Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a globally respected Buddhist monk and meditation teacher who has spent more than four decades dedicated to the study and practice of Buddhism. Born in Sri Lanka in 1927, he is a senior member of the Maha Bodhi Society and is a highly respected international figure in the Buddhist community.

Bhante Gunaratana was born in Kotte, Sri Lanka, into a traditional Buddhist family. His father, Henepola Mudiyanse, was a spiritual leader in the village and his mother, Ostin Mudiyanse, was a well-known musician. Bhante’s early childhood was filled with religious devotion, as his parents’ home was also a small Buddhist temple. He was taken in as a novice monk at a young age, and his journey to becoming a respected leader of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition began.

At the age of fifteen, Bhante Gunaratana was ordained as a monk and he soon completed many study retreats and meditation retreats. In 1969, he went on to complete an intensive study of Buddhist philosophy and meditation at the Nalanda Vihara Buddhist Monastery in Sri Lanka. It was during his time at Nalanda that he was given his monastic robes and his Theravada name, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. He then began his advanced education with the direct guidance of Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Mahathera, studying Theravada Buddhism and meditation.

Bhante Gunaratana has written several books on Buddhism, meditation, mindfulness and other topics, sharing his years of study and experience. His first book, “Mindfulness in Plain English”, was published in 1994 and has since been translated into thirteen languages. It is a thoughtful, compassionate guide on living life with balance and awareness. Bhante’s books bring together powerful Buddhist concepts and make them accessible to everyday people. His straightforward approach to meditation encourages readers to start on the path to enlightenment.

Throughout his years as a Buddhist leader, Bhante Gunaratana has given countless public talks and retreats throughout the world, teaching people how to observe the world around them and learn to meditate. He speaks about his own journey of finding insight through mindfulness, and encourages others to find their own path to enlightenment.

Bhante Gunaratana is considered one of the foremost meditation masters of our time, with a tremendous amount of wisdom to share. He has been a spiritual example for many Buddhists, and his devotion and dedication to the teachings of the Buddha are evident in everything he does. He is an example to all of us of what it means to be a monk and of how to be one with the path of Buddhism.