Venerable
''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom.
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In the Catholic Churc ...
Sikkim Mahinda Thero (), commonly known as S. Mahinda Thero (), was an Indian Buddhist monk from the state of
Sikkim
Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
. He was a poet and author, and participated in the
Sri Lankan independence movement
The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement which was aimed at achieving independence and self-rule for the country of Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon, from the British Empire. The switch of powers was generally kno ...
. Although he was from Sikkim, he identified himself as a
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
an, presumably because it was more well known in Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka).
S. Mahinda thero arrived in Ceylon (now
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, ...
Sinhala language
Sinhala ( ; Sinhala: , , ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. It is also the first ...
, he became a poet, creating several literary works inspiring patriotism among the Sinhalese and urging them to fight for their freedom during the Sri Lankan Independence movement. He is now considered a national hero of Sri Lanka and one among the greatest of Sinhalese poetry figures of all time.
Early life
Sikkim Mahinda was born around 1901 in Sikkim and named Pempa Tendupi Serky Cherin. His family lived in
Gangtok
Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...
, the capital of Sikkim. He had three brothers; the first would later become a lecturer of the
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...
, the second would be the prime minister of the king, and the third would join the Buddhist priesthood who was known as Punnaji thero. Their elder half-brother, who looked after the family following the death of their father, was Kazi Dawa Samdup. His childhood friend
Tashi Namgyal
Tashi Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''Bkra-shis Rnam-rgyal'') (26 October 1893 – 2 December 1963) was the ruling Chogyal (King) of Sikkim from 1914 to 1963. He was the son of Thutob Namgyal. He was the first independent king of Sikkim.
Bio ...
would become the king of Sikkim. S. Mahinda had used his name as a pseudonym in Sri Lanka, leading to the belief that it was his real name.
Serky received a scholarship, with an annual allowance of six rupees, to study Buddhism in Ceylon and arrived there in 1912 or 1914. At the time, the country was under
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
rule. Sikkim Punnaji, his elder brother who was already a Buddhist monk, accompanied him.
Buddhist priesthood and life in Ceylon
The two brothers stayed at the
Island Hermitage
Island Hermitage on (Polgasduwa) Dodanduwa Island, Galle District, Sri Lanka is a famous Buddhist forest monastery founded by Ven Nyanatiloka Mahathera in 1911. It is a secluded place for Buddhist monks to study and meditate in the Theravada ...
in Polgasduwa, southern
Ceylon
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, ...
, and learned Buddhism under the German monk
Nyanatiloka
Ven. Nyanatiloka (Ñāṇatiloka) Mahathera (19 February 1878, Wiesbaden, Germany – 28 May 1957, Colombo, Ceylon), born as Anton Walther Florus Gueth, was one of the earliest Westerners in modern times to become a Bhikkhu, a fully ordained ...
. He was then sent to the
Vidyodaya Pirivena
The Vidyodaya Pirivena was one of the prominent ''Pirivena, piriven'' (a monastic college, similar to a seminary, for the education of Buddhism, Buddhist Buddhist monasticism, monks) in Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1873 by Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumang ...
in
Maradana
Maradana is a suburb of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Maradana is the site of Maradana Railway Station, one of the primary railway hubs in the country, serving intercity rail and commuter rail. Maradana also has many railway yards and running sheds. A t ...
, and admitted to Maradana Mahabodhi Vidyalaya to learn English. After this, he returned to the Island Hermitage, and learned Sinhala and
Pali
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
languages. With the outbreak of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, his mentor Nyanatiloka Thera was arrested. His brother Sikkim Punnaji also appears to have died around this time, while he was himself interned twice by the government.
He was later ordained into the
Amarapura Nikaya
Amarapura (, , ; also spelt as Ummerapoora) is a former capital of Myanmar, and now a township of Mandalay city. Amarapura is bounded by the Irrawaddy river in the west, Chanmyathazi Township in the north, and the ancient capital site of Ava ...
as Sikkim Mahinda, although he used his name as S. Mahinda. He was re-ordained into the Shyamopali Nikaya on 16 June 1930, and obtained Upasampada later that year. He identified himself as a
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
an, presumably because it was better known in Ceylon and was a leading Buddhist country in Asia. S.Mahinda Thera served as a teacher at
Nalanda College, Colombo
Nalanda College () is a Buddhist school in Sri Lanka that provides primary and secondary education for boys.
Literary work and nationalism
S. Mahinda soon became fluent in the Sinhala language, and established himself as a poet and author. He has written over 40 books, most of them are poems inspiring patriotism. His first book was ''Ova Muthu Dama'', which was written around 1921. His final book is believed to be ''Sri Pada''. He also appears to have created a number of unpublished works. In his works, he has focused on the past glory of the country, and the weaknesses of its people in the present, urging them to work towards their freedom. He also wrote several books for children as well, and in these too he has tried to inspire patriotism upon the reader. His most famous works include ''Nidahase Dehena'', ''Nidahase Manthraya'', ''Lanka Matha'', ''Jathika Thotilla'', ''Ada Lak Mawage Puttu'', ''Nidahasa'', ''Videshikayakugen Lak Mawata Namaskarayak'' and ''Sinhala Jathiya''.
He was also a member of the
temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
, which served as the basis for the independence movement of Sri Lanka. After the country gained independence in 1948, he was acknowledged as a national hero for his literary works inspiring the independence movement. He died on 16 March 1951.
See also
*
Sagara Palansuriya
Palansuriya Mohottalalage Dingiri Mahaththaya (, known as Sagara Palansuriya () in later life, was a Sri Lankan poet, teacher and Member of Parliament.
Early life
Palansuriya Mohottalalage Dingiri Mahaththaya was born on 11 March 1908 at Kalale ...