Ambagahawatte Indrasabhawara Gnanasami Thera

Ven Ambagahawatte Indrasabhawara Gnanasami Thera (Sinhala: අඹගහවත්තේ ඉන්ද්‍රාසභවර ඥාණසාමි තෙරණුවෝ) (1830-1886) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and the founder of Sri Lanka Ramanna Nikaya, one of the three major Buddhist orders in the country. Life events Born in 1830 at Ambagahawatta in Akmeemana in Galle, he entered the Buddhist order on 15 June 1847 by the name Saranankara (BJM, 1956; Goonatilake, 2009). He studied for several years under his mentor Bentara Atthadassi Thera of Siyam Nikaya and received Upasampada  (Higher Order) from him in 1855 at  Malwatta Viharaya  and again in 1856 at the Kalyani River (BJM, 1956; Goonatilake, 2009; Kariyawasam, 1973). However, Saranankara Thera was dissatisfied with the way he was ordained at the two  Upasampada ceremonies (Kariyawasam, 1973). Therefore, he gave up robes but again joined the Buddhist order as a Samanera  [(novice monk) BJM, 1956; Kariyawasam, 1973]. He proceeded to Paramananda Viharaya at Galle and started to learn under Bulathgama Siri…