Nissarana Vanaya

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

[edit] Address

Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaya, Meetirigala 11742, Sri Lanka.

[edit] History

Meetirigala Nissarana Vanaye is a monastery in the strict forest tradition in Sri Lanka. It is one of Sri Lanka's most respected meditation monasteries. It 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 Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera. Meditators and monks go pindapada 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 Ven. U Dhammajiva, a student of Ven. 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 Potgulgal Aranya near Devalegama, Kegalla - taking with him some of the high ranking supporters of the original Meetirigala which is on a decline in respect and spirit ever since.

Meetirigala (sometimes written Mithrigala) 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.

Next to it, on the third hill of the Meetirigala mountain range is the Sumangalarama, a monastery set up by Ven. Nyananandas own pupils following the Sri Lankan style strict Samatha and Vipassana practise as introduced originally by the late Ven. Sri Matara Gnanarama himself.