Piyadassi Maha Thera

{{Infobox religious biography

|name = Piyadassi Maha Thera

|native_name = පියදස්සි මහා ස්ථවිරයන් වහන්සේ

|image = Piyadassi Maha Thera (1914–1998).jpg

|caption =

|alias =

|dharma_name =

|birth name =

|birth_place = Kotahena, Colombo, Sri Lanka

|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1914|07|08}}

|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1998|08|18|1914|07|08}}

|death_place =

|nationality = Sri Lankan

|religion = Buddhism

|school = Theravāda

|lineage = Amarapura Nikaya

|title = Chief incumbent of the Vajiraramaya Temple Bambalapitiya

|location =

|education = Nalanda College
University of Sri Lanka
Harvard University

|occupation =

|teacher = Päläne Vajirañāna Thero

|reincarnation of =

|predecessor =

|successor =

|students =

|spouse =

|partner =

|children =

|website =

}}

Piyadassi Maha Thera ({{langx|si|පියදස්සි මහා ස්ථවිරයන් වහන්සේ}}, 8 July 1914 – 18 August 1998) was a Theravādin Buddhist monk and preacher of the Dharma, both in Sinhalese and in English. He was born on 8 July 1914 at Kotahena in Colombo, Sri Lanka and was educated at Nalanda College, Colombo, thereafter at the University of Sri Lanka and the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University as a research student.

At the age of twenty, he entered the Buddhist monastic order under Pelene Siri Vajiragnana Nayaka Thera, founder of the Vajirarama Bambalapitiya. Later, he received his higher ordination under the tutorship of Vajiranna, founding superior of the Vajirarama Colombo.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Piyadassi Maha Thera was the Sinhala editor at the Buddhist Publication Society until his death."Story of the Buddhist Publication Society" from "Buddhist Publication Society" at http://www.bps.lk/aboutus.asp. Along with Nyanaponika Thera, he was one of the chief kalyāṇamitta of American Buddhist scholar and monk Bhikkhu Bodhi.In Bodhi (2000), The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, p. 5, Bodhi dedicates the volume to "the memory of my teacher Venerable Abhidhajamaharatthaguru Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera (1896-1998) and to the memories of my chief kalyāṇamittas in my life as a Buddhist monk, Venerable Nyanaponika Mahathera (1901-1994) and Venerable Piyadassi Nayaka Thera (1914-1998)".

Venerable Piyadassi Maha Thera lived to the age of 84 years and died on 18 August 1998.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Literature

Piyadassi Thera - [https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Piyadassi_Thera_The_Buddhas_Ancient_Path.htm The Buddha's Ancient Path]
Piyadassi Thera - [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/piyadassi/protection.html The Book of Protection - Paritta]
Piyadassi Thera - [https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bp107s Buddhism: a Living Message]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bp603s A Felicitation Volume presented to THE VEN. NĀRADA MAHATHERA]. 1979. Edited by Piyadassi Thera

=Wheel Publications (BPS)=

[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=wh001 The Seven Factors Of Enlightenment: Satta Bojjhanga (WH001)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=wh005 Buddha—His Life and Teaching (WH005)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=wh015 Dependent Origination: Paticca-samuppada (WH015)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=wh038 Lamp of the Law (WH038)] (co-authored with Soma Thera)
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=wh179 Psychological Aspect of Buddhism (WH179)]

=Bodhi Leaf Publications (BPS)=

[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl008 Four Sacred Shrines (BL08)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl021 Aspects of Buddhism (BL21)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl048 Buddhist Observances and Practices (BL48)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl057 The Story of Mahinda, Saṅghamittā and the Sri Mahā-Bodhi (BL57)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl068 The Elimination of Anger (BL68)]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bla0s Selections From the Dhammapada: Sayings of the Buddha]
[https://www.bps.lk/library-search-select.php?id=bl032 The Threefold Division of the Noble Eightfold Path (BL32)]