Prajnananda Mahathera is a socially engaged Buddhist monk in

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...

(CHT) of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Early life

Prajnananda Mahathera was born on 1 February 1952 at Babuchara Village under Dighinala Upazila in Khagrachari district of present-day Bangladesh. His family name is Balendra Dev Chakma. His father's name was Narendra Lal Chakma and his mother's name is Indrapati Chakma. Mahathera is the youngest of their 4 sons. His father passed away when he was one year old. Mahathera's family was difficult, however, he persuaded to succeed in study. He became teacher in his village after passing class five to support his family's finance.

Education

Mahathera completed his primary education at a primary school in his village. After completion of his primary education his family was unable to continue his education due to poverty. He continued his education with some money he earned by tutoring small children near to his home. Thus he completed his

Junior School Certificate The Junior School Certificate (JSC) was a public examination taken by students in Bangladesh after successful completion of eight years of schooling. It was introduced in 2010. It is followed by the Secondary School Certificate (SSC). Before the ...

. In 1965, at the age of 17 he went to Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram (Chittagong Hill Tracts Buddhist Orphanage) at Boalkhali, Dighinala built and managed by its Chief Abbot Jnanashree Mahathera. During his stay at this orphanage he completed his

Secondary School Certificate Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives and Nepal conducted by educational boards for the successful completi ...

examination from Dighinala High School in 1968. In the same year he ordained higher ordination as Bhikkhu. In 1969, he went to Mirzapur Shantidam Vihara in

Chittagong Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...

for higher education. He studied his

Higher Secondary School Certificate Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), Higher Secondary School Certificate, Higher Secondary Education Certificate (HSEC) or Intermediate Examination is a secondary education qualification in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. It is equivalent to the f ...

at Nazirhat Degree College and then Hathazari College from where he successfully completed his HSC degree in 1972. In 1977 and 1978 he successfully completed his BA(Hons) and MA in

Bengali Literature Bengali literature () denotes the body of writings in the Bengali language and which covers Old Bengali, Middle Bengali and Modern Bengali with the changes through the passage of time and dynastic patronization or non-patronization. Bengali h ...

from the

University of Chittagong The University of Chittagong () also known as Chittagong University (CU), is a public research university located in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It was established on 18 November 1966. It is the fifth oldest university of Bangladesh. Having an area ...

. He also did M.A. in

Pali Literature Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali (IAST: pāl̤i) is the traditional language. The earliest and most important Pali literature constitutes the Pāli Canon, the authoritative scriptures of Theravada school ...

from the

Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...

in 1980.

Work

Social service and education

In 1974, while he was studying in the

, he took the charge of General Secretary of the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram (PCBAA). In the same year, he began to establish another orphanage at Rangapani of

Rangamati Rangamati () is a town and the administrative headquarters of Rangamati District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an elevation of above sea level. Demographics According to th ...

named Moanoghar with guidance and advice of his preceptor Jnanashree Mahathera, the founder and Chief Abbot of the Boalkhali Dashabal Raj Vihara and the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram, and in consultation with some monks and lay devotees. To provide modern education to the orphan and destitute children he established the Moanoghar High School in 1980. The Moanoghar NGO and Moanoghar Children's Home are situated in

Municipality. The Moanoghar Children's home is an institution developing human resources in

. Mahathera served as the general secretary of this children's home from 1974 to 2008. He served as the general secretary of the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram from 1974 to 1986. In 1980, he founded Moanoghar Onath Ashram Abasik Bidyalay ("Moanoghar Residential School") in Rangapani, Rangamati and Anath Ashram Abasik Uccha Bidyalay ("Orphanage Residential High School") at

Boalkhali Boalkhali () is an upazila of Chattogram District in Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. Geography Boalkhali is located at . It had 44108 households and its total area is 126.46 km2. According to the 2001 Bangladesh Census, there were 36,58 ...

under Dighinala Upazila in the

Khagrachhari District Khagrachhari District (), officially Khagrachhari Hill District, is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Etymology The zila headquarters is located on the bank of ...

of Bangladesh. He served as the Chairman of the Managing Committee of the Schools from 1986 to 2008.

Institutions established and run

* The Ananda Vihara Pali College (Estd.1980), an institution of excellence in the

Tripitaka There are several Buddhist canons, which refers to the various scriptural collections of Buddhist sacred scriptures or the various Buddhist scriptural canons.

education in Pali. * The Moanoghar (Onath Ashram Abashik Uccha Bidyalay) (Estd. 1980), Rangapani, Rangamati. This school is playing a major role to promote and spread general and Buddhist education in Chittagong Hill Tracts. * The Moanoghar Pali College (Estd. 1981), Rangapani, Rangamati, an institution of excellence in the Tripitaka education in Pali. * The Moanoghar Karigari Bidyalay (Estd. 1983), Rangapani, Rangamati for Self-employment for the residential drop out students of the Moanoghar Shishu Sadan. * The Moanoghar Sangeet Bidyalay (Estd. 1983), Rangapani, Rangamati. This is a music school for the students of the Moanoghar Shishu Sadan. * The Moanoghar Fine Arts School (Estd.1983). This is for the students of the Moanoghar Shishu Sadan for education in fine arts. * The Moanoghar Mini Hospital (Estd. 1984), Rangapani, Rangamati, for the all time treatment of the students of the Moanoghar Shishu Sadan & local communities. * The Banophool Children's Home (Estd.1991), Mirpur-13, Dhaka-1216, a residential hostel for class I-V students. * The Banophool Primary School (Estd.1992), Mirpur-13, Dhaka-1216, for the residential students of the Banophool Children's Home. * The Moanoghar Pre-Cadet School (Estd.1992), Rangapani, Rangamati. This is for coaching classes for preparation of students for admission in Cadet Colleges. Many cadet school students are given free coaching here. * The Adibashi Vasha Shikka Academy (Estd. 2000), Rangapani, Rangamati, a research center for Indigenous languages, literature and culture. * The Prajna Computer Zone (Estd. 2001), Tabalchari, Rangamati for communication and information Technology. * The Banophool Adibashi Green Heart College (Estd.2004), Mirpur-13, Dhaka-1216, a college that works as a bridge between the indigenous peoples and the majority Bangalee people of Bangladesh and as a symbol of religious and cultural diversity and communal harmony in the heart of the Capital City Dhaka. * The Banophool Adibashi Foundation Trust (Estd. 2004), Mirpur-13, Dhaka -1216. This is for establishing and running Banophool Adibashi Green Heart College. * The Banophool Complex (Estd.1990) based on the Shakyamuni Bouddha Vihara at Mirpur-13, Dhaka -1216. In 2004 the Banophool Adibashi Green Heart College was housed on in the Banophoool Complex. Mahathera has been serving as the chairman of the Banophool Adibashi Green Heart College Governing Body since 2004. Besides, Mahathera founded Jnana and Prajna Charcha Pathagar (Library for the Practice of Wisdom and Knowledge), Rangamati and Buddha Dharmiya Anchalik Pathagar (Regional Library of Buddhism) at Ananda Vihara.

Religious and social reform movement

Parbatya Bhikkhu Sangha Bangladesh is the Supreme Sangha Council and the oldest

religious organization Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manages: * the upkeep of places of worship, such as ...

of the greater

. The objective of this organization is to promote and spread the teachings of the great

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

in Chittagong Hill Tracts as well as in the country for the "happiness and well-being of many". This organization has been playing a unique role in preaching

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and religious reform in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Mahathera served as the general secretary of this organization from 1978 to 1988. He also served as the president of Parbatya Bhikkhu Sangha since 2011 to 2014. The Parbatya Bouddha Sangha Bangladesh is a Dhaka-based NGO. He took over the charge of the President of this NGO in 1987. He served as its president from the year 1987 to 1995, 1998 to February 2013.

Participation in international congregations and conferences

Mahathera visited many countries including the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, UK,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, as the general secretary and chief representative of Moanoghar and Parbattya Chattal Buddhist Orphanage in between 1980 and 1997. Besides, he jointed several international peace conferences- * Participation in the 60th birth anniversary of His Excellency the king of Thailand King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

in 1987. * Securing Membership of Asian Buddhist Congress and first visit to Sri Lanka in 1992. * Founded Attadeepa foundation, Bangladesh in 1997. This foundation secured membership of

Buddha's Light International Association The Buddha's Light International Association (), commonly known as BLIA, is a lay Buddhist organization. BLIA was established by Hsing Yun in 1992. The organization is associated with Fo Guang Shan, the largest Buddhist organization in Taiwan. In ...

(BLIA) in 1998. * Participation as a chief representative of Atthadeepa Foundation Bangladesh in the ‘Monastic Seminar and BLIA conference, in Toronto, Canada, in 1998. * Participation in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st

World Fellowship of Buddhists The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization. Initiated by Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, it was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), by representatives from 27 nations. Although Therav ...

Conference, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000. * Participation in BLIA Executive Seminar for south Asian Members conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2003. * Participation as a chief representative of Attadeepa Foundation in the BLIA Executive Seminar for South Asia Members conference at

Mahendragiri (Odisha) Mahendragiri, is a mountain in Rayagada block of the district of Gajapati, Odisha, India. It is situated amongst the Eastern Ghats at an elevation of . The second highest mountain of Odisha. Geography This is the second highest mountain peak ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, India, 2004. * Participation as president of Authadeepa Foundation in World Buddhist Forum conference at Shanghai, China, 2006. * Participation as Chief representative of Auttadeepa foundation in 2nd Worlds Buddhist Forum conference in Taiwan, 30 March 2009. * Participation as a chief representative of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Universal Peace Federation Conference in

n, 4 June 2009. * Participation as the chief representative in the 2nd World Buddhist Forum Conference in China, 4 June 2009. * Participation in

conference at

Fo Guang Shan Fo Guang Shan (FGS) () is an international Chinese Buddhism, Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order based in Taiwan that practices Humanistic Buddhism whose roots are traced to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. The headqu ...

, Taiwan, 29 September 2009. * Participation as Chief representative of Parbattya Bouddha Sangha in World Buddhist Brotherhood Sangha conference, Japan, 13 December 2009. * Participation as Chief representative of Parbattya Bouddha Sangha in the 25th World Buddhists Brotherhood Sangha conference, Sri Lanka, 9 November 2010. * Participation in 'Conference for World Peace and Reunification Korea' at Seoul, South Korea, 15–18 May 2015.

Awards and honors

* Korean Buddhists

Jogye Order The Jogye Order, officially known as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, (대한불교조계종, 大韓佛敎曹溪宗), is the leading order of traditional Korean Buddhism, with roots dating back 1,200 years to the late Silla period. Around ...

Award- 2000 as a General Secretary of Moanoghar. * Bouddha Purnima Commemoration and Celebrity Persons Reception Award- 2001. * Warm Felicitation- 2012 by Shishu Koruna Sangha, Bodhicariya Vihara,

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, India for the welfare and benefit of many people. * Elder Wise Medal- 2014 from Bangladesh Indigenous Forum as a recognition of his contribution in education, religion and society.

Current assignments

* Principal, Ananda Vihara Pali College * Lord abbot, Ananda Vihara, Tabalchari,

* Lord Abbot, Shakyamuni Bouddha Vihar,

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

* Member, Bangladesh Sanskrit and Pali Education Board, Dhaka * President, Auttadeepa Foundation, Bangladesh * Chairman, Banophool Adibashi Green Heart College, Mirpur-13, Dhaka * Chairman, Parbattya Chattal Bouddha Onath Ashram, Dhighinala,

Khagrachari Khagrachhari District (), officially Khagrachhari Hill District, is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Etymology The zila headquarters is located on the bank o ...

* Chairman, Banophool Adibashi Foundation Trust, Mirpur, Dhaka * President, The Middle Way Trust, Rangamati * Director, Prajna Computer Zone, Rangamati * President, Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram Management Committee from 2010 * President, Banophool Adibashi Education Foundation, Dhaka

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahathera, Ven. Prajnananda Buddhism in Bangladesh Bangladeshi Buddhists 1952 births Living people People from Rangamati District Chakma people