APPRECIATIONS
View(s):The Danish ‘Lankan’ monk who took Buddhism into the digital age
VEN. METTAVIHARI DENMARKE
The Buddhist community in Sri Lanka and around the world is mourning the passing of Venerable Mettavihari Denmarke, the Danish-born monk whose pioneering work transformed the modern dissemination of Theravada Buddhism. He passed away peacefully in Denmark recently after battling cancer.
Born Jacub Jacobson, a Christian, he was a successful businessman in Denmark for more than 18 years, before being drawn to the timeless truth of the Four Noble Truths and the serenity of the Noble Eightfold Path. This spiritual awakening led him to the Buddhist Order, where he was ordained under Ven. Agga Maha Panditha Madidhe Pannaseeha Maha Nayake Thera, receiving the name Bhikkhu Mettavihari.
Ven. Mettavihari first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1969 and immediately felt a deep connection to the island and its people.
Inspired by the purity of the Dhamma, he made Sri Lanka his permanent home. In 1988, both he and his wife entered the Buddhist Order he as a monk and she as a nun dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the Sasana.
I was fortunate to associate with him for over ten years on several projects. His kindness towards all living beings and his sincere practice of the Dhamma were exemplary even for monks.
I recall one occasion when he attended a full-day workshop on neuroscience and Buddhism simply to encourage me. He stayed throughout, offering blessings and support. That day the devotees responsible for bringing dana were late, yet he asked only for a piece of bread, as he was committed to maintaining the Vinaya discipline of eating before noon.
He was often seen walking barefoot on alms rounds, gentle, humble, and entirely detached from worldly comforts. His studio was always open to me, welcoming any noble work and encouraging efforts to help people lead meaningful, wholesome lives. He is a strict Vinaya practitioner, a monk of exceptional discipline, simplicity, integrity, compassion, loving-kindness, and empathy that were beyond imagination.
Before his ordination, Venerable Mettavihari worked in the IT field in Denmark. He used this expertise to usher Buddhism into the digital age.
Through metta.lk, he created one of the world’s earliest online Buddhist databases, digitising the Tripitaka and making it available in three languages. He also provided email services to temples and ensured that Dhammapada verses accompanied each message quietly spreading the Dhamma across the globe. He founded Dharmavahini, Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist television channel, run by a small team of volunteers with minimal resources. More than a broadcaster, Dharmavahini was his effort to restore forgotten values in Sri Lankan society. Today, it remains a landmark contribution to Buddhist media.
After witnessing the educational challenges faced by rural children following the 2004 tsunami, Venerable Mettavihari launched Learn TV, a 24-hour educational channel developed with the Ministry of Education. This enabled thousands of students, especially those without tuition or teachers, to receive continuous, curriculum-based lessons from home.
Fluent in Sinhala and immersed in Sri Lankan culture, he often referred to himself simply as “a Sri Lankan”. During a conversation with friends, he humorously admitted that speaking Danish had become difficult, “because I am now a Sri Lankan.”
With boundless compassion and humility, he uplifted countless lives through education, media, technology, and the Dhamma.
His legacy includes:
- Digitising the Tripitaka and pioneering online Buddhist resources
- Establishing Dharmavahini, Sri Lanka’s first Buddhist TV channel
- Launching Learn TV to uplift rural education
- Advancing global Buddhist communication through IT
- Strengthening moral values in Sri Lankan society
He was also an ardent supporter of the Light of Asia Foundation since its inception. He supported and guided the production of the movie Siddhartha, the establishment of the Sakya Kingdom, the International Film Festival, and, just a few months ago, participated in the first production of a short video series on the Sutta which is currently under production and expected to be launched soon.
His life stands as a rare example of innovation, devotion, and deep spiritual conviction.
Venerable Mettavihari passed away mindfully at his home in Denmark. His passing is a profound loss not only for Sri Lanka, but for the world.
May this noble monk attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
-Lalith de Silva
He touched countless lives with his healing hands and generous spirit
DR. QUINTUS SILVA
Dr. Quintus Silva (MRCP (Lon), FRCGP (Lon), DCH (Lon)), who passed away in November last year, was a distinguished Physician and Paediatrician whose influence transformed the medical landscape of Galle. His dedication, humility and unwavering commitment to his patients made him a remarkable clinician and an exceptional human being. Every encounter with his patients was grounded in respect, compassion and genuine partnership. Throughout his long career, the welfare of those under his care remained his highest priority.
I first came to know Quintus in late 1973 when I joined his medical practice in Galle, soon after completing my internship in 1972 and serving as a Senior House Officer at the Kegalle Base Hospital. From the very beginning, I was struck by his extraordinary dedication to general practice.
Having left the government service, he brought new energy and innovation to the Galle Cooperative Hospital before establishing his own practice in Talbot Town. His pioneering spirit later led to the founding of the People’s Central Hospital at No. 13 Hospital Street, Galle Fort.
In 1975, this private hospital moved to Kaluwella, where it flourished from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s as a centre of excellence equipped with state-of-the-art theatre facilities and comprehensive services for the community, including the clergy of all faiths.
Quintus possessed an extraordinary connection with his patients; he knew most of them – and their families – by name. Patients sought his care from neighbouring villages as well as distant cities. His availability was unparalleled – day or night, he stood ready to help, never driven by financial reward but by a profound sense of duty and compassion. His clinical knowledge was exceptional, and he lived the Hippocratic Oath every day of his life.
Quintus embodied the highest ideals of our profession, displaying qualities of integrity, empathy, and humility that are rare and precious.
My life took a meaningful turn when he visited me one weekend with an unexpected request: he asked whether I could look after his practice, where I had been working as his partner for two and a half years, while he travelled to the United Kingdom. His goal was ambitious – he intended to sit for three postgraduate examinations: the DCH, MRCP, and MRCGP. True to his determination, Quintus achieved all three qualifications and returned to Galle enriched with knowledge and experience.
Upon his return, he played a pivotal role in reviving the Galle Medical Association, later serving as its President in the 1980s. His wife, Indira, contributed greatly by organising the Law–Medical cricket matches and dinner dances, restoring their former prestige. Together, they became a much-admired couple in the social and professional circles of Galle.
The next chapter of his career unfolded following civil unrest in Sri Lanka, when he joined the Prince Sultan Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh in 1989 as a Consultant. I was then serving at the Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, and this period allowed our families to share many memorable moments together, reminiscing on our professional journeys. Quintus served in Saudi Arabia for nearly twenty-five years, profoundly shaping the Department of Primary Care and introducing the Family Medicine curriculum. He developed the department’s curriculum, trained students to sit for the MRCGP (UK), and elevated the status of Primary Care as a respected and sought-after discipline. His former students in Saudi Arabia remain deeply grateful for his mentorship and service.
In addition, Quintus pioneered a free clinic for the Sri Lankan community in Riyadh, offering them invaluable access to healthcare.
After retiring from Prince Sultan Armed Forces Hospital, he returned to Galle, where he continued practising for several years before fully retiring shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in retirement, he remained an avid reader, dedicated to staying informed on current research and evidence-based medical practice. He was a proud Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners, London.
I consider myself truly fortunate to have shared such a close and enduring bond with Quintus and his family. Our time together in Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and London remains among the most meaningful chapters of my life. He was a compassionate, humble, and deeply caring human being. His vast clinical wisdom, his love for holistic medicine, and his emphasis on listening to patients have left an indelible mark on me and many others he mentored.
Quintus’s contributions extended far beyond the borders of Sri Lanka –from the United Kingdom to the sands of Saudi Arabia –touching countless lives with his healing hands and generous spirit. My thoughts and prayers are with his beloved wife Indira, his daughter Ruvini, and the entire family.
Till we meet again one day, Quintus. Goodbye, dear friend.
Dr. Naomal Soysa
You gave love beyond measure
RETD. SENIOR DIG ASOKA A. WIJETILLEKA
Life without you thaathi, feels heavy and incomplete. We miss your smile, your wisdom, your presence which brought light every day. You gave love beyond measure and for that we will be always grateful.
Though our hearts long for you, we find comfort knowing you are at peace. Until we meet again thaathi, we will hold you close in our hearts, cherishing every memory we shared. Our bond and love remain eternal, forever in our hearts. May your soul continue to rest in eternal peace.
Fondly remembered and forever loved
Your wife Jayanthi & daughter Shanika Wijetilleka
Her curiosity and thirst for knowledge never waned
PADMINI NANAYAKKARA
It is with a deep sense of sadness that I pen these lines about Padmini who passed away peacefully recently. Having known her for a long time, she was a special friend whose company I enjoyed very much. I can never forget the joy of our youthful times, how we walked together in the neighbourhood, talked and shared so many moments of joy, and formed a bond that blossomed into a great friendship.
Padmini knew the fullness of life, and enjoyed every moment of it. Her joi de vivre was unparalleled. The lessons she taught by example were those of adaptability and self-reliance, qualities she aspired to pass on to others. Her curiosity and thirst for knowledge didn’t wane even in the last years of her life. We always appreciated her literary talent, and the many letters she wrote to newspapers to correct injustices she saw around her. They were interesting and sometimes controversial, yet they were genuinely and passionately penned to try to make a difference. She was a truly remarkable person.
The doors of her house were always open to friends; and her home was a sanctuary to her relations, and all she knew. As we mourn her loss, we remember that home where conversations and laughter continued to abide. Her generosity, the food, the beautifully arranged flowers floating in vases will truly be missed. But Padmini will live on in the lives she touched, through her kindness and empathy, and her zest for life that touched us in so many different ways.
I am reminded of the words of Lucretius the poet:
No single thing abides; but all things flow.
Fragment to fragment clings-the things thus grow
Until we know and name them. By degrees
They melt, and are no more the things we know.
The seeds that once were we take flight and fly,
Winnowed to earth, or whirled along the sky,
Not lost but disunited. Life lives on.
It is the lives, the lives, the lives, that die.
Padmini’s cheerful disposition, the spirit of life she left behind will live in the hearts of all who knew her.
Padmini my dear friend,
may your journey in samsara be short.
-Malika Jayasinghe
Golden memories keep you near
LAKSHMAN JAYAWEERA (LUCKY)
From chubby infant
To manhood he grew,
Cheerful, good natured,
To all he knew.
Ready and willing
A hand to lend,
In joy or sorrow
To foe or friend.
A devoted husband,
A loving Dad,
A much-loved nephew,
You left us sad.
Yet, golden memories
Keep you near
As we remember you
With silver tears.
Aunty Dolly (Doreen Peiris)
Missing you 19 years on
BRYAN PAUL SENANAYAKE
Nineteen years have flown by now,
A world transformed, a changing bough
Though politically sharp, your spirit knew,
Which paths to praise, and which to eschew.
Your childhood home came down last week,
It was with a heavy heart we stood at Milagiriya.
So many memories, celebrations, mementos, and heartbreak
A home by the ocean to the four of us, the only home we knew
And a treasure trove of memories for so many more.
Yet, please do not fret for a moment that you would be forgotten.
For as long as I have a breath in me, I will feel your spirit near.
Time may pass, years may go by, but my love for you will never die.
I think about you daily, pray for you fervently,
Implore you to stay close to my heart,
And watch over us and your legacy.
-Shimi
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