SUNDARALINGAM’S STORY

Sundaralingam’s story of handing over two sons to the Buddha Sasana


From Polnnaruwa it is reported of a Tamil father who had handed over to the Buddha Sasana and the daughter to a Bikkhuni centre. It is an unusual story that is not often heard. The Tamil father’s place of birth is Batticaloa his worked a labourer doing odd jobs to earn a living.
He had got invitations to join with the LTTE cadres In order to escape from the LTTE although he liked the native village and his humble small house he decided to move to ‘Karapola’ village in Polonnaruwa .
He commenced a small business to keep the home fires burning. The villages began to have a liking to him got close to him. When he grew up he met his fiancé. She was one Kamala Kutti Purmi. The two lived very happily. He had the good fortune to be blessed with not one but four children, three sons and a daughter. To feed them, to send them to school it was with Sundaralingam’s hard earned rupees. Although the number of family members increased his income did not increase in relation. It was at this time that they met a lady who was willing to help the family for Purmi to go to Middle East for a house maid’s job. To go to the dream world where she could earn money, she became very anxious about the proposal.
“  She was thinking by looking at the faces of the small children how she could go beyond our seas”. She was in a mind stranded between the decision of going to Middle East and staying on with the family with the four kids. There poverty became graver with time as their need became greater. The children’s father used to fall too often. ‘Sundaralingam loved his children like his eyes and Kamala  Purmi his wife knew that he would look after the four children”
Ultimately she decided to go to Middle East. But Purmi did not possess the money needed to give the lady as her fee. As the only alternative Sundaralingam suggested mortgaging the land they were living to find the money .When Kamala Purmi got the money she went in search of greener pastures to Middle East. Her ambition was to send the money she earns to her husband to construct a better house after settling the mortgage.,Days passes, there was no news from Purmi, not even a single letter leave alone the money. The lady who sent Purmi was silent, she never spoke a word. When inquiries were made she hurt Sundaralingam more by speaking harsh words. Ultimately the end result was that Sundaralingam had to go to the road with the four children. They had to make their home at the weekly ‘pola’ at Karapola village. For their hunger they drank water. To find food for the children Sundaralingam had to struggle very hard. He hadn’t strength to even walk. It was due to his mental strength he was able to walk. He knew it was done everything for the sake of the lives of the children He knew he was the only savvier for his children.
It was at this time he met some gentlemen and ladies who had come Colombo. They told “you better give the children to us, we will pay you Rs one lack.”They threatened him.” He quipped that he cannot live without the children, I love them,  I do not want money, please leave me and my children I will somehow make ends meet. Sundaralingam worshipped them, but he knew they would come back.
He told this tale to the villages and wept. He never slept. He kept an eye on the children. He had a fear that his children would be stolen by them. What one villager told him was for him ‘to go to the Dimbulagala temple and meet the Chief Incumbent Monk He is kind and understanding, he will help and rescue you’.
He listened to the advice of the villager. He went to the Dimbulagala temple, the children were sent in front and he followed and met the Chief Incumbent monk Ven.Maldeniye Jinalankara Thera .What he quipped to the monk was “please protect my four children”. Sundaralingam knelt in front of the monk with tears in his eyes. When the Chief Incumbent monk saw the children he felt a feeling of enormous compassion for them
What the monk told him was ‘Loku unnahi donate the children to the Buddha Sasana and make up your mind”. They will be harmed by anyone One day they will serve the Buddha sasanaya and be fortunate to serve the motherland. Accordingly Sundaralingam happily handed over the four children to the Chief Incumbent monk of the Dimbulagala temple.
When these children were brought to the temple they could never speak Sinhala language. Now they learn not only Sinhala, but Pali, Sanskrit, English and Tamil languages.
The 11 year and 12 year old sons were with names Payasodan and Pasarjan. They are now called Korapola Dhamma Senalankara and Korapola Dhamma Denalankara Theras. They receive Dhamma education at the Dimbulagala Maha Kashyapa Pirivena It is learnt that these two seminarians are very keen to learn and they are very intelligent. After they become educated they will preach Dharma Deshanas and would preach in Tamil as ‘chathura’ to the Tamil people.They are sure to contribute to the Buddha Sasana.this was confessed by the Principal of the ‘pirivena’  Ven.Maduruwawala Vijithalankara thera explained.
The youngest ‘badapissa’ of Sundaralingam is only four years old. His name is Pahir. He is still small and just like the other children is playful and he runs in and around the temple and when he grows he too would be ordained as a Buddhist monk, the chief Incumbent monk quipped. The only girl Pahiradi is just seven years old. With the permission of the Dimbulagala temple’s Chief Incumbent she has been handed over to Polonnaruwa New Town’s Vishakaramaya Damiththdeera Sil Mathawa to be educated to become a Bikkhuni. She is been looked after with much affection. Her main intention is to give her the needed education and make her also a person to serve the country. To attend to her work it is learnt that she derives a terrible and immense satisfaction. She has all the protection. She is bright and likes to learn. She has very good qualities. However hungry she is , she takes her meals after inquiring whether all others had taken their meals.
She has found a friend Sujatha. With her she has learnt to chant pirith, which they do together with faith.She becomes sad at times when she thinks of her mother. Then she embraces the other Bikkuhini’s and console herself. Not only for Sundaralingam’s children, the Chief Incumbent also gave security and shelter to Sundaralingam, who helps in the activities of the temple and lives as a very contented person Although he cannot embrace the children as he could see them living happily he has become a very contended father. By seen the development of the children he is now very happy. He thinks that if could bring his wife kamala Purmi back by the lady who sent his wife abroad by mortgaging his house; he would be more than a contented person. This he does not think once but a more than a thousand times. It is his fervent hope that some officer would come forward to help him to get his wife brought back to Sri Lanka.

Article by Ramani Subasinghe
Photographs by Gamini Obeysekara/ Kasun Lakshita/Nimal Jayaratna