Most Venerable Nauyane Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂraâ (, 24 April 1939 â 6 September 2016) was a Sri Lankan bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) and a senior meditation teacher. He was the spiritual advisor of the à Ârë KalyÃÂá¹Âë YogÃÂà Ârama Saá¹ÂsthÃÂ, and for many years resided at the NàUyana ÃÂranya. In 2011 he moved to Meetirigala Dharmayatanaya to help revitalise this long-standing place of learning and dhamma practice.
Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra was born on 24 April 1939 to a traditional Buddhist family in Kurunegala and was educated at the Government School of Nilagama. His father was a supporter of Most Venerable Vigoda Bodhirakkhitha MahÃÂthÃÂra, who was resident at the nearby NàUyana ÃÂranya forest monastery. The close relationship with the monks from childhood inspired his decision to ordain, and he trained under Bà Âdhiraḳḳhitha MahÃÂthÃÂra in 1956 as an upasaka. He went forth on 27 March 1957 with Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera as his upajjhaya and received upasampada on 15 July 1959 with Ven. Madawala Dhammatilaka MahÃÂthÃÂra as the upajjhaya.
Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra studied under several learned elders, including Getamanne Sri Vimalavamsa MahÃÂthÃÂra, Ven. Kadawedduwe Sri Jinavamsa MahÃÂthÃÂra, Ven. Devagoda Mangalasiri MahÃÂthÃÂra and Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama MahÃÂthÃÂra. He studied the Burmese language from Ven. Nyaninda Sayadaw while he was in Sri Lanka in 1964.
He was proficient in Pali and Sanskrit and had extensive knowledge of the Pali Canon and the Pali commentaries. He was a teacher at the Gunawardena Yogasrama (the headquarters of à Ârë KalyÃÂá¹Âë YogÃÂà Ârama Saá¹ÂsthÃÂ) from 1965 to 1995. Ven Ariyadhamma Thera was appointed the registrar of à Ârë KalyÃÂá¹Âë YogÃÂà Ârama Saá¹Âsthàin 1969, a position he held until being appointed the spiritual advisor and head of the organisation in 2003. In this capacity, he led about 1,500 forest monks in 193 branch monasteries.
During the 1960s, Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra studied the Mahasi meditation system under Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama MahÃÂthÃÂra, and was guided in traditional Sri Lankan meditation methods by Ven. Matale Silarakkhita MahÃÂthÃÂra of Ruwangirikanda Aranya. He did retreats at Mahasi centres in Burma in 1992 and 1993.
In 1996, Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra practiced under Most Venerable Sayadaw Bhaddanta ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa (Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw) at Pa-Auk Meditation Centre in Mawlamyine, Burma. On returning to Sri Lanka in the beginning of 1997, he introduced the method to the à Ârë KalyÃÂá¹Âë YogÃÂà Ârama Saá¹ÂsthÃÂ, and there are several monasteries in the organisation now practicing the Pa-Auk method. He did further retreats at the same centre in 1997, 2001 and 2010.
He taught meditation to monks and lay practitioners since 1977. In 2006, he was awarded the âÂÂMahÃÂkammaá¹Âá¹ÂhÃÂnÃÂcariyaâ (âÂÂGreat Meditation TeacherâÂÂ) title by the Government of the Burma in recognition of his services in teaching Dhamma and meditation.
The Sri Lanka Ramanna Nikaya awarded Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra the titles of âÂÂTripiá¹Âaka VÃÂgëà ÂvarÃÂcÃÂryaâ and âÂÂMahopÃÂdhyÃÂyaâÂÂ. The Government of Burma awarded him the title âÂÂMahàKammaá¹Âá¹ÂhÃÂnÃÂcÃÂriyaâÂÂ.
Ven. Ariyadhamma MahÃÂthÃÂra has written more than 100 books and booklets in Sinhala on meditation and Dhamma. A few of these have been translated to English.