Photos

This page contains photos from Bhante Joe’s Instagram page. To go directly to his Instagram page… click here.

I had an excellent time practicing with Bryan Sih,

I had an excellent time practicing with Bryan Sih, who stayed with me for a month to study meditation and the Buddha's teachings. It was inspiring to see his dedication to practice, both on his own and when we met twice daily for a combination of meditation, chanting, study and Dhamma discussions.

Solitude is a cornerstone of Buddhist practice, but sharing the journey with like-minded individuals is also a great gain. Wishing Bryan all the best as he continues striving forward on the path.

May your practice ripen in Nibbāna! ☸️

Below the monastery, there’s a wide, peaceful ri

Below the monastery, there’s a wide, peaceful river. The trek down was steep, but th river was quiet and peaceful. They’re building a dam nearby, which is an interesting contrast to the natural surroundings.

We made sure to spray ourselves with citronella oil before heading into the forest—it helped to keep the leeches off. A nice spot to visit.

Warm greetings Everyone, I'm pleased to share tha

Warm greetings Everyone,

I'm pleased to share that we’ve just released an update to our monastery list @:
(https://dhammavinayapatipada.com/monasteries-in-sri-lanka/)

This update was made possible with the help of a friend from the United States. It brings some useful enhancements to make the app even easier to navigate and more user-friendly.

Here are the highlights:

Responsive Details: Instead of scrolling left and right to view monastery details, simply click the plus button next to a monastery’s name, and all the information will expand right there.

Improved Filtering Options: We’ve added two drop-down buttons at the top. You can now filter the list by affiliation (or nikaya) and area. Select multiple options to view monasteries in several areas and / or under various affiliations at once.

Frozen Header: As you scroll down the list, the top row now stays in view, so you’ll always know which column is which.

Printing Options: Options to print the monastery list directly as an Excel file, CSV, or PDF have been added above the table —handy for monks on Tudong without internet access.

New Listings: In addition, thanks to the generous contributions of a monk who has done extensive Charika here in Sri Lanka, about 40 new monasteries have been added. New solitary kutis have also been listed, and hopefully more will be added as time goes on.

I hope these updates make it easier for everyone to find suitable places to meditate in Sri Lanka.

With mettā

Warm greetings, Everyone. I’m happy to announce

Warm greetings, Everyone.

I’m happy to announce the release of an online database of monasteries and meditation centers in Sri Lanka, based on Nyanatusita Bhante’s excellent guide, last updated in 2018. With his kind permission, we’ve used his guide as the foundation for this new project. You can now search the database for specific terms, areas, or sort the columns in alphabetical order. It’s available at the link below:

https://dhammavinayapatipada.com/monasteries-in-sri-lanka/

The information is available for free distribution, provided it is not used for commercial purposes. Derivative projects are also allowed, and a downloadable version of the spreadsheet can be found here:

https://dhammavinayapatipada.com/download/monasteries-and-meditation-centres-in-sri-lanka-spreadsheet/

If you would like to submit a new listing or a correct an existing one, guidelines are available here:

https://dhammavinayapatipada.com/new-listings-or-corrections/

Nyanatusita Bhante’s work has been a great resource for many foreign monks, including myself. I hope that this updated version, which is a continuation of his and others' efforts to compile this list, will support those seeking to practice in Sri Lanka for the sake of Nibbāna.

Ven. Buddhadatta is a brave monk. This was probabl

Ven. Buddhadatta is a brave monk. This was probably the largest spider I've ever seen. This Sri Lankan tarantula is much bigger than the ones I remember from the zoo.

I initially thought this area near Sinharaja was a bit tamer because there aren't large animals like elephants, and the snakes don’t seem that big. But what it lacks in elephants and big snakes, it makes up for in spiders and creepy crawlies like scorpions.

The forest here is wet, peaceful, and quiet and the villagers seem faithful and hardworking. An excellent spot to stay and meditate. ##

Warm greetings Everyone, Tomorrow our discussion

Warm greetings Everyone,

Tomorrow our discussion (in Sinhala) on the dhutangas is airing on Sirasa FM. Details in the poster above.

Gendagala Aranya -- Vassa 2024 Gendagala Aranya i

Gendagala Aranya -- Vassa 2024

Gendagala Aranya is part of a little known group of aranyas in Sri Lanka called 'majjhimapatipada'. They have about four monasteries and several kutis throughout the country. One of their kutis -- Udagaledebokka -- is the most remote kuti I've seen.

This organization welcomes monks from any Nikāya. It's just myself and one other monk here for vassa. One of the interesting things is that there's no resident abbot here for vassa. So, we've just been living harmoniously with the Vinaya as our guide. A wonderful opportunity.

Warm greetings Everyone, This September, we'll co

Warm greetings Everyone,

This September, we'll continue our North America and Australia ZOOM meetings. Passing along the information below, for those who might like to join...

**September 1st — North America and Sri Lanka**

- 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM EST
- 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM IST

We’ll be meeting via ZOOM

Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86385855301?pwd=RUE3VlV1NDQrL3F4MTl2RGtZbFQ1Zz09

**September 2nd Meditation —Australia and Sri Lanka**

- 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sydney time
- 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM IST

We’ll be meeting via ZOOM

Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09

With Shalika Ranasingha in the crematorium at the

With Shalika Ranasingha in the crematorium at the Maharagama cemetery. Had the excellent chance to stay overnight here a couple of weeks ago. The Maharagama cemetery is an excellent place to practice maranasati. It is isolated and set back from the road, with good spaces for walking meditation.

We recorded a discussion on the dhutangas for Shalika's show, 'Pansil Maluwa'. Will plan to post a link, once episode airs or is up on YouTube.

Warm greetings Everyone, This August, we'll have

Warm greetings Everyone,

This August, we'll have two monthly meditation meetings via ZOOM. One is for folks in North America and Sri Lanka, and one is for folks in Australia and Sri Lanka. Passing along the details below for those who might be interested...

August 4th Meditation — North America and Sri Lanka**

- 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM EST
- 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM IST

We’ll be meeting via ZOOM

Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86385855301?pwd=RUE3VlV1NDQrL3F4MTl2RGtZbFQ1Zz09

**August 5th Meditation —Australia and Sri Lanka**

- 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Sydney time
- 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM IST

We’ll be meeting via ZOOM

Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09

Warm greetings Everyone, Our last talk at the Met

Warm greetings Everyone,

Our last talk at the Metta Centre is now up on YouTube. Passing along a link for any who might be interested...

https://youtu.be/IFhGw6n77aY?si=5eJF3wgHDdoGw70H

Bye for now, Australia (!)

Bye for now, Australia (!)

Our last session at the Metta Center. The Metta Ce

Our last session at the Metta Center. The Metta Center is an organization in Sydney that holds many different Buddhist events.

This organization was the primary organizer of my trip. Its founder, Tina Ng, runs a Buddhist law firm called 'Metta Legal', a Buddhist residence called 'House of Mettā', and a Buddhist community group called the 'Metta Centre'.

We had a long chat when I arrived to stay at their Buddhist community residence, 'House of Mettā'. This is a place where they host monks and also offer residential spaces for lay people who are Buddhists to live together in a kind of community environment. Tina and her husband, Zen, live at the back of the property in a modest house.

The Metta Center is the third of the organizations under this umbrella. I learned that one of their interests was to create links between the various Buddhist communities in Australia. I think that the wide variety of communities and people that I happened to meet in Australia was because of the work they've done to establish connections.

The Metta Centre holds many different events to get people involved in Buddhism and to promote Buddhism in general. It was nice to meet and practice together. If anybody would like to learn more about the Metta Center's events, they can check out their website at www.mettacentre.com

During my last week in Australia, Michelle and her

During my last week in Australia, Michelle and her son drove me to visit Wat Buddhadhamma. I had hoped to go there to pay respects to the Abbot, Venerable Kemavaro, whom I had met in Thailand and the United States. It's a beautiful monastery situated 16 kilometers inside a national park. It was very quiet and seemed like an excellent place to meditate.

I had the chance to pay respects to Luang Por Tiradhammo and Ajahn Kemavaro, and I also met Tan Bhuripanyo there. We met about ten years earlier in Thailand, and I hadn't heard much about his whereabouts since then. It was inspiring to see the practice environment the monastery offered.

Towards the end of the trip, Sin Sin took us out f

Towards the end of the trip, Sin Sin took us out for another hike behind Dhamma Vijaya Vihara. This Vihara is located in Sydney, and there's an enormous forest behind it. Another nice trek in the Australian wilderness.

Following a visit to the Katoomba Temple, Lal and

Following a visit to the Katoomba Temple, Lal and Suranga Mahatya took me to visit the 'Three Sisters'. It's an understated name, to say the least. The 'Three Sisters' are three small rock pillars located at the edge of an immense forested vista. I visited the Grand Canyon in the United States before, and this reminded me of it -- except forested. It was one of the most spectacular natural scenes that I've seen in my life.

The whole place had a nice feeling to it. In addition, the Australian government had constructed some incredible walking trails. Rather than building trails on top of the cliff, behind the edge, with lookouts placed at a safe distance, the Australian government built trails in the middle of the cliff face. They also built lookouts literally next to the edge of the cliff, so that if one were to drop some garbage, it would fall perhaps a thousand feet to the ground below. There was a waterfall with perhaps a 1000 foot drop and the government built a stepping stone path across it's headwaters, not far from the drop.

This is a place where one could spend an entire day and find some good solitude to practice meditation. It was a glimpse into the vastness of Australian wilderness and tantalizing enough to make one want to see more.

I had the opportunity to visit the first Buddhist

I had the opportunity to visit the first Buddhist temple established in Australia, located in Katoomba in the beautiful Blue Mountains. 🌄

This temple, founded in the 1970s, is maintained by native Australians and continues to inspire visitors. During my visit, I met an Australian man who came by to clean the toilets and join in some meditation. As far as I remember, they hold one-hour sittings in the morning and maybe the evening as well.

The new abbot was incredibly friendly and gave me a tour of the place. It was amazing to see how the temple supports the local community and remains dedicated to practice. They also host almost monthly retreats and several other programs, such as sutta study. Wonderful to see.

After the sutta discussion, Sin Sin took us to Oly

After the sutta discussion, Sin Sin took us to Olympic Park to have a look at the sunset. A beautiful place.

Towards the end of my first week in Australia, we

Towards the end of my first week in Australia, we had a sutta discussion at Pei and Ken's house. Pei and Ken kindly hosted me for several days during my stay. By this time, I think I was already feeling pretty amazed at the strength of Buddhism in Australia. Some of the people I met seemed to attend two or more Buddhist events per week (!)

After visiting Dhammavijaya Vihara, we headed down

After visiting Dhammavijaya Vihara, we headed down to the Indonesian Buddhist Society. It was comforting to see that a lot of the rituals they did here were the same as the ones that I learned as a young monk in the Thai Tradition. I joked that the chant they did to request a Dhamma talk was the same chant that I used to do to request a Dhamma from senior monks.

We got together at the Indonesian Buddhist Society twice over the course of the trip. We practiced meditation, had a Dhamma talk, and a Q & A. Very nice to connect with the community.

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