Buddhism is a way of emotional well-being on a daily basis which eventually leads to the permanent well-being of Nirvana. Acting for the well-being of others while maintaining one’s own well-being through the practice of Muditta (altruism) is integral to daily Buddhist practice. Venerable Thalalle Chandakitthi Thero is a paragon of altruism. Altruism is the opposite of jealousy.

Born Jagath Chandrakirthi Gajanayake on February 27, blessed with a unique karmic fortune to have devout, respectable Buddhists of Mr. S. H. Gajanayake and Mrs. Sarna Gajanayake of Talalla, Matara, Sri Lanka, and a brother and a sister of the same calibre, he got ordained a Buddhist monk at age 12 on September 25, 1988, at the Matara branch of the Mahagarama Siri Vajirajnana Monastic Training Institute located at Maddewatta, under the tutelage of the late Most Venerable Madihe Sri Pannaseeha Mahanayake Thero and the Most Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Mahathero. Upon completion of his mandatory monastic training he received his Upamsapada (full ordination) on June 26, 1996. Since his novitiate ordination the prestigious Bhikkhu Training Centre has been his place of spirituality.

Right from his childhood Venerable Chandakitthi would outshine children in his village and fellow monks as well. Most obviously, he has been blessed with the three essential positive impacts of life that Buddha has shown: past life (samsaric), genetic (parental) and social, which makes a magnificent personality. He could earn the highest monastic academic credential of Pundit Degree in Oriental Studies at tender age 19. Setting another example of wisdom, he earned his M.A. in Pali and Buddhist Studies at age 21. It is absolutely evergreen in his memories that he worked as a monastic teacher for eight years at the Monastic Training Institute teaching Buddhism and Buddhist source languages even to students elder to him, himself being very young. Probably the best organized Buddhist youth retreat in Sri Lanka, Tharuna Seela Samadanaya of his Centre achieved incredible success during Venerable Chandakitthi’s invaluable service to it as its chief organizer for eight years. It was the late Mahanayake Thero who selected him for this responsible post.

An untiring Buddhist monk motivated with altruism, Venerable Chandakitthi would never miss his daily intense meditation practice despite a busy daily work schedule. He enhanced his unshaken nature of the mind amid vicissitudes of life, during his rigorous meditation practice at the Vajirarama Forest Hermitage at Bowlawatta, Kandy. The Mahanayake Thero and his monastic teachers would unreservedly praise him for his ability of fulfilling missions he is assigned to, among which are his service-in-residence to the Washington Buddhist Vihara, USA, and Narada Mandira on Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. After every mission, he is jubilant, since he never fails.

Marking a turning point in his social service, Venerable Chandakitthi inaugurated his Dhammadipa Foundation in 2004, through which he has put his altruism into practice in various ways, among which are housing projects for tsunami victims, and an annual donation of a house to a poor family in memory of the late Mahanayake Thero on the latter’s birthday. Deeply concerned with unfortunate sanitary conditions of ten impoverished families in Udawalawa area, he built toilet facilities for them. These are ongoing projects. His future projects include a scholarship program under which impoverished schoolchildren will receive funding for their studies and educational expenses, a book bank for medical students in Sri Lanka with heavy economic burdens, which would be a collection of textbooks and other relevant books used in medical schools, and a solar power project for a remote, impoverished village at Deniyaya. His effort in educating schoolchildren to be spiritual through his meditation retreats and dialogues Sri Lanka-wide has been an eye-opener to educators.

Venerable Chandakitthi has visited Canada a number of times. Every time he is in Canada, most people ask him the question, “How soon will you come back?” He puts into action what he preaches. Altruism is the secret of his happiness and power to serve the world. You can share his altruism by funding his services to humanity.