This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages) |
Prajnananda Mahathera | |
---|---|
𑄛𑄳𑄢𑄧𑄉𑄳𑄉𑄚𑄧𑄚𑄴𑄘𑄧 𑄟𑄧𑄦𑄗𑄬𑄢𑄮 | |
Born | |
Nationality | Bangladeshi |
Education | University of Chittagong and Dhaka University |
Occupation | Buddhist Monk |
Known for | Contribution in education, social reform in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) |
Website | prajnananda |
Prajnananda Mahathera is a socially engaged Buddhist monk in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. [1]
Prajnananda Mahathera was born on 1 February 1952 at Babuchara Village under Dighinala Upazila in Khagrachari district of present-day Bangladesh. His family name is Balendra Dev Chakma. His father's name was Narendra Lal Chakma and his mother's name is Indrapati Chakma. Mahathera is the youngest of their 4 sons. His father passed away when he was one year old. Mahathera's family was difficult, however, he persuaded to succeed in study. He became teacher in his village after passing class five to support his family's finance. [2]
Mahathera completed his primary education at a primary school in his village. After completion of his primary education his family was unable to continue his education due to poverty. He continued his education with some money he earned by tutoring small children near to his home. Thus he completed his Junior School Certificate. In 1965, at the age of 17 he went to Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram (Chittagong Hill Tracts Buddhist Orphanage) at Boalkhali, Dighinala built and managed by its Chief Abbot Jnanashree Mahathera. During his stay at this orphanage he completed his Secondary School Certificate examination from Dighinala High School in 1968. In the same year he ordained higher ordination as Bhikkhu.
In 1969, he went to Mirzapur Shantidam Vihara in Chittagong for higher education. He studied his Higher Secondary School Certificate at Nazirhat Degree College and then Hathazari College from where he successfully completed his HSC degree in 1972. In 1977 and 1978 he successfully completed his BA(Hons) and MA in Bengali Literature from the University of Chittagong. He also did M.A. in Pali Literature from the Dhaka University in 1980. [3]
In 1974, while he was studying in the University of Chittagong, he took the charge of General Secretary of the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram (PCBAA). In the same year, he began to establish another orphanage at Rangapani of Rangamati named Moanoghar with guidance and advice of his preceptor Jnanashree Mahathera, the founder and Chief Abbot of the Boalkhali Dashabal Raj Vihara and the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram, and in consultation with some monks and lay devotees. [4] To provide modern education to the orphan and destitute children he established the Moanoghar High School in 1980.
The Moanoghar NGO and Moanoghar Children's Home are situated in Rangamati Municipality. The Moanoghar Children's home is an institution developing human resources in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Mahathera served as the general secretary of this children's home from 1974 to 2008. He served as the general secretary of the Parbatya Chattal Bouddha Anath Ashram from 1974 to 1986. In 1980, he founded Moanoghar Onath Ashram Abasik Bidyalay ("Moanoghar Residential School") in Rangapani, Rangamati and Anath Ashram Abasik Uccha Bidyalay ("Orphanage Residential High School") at Boalkhali under Dighinala Upazila in the Khagrachhari District of Bangladesh. He served as the Chairman of the Managing Committee of the Schools from 1986 to 2008. [5]
Besides, Mahathera founded Jnana and Prajna Charcha Pathagar (Library for the Practice of Wisdom and Knowledge), Rangamati and Buddha Dharmiya Anchalik Pathagar (Regional Library of Buddhism) at Ananda Vihara.
Parbatya Bhikkhu Sangha Bangladesh is the Supreme Sangha Council and the oldest religious organization of the greater Chittagong Hill Tracts. The objective of this organization is to promote and spread the teachings of the great Buddha in Chittagong Hill Tracts as well as in the country for the "happiness and well-being of many". This organization has been playing a unique role in preaching Buddhism and religious reform in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Mahathera served as the general secretary of this organization from 1978 to 1988. He also served as the president of Parbatya Bhikkhu Sangha since 2011 to 2014.
The Parbatya Bouddha Sangha Bangladesh is a Dhaka-based NGO. He took over the charge of the President of this NGO in 1987. He served as its president from the year 1987 to 1995, 1998 to February 2013.
This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(December 2018) |
Mahathera visited many countries including the India, France, UK, United States, Thailand, Canada, South Korea, Japan, China, Sri Lanka, as the general secretary and chief representative of Moanoghar and Parbattya Chattal Buddhist Orphanage in between 1980 and 1997. Besides, he jointed several international peace conferences-
The Bangladesh Armed Forces are the military forces of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. They consist of the three uniformed military services: the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Air Force. The Armed Forces are under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Defence of the Government of Bangladesh, and are directly administered by the Armed Forces Division of the Prime Minister's Office. The President of Bangladesh serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh has the third-largest defence budget in South Asia, The Bangladeshi military is the 37th strongest in the world and the third most powerful military force in South Asia. Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Coast Guard are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. during peacetime, but during wartime they fall under the command of Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy respectively.
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) is an international Buddhist organization. Initiated by Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, it was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Ceylon, by representatives from 27 nations. Although Theravada Buddhists are prominent in the organization,, members of all Buddhist schools are active in the WFB. It has regional centers in more than 30 countries, including India, the United States, Australia, and several nations of Africa and Europe, in addition to traditional Buddhist countries.
Buddhism is the third-largest religious affiliation and formed about 0.63% of the population of Bangladesh. It is said that Buddha once in his life came to this region of East Bengal to spread his teachings and he was successful in converting the local people to Buddhism, specially in the Chittagong division and later on Pala empire propagate and patronized Buddhist religion throughout the Bengal territory. About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, other Jumma people and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.
The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti is a left wing political party formed to represent the people and indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Since its inception in 1972, the PCJSS has fought for autonomy and the recognition of the ethnic identity and rights of the indigenous tribes of the Hill Tracts. Its military arm, the Shanti Bahini was used to fight government forces and Bengali settlers in the Hill Tracts. A peace accord was signed in 1997 led to the disarmament of the Shanti Bahini and enabled the PCJSS to return to mainstream politics.
Rangamati (Bengali: রাঙ্গামাটি is the administrative headquarter and town of Rangamati District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an altitude of 14 metres. It was the capital of the Chakma kingdom during the British rule in Chittagong hill tracts.
Bandarban is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the others being Rangamati District and Khagrachhari District. Bandarban district (4,479 km2) is not only the most remote district of the country, but also the least populous. There is an army contingent at Bandarban Cantonment.
Barua is a Bengali-speaking Magh ethnic group who lives in Chittagong Division in Bangladesh, West Bengal in India and Rakhine State in Myanmar, where they are known as the Maramagyi or Maramagri or particularly the Magh Barua. According to Arakanese chronology, the Barua Buddhists have lived there for five thousand years. The word 'Barua' was formed of Arakanese words Bo and Yoya. Literally, Barua means the place where an army chief resides. Later on, the people who lived in such locality or village also gradually came to be known as Barua. In Myanmar, Barua Maghs are classified as one of the seven ethnic groups that make up the Rakhine nation. In West Bengal (India), Barua Magh Buddhist Community is recognized as Scheduled Tribe (ST). The physical characteristics of Barua (Maramagyi) people are Mongolian, their stature is low, face is broad and flat, cheekbones high and wide, nose flat and bridgeless, and eyes small with eyelids obliquely set. Their list of favourite foods invariably includes shnutki machhor(dry fish), sea fish and spicy food prepared with lots of oil and chilli, Gudog with bamboo shoots. Different kinds of shnutki an indication of their origin can be identified. For instance, according to multiple respondents the Siddala and Hangor shnutki are consumed by this particular Arakanese community. Borga (pork) is the most commonly consumed meat by the Barua Magh community.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Welfare Association was a clandestine political organisation created in East Pakistan in December 1966 to defend the rights of the tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
The insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, also known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict, refers to a political and armed conflict that occurred in Bangladesh in two phases:
Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera was one of the delegates from Bangladesh) in the Sixth Buddhist council held in Yangon, Burma in 1956.
Barua Buddhists come from the small Barua community of Bengali-speaking Theravada Buddhists native to Tripura in north-east India. Barua Buddhist institutes have been established in India and Bangladesh.
Kripasaran was a 19th and 20th-century Buddhist monk and yogi, best known for reviving Buddhism in British India. Kripasaran led a renaissance of Buddhist thought and culture in nineteenth century India.
Rangamati Medical College (RmMC) is a public medical school located in Rangamati, Bangladesh. The college is established in 2014. It admits 51 students every year. It offers 5 years course on Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery which is directed under Chittagong Medical University.
Hathazari Government University College is a government-run, honors-level, degree college in Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1968.
Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera, locally known as Guru Bhante, was a Bangladeshi Theravada monk. He was born in a Royal Bohmong family in Bandarban, East Pakistan. He served the government of Bangladesh as a judge and magistrate for about eight years prior to becoming a Buddhist monk.
Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha is a political and social organization that works for the welfare of the Buddhist community of Bangladesh.
Bishuddhananda Mahathera was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk and scholar.
Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission is a Bangladesh government commissioned formed to solve disputes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The commissioned formed in 1999 has been unable to work due to the lack of rules under which the commission can operate.