In the early morning of 31 August 1957, Malaya celebrated its Independence with a solemn ceremony at the newly-completed Merdeka Stadium, witnessed in person by more than 20,000 people.  Among the dignitaries and guests present at the historic event was Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda.

With the roaring spirit of “Merdeka”, the newly created nation beamed with much promise and confidence in its future success.  However, the Federation of Malaya also inherited a potent mix of political, cultural and religious agendas promulgated by different interest groups.  This would later have far-reaching consequences for the young nation.

Following the tragic racial riots of 1969, Venerable Dhammananda, together with the Presidents of Buddhist Missionary Society and Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, issued a public appeal for the restoration of goodwill, tolerance and understanding amongst Malaysians to build a strong, peaceful and united nation.

Subsequently in 1974, Venerable Dhammananda also published a book entitled “Why Religious Tolerance?” where he wrote, “As Buddhists, we must know how to regard other religions, how to accommodate them, and what place we are going to give them in our religion.”  Such was his concern and contribution to racial harmony and religious tolerance in Malaysia.

Venerable Dhammananda subscribed to the idea that nation-building involved developing the citizens’ religious understanding and spiritual practice. Thus, to help develop the human potential of his adopted country, he criss-crossed its length and breadth to propagate Dhamma to the community with much vigour, and to reach out to as many people as he could.

– Excerpt from “K. Sri Dhammananda – Celebrating a Legacy Volume 3 : A Life in Pictures”