Anuruddha was one of the five head disciples and a cousin of Gautama Buddha.

Anuruddha was the son of Sukkhodana and brother to Mahanama. Since Sukkhodana was the brother of Suddhodana, king of the Sakyas in Kapilavastu, Anuruddha was cousin to Siddhartha, (Gautama Buddha). He was a kshatriya by birth, enabling him to be raised in wealth. Anuruddha returned to his home town two years after the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, preaching his ideas to the Sakyan kingdom. Together with his 3 cousins Bhaddiyam, Ananda, and Devadatta and their barber Upali, to become ordained by the Buddha at the Anupiya Mango Grove.

Anuruddha acquired "divine vision" (dibba-cakkhu) and was ranked foremost among those who had the ability. Sariputta assigned the eight thoughts of a great man for Anuruddha to use as a meditation topic. Journeying into the Pacinavamsadaya in the Ceti country to practice, he was able to master seven, but could not learn the eighth, which Buddha taught him. Anuruddha developed insight and then realized arahantship.

Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero (born 1 July 1961) is the founder of Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.

Gnanananda Thero was born to the Roman Catholic family, parented by Cristy Kabraal and Violet Perera. The circumstances that followed his birth were 'miraculous', as the whole family became Buddhists just 6 months after his birth, going so far as to give up their main source of income: 'animal husbandry for meat' (a livelihood advised against by the Buddha). Opportunity for Buddhist education was therefore available to him from childhood.

Ordained on March 26^th, 1979 (i.e. at age 17) under Ven. Dambagasare Shri Sumedhankara Thero and Ven. Dikwelle Pannananda Thero at Seruwavila, he received a traditional Buddhist academic education and entered the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Having understood the inability to achieve what he wanted in a university, he quit and started visiting meditation centers and hermitages.

Having practiced and preached Dhamma for years, he founded Mahamevnawa in 1999 under the guidance of Ven. Kotapola Amarakitti Thero, in Waduwava, Polgahawela. Mahamevnawa is currently spreading steadily under his guidance (It has around 40 branch monasteries for meditation throughout Sri Lanka, and overseas: Canada [1], USA [2], Australia [3]), UK [4], and Germany [5].