GMRI Gathering and Discussion with Bhante Dhammasubho Mahathera at Wisma Sangha Theravada Jakarta
JAKARTA-JAYA NEWS.COM – The life of a monk is very simple, with not many necessities. From food to clothing, everything is very simple, said Bhiku Dhammasubbho Mahathera, during a conversation with GMRI at Wisma Sangha Theravada, Jl. Margasatwa No. 10, Jakarta. 9 Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, July 13, 2025.
This gathering of friends and relatives of GMRI (Indonesian Moral Reconciliation Movement) was led by the Spiritual Leader of the Archipelago, Sri Eko Sriyanto Galgendu. He also shared information about plans for a prayer offering for 71 Indonesian figures on August 2-3, 2025.
“This 20-hour, non-stop event will be published in the form of the book Ma Ha Ismaya, containing profiles of the figures and special prayers offered after the event concludes that same day,” Sri Eko Sriyanto Galgendu told Jaya-News.com on Monday, July 14, 2025.
During this gathering and casual discussion, Bhikkhu Dhammasubho Mahathera spoke about many things, particularly the ups and downs of Buddhism’s development in the Archipelago, particularly referring to the Buddhist universities that existed in Sumatra between the 4th and 5th centuries. The sixth school, which flourished under the name Nalanda, was a continuation of the previous school in India.
Bhante Dhammasubho possessed extensive historical and cultural knowledge. He recounted the history of the Buddha, from the time of Siddhartha Guatama to the reign of King Balaputradewa, who controlled the main trade routes in the Strait of Malacca, making the Srivijaya Kingdom an important maritime trading center in the world.
“In fact, Balaputradewa’s territory expanded to Cambodia, Southern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and parts of Java,” said Bhante Dhammasubho, continuing his explanation.
The burning of the Nalanda campus in India marked the historical collapse of Buddhism worldwide, which was then centered on the Srivijaya Kingdom, which was marked by the continuation of the Nalanda university. Regarding the fire at the Nalanda campus in India, Bhante Dhammasubho recounted that the fire burned for six months, demonstrating the vastness and vastness of the Nalanda campus in India.
When the fire broke out, no fewer than 10,000 students were studying at the Nalanda campus in India. All of them were monks, with around 1,500 postgraduate teachers alone. The number of books in the library burned was no less than 80 million volumes, said the monk, who has traveled throughout the country and even abroad, fostering close ties to Buddhist culture and religion worldwide.
Based on this, Bhiku Dhammasubho Mahathera was able to identify the distinctive characteristics of Eastern nations, characterized by spiritual abilities and intelligence. Meanwhile, Western nations are characterized by distinctive intellectual—structural and material—characteristics. He also believed that a movement for the awakening of spiritual awareness would emerge and be spearheaded by the Indonesian people, with their immense wealth of knowledge, culture, and depth of spiritual understanding, as Sri Eko Sriyanto Galgendu has done and continues to do.**
Jacob Ereste
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