128th birth anniversary:

“dullabho purisapanno tha so sabbhaththa jaayathe
yaththa so jaayathi dheero Chang kulan subamedhathi”

The birth of men of wisdom is extremely rare. They are not born at random everywhere. Where such great men are ever born, they transform their native land, country, region, and their generation too into greatness.

Sir Cyril de Zoysa was one such paragon of greatness. He was a National Hero of immense service dedicated to the preservation and the spread of the Samma Sambuddha Sasana (i. e. of the Sacred Dispensation of the Buddha, the Paragon of Perfection). He was of immense service to the Sri Lanka Nation and to all of mankind. He was an ideal Buddhist. He preserved the honour and pride of his generation. Being an exemplary leader, he passed on such traits to future generations as well. A hero with great foresight, he served the interests of each and every worthy field of life. The birth of such great men is indeed rare and is a matter of the fortune of the Nation.

Born on 26th October 1896 in Welitara, Balapitiya, to Solomon de Zoysa, Notary, and Harriet de Zoysa, this princely son received his education in leading seats of learning in the island St. Thomas’ College, Matara, Richmond College, Galle and Royal College, Colombo. In 1916 he was successful at the Cambridge Senior Examination and entered the Law College, Colombo. He passed out as a clever lawyer and practised law at the Balapitiya and the Kalutara Courts.

It is observed that his move to the Kalutara Courts marked a turning-point in his career. It is as a result of this that the Kalutara Bodhiya and its premises came into being, so to say. It is Sir Cyril de Zoysa who caused the preservation of an ancient Bodhi Tree, which had sprouted near the railroad running by the Courts Complex, thereby attracting public attention to the need to hold up its sanctity and to bring about the practice of making it a prime object of worship. Sir Cyril made it a part of his daily routine to make offerings to the Bodhi Tree and engage in its worship, after his work in the Law Courts every day.

The Sacred Bo Tree at Kalutara has today turned out to be a place of worship by millions of devotees. In line with his firm resolve to build up this sacred place, Sir Cyril founded, in the year 1951, the Kalutara Bodhi Trust. Sir Cyril de Zoysa also finds a place of distinction among the list of National Heroes, such as Anagarika Dharmapala, Walisinghe Harischandra and others. He also finds distinction in the fields of Politics, Social Service and in the World of Business.

Sir Cyril, who became the Chairman of the Urban Council, Kalutara, in 1941, later served the Senate for a period of 14 years of which 6 years as the Deputy President and thereafter 8 years as the President. He then initiated industries such as the Textile Industry and Rubber Industries leading to the generation of foreign exchange and also employment; this too with generous investment of his own finances. Further, he donated his own properties to set up housing complexes, commenced an omnibus service thereby providing a great public facility and a very special type of social service.

He became the President of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA), Colombo, and President of the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress and by providing leadership to a number of organizations such as the Boy Scouts Association, and the Parama Vingna-naartha Sangamaya.

The Kalutara Maha Vidyalaya and the Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya too were founded by Sir Cyril. The services rendered by him by way of assuming leadership and making significant financial donations to projects such as the Development of the Sacred City of Kataragama, the Kirivehera Restoration and other such, are limitless. The Government of Great Britain, whose attention was drawn to such distinguished development activities and social services, sought him out for the conferment of a Knighthood.

Sir Cyril, who rendered a host of memorable services in the history of the Sambuddha Sasana, attained fame as an ideal Buddhist Leader, Social Worker and as a ‘Humanitarian Statesman’. Owing to the example set by a generation, a story of a De Zoysa Dynasty has come to stay. It is V.T. de Zoysa, a brother of Sir Cyril, who served hand in hand with him, on their common mission of service to mankind and devotion to Buddhism.

With the demise of the two brothers, the mission of carrying forward such national services devolved upon the voluntary shoulders of V.T. de Zoysa’s sons, Deshamanya Ajita de Zoysa and Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa.

The present generation of De Zoysas has taken upon themselves, with enhanced vigour, the responsibility of carrying forward the national, religious, Sasana-oriented, social and educational services generated by their ancestors and of setting in place various procedures essential to the growth of a just society. Their close association with cultivated, devout and patriotic Buddhist monks has been a source of much inspiration to and influence upon them.

Sir Cyril, who served the cause of the propagation of Buddhism did so in close association with, and the patronage of, the Chief Prelates of most of the Temples in and around the Balapitiya region and within the Kalutara District. Some such temples are in particular the Alutgama Kande Viharaya, the Moragalle Aaranya Senaasanaya, the Pinwaththe Saddharma-akara Pirivena, the Bambalapitiye Vajira-araamaya in Colombo and the Jayasekera- aramaya in Kuppiyaawaththa.

Among the noble services he rendered are developing temples and the dwellings of Buddhist monks (Vehera Vihaarasthaana) and of the Dhamma Schools designed to provide knowledge of the Dhamma to the youth of the land so that a society based on the principles of morality came into being with the growth of Young Men’s Buddhist Associations. Further, he promoted Bhikkhu education (the Education of the Ordained) based on the founding principles of the Buddha Sasana.

The integration of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya (which was functioning by way of twenty-two units) would facilitate the continued existence of the Buddha Sasana itself as a single unit. He worked together with Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Mahanayaka Thero to bring about such integration to form the unitary Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabha under one Supreme Thera or Utthareethara Maha Nayaka Thera indeed warrants very special mention.

The name of Sir Cyril de Zoysa would be held in eternal honour if it were only to place on record the fact that he caused the Kalutara Bodhi Premises to be developed into a Seat of Sanctity and left it as such a legacy to the nation – all this, because of the national and religious mission that the Kalutara Bodhi Trust fulfills today. At present, these functions are performed by this organization chaired by Deshamaanya Ajita de Zoysa.

Daily Sambuddha Puja or daily ritual offerings in the name of the Buddha, daily worship, (and latterly the conduct of Sil-Campaigns (or Programmes on the Observance of the Moral Principles enunciated by the Buddha), similar Programmes of Bhavana or Meditation and Preaching of the Dhamma on Full- Moon (Poya) Days (latterly on Saturdays); conduct of Training Courses for teachers in Dhamma Schools (or Daham Paasal); offering support services such as the provision of text-books to student -monks in Pirivenas, Scholarships for student-monks preparing for Praacheena Examinations , and such other services in the field of Education; the provision of library facilities for educational institutions in difficult areas; projects for the maintenance of Orphanages and Homes for the Aged and such other forms of social service are most commendable. Medical assistance for monks, meeting their funeral expenses and other similar forms of respectful care are also extended by the Kalutara Bodhi Trust.

Deshamanya Ajita de Zoysa, at present provides leadership to this great generation of sheer munificence and dedicates himself to the furtherance of the cause of all three Sects (Nikaaya) and to the preservation of the Buddha Saasana. He is the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikaaya-abhivurdhi’ Dayaka Sabhaa. Concurrently, he serves in the position of ‘National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaaya-arakshaka Sabhaa. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Museaus. College. Mr. Ajita de Zoysa constructed, with the use of his own funds, a building for the use of the Amarapura Maha Sangha Sabhaa and set up a Programme designed to generate funds for its maintenance.

Further, he provided his own funds to support the work of the Headquarters of the Raamanna Maha Nikaaya and of its Development Sabhas. ‘The Dambadeniya Buddha Shraavaka Tripitaka Dharma Peethaya’, which is the Institute of Tripitaka Education recently inaugurated by the Sri Lanka Raamanna Maha Nikaaya too has received his patronage and his financial support. In Deshamaanya Ajita de Zoysa, who lends,with pure intent, staunch support to distinguished national services just as to the cause of the Sasana, one sees the living image of Sir Cyril de Zoysa. His exemplary humane quality is a mirror as it were of the greatness and the largesse of his ancestry.

May Mr. Ajita de Zoysa be blessed with, physical vigour and vitality, keen rationality of mind prime good health, and long life to enable him to bring to fruition the trend towards great national, religious, and ‘Sasana-related’ progress, together with social and educational development, initiated by Sir Cyril de Zoysa.

May the blessings of the Triple Gem be upon them!

Yours in the service of the Sasana Shasana Sobana, Siri Saranankaropasena Vansalankara, Sahithya Keerthi Sri Pariyaththidhara Dharma Keerthi Sri Saranankara, Thripitaka Visharada, Shasthrapathi, Aggamaha Panditha Most Venerable Makulawe Wimala Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya Maha Nayaka Maha Thero.