The Ven. Dr. Madampagama Assaji Tissa 

Mahanayake Thero

of the

Amarapura Maha Nikaya


Ven Dr. Madampagama Assaji Thissa Thero was born on April 28th 1955. Having entered the monkhood in 1962 he received his higher ordination on July 6th 1975. The Ven. Thero has served with utmost dedication for the furtherance of the Budda Sasanaya under various capacities for many years. In July this year, the  Amarapura Maha Nikaya elected Venerable Dr. Madampagama Assaji Tissa Thero as the Mahanayaka of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya.  The presentation of the Sannaspathraya to the Ven. Thero took place amid a distinguished gathering which included Hon. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi (Minister of Buddasasana and Cultural Affairs), Hon. Karu Jayasuriya (Former Speaker of the Parliament) Hon Sajith Pemadasa (Leader of the opposition) and His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on the 7th of December 2024 at the BMICH.


The Ambassador of the Republic of Union of Myanmar (Burma) H.E. Marlar Than Htaik, presented the Sannas Pathraya to the new Mahanayaka Thero. It is important to note the special reason behind the involvement of the Ambassador of Myanmar at this ceremony. The historical roots of the Amarapura Nikaya of Sri Lanka  is linked with the city of Amarapura in Myanmar. During the time of the Kandyan Kingdom and the British rule, the monkhood of Buddhasasana was confined only to the Govi Gama (High cast persons).  In 1799, a group of monks from the Salagama caste visited the City of Amarapura in Burma was led by the Ven. Ambagahapitiye Gnanavimala Thero. It is in Amarapura of Burma, the new Amarapura Nikaya was inaugurated with full rights for the ordaining of Monks. It paved the way for the official recognition of the Amarapura Nikaya by the British rulers in 1825.

I as a very close associate (for the last ten years) of our beloved Thero take this opportunity to felicitate and wish our beloved Madampagama Assaji Tissa Mahanayaka Thero on his appointment to this high office in the Amarapura Maha Nikaya and wish him God’s blessings to carry out all his responsibilities.

I am greatly indebted to Ven. Assaji Thero for the inspiration he has been to me on

developing Interfaith relationships as a Christian clergyman. It has enlarged my vision and mission to work for God’s Kingdom. I consider Ven. Assaji Thero is a “Guru” to me on this subject. During the time I provided leadership to the Methodist Church Sri Lanka, I had great confidence in seeking the intervention of Ven. Assaji Thero to resolve misunderstandings that the non-Christian community had about our mission work. The Ven. Assaji’s appointment as Mahanayaka Amarapura Maha Nikaya brings great joy not only to the Buddhists but to all people belonging to different faiths and ethnicities both in Sri Lanka and around the world.

During the last four decades, our nation has gone through ethnic and religious discord which made many of us feel that this nation will not recover and come back to its former glory as a peace-loving nation. Many people belonging to different ethnicities and religions opted to leave the country looking for greener pastures which end resulted in a brain drain.

The powers that be did extensive damage to the peace and harmony of the nation by promoting ethnic and religious extremism. Many of the national religious leaders had to “dance to the tune” of the political leadership, for their survival. The necessity and the justification of the thirty-year war were overemphasized by certain politicians with the blessings of such Buddhist Clergy. It was almost impossible to find any Buddhist monk who would be willing to espouse ethnic and religious harmony during a civil war. With the birth of numerous religious extremist groups in the post-war period, Sri Lanka had to face another challenge in the search for unity and peace.

As a nation, we must be grateful to Ven. Dr Madampagama Assaji Tissa Mahanayaka Thero for becoming a voice in the wilderness to speak openly and work at the grassroots level to restore peace and harmony among the Sri Lankan multi-ethnic and religious society. He strived to enlighten the clergy of all four religions with whom he came in contact that the time has come for every right-thinking  Sri Lankan to reconcile with the fact that Sri Lanka is a pluralistic society. While holding firmly to one’s dhamma or faith, one must be willing to learn from the other about their faith. In that process, the mutual benefit is discovering similar teachings in each other’s religion. Likewise, the necessity to acknowledge with profound understanding the differences in each other’s faith was also promoted by our Venerable Assaji Tissa Thero. He firmly believes that this would bring greater enrichment to a peaceful society.

Ven. Prof.  Pallekande Ratanasara Mahanayaka Thero, Ven. Dr Siyambalagaswewa Wimalasara North and East Chief Sanganayake Thero of Siam Nikaya Malwatte Chapter Thero, Ven Prof. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Nayake Thero – the  Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University, Ven, Kalupahane Piyaratena Thero, Rev. Fr. Tissa Balasuriya, Rev. Father Oswald B. Firth, Rev. Fr. Rienzy Perera, Rev. Fr. Anura Perera and a few other Hindu and Muslim clergy clustered together with Ven. Assaji Thero to work for inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony. This work was an uphill task. Many misunderstood and rejected them and even nicknamed them as “palli nikaya’.  

As the interreligious harmony-building work moved forward, the Ven. Assaji Thero formed the Dharmashakthi Organisation a few years back to provide a forum and a base for meaningful interfaith dialogue and work which is now moving forward from strength to strength.

Ven. Assaji Thero is coordinating the movement named “Yahapath Sri Lankawak Sandaha Sanga” (Sanga for a better Sri Lanka) They signed together with the Global Tamil Forum, The Himalaya Declaration which is now being discussed with the political leaders, religious leaders and the people at the grass root level to achieve peace with justice.

Ven. Assaji Thero has travelled to various countries on missionary journeys to preach Buddhism. He has also been invited to be a keynote speaker and a resource person at various Peace Conferences in the UK, USA, Switzerland, North Korea, South Korea Canada, Malaysia, Myanmar Thailand, India, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar Mongolia, Russia and several other countries.

Today we rejoice over the recognition that our beloved Ven. Dr. Madampagama Assaji Tissa Mahanayaka Thero has received from his Amarapura Maha Nikaya, not only a high office he is to hold but also a momentous recognition of his commitment to Interethnic and Interfaith harmony in Sri Lanka. All persons committed to interfaith harmony will perceive it as a recognition of the paramount importance of Interfaith harmony in a land where the four major religions are been practised




May All Beings be Happy!

Rev. Asiri P. Perera

Retired President Bishop

Methodist Church Sri Lanka

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