Sayadaw Nyanapurnik Mahathera

Ven. Sayadaw  Nyanapurnik Mahathera, a Pali scholar and Vipassanacariya has been working actively for the progress and development of Theravada Buddhism in Nepal. He was born on 21st November, 1939 in Tansen, Palpa which is about 90 kilometers north of Lumbini, the birth-place of Lord Buddha. Ordained as a novice at the early age of 16, he spent a year in Buddhist studies in Nepal and went to Myanmar for further study.

In 1963, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Sāsanadhaja Dhammāchariya’ title, a highly-respected honour in Burmese Buddhist monastic education. Besides this Dhamma education, he has also completed various levels of formal education which includes School Leaving Certificate (SLC) in 1971, IA (1974), BA (1977) and MA (Culture and History) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal along with Diploma in Sanskrit from Banaras Sanskrit University, India. He is an author and translator of about 50 books on Buddhism, both in Nepali and Nepal Bhasha languages. He was also one of the members of the publication team of the Pali Burmese World Dictionary, Burma (1964-66). He has travelled extensively around the world as a Meditation instructor. 

In 1984, Sayadaw founded the Vishwa Shanti Vihāra in Kathmandu, and became its spiritual director.  The vihāra was expanded in 1997 to house the ‘World Peace Buddhist School’ for the education of Buddhist monks and nuns, in order to further propagate Theravāda Buddhism in Nepal.

He was bestowed the ‘Agga Mahā Saddhammajotikadhaja’ title in 2001 from the Government of Myanmar for his outstanding service to the propagation of Buddha-Sāsana around the world.

Sayadaw Nyanapurnik visited and delivered many teachings in Malaysia, which included this Dhamma teaching given in BUBS during his visit in 2015.

Ven. Ajahn Karuniko

Ven.  Ajahn Karuniko (Christopher John Woodfine) was born in 1953 near Manchester, England. He graduated from Sheffield University in 1975 with an honours degree in electronics engineering. After graduation, he worked as an engineer in North London. His first contact with Buddhism was from reading a book in 1976, which made a deep impression on him. Two years later, he had the good fortune to meet Ven Ajahn Sumedho who had recently taken up residence in Hampstead Vihara, North London. He then became an anagarika (novice) in 1982 under the guidance of Ven Ajahn Sumedho at Cittaviveka Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, England. In July 1984, he took the monk’s (bhikkhu) ordination with Ven. Ajahn Sumedho. Ven. Ajahn Karuniko had spent most of his monastic life helping to establish monasteries in England and New Zealand. At present, he is the Abbot at Cittaviveka Chithurst Monastery.

Āyasmā Ariyadhammika

Ven. Ariyadhammika (born Björn Selic on May 8, 1976) is an Austrian Thera (Elder) Buddhist monk. As a layman, he studied economics and music at the University of Graz, Austria. His interest in Buddhism was sparked at the age of 14, when he first encountered the Buddha’s teachings in the local library. Ten years later at age 24, he started to attend meditation courses in the U Ba Khin tradition in Austria, followed by his own sutta studies. In 2005, at age 28, he decided to become a Buddhist monk, left Austria and went to Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar.

Ordained on July 14, 2005 with Pa-Auk Sayadaw as his preceptor and meditation teacher, he spent five years practising in the forest of Pa-Auk, maintaining a very simple lifestyle and living most parts of the year out in the open, under trees. He dedicated himself to the practice of Ānāpānassati (mindfulness of breathing), and later on also to other meditation methods. After five years at Pa-Auk, he went to seek out other teachers in Myanmar and was initiated into the meditation techniques of Mogok, Mahasi, Shwe Oo Min/U Tejaniya and Sunlun.

A growing interest in the lifestyle of the Thai Forest Tradition brought him to Thailand in the year 2010, where he stayed for the next 3 years. He spent the initial period in the north-east of Thailand undergoing the traditional training of a Thai forest monk at the international branch monastery of the Ajahn Chah lineage, Wat Pah Nanachat. The last year of his three years in Thailand was spent wandering and journeying throughout the country, seeking out suitable places for meditation and Dhamma studies, staying either at Ajahn Chah’s branch monasteries or at forest monasteries belonging to the Dhammayuttika Nikāya.

After eight years as a monk, Ven. Ariyadhammika returned for the first time to Austria and spent his vassa (rains retreat) of 2013 in a caravan, in the vicinity of his parents’ home. When the rains retreat was over, he returned to Asia and stayed in Malaysia from 2013 to 2015, spending time at Sāsānarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS), also studying Pāli, Suttanta and the Vinaya under the guidance of Ven. Aggacitta Mahāthera at the Mahāthera’s hermitage, Mūla Vihāra. The Mahāthera has since then become one of Ven. Ariyadhammika’s most influential and respected teachers.

In 2015, Ven. Ariyadhammika went on to Sri Lanka to gain familiarity with the customs, practices and interpretations of the DhammaVinaya prevalent in the third of the three main Theravāda countries (the other two being Myanmar and Thailand). He spent a year at Nā Uyana Aranya Senāsanaya, where he had time for his own meditation practice, but also gave regular Dhamma lectures and meditation instructions to foreign monks and lay practitioners.

Ven. Ariyadhammika returned to SBS (Malaysia) in 2016 to fulfil an earlier request from Ven. Aggacitta to ordain two Western monks and become their preceptor (upajjhāya). After some initial hesitation, followed by a period of preparation, Ven. Ariyadhammika agreed to take up the responsibility and subsequently returned with them to Sri Lanka. They spent the vassa at Island Hermitage, an ancient monastery founded in 1911 by the German monk, Ven. Ñānatiloka. Thereafter, they went on thudong in the hillsides of Sri Lanka. Ven. Ariyadhammika spent the rains retreat of 2017 at a branch monastery of K. Gnanananda, where he gave the going forth to another two disciples who requested training under his guidance.

After five years in Burma, three years in Thailand, two years in Malaysia and three years in Sri Lanka, Ven. Ariyadhammika felt that his original intention to explore the three main Theravāda countries (for their respective meditation methods and monastic cultures) was accomplished. In 2018, for the first time after all his ventures since his 5th vassa in 2009, Ven. Ariyadhammika said he eventually felt ready to settle long term and would make himself available for taking up a formal position which is dedicated to offer support and guidance to fellow monastics. He kindly accepted our invitation to take over the role of Saṅghaṇāyaka at SBS Monk Training Centre.

According to Ven. Ariyadhammika, his main interests these days are:

• Meditation – from the perspective of “Early Buddhism” (Pāli scriptures and their parallels),

• Dhamma studies – from the perspective of “Early Buddhism”, and

• provision of guidance and training to like-minded monastics.

Ven. Kai Zhao

Ven. Khai Zhao was born in Ipoh, Perak. In 1987. He took ordination with most Ven. Book Kian at Penang Ang Hock Si Temple. After graduation from Malaysia Buddhist College in Penang, he started teaching Dhamma in local prisons, especially to death penalty inmates from 1998. Since 2006, he has been travelling locally and abroad teaching Dhamma in prisons, conducting retreats and giving counselling and guidance.

Āyasmā Saṅgāmaji

Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Āyasmā Saṅgāmaji became a novice monk in Sri Lanka in 1998 at the age of 24 with Bhikkhu Katukurunde Ñānananda as his preceptor. He got higher ordination in 2000. He lived with Bhante K. Ñānananda and in a branch monastery until 2007, then left to live in solitary places in the forests of Sri Lanka until 2014. This period was interspersed with a stay of half a year in Bodhinyāna Monastery in Perth, Australia. He later spent about two years in Thailand, in Wat Pah Nanachat and branches, and about five months in a forest monastery in New Hampshire, US.

In 2018 he came to Malaysia and has been staying in Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary for about a year.

His main interests are the study and practice of Early Buddhism, the training of the mind, and a simple monk's life in the forest.

Dhamma School Puja Assembly

Ven. Sri Saranankara

Ven. Sri Saranankara arrived in Malaysia from Sri Lanka 30 years ago.  Over the past three decades, Venerable has been working energetically to fulfill the spiritual and religious needs of Buddhists throughout the country.  As its abbot, he had built the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple in Sentul into an important monastery today with many resident bhikkhus.

Ven. Sri Saranankara is also instrumental in establishing many other Buddhist Societies, notably the Maha Karuna Buddhist Society, Kinrara Metta Buddhist Society, Mudita Buddhist Society, Upekkha Compassionate Home, and Sungai Long Buddhist Society.  Venerable Sri Saranankara is also the Spiritual Advisor to many Buddhist Societies throughout Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

In recognition of his vast contributions to the development of Malaysian Buddhist movement, the Malwatte Chapter of the Syamupali in Kandy, Sri Lanka, conferred upon Ven. Sri Saranankara the ecclesiastical title of “Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka” in 2008.  The Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia also appointed him a Monastic Advisor in 2012.