Aturugiriya Dhamma Sujatha Meniyo speaks
Various types of news were published across the media about the charming young girl who entered the Sasana in the recent past under the name Aturugiriye Dhamma Sujatha Theri. Though she was aware of it she had shown no interest in showing any response about news circulated about her. In fact she is now engaged in a different goal.
Whatever it is she came forward to express some ideas in brief to the media some days back. She had
2 sisters in the family and was educated at Colombo Museus College. She was popular as someone who showed skills in singing, dancing, drumming and playing the guitar and after passing her Advanced Level with satisfactory achievements followed university education and later secured employment at MAS Holdings. She spent her life's journey somewhat different to the common girl and finally reached the status of a noble Buddhist daughter by becoming Aturugiriye Dhamma Sujatha Meniyo.
* Details about you were published over the internet and the media. Did you see those details?
I was told about it by my home-people. I didn't see it. I didn't get stirred up by that. What I thought was that if it brought some good to the society ... I would acquire some merit.
* Shaving off all your hair is not an easy thing. This renunciation ... can you attribute to a 'saghara' process only?
That wasn't a problem for me. All this is decided on the values given to them. It maybe that some people give value to dresses, beauty, hair ... it's on those things that society and its development is decided upon by the values attributed to them. It's to the hair that girls give importance. But when thinking about the consolation and happiness which goes beyond ... what is the value in the thing called hair? I think it's something which is there for the protection of the skull.
* During your lay life it was your charming looks that most people expressed their astonishment ... there was a dialogue among society as to why a beautiful girl like this became ordained.
The thing called beauty and ugliness is decided upon by the eye of the beholder. it's in a spiritual perspective ... one should think about what is at the background of the thing called beauty and a beautiful girl has got ordained. More than focusing attention on beauty, what is more significant is attention of the society ... focused on ordination.