Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera (born: 1 July 1961) is a Sri Lankan monk. He is the founder and chief advisor of Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery, Mahamevnawa Maha Sangha Saba (à ¶¸à ·Âà ¶¸à ·Âà ·Âà ·Âà ¶±à ·Âà · à ¶¸à ·Âà · à ·Âà ¶Âà ¶ à ·Âà ¶·à ·Âà ·Â) and Shraddha Media Network. Many people address Him as "Pinwath Loku Suwaminwahanse (à ¶´à ·Âà ¶±à ·Âà ·Âà ¶Âà · à ¶½à ·Âà ¶Âà · à ·Âà ·Âà ·Âà ·Âà ¶¸à ·Âà ¶±à · à ·Âà ·Âà ¶±à ·Âà ·Âà ·Â)".
Gnanananda became a monk at age 17 on 26 March 1979 under Dambagasare Sumedhankara Thera and Dikwelle Pannananda Thera at Seruwavila. He received a traditional Buddhist academic education and entered the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He founded Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery in August 1999 in Waduwava, Polgahawela. Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery now has more than 80 branch monasteries in Sri Lanka and more than 45 overseas monasteries in Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany Italy, Dubai, South Korea, India and many more.
In 2012 he started Shraddha TV and Radio with the aim of spreading the pure Dhamma. Today, it operates as the largest Buddhist media network in Sri Lanka, spanning a wide range of media including television, radio, the Internet, Buddhist magazines, web software, etc.. He also has the largest group of student monks in Sri Lanka, which is more than 1000. He has also written more than 300 Buddhist scriptures and translated the Sutta Pitaka into simple Sinhala language. Several of his books have been translated into various languages, including English, Thai, and French. He also translated the "Pirith Book" into Sinhala and English in a way that allows chanting. In addition, he took the initiative to print Buddhist scriptures in Tamil and the Bale system for the first time in Sri Lanka. In 2019, he was appointed as the Anunayaka of the Sri Kalyaniwansa Sect of the Amarapura Nikaya.
He now teaches Buddhism (Theravada), emphasising the need to practice it in pure form (i.e. as in the Sutras) and casting off what was not advocated by the Buddha.
Thousands of practicing Buddhists are associated with Mahamevnawa.
Maha Sthupa Vandanawa conducted on 2 February 2008 at Ruwanwelisaya, Anuradhapura with the participation of over 100,000 disciples, Somawathi Stupa Vandanawa conducted on 8 May 2010 at Somawathiya Temple with the participation of over 1,000,000 devotees, Rankoth Vehera Maha Arahanthaka Vandanawa conducted on 18 August 2018 at Rankoth Vehera with the participation of over 600,000 disciples and Mihidhu Maha Kruthaguna Puja conducted on 5 October 2019 at Mihintale with the participation of over 800,000 devotees bear evidence for the popularity his Dhamma program has achieved.
Gnanananda reintroduced the usage of "Namo Buddhaya" to the Sri Lankan Buddhists as a way of Buddhist greeting. Also, there was a weekly Dhamma discussion program telecasted on TNL television named "Namo Buddhaya" in which Thera participated.
Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera is considered to be the Buddhist monk who wrote the large number of Buddhist texts. Gnanananda Thera has written over 300 books based on the teachings of Buddha and also translated many Pali books like Mahavamsa and Nettipakarana. In addition, he translated the Sutta Pitaka into simple Sinhala language and he also translated the "Pirith Book" into Sinhala and English in a way that allows chanting. Besides, he took the initiative to print Buddhist scriptures in Tamil and the Bale system for the first time in Sri Lanka. This may be the first time that Buddhist books have been printed using the Bale method. These all publications are aimed to emphasise uncontaminated Buddhism that can be understood by anyone who reads it.
The Thera has also instigated a culture in Sri Lanka (traditionally known as Dhamma Dëpa â Island full of Buddha's Teachings) to teach the Buddha's teachings in the national language of Sinhala (à ·Âà ·Âà ¶Âà ·Âà ¶½), even though the teachings are traditionally taught in the Pali language. Many disciples believe that they are now able to teach the Buddha's teachings with the right understanding. Many of the Buddhist scriptures he wrote have been translated into English, Hindi, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, French, Thai, Burmese, Arabic, Spanish, etc.
Below are some of the English books written by him: