“We have no restrictions with regard to the race, caste, language, colour or religion. The truth revealed by Gautama Buddha is open to everyone … May you all be blessed by the Buddha, the noble Dhamma and Sangha, good noble Dhamma friends and all deities!” The words of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, founder of the Sri Lankan Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center, are the aspirations of the Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center, located in Tomball, Texas.
In 1999, Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero founded the Mahamevnawa Monastery at Waduawava, Polgahawela. At the age of 17, he was ordained under Dambagssare Sumedhankara Thero and Dikwelle Pannananda Thero at Seruwavila in March of 1979. He received a Buddhist education at the University of Sri Jayawardenpura, but his dissatisfaction with academic education led him to drop out and pursue meditation at different centers and hermitages. In this period of his life, he developed a unique Theravada philosophy. In addition to translating the Pali Canon into modern Sinhala, he has published over 90 books on the discourses of the Buddha, with hundreds of recorded discussions. Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero’s words in the Mahamegha Dhamma magazine and Shradda TV also propagate his knowledge to followers worldwide.
Mahamevnawa means “Great Cloud Monastery,” and the name is shared with the first monastery in Sri Lanka, where Arahant Mahinda Thero brought Buddhist teachings to the island. Mahamevnawa’s unique efforts to present the Dhamma in its original form distinguish it from other Buddhist traditions. A main focus is the emphasis on increased accessibility and equity of the Buddhist teachings, as distinctions of race, nationality, or otherwise are strictly forbidden. However, gender distinctions are still enforced through the gender separation of monastics, as is the practice of the Theravada tradition. Views about women and whether or not they can attain enlightenment are a point of debate and contention in the community.
Monks are trained in Polgahawela, and every six months the monastic order gathers and is reassigned to new monasteries. Within the branch, there are over 650 monks and 100 Anagarika nuns, with thousands of lay disciples. Over 70 branches exist in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. In 2016, the Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center was established in Houston, joining seven other branches of the Mahamevnawa Monastery in the United States.
The Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center strives to fulfill the mission of spreading the Buddha’s teachings and cultivating spiritual community. All services are free and open to the public, regardless of religious affiliation. Additionally, the LSBMC is not taxed by the IRS because it is recognized with church status before the government. Among the services provided are biannual blood and food drives, monthly youth programs for children, weekly Dhamma teaching programs, and meditation programs twice a month adaptable for beginner and advanced practitioners of meditation. The youth programs focus on mindfulness through meditation as well as the development of honesty, generosity, compassion, and respect. These programs are separated for older and younger children. Followers may also choose to have funerals and weddings officiated by the LSBMC.
LSBMC is a very casual and approachable experience, as there is no dress code and children are encouraged to attend. On some occasions, attendees are encouraged to wear white ceremonial clothes. Some services are conducted in Sinhala, but many are for English-speakers. In keeping with the Mahamevnawa tradition, the LSBMC encourages those who are not Buddhist to attend just to learn what Theravada Buddhist teaching is truly about. As much as it serves as a spiritual experience, the accessibility of services also functions to educate non-Buddhist Texans. The Center believes that Buddhist teachings benefit people of all backgrounds and comport with other major religions and secular moral values. As the Buddha taught all who expressed sincere interest in hearing him teach, the Center’s doors are similarly open to all people. On popular reviewing sites like Yelp, the Center has sometimes received poor reviews from Euroamerican visitors based on controversial teachings about the spiritual standing of women, however the Center itself makes no statement about gender separate of the Theravada teachings. In general, the community promotes equity, inclusion, and acceptance at every opportunity. Many other reviewers espouse the hospitality, openness, and inclusivity they experienced while visiting the center as a spectator. Visitors also find usefulness in mindful meditation practices, which have applicatons for religious and secular parts of life.
The monks are ordained in the Theravada tradition, but LSBMC pointedly notes that no visitor will be pressured to join the community or convert. The people of Houston provide the monks with robes, food, shelter, and medicine. Additionally, the center makes use of digital mediums for teaching, community networking, newsletters, and more. The Center’s website frequently posts transcribed sermons or discussions for people who did not attend. The monastery and center are located in a private home, so guests must schedule appointments to visit outside of predesignated services. During COVID-19 related lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the LSBMC continued services according to the health guidelines, encouraging mask usage, social distancing, and outdoor practices to ensure safe worship could resume as soon as possible.
Dhamma programs at the LSBMC typically begin with chanting, in both English and Pali. Readers may read along on the printed version. Flowers, candles, and sweet drinks are then offered in the Buddha’s memory, followed by the recitation of the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Last, the program concludes with guided meditation. The Saturday Dhamma Program takes place on the first, second, and fourth Saturday of every month, including Buddha Vandana, Meditation, Dhamma sermon, and Dhamma discussion. Programs in Sinhala include the full day Sil program every third Sunday. The Sil program includes observing the eight precepts, dhamma sermons and discussions, meditation, Buddha Vandana and otherwise. Holidays and special ceremonies are also celebrated, including the Sacred Stone Placement Ceremony and the Ground Breaking Ceremony.
Meditation programs begin with a short period of chanting, although practitioners are welcome to stay silent. Those keeping the five precepts are able to take them again, and it appears that most devotees adhere to the precepts. Then, monks lead the visitors in instructed meditation, which can last anywhere from 10 to 35 minutes at a time depending on the program length. A meditation program is held on the first of every month for all regardless of ability. Meditation is a central focus of the LSBMC as a means to cultivate inner peace and mindfulness while balancing and managing your life.
The constituency of the LSBMC is primarily South Asian, and while the website provides English information, social media posts are typically written in Sinhala. The ethnic Sri Lankan community in Houston comprises many of the followers at the Center. The community is small with approximately 200 regular attendees, but the LSBMC actively encourages people to attend their programs even if it is their first experience with Buddhism. Donations are the primary form of funding, and there are ways to donate in person and online for the livelihoods of the monks. In 2018, the LSBMC received $170,000 in donations for administration, redirection to the needy, and the future temple construction. Events or meals are often provided through members decorating and cooking themselves.
A major 2021 fundraiser is the LSBMC’s call for donations to support the construction of a temple, monk’s residence, and meditation hall. The land is already purchased, and at the end of 2021, 34% of the $150,000 cost of construction was reached. The temple will include a stupa and shrine room; a video rendering of what the final construction will look like is available on the website. A statue will serve as the relic in the stupa, and funds are accumulated in increments for each item’s purchase to make fundraising more manageable.
The community members represent Buddhism in a unique, accessible way, because they are located in a populated area and interact with the larger Houston community. The Center recognizes that a major misconception is the idea that Buddhist monasteries must only exist in remote forests or nature areas, but the LSBMC and its monks are embedded in a metropolitan area of Texas, and Houston residents are able to see and interact with monks and Buddhist practitioners in their daily lives. Additionally, where Western conceptions of Buddhism can commonly be conflated with East Asian or Mahayana ideas, the LSBMC represents the often-overlooked Theravada tradition and South Asian forms of Buddhism.
Although the LSBMC practices Theravada Buddhism, it still recognizes other forms of Buddhism. Although Theravada monks do not follow other Buddhist leaders like the Dalai Lama, they still respect wise leaders and humanitarian efforts of all religious leaders. The Mahamevnawa sect still holds respect for other Buddhist traditions.
The Lone Star Buddhist Meditation Center is a welcoming, thriving place of spiritual activity and a cornerstone of the Sri Lankan-American community in Houston Texas. At the LSBMC, the devotees strive to bring the ancient teachings of Theravada elders to a modern age where they can benefit attendees of all religious, national, and racial backgrounds.
By Abby Matusek
Below: The link to the video rendering of the vision for the temple after construction.