Henepola Gunaratana

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He is affectionately known as Bhante G. He is the author of the best-selling meditation guide Mindfulness in Plain English.

Early life Henepola Gunaratana was born Ekanayaka Mudiyanselage Ukkubanda on December 7, 1927, in the small Sri Lankan village of Henepola. He took his ordained name, Henepola Gunaratana, in the Sinhalese custom. The first name denoting his birthplace, and the surname a spiritual concept. During this time, he entered the local American University and earned a Bachelor's of Philosophy in 1975. He also served as the first Buddhist chaplain on the university's campus in 1972 while still a student.

Assistance of Vietnamese Refugees, 1975 In May 1975 after graduating, the State Department reached out to Bhante Gunaratana at the conclusion of the Vietnam War to comfort and minister to ten thousand newly arrived Vietnamese refugees in Florida. Over the next four months at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunaratana held devotional services, English classes, and gave blessings to newlyweds at the refugee camp. He also did much to locate American sponsors for these refugees who would keep the families together so that they would not have to be separated.

Further Education and Teaching Following this period Gunaratana returned to Washington, D.C., and went on to earn a Masters, and Doctorate of Philosophy in 1980 from American University. In the 1980s, Gunaratana began to teach graduate level courses on Buddhism at American University, Georgetown, Bucknell, and the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also lectured at universities throughout the greater United States, Europe, and Australia. He is known for his contributions to the study and practice of samatha and vipassana meditation.

Published works

(commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta) (commentary on the Girimananda Sutta)