Ven.Sumangalo Maha Thero's visit.

The Most Venerable Sumangalo turned a new page on the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka when he courageously went against the current of the mainstream Sangha and started giving ordination not only to the low caste but also to women in 1998. (As practiced in Sri Lanka, among the Siam Nikaya, they do not give ordination to low caste men.)

The news about Sri Lankan women seeking full ordination was already in the air since 1988 when the first batch of 11 Dasasil matas from Sri lanka went to Los Angeles for full ordination. At that time not all of them understood What they were getting themselves into, and by the time they got there, only 5 of them actually went through the ordination. However, upon their return, there was no structural support for them to remain as a bhikkkhuni sangha, hence this group somehow faded away into the background of their previous status.... Dasasilmatas.

In 1996 there was an ordination for 10 Sri Lankan women and dasasil matas to become bhikkhunis. Again there was some short come and the ordination itself was not fully recognized by the more conservative sangha.

The bhikkhuni ordination organized at Dambulla, a historical site and known for its rock caves, was an epoch making. It marked a true establishment of the bhikkhuni sangha as it was given by the Sri Lankan Sangha to Sri Lankan women. In other word it is native product which guarantees the quality of endurance.

After having paid respect to him after my full ordination, the connection was established. My Upajjhaya, (preceptor) the Ven.Bhikkhuni R.Saddha Sumana is under his guidance. In order to have her spend the vassa with me in Thailand I needed to seek permission from him to which he graciously complied.

In November 2003 he sent an email to say that he was coming for a visit. We were happy and thankful for his kind gesture. He arrived on Nov. 29, we showed him the temple compound, the main shrine with the sima (boundary) correctly done according to the Vinaya, the library, the classroom, the bhikkhunis' residence and the garden. Also we introduced him to an abbot of a nearby temple who was kind enough to arrange for a senior monk to give the bhikkhunis Ovada every full moon and dark moon to comply with the Vinaya requirement.

The Venerable and his friend were happy and recorded his visit in our visitor's book with blessing for the progress of the sasana.

His visit marked an establishment of a connection of bhikkhuni sangha from the lineage he has established. In the future we plan to send our would-be bhikkhunis to be trained in Sri Lanka for three months before the actual ordination at his training center in Dambulla.