01/24/2026
🌿Biography of Venerable Bhante Rathana🌿
🌸Early Life and Ordination
Venerable Bhante Rathana was born in 1985 in Sri Lanka. He grew up in a small village in a large family, and his monastic training began early: he was ordained as a novice monk in 1999.
🌸Higher Ordination and Buddhist Education
In 2008, he received higher ordination and studied both Sanskrit and Pali. In 2014, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Philosophy from a leading Sri Lankan university.
🌸International Teaching and Founding of a Meditation Center
In 2016, he came to the United States to serve with several Buddhist organizations across the country. In 2024, he settled in Jacksonville, Vermont, where he founded the Green Mountain Meditation Center (GMMC) at 267 Academy Road, Jacksonville, VT 05342.
Bhante Rathana spent many years in silent forest meditation and scriptural study. He brings together the discipline of the Pali Canon and the warmth of spiritual companionship on the path. His teachings balance scholarship with simplicity, making the Dhamma and Pali texts accessible to all who are interested.
All of this training, practice, and service has prepared him for his mission: “to teach meditation and guide others in spiritual development through the Buddha’s noble teachings. Guided by loving-kindness and compassion, I am dedicated to sharing the Dhamma (the Buddha’s teachings) and cultivating peace within myself and others,” he shared.
