Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery

Last updated
Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery
Formation14 August 1999
TypeOrganisation of Buddhist monasteries
PurposeSpiritual development
HeadquartersPolgahawela, Sri Lanka
Location
  • 80+ locations in Sri Lanka with 35+ branches-overseas
Region served
Worldwide
MembershipPracticing Buddhists
Founder
Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
WebsiteSinhala- www.mahamevnawa.lk

English- www.mahamevnawa.org
Hindi- www.buddharashmi.in

Tamil-

Contents

www.tamilbuddhist.com

The Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery (MBM) is an organisation of Buddhist monasteries of Sri Lankan origin established under the teachings of Gautama Buddha. [1] Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Network (MBM) is one of the largest Theravada Buddhist Organizations in the world.Its main monastery is in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka.

The MBM maintains nearly 130 branches in all over the world;over 70 branches in Sri Lanka and operates nearly 40 branches overseas in Canada, [2] the United States, [3] Australia, the United Kingdom, [4] Dubai, South Korea, India, Italy, Japan, Germany, and many others...MBM also maintained over 10 Branches of Mahamevnawa Anagarika Nuns Monastery(Headquarters in Dambadeniya, Muthugala Mahamevnawa Anagarika Nuns Monastery).The Mahamevnawa is home to over 1000 Buddhist monks & over 100 Buddhist Nuns. [5]

The founder and chief Buddhist monk in charge of these monasteries is Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, who is engaged in spreading Buddhism to both local and international communities, and in highlighting the aim of Buddhism: putting an end to Dukkha (suffering) or attaining Nibbana.

Mahamevnawa Anagarika Monastery

Mahamevnawa monastery for Buddhist Nuns is called Mahamevnawa Anagarika Monastery. Currently, there are more than ten Anagarika Monasteries of Mahamevnawa. About 100 Buddhists Nuns reside and practice Dhamma there.

Branches of Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Network

Local Branches

Below is a list of local branches. [6]

North Western Province

Western Province

Southern Province

Central Province

Uva Province

North Central Province

Sabaragamuwa Province

Eastern Province

Foreign Branches

Below is a list of overseas branches. [7]

Canada

United States of America


Australia & New Zealand

Europe

Asian Region

Mahamevnawa Anagarika Nuns Meditation Monastery Branches

Below is a list of Anagarika Asapu branches. [8]

Local Branches

Overseas Branches

Mahamevnawa Buddhist College Branches

With the blessings of Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, Mahamevnawa Buddhist College was started as a semi-government private school with the aim of giving a good child to the country and the world, amidst the advice and guidance of the Maha Sangha. Mahamevnawa Buddhist College is the first Buddhist school to be established in Sri Lanka after independence.

Practicing Dhamma

Mahamevnawa Monastery Polgahawela. Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Polgahawela.jpg
Mahamevnawa Monastery Polgahawela.
Mahasangha of Mahamevnawa Mahamevnawa-pawidi pin kama.jpg
Mahasangha of Mahamevnawa

Mahamevnawa claims to promote the teaching, discussion, and practice of Dhamma in its unaltered form, and thar the first step the towards cessation of suffering is knowing the Buddha's teachings. Mahamevnawa also facilitates the practice of meditation for improving concentration and wisdom through cultivating mindfulness (Sati) as a component of the path to Nibbāna. A key point that Mahmevnawa highlights is that the Dhamma not only says that life is suffering, but shows a proven path to the cessation of suffering. Mahamevnawa has been criticized because none of its monks have completed the required Pariven education in Sri Lanka. The founder has bypassed that established tradition to rapidly expand the monk capacity in the monastery.

Spreading Dhamma

Both lay and clergy associated with Mahamevnawa adhere to this. The way of preaching and teaching Dhamma adopted by the clergy at Mahamevnawa is what Buddha advocated. [9]

Mahamevnawa Sadaham Prakashana (Mahamevnawa Dhamma Publications) TipitakaMSP.jpg
Mahamevnawa Sadaham Prakashana (Mahamevnawa Dhamma Publications)

Mahamevnawa makes available recorded sermons and Dhamma texts, based on the original teachings of Buddha, that reveal the truth in life and emphasize the urge of cession of suffering. Most of these publications are in Sinhalese, due to the initial Sri Lankan context, but English translations are also available.

To widen its Dhamma Service, Mahamevnawa monastery started a Buddhist television channel named Shraddha TV in 2012. Later Mahamevnawa started a radio channel named Shraddha Radio too.

References

  1. "Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery". Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.
  2. Mahamevnawa Toronto Branch: First Overseas Centre
  3. "Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery USA".
  4. Mahamevnawa International Meditation Center, archived from the original on 2014-10-18, retrieved 2014-10-18
  5. Mahamevnawa and Shraddha television, archived from the original on 2015-03-18, retrieved 2015-05-13
  6. https://mahamevnawa.lk/mahamevnawa-local-branches/
  7. https://mahamevnawa.org/worldwide-mahamevnawa-branches/
  8. https://mahamevnawa.lk/anagarika-asapuwa/
  9. "Create disciplined, morally rich society - President". Archived from the original on November 5, 2014.