Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu

Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu is a young energetic highly ambitious bonafide member (now discharging his duties as the General Secretary) of the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh. His main aim and object are to create a congenial and ideal atmosphere for the establishment of the spiritual and material teaching of the Lord Buddha in this area. In the prevailing downword trend of Buddhism in Bangladesh, spiritual encouragement and moral boost are essential to proceed with the above ideals. Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu has full confidence and moral support as he has a good background to do some wholesome works for the society and the country. His background should be present to the society so that the society can depend on him about his motto.

Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu was born in a respectable Buddhist family of village Ghatchek, under Rangunia P.S. in the district of Chittagong on the 3rd July 1960. His Father’s name is Late Jamini Barua who was welknown as a great patriotic man against the British Empire. His Mother’s name is Snehalata Barua. He is very lucky by birth. Both maternal & paternal sides of his family are so dedicated to the Buddhist way of life that he has got a golden opportunity to join as a bonafide member of the Bhikkhu Community in his early life. He started his early primary education in the village temple under the guidance of Ven. Sugatavamsa Mahathero who was a Tripitak Visharad. At the are of 12 he was ordained as a Sraman under the spiritual guidance and Vinaya teachership of Rev. Sugatavamsa Mahathero. In 1978, Sraman Jinabodhi had been offered higher ordaination in an auspicious Upsamphada Ceremony under the spiritual guidance of Ven. Dharmadhar Mahathero who had been a spiritual guide and teacher of Rev. Sugatavamsa Mahathero. Sraman Jinabodhi then became Jinabodhi Bhikkhu, who started his Bhikkhu career as a chief abbot of the Ichamati Dhatu Chaitya Vihar in Rangunia. As a Buddhist monk, he began to study in primary Bhikkhu Vinaya with great zeal and interest. At the same time he had to perform all the rites and rituals of the Buddhist society in the adjacent area. From the very beginning he was very interested to talk about the substancial and meaningful aspect of Buddhist religion and philosophy in various occasions. He likes to deliver his speechess about various subjects in the occasions other than the Buddhist community. Gradually he become a good and versatile orator about Buddhism and other subjects also. In the mean time Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu began to organize the laities of the area to come forward for upholding the social and cultural activity. In 1978, he founded the Ichamati Pali Tol and became the founder Principal and President of the Tol. He held this post upto 1988 as he spent ten years of rainy-treat (Vassavasa) in this temple.

In 1977, Bhikkhu Jinabodhi passed S.S.C Examination from the Rangunia Adarsha Bahumukhi High School. In 1980 he passed H.S.C. Examination from the Rangunia College. During staying in the Ichamati Dhatu Chaitya Vihar he appeared before the examinations of Sutra – Adya, Madhy and Upadhi and passed all the examinations with distinction under the Bangladesh Sanskrita and Pali Education Board, Dhaka.

Then Bhikkhu Jinobodhi was admitted in the Chittagong University to study Pali Honours for Bachelor degree. He passed BA (Honours) in Pali from the Chittagong University in the year 1983. Then in 1984 he obtained the Master Degree in Pali from the same University. In 1988 he had been selected for ICCR (Indian) Scholarship in the Calculta University for the Doctorate Degree. He studied the PhD. Degree in Pali in the Calcutta University under the guidance of Dr. Sukomal Chowdhury, ex-head of the Department of Pali and Principal of Government of Sankrit college and Calcutta University. His thesis in PhD. was a critical study of the Patisambhidamagga, the most scholastic and philosophic book of the Tripitaka. He successfully completed his PhD. Degree course in 1995. In the mean time he worked as a lecturer for about 3 years in the Department of Pali in Calcutta University.

Bhikkhu Jninabodhi spent his ten Varsavas from 1988 to 1998 in the Bidarshan Bhavana Kendra in 1/A Potery Road, Calcutta as an Assistant Abbot of Rev. Pragnajyoti Mahathero. Bhikkhu Jinabodhi was very keen to associate himself with his spiritual guide Rev. Dharmadhar Mahathero to continue his teacher’s activity. He also had got a golden opportunity of serve Rev. Dharmadhar Mahathero in his illness

In 1998, Bhikkhu Jinabodhi came to Chittagong and joined in the Chittagong University as a lecturer in Pali in the Department of Oriental Languages. After one year, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the same Department and still holds this position and has been working with good reputation.

As a Buddhist Monk, he has been a bonafide member of the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh since 1978. In 1998 he was appointed as a Deputy Abbot of the Chittagong Buddhist Monastary and still holds the same post.

Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu has been elected as the General Secretary of the Supreme Sangha Bukkhu Council of Bangladesh in 1998. As a General Secretary, he is very conscious about his duty and he is an outspoken and courageous member of the council. He is trying to revive the previous glory of the Theravada Sangha of Bangladesh. He has actively concentrated his zeal and effort to revive the forgotten glory of the famous Honcoarghona Sima which is the first sacred place even a great shrine for the monks of Theravada Sangha of Bangladesh as this is the place of inauguration of seven Barua-Roalis into the Theravadi Bhikkhus.

It is worth mentioning that in the mean time with ardous endevour of Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu, Late Sangharaj Shilalankar Mahathero Laid the foundation stone to erect a momument and Bhikkhu Sima in this spot on the 26th October 1999.

Bhikkhu Jinabodhi also convinced Mr. Anup Mutsuddi to donate this land surrounding the Honcoar-Ghona (About 6 ganda or 12 Satak) to the Supreme Sangha Council to maintain the sanctity of the place and pilgrimage for the people of Bangladesh.

In the mean time Dr. Rev. Jinabodhi Bhikkhu has been working to uphold in socio-cultural activity of Buddhist Community as a whole. He organized various types of association and himself involved with many organizations other than the Buddhist community. He is specially interested in publishing books about the Buddhist religion and culture. He organized the Pandit Dharmadhar Bouddha Prakashini in Culcatta, Buddhist research and Publication Centre in Bangladesh etc. In the mean time he himself published the following books like Vidarshana Acharia Dipa-Ma-Nani Bala Barua, Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavir, Tathagat Buddher Bodhi Vidhi, Gnanatapash Sraman Punnananda Swami, Pandit Shilananda Brahmachari, Vange Dhyanacharca, Karmavira Dharmasen Mahasthavir, Gnanatapash Shantaraskit Mahathero, Ganatapash U. Pandita Mahathero etc. He worte many articles about Buddhism and Buddhist history and cultures in different magazines, Swaranika and periodicals in Bangladesh. A good number of articles have been published in Journal of Arts and Humanities in the Chittagong University, by which he is welknown to the elites of chittagong.