by Jenna Rose Robbins
Bhante Sujatha doesn’t quite fit the stereotype of a Buddhist monk. After living in the United States for more than two decades, he’s become quite Westernized, even to the point of managing his own numerous social media accounts, which he does via his smartphone.
“My weather karma and selfless service #adding more love,” Sujatha recently posted on Facebook, where he shared photos of himself bundled up in clothing that allowed him to shovel snow incognito in Belmar Beach, New Jersey, after a winter storm.
But despite his embracing of American culture, the Sri Lankan native hasn’t forgotten the mission that originally brought him to the States: to spread the message of loving-kindness.
His visit to the South Bay this week is part of that mission. On Saturday, Sujatha makes a stop at Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes to offer a meditation sunset class. The event is just one of several during his most recent Southern California visit, which also finds him offering a session on “healing through loving-kindness,” in Beverly Hills, and blessing animals at The Gentle Barn, a sanctuary located in Santa Clarita.
Loving-kindness meditation has increased in popularity in recent years, and with good reason: Science has shown that it can positively impact practitioners’ mindfulness and even decrease illness symptoms, as determined by a 2008 University of North Carolina study. A similar study three years later at Boston University concluded that, combined with more traditionally accepted treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based meditation, such as the loving-kindness variety, could benefit “interpersonal processes,” such as depression, anxiety, and anger.
But Bhante’s mission began long before Lululemon co-opted the trend. Born Neil Bandara, the diminutive Sri Lankan knew he wanted to be a monk from the time he was 11, when he threatened to kill himself if his parents didn’t let him follow what he knew to be his life’s path. It was no idle threat.
“I would have gone through with it,” Bhante says now, and he knew his parents would believe his commitment, even though, as the first-born and only son of a poor family, he was expected to provide for the family. Eventually, his parents capitulated, and when Bhante (the Theraveda Buddhist word for “monk”) turned 20, he received full ordination.
“Bhante weighs in at 85 pounds, and fifth graders often tower over him,” reads the Theraveda monk’s website, “however, make no mistake: This man is a powerhouse of focus, energy, and determination.” In addition to clocking in more than 300 appearances a year, from leading small retreats to consulting with corporations, Bhante is the founder and spiritual director of the Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock, Illinois. In 2013, his many years of philanthropic efforts — both in the U.S. and in his homeland of Sri Lanka — earned him the title of Chief Sangha Nayaka of North America, one of the highest honors in the Theraveda branch of Buddhism.
Somewhere in his hectic schedule Bhante found the time to establish Sanatha Suwaya, a meditation and yoga center that will also serve as a community center in Kandy, the city next to his hometown of Peradeniya. The center will hold its first retreat this April and will continue to act as the clearing house for much of Bhante’s ongoing humanitarian work, which he refers to as “love in action.” Projects include clean-water initiatives, building homes for the poor, and donations of medical equipment, including his annual drive for neonatal incubators.
Despite his success and charitable efforts, Bhante often gets chided by fellow countrymen who believe a monk should follow a very particular, ascetic way of life, one that eschews Facebook and the selfie culture. To such criticism, Bhante has a very simple response: “I don’t care. My heart is clean. My mind is clean. I have a purpose.” No hashtag required.
Bhante Sujatha, Buddhist monk of 30 years, will lead a Sunset Meditation Workshop Feb. 6 at the Terranea Resort’s Movement Studio. The two-hour workshop includes a meditation session, as well as a lecture by Bhante, “What is Loving Kindness?” Reservations required, $35 donation encouraged. Call 310-265-2740. Proceeds will be donated to his maternity ward and incubator project in Sri Lanka. ER
