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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The first British emissary of Buddhism or Ananda Metteyya.


He was born on 8, Dec,1872 in London. He read the Book * The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold* at the age of eighteen and becoming a Buddhist at heart. He explored a variety of Eastern religious and Western mystic and occult systems. He left for Cylon ( Sri Lanka) in 1899. Buddhism was a part of his spiritual path. And he left Cylon and traveled to Sittwe ( former known as Akyab) on 12, Dec, 1901.
He took the novice ordination in Sittwe or Akyab in 1901. Not long afterwards, Ananda Metteyya received higher ordination and became a full Bhikkhu monk at Kyarook monastery with venerable Shwe Bya Sayadaw the chief officiating priest and Shwe Zedi Sayadaw recited the explanation in English on 21, May, 1902. Probably the first time this language has been used in the Ordination of a Buddhist priest. Regrettably in 1913 Ananda Metteyya decided to leave monk hood for the health reasons and he disrobed in May 1914 to return to England. He passed away on his native English soil at the age of 51, on 9 March 1923.
Dhaarma to the UK. Published by World Buddhist Foundation., London.

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