionary (1918-1999)
Asoka Weeraratna අසෝක වීරරතන | |
---|---|
Asoka Weeraratna | |
Born | 12 December 1918 Galle, Sri Lanka |
Died | 2 July 1999(1999-07-02) (aged 80) Mitirigala, Sri Lanka |
Nationality | Sri Lankan (Sinhala) |
Other names | Alfred Weeraratna Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera |
Education | Mahinda College, Galle[1] |
Known for | Propagation of Buddhism |
Asoka Weeraratna (December 12, 1918 – July 2, 1999) was a Sri Lankan (Sinhala) Buddhist missionary, who founded the German Dharmaduta Society in 1952.[2] He is also the founder of the Berlin Buddhist Vihara, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Europe and Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya, a famous meditation monastery in the Western Province, Sri Lanka.[2] Asoka Weeraratna later entered the Order of Buddhist monks in 1972 as Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera and spent his later life as a forest monk at the Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya for a period of 27 years.[3]
References
- ^ German Dharmaduta Society gifts pictures to Heritage Museum of Mahinda College, The Island
- ^ a b Weeraratna, Senaka. "Asoka Weeraratne pioneer in developing post-war Sri Lanka-German ties". Asian tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ^ "Asoka Weeraratna - Germany's 'Mahinda Thera'". Daily News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
External links
- Asoka Weeraratna
- Life sketch of Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera (Asoka Weeraratna)
- Sri Lanka’s admirable Buddhist missionary achievements in the West
- Dharmasena Weeraratna - An Appreciation
- Promoting Buddhism in Europe by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Inland fisheries and Buddhism