Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is the founding abbot of the Bhavana Society. Born in rural Sri Lanka, he has been a monk since age 12 and took full ordination at age 20 in 1947. He came to the United States in 1968. “Bhante G” (as he is fondly called by his students) has written a number of books, including the now-classic meditation manual Mindfulness In Plain English and its companion Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness. Bhante G regularly leads retreats on vipassana, mindfulness, metta (Loving-friendliness), concentration, and other topics both at the Bhavana Society and elsewhere. (read more)

Bhante Yogavacara Rahula was ordained in Sri Lanka in 1975. He has been a part of the Bhavana Society since 1987 and serves as the vice-abbot. He regularly teaches and conducts retreats, including retreats integrating yoga breathing and exercise with vipassana. His approach to meditation emphasizes mindfulness of the body. Bhante Rahula also conducts retreats in the United States, Germany, and regularly goes to India to preach to the Harijanas (untouchables) and to travel.  (read more)

Bhante Dhammaratana was born in Detroit and worked primarily as a mechanic in lay life. He became interested in Buddhism from the Dhamma writings in The Tassajara Breadbook. These inspired him to contemplate ways to improve his life and overcome suffering. He came to Bhavana in 1991 where he served as a lay resident. In 1992, he was ordained by Bhante Gunaratana and is currently the most senior monk at the Bhavana Society ordained by Bhante G. Bhante Dhammaratana became a monk because of a desire for a more enduring happiness found by serving and being sensitive to others.

A Sri Lankan by birth, Ayya Sudinna was ordained as a samaneri in 1999 by Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society. She received the higher ordination (Upasampada) in 2002 in Sri Lanka.  In lay life, Ayya Sudinna served as a teacher in Government schools and as a lecturer in English at the Government Teachers Training College, Maharagama, and later under the Higher Education Ministry in Sri Lanka. She has an honours degree in English and an M.A. in Buddhist philosophy. She is the author of a children’s story book titled ‘Delightful Tales.’

Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita was born in Uganda (East Africa). He became interested in Buddhism while he was a business student in India in 1990. After working in sports business in Thailand, he became disillusioned with the unsatisfactoriness of the business world. He began to travel and search out Dhamma more seriously. He has learned from various masters in India, Burma, and the US and was ordained by the late Burmese monk Sayadaw U Silananda in 2002. In 2005, he founded the Uganda Buddhist Centre in Kampala, Uganda, the first Buddhist Center in Uganda.  He has been a resident monk at the Bhavana Society since 2002.  For more photos click here.

Bhikkhu Sangharatana worked as a film editor and graphic designer, had two marriages and 3 children, and has looked into various spiritual paths over the years. He received meditation instruction from Bhante Dharmavara Mahathera, a Cambodian monk, while living in a Gurdjieff center in the late 1970’s, and later belonged to a Sufi community for many years. His interest in Buddhist meditation was rekindled. He sat retreats and, when the opportunity presented itself, came to live at Bhavana in 2002. Bhikkhu Sangharatana was ordained as a novice by Bhante G in October of 2003 and has been a bhikkhu since 2004. Becoming a monk was for him the realization of a deep-seated desire that had been with him for a long time.

In lay life, Bhikkhuni Sobhana’s main occupation involved helping nonprofit groups. When Sobhana first took up meditation, she had the great good fortune to be introduced to Bhante Gunaratana, and has remained under his guidance since 1989. She also participated in the Washington (DC) Mindfulness Community, the Mintwood Zendo and the Friends Meeting of Washington. She gave up the job and condo in 1999, and spent alternating time living at Bhavana and hiking the Appalachian Trail. She received samaneri ordination from Bhante Gunaratana in 2003, and bhikkhuni ordination in Sri Lanka in 2006.