The Story of Venerable Moggallāna: The Kind Monk with Great Powers A Special Friendship Long, long ago in ancient India, there lived a young boy named Moggallāna. He had a best friend named Sāriputta. They grew up together in the same village and loved each other like brothers. When they became young men, both friends […]
The Story of Venerable Sāriputta: The Chief Disciple
The Story of Venerable Sāriputta: The Chief Disciple (For Our ‘Buddhism for Kids’ Class) By Bhante Sumitta Once upon a time, in ancient India, there lived a young brahmin boy named Upatissa. He was incredibly intelligent and loved to learn about everything around him. Even as a child, he could understand difficult teachings that puzzled […]
Anagārika Dhammapāla: Pioneer of Global Buddhist Revival | On His 161st Birth Anniversary
Anagārika Dhammapāla: Pioneer of Global Buddhist Revival | On His 161st Birth Anniversary By Bhante Nivitigala Sumitta On September 17, 1864, a child was born in Colombo, Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka), who would fundamentally transform the landscape of global Buddhism. Don David Hewavitharane, later known as Anagārika Dhammapāla, emerged as one of history’s most influential […]
The Story of Little Sunita: How the Buddha Helped a Young Street Cleaner |
The Story of Little Sunita: How the Buddha Helped a Young Street Cleaner | A Little Boy’s Hard Life Long ago in India, there lived a little boy named Sunita. He was only about 10 years old, but he already had to work every day cleaning the streets and picking up trash. Back then, some […]
Madhu Punnami (Binara Full Moon) Day
🌕✨ Madhu Punnami (Binara Full Moon) Day ✨🌕 The September Full Moon, known as Madhu Punnami or Bhaddapāda Punnami, holds profound significance in the Buddhist calendar. 🙏 It commemorates the Buddha’s compassionate intervention during the Parileyya retreat, where His presence restored peace among quarreling disciples. On this sacred day, we are reminded of the touching […]
The Story of Venerable Rāhula – The Truthful Little Monk
The Story of Venerable Rāhula – The Truthful Little Monk A long time ago, in the city of Kapilavatthu, there lived a little prince named Rāhula. He was the only son of Prince Siddhattha and Princess Yasodharā. But when Rāhula was still a baby, his father left the palace in search of the truth, determined […]
I feel inspired to enter the monastic life
Question: I feel inspired to enter the monastic life, but I also have my mother who depends on me. I tried arranging support for her, yet I feel uncertain because others may not care for her with the same compassion that I can. My heart is torn between my aspiration for the monastic path and […]
Commemorating Vesak Day (Online Webinar)
The last session of our online webinar commemorating Vesak Day will be tomorrow. We warmly welcome you all! Our final Online session will take place tomorrow Date: 28th May 2025 Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm Resource Person: Dr. Bhante Sumitta (Founder of the Dhamma USA, Former Lecturer of Bhkkhu University in Sri Lanka) Moderator: Lakmali Marasinghe […]
Wisdom Shining Like a Lotus in the Mud By Dr. Bhante Sumitta
Photo Reflection Inspired by the Dhammapada Verses 58-59 (Garahadinna Vatthu) Pali Verses Yathā saṅkāradhānasmiṁ, ujjhitasmiṁ mahāpathe, padumaṁ tattha jāyetha, sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ. Evaṁ saṅkārabhūtesu, andhabhūte puthujjane, atirocati paññāya, sammāsambuddhasāvako. Translation Just as a beautiful and fragrant lotus may bloom amidst a heap of rubbish discarded by the roadside, Even so, among the blind and deluded worldlings, […]
A Joyful Gathering of the Sangha at Empty Cloud Monastery, New Jersey
We were blessed to witness a beautiful gathering of monks and nuns from four different countries at the serene and inspiring grounds of Empty Cloud Monastery in New Jersey. The peaceful and lush green environment, combined with the warm hospitality and presence of true kalyāṇamitta (spiritual friends), made this experience truly special. As the Buddha […]