Aadivaara (Sunday) Maalai (Evening) Sermon by Pandit Iyothee Thass

Abstract

Iyothee Thass Pandit established the 'South Indian Sakya Buddhist Association' (1898) in Rayapetta, Chennai and through it he did various things for Buddhist revival and social change. One of them was the evening sermon held every Sunday. From 1907 to 1914 more than twenty sermon summaries appeared in the magazine 'Tamil'. At that time, Pandit Ayodhitasa's sermons helped a lot in enlightening the people. The ideologies that had dominated the society and the common people for a long time were rendered meaningless after the preaching of Pandit Iyothee Thass. His activities were primarily to restore Buddhism at the cultural level and to eradicate politically and oppose the intrigues that surrounded the common people. Who is man? What is religion? Who is Brahmin? The sermons are based on the answers to the questions included. He preached on the truth of the Bhagavad Gita, the origin of the name India, the differences in the history of the Buddha, etc., in a rational and Buddhist context, with literary flair and satire. These are innovative and primary to today's world of knowledge. M. Singaravelar, who operated in the field of knowledge in the twentieth century, P. Lakshmi Narasu, K. Swapaneshwari Ambal and others preached at the Buddhist Society and supported the social change. Pandit has also delivered speeches along with eminent personalities with intellectual backgrounds. The sermons initiated by the Pandit were conducted in many branches of the South Indian Sakya Buddhist Association. The Buddhist association of Kolar Gold Field, Bangalore, Irangoon (Burma), Tirupattur, Nettal (South Africa) carried out the preaching very well. Youth associations which functioned as a part of the Buddhist association also gave importance to preaching. The seed of preaching planted by the Pandit through the Buddhist association grew into a huge bodhi tree during his lifetime. It is the ideological extension of the Aadivaara (Sunday) Malai (Evening) sermon that continues in today's Buddhist and rationalist movements.