About Us

Founder and President

Bhante Subodha

Vice President

Michael Plant

Secretary

Hui Yun Chen

Treasure

Marco Bianchi

Board of Directors 

Robert Beckmann

Jose M. Nunez

Junior Spejo

My name is Bhante Subodha. I was born in Sri Lanka. I grew up in a big family; I have five siblings. When I was a child, I went to the temple with my family for ceremonies, full moon day retreats and to attend Sunday school. When I was nine or ten years old, I felt so peaceful in the temple and I understood that was my place. I decided then that I wanted to be a monk. I communicated this intention to my family, but my family didn’t agree. They expected me to get married and have a family. 

During my elementary school years, one of my teachers was a Buddhist monk. He had a big influence on me. He was a very good teacher and a kind man and this reinforced my idea of becoming a monk. When I was 17 I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer to become a monk so I told my parents that I will stop going to school until I was allowed to study to become a monk, at that point my family agreed. I met my master, Bhante Sorata and I started my training at the Mulagandha Kuti Maha Viharaya in Welisara, Sri Lanka and I was ordained on the day of the Kathina Ceremony in 1990. I received my full ordination in 1993. 

I studied languages, primarily Sanskrit and Pali at the Kelaniya university of Sri Lanka, and I graduated in 2001. From 2002 I worked in Vidyaravinda Maha Piriwena as a High school teacher. Subsequently from 2006 I worked as a vice principal until 2008 and as a principal until to 2013 in the Vidyaloka Piriwena.

I always felt very lucky because I had so many wonderful teachers and I was exposed to the Dhamma and I wanted to give back. I wanted to come to the United States and share the Dhamma. One day I met Bhante Dhammadipa, who was, at the time, the Abbot of the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY and Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx, who invited me to United States. I was appointed as prior to the Temple of Enlightenment in the Bronx. I am currently guiding for meditation and teaching Dhamma in the Bronx in Westchester county and online.

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