Biography of
Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, Los Angeles, CA
Venerable Madewala Punnaji Mahathera was born in 1929, and has completed 40 vasas. He was the original founder of the Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara in Los Angeles. He came to Unites States of America in 1971, and has served duties at Washington Vihara and in Sri Lanka Temple in Boston, Mass. He has been teaching Buddha Dharma in North America continent for 35 years Sri Lanka Master in meditation. He is well known for his clear and accurate presentation of Buddhism and has grateful students the worlds over. He is the author of the book called “Awakening Meditation” and a DVD on Buddhist teaching called “Harmonious Perspective”.
The technique of meditation presented in his book is based on over many years of scientific research to discover the original teaching of Buddha. The research involved a through study and practice of various methods of meditation, hypnosis and psychotherapy. No modern scholar has so far been able to identify this elusive original teaching. This meditation technique, based on the Supernormal Eight-fold Process, is what he discovered to be the original method of meditation taught by Buddha. The technique captured in his book is called transformational meditation because its aim is to transform the character and personality of a person. Needless to say, it is not based on the systems or teachings invented later by the followers of the Buddha or Buddhist.
He is now residing in Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara of Los Angeles, California.