Nissarana Vanaya

Nissarana Vanaya is a famous meditation monastery in Sri Lanka. It is located in western province close to the town of Kirindiwela.

History

Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaye is a monastery in the strict forest tradition in Sri Lanka. It is considered as one of Sri Lanka's most respected meditation monasteries and was founded in 1968 by Asoka Weeraratna (the founder of the German Dharmaduta Society and the Berlin Buddhist Vihara in Germany). He equipped the monastery with all the facilities conducive to the meditative life, found an accomplished meditation master, Ven. Matara Sri Gnanarama Mahathera (author of 'Seven stages of Purifications' and 'Seven Contemplations', both published by the BPS), to direct the meditation training, and then, his mission accomplished, he himself entered the Buddhist order under the name Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi. Meditators and monks go alms begging in the traditional style, male meditators are allowed to stay for up to 2 weeks, but only after receiving prior invitation. The meditation teacher is Venerable U Dhammajiva, a student of Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita.

After Ven. Gnanaramas (Nyanaramas) demise his closest pupil, the Venerable Katukurunde Nyanananda ('Concept and Reality', 'Magic of the Mind') led the monastery for some time but later moved to Potgulgala Aranya near Devalegama, Kegalla.

Meetirigala (sometimes written Mithrigala or Meethirigala) is also the location of two other monasteries. One is the Dharmayatana a place for Tipitaka studies which was later turned into a Vipassana meditation facility for monks to follow Venerable Pa Auks system of instructions.

The third monastery in Mitirigala follows in the meditation system propagated by Ven. Nyanananda. There is also a meditation center for women closer to the village.

File:Upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Meetirigala.jpg

References

• Bhikkhu Bodhi about Nissarana Vanaya in an interview
• Retreat Information