Henepola Gunaratana
Henepola Gunaratana
A Buddhist Monk's Journey to Inner Peace
As a renowned Buddhist monk and meditation teacher, Henepola Gunaratana has inspired countless individuals worldwide with his wisdom on the path to inner peace. Born in Sri Lanka in 1927, Gunaratana's life's work is a testament to the transformative power of mindfulness and compassion.
Full Name and Common Aliases
Full Name: Ven. Henepola Gunaratana Mahathero
Commonly Known As: Bhante Henepola
Birth and Death Dates
Born on October 7, 1927, in Sri Lanka.
No record of his passing.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Profession: Buddhist Monk and Meditation Teacher
As a Buddhist monk, Gunaratana's life has been dedicated to the pursuit of spiritual growth and the sharing of its benefits with others. His teachings emphasize the importance of mindfulness in daily life, making him one of the most widely recognized and respected voices in modern Buddhism.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Sri Lanka, Gunaratana was deeply influenced by Buddhist principles from a young age. He began his monastic life at 16 years old, becoming a novice monk under the guidance of Venerable Mapitipola Mahananda Thero. This early commitment to the spiritual path laid the foundation for his future role as a teacher and leader in the Buddhist community.
Major Accomplishments
Gunaratana's contributions to Buddhism are multifaceted:
Author: His book, "Mindfulness in Plain English," is considered a classic in Buddhist literature. It offers a clear and accessible guide to the practice of mindfulness meditation.
Teacher: As an internationally recognized teacher, Gunaratana has shared his insights on mindfulness and compassion with thousands of people across the globe.
Institutional Leader: He served as the Abbot of the Buddhist Vihara in Philadelphia for over 30 years.Notable Works or Actions
Some of his notable works include:
"Mindfulness in Plain English" (2002) - A comprehensive guide to mindfulness meditation and its application in daily life.
"The Joy of Living: Sharing the Buddha's Teachings on Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, and Contentment" (2011) - A book focusing on the practical aspects of Buddhist teachings for everyday living.Impact and Legacy
Gunaratana's influence extends beyond his written works:
He has been instrumental in popularizing mindfulness practices among both Buddhists and non-Buddhists worldwide.
His compassion, wisdom, and dedication to spreading peace have inspired countless individuals to adopt a more mindful approach to life.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Gunaratana's enduring presence in the Buddhist community can be attributed to his:
Accessibility: He made complex spiritual concepts understandable for readers from diverse backgrounds.
* Compassion: His teachings emphasize the importance of treating all beings with kindness and understanding, fostering a culture of compassion worldwide.
Throughout his life, Ven. Henepola Gunaratana has exemplified the path to inner peace through his dedication to meditation, teaching, and community leadership.
Quotes by Henepola Gunaratana
In order to give your mind a little rest, you need to “forget” things deliberately from time to time. This is like draining all the energy from your batteries in order to fully recharge them. When you drain all the energy from the battery of your electronic device and recharge it, the battery lasts longer. Give some rest to your mind. Cease to think about all those duties and responsibilities for a little while.
Deep concentration has the effect of slowing down the thought process and speeding up the awareness viewing it. The result is the enhanced ability to examine the thought process. Concentration is our microscope for viewing subtle internal states.
Essentially, insight meditation is a practice of investigative personal discovery.
As you practice jhana-oriented meditation, you move over time through a series of mental states that become more and more subtle as you proceed through them. You start where you are now and you go far, far beyond. You move beyond the range of concepts and sensory perceptions.
Mindfulness is our emergency kit, readily available at any time. When we face a situation in which we feel indignation, if we mindfully investigate our own mind, we will discover bitter truths about ourselves: for example, that we are selfish; we are egocentric; we are attached to our ego; we hold on to our opinions; we think we are right and everybody else is wrong; we are prejudiced; we are biased; and at the bottom of all of this, we do not really love ourselves.
Building concentration is primarily a matter of removing certain mental factors that hinder its application.
Meditation changes your character by a process of sensitization, by making you deeply aware of your own thoughts, words, and deeds.
VIPASSANA MEDITATION is something of a mental balancing act. You are going to be cultivating two separate qualities of the mind – mindfulness and concentration.
Advanced meditators are generally found to be pretty jovial people. They possess one of the most valuable of all human treasures, a sense of humor.
Distractions are really paper tigers. They have no power of their own. They need to be fed constantly, or else they die. If you refuse to feed them by your own fear, anger, and greed, they fade.