Biography of
Venerable Henepola Gunaratana was ordained at the age of twelve as a Buddhist monk in Malandeniya, Sri Lanka. In 1947, at the age of twenty, he was given higher ordination in Kandy. He received his education from Vidyasekhara Junior College in Gumpaha, Vidyalankara College in Kelaniya, and Buddhist Missionary College in Columbo. Subsequently he traveled to India for five years of missionary work for the Mahabodhi Society, serving the Harijana (“Untouchable”) people in Sanchi, Delhi, and Bombay. Later he spent ten years as a missionary in Malaysia, serving as religious advisor to the Sasana Abhivurdhiwardhana Society, the Buddhist Missionary Society, and the Buddhist Youth Federation of Malaysia. He has been a teacher in Kishon Dial School and Temple Road girls’ School and principal of the Buddhist Institute of Kuala Lumpur.
At the invitation of the Sasana Sevaka Society, he came to the United States of America in 1968 to serve as general secretary of the Buddhist Vihara Society of Washington D.C. In 1980, he was appointed president of the Society. During his years at the Vihara, from 1968 to 1988, he taught courses in Buddhism, conducted meditation retreats, and lectured widely throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Asia. In addition, from 1973 to 1988 Venerable Gunaratana served as Buddhist chaplain at The American University.
He also has pursued his scholarly interest by earning a Ph.D. degree in philosophy from The American University. He has taught courses on Buddhism at The American University. He has taught courses on Buddhism at The American University, Georgetown University, and the University of Maryland. His books and articles have been published in Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Sates. His book Mindfulness in Plan English has been translated into many languages and published around the world. An Abridged Thai translation has been selected for use in the high school curriculum throughout Thailand.
Since 1982 Venerable Gunaratana has been President of the Bhavana Society, a monastery and retreat center located in the woods of West Virginia (near the Shenandoah Valley), which he co-founded with Matthew Flickstein. Gunaratana resides at the Bhavana Society, where he ordains and trains monks and nuns, and offer retreats to the general public. He also travels frequently to lecture and lead retreats throughout the world.
In 2000, Venerable Gunaratana received an award for lifetime outstanding achievement from his alma mater, Vidyalankara College.