Report By: Jake Palfi
Introduction
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center is currently being run under patronage of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center. The Pittsburgh Buddhist Center’s resident monks are helping to create Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center. They currently operate out of their meditation center in Akron Ohio, but are raising donations from the community to help build a temple which will benefit the Sri Lankan Buddhist community in Cleveland for Years to come. The Monks at Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center were all born, educated, and ordained in Sri Lanka. This means they are extremely knowledgeable in the teachings of Buddhist, and can further help the Cleveland Buddhist community in their monastic practices.
Founders of Cleveland Buddhist Vihara
With an invitation from Bhante S. At the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center, Bhante Buddhadaththa became the First Resident Monk in Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center in 2022. Bhante Buddhadaththa was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka and became a Buddhist monk at the age of only 14 years old; he later received higher ordination in 1999. He was educated in the monastic lifestyle by the Venerable Ampitiye Sri Dhammarama Maha Thero and Most Venerable Yatawatte Dhammananda Thero at Sri Maha Bodhi Maha Vihara, Bahirawa Kanda, in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Additionally, Bhante Buddhadaththa had earned a bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, and Pali Language from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, as well as a masters in Buddhist Studies from the University of Kelaniya also in Sri Lanka. Not only is Buddhadatta the First Resident Monk of Cleveland Buddhist Vihara, but he was also the Founder of the Buddhi Pradeepa Social and Ecological Foundation in Makkanigama, Sri Lanka. He only came to the United States in 2019 when invited by Bhante Pemaratana.
Bhante Pemaratana became a monk at the age of only 10 years old in 1986 in Sri Lanka. He was taught his monastic training by the Venerable Attangane Sasanaratana Maha Thero at Sripathi Pirivena Monastery in Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka. Bhante Pemaratana has also earned a bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Studies from the University of Peradeniya, in Sri Lanka, as well as a masters degree from the National University of Singapore; later on he received his Ph. D. in Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. Bhante Pemaratana came to the United States in 2008 and is currently the chief abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center.
Bhante Punna was born in Sri Lanka and first came to the United States in 2007. Before then, he worked in a Buddhist Monastery located in Brisbane, Australia. Bhante Punna was ordained at the age of only 10 years old in 1983 under the teaching of the Venerable Kodagoda Gnanaloka Maha Theor at Vidyachandra monastery in Galle, Sri Lanka. Now Bhante Punna works at the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center and helps the community through his Loving Kindness meditation instructions and teachings.
Bhante Metta was born in Sri Lanka and first became a monk at the age of 12 years old in 1996. He was later ordained in 2004 under the monastic teaching of most Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithreya Maha Nayaka and most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithree Murthi Maha Nayaka Thero at Sri Dharmananda Vidyayatana Pirivena in Balangoda, Sri Lanka. Bhante Metta has earned a bachelor’s degree in Pali Language from the University of Peradeniya, in Sri Lanka. Bhante Metta came to the United States in 2018 to teach at the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center where he leads classes for both children and adults.
Buddhist Affiliation and Constituency of Cleveland Buddhist Vihara
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center serves the Buddhist community of the Theravada denomination of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism only takes teachings that are directly from the Buddha himself; only teachings that were directly from the Buddha are used in the Theravada denomination of Buddhism. The Theravada Buddhists have preserved the Pali Canon which is the standard collection of scripture in the Theravada tradition for hundreds and hundreds of years. Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center is made up of over 20 young devotees who participate in religious services, meditation programs, and religion and language classes. All teachers are ordained monks from Sri Lanka.
Mission Statement: “The mission of the Cleveland Buddhist Vihara is to learn, practice, and promote Buddhist teachings and philosophy of Theravada Tradition in order to cultivate spiritual awakening, improve moral values, and promote harmonious living in our communities. The Cleveland Buddhist Vihara aims to serve the needs of Buddhists in northeast Ohio while promoting peaceful, moral and mindful living.” – Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center
Monthly Program 9/15/24 – Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center
Practices and Events
Free meditation services and public talks are some events that are held by the Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center. The Sessions are completely free and a way for the Monks to help spread their wisdom, knowledge, and experience to the Buddhist community in Cleveland Ohio. The sessions can be held at any public center that works best for the community.
At the Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center, educating the youth is considered extremely important. Therefore there are a total of four different levels of schooling attributed to learning the monastic way. First, there is a beginner level meant for children from the ages of 3-5. These classes are mostly fun activities that help children learn more about Buddha and his stories. The basic level is made for children of ages 6-8. In this level, students begin to associate the stories from Buddha with common religious practice and knowledge. Next, there is the intermediate level which consists of children from the ages of 9-12. At this level students are taught some of the principles of Buddhist teachings and how to relate them to your way of life. Lastly, there is an advanced level where students further practice and hone in on their knowledge and skills in the Buddhist tradition.
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center also celebrates many holidays throughout the year. Vesak day is a holiday dedicated to the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha which takes place on the day of the full moon in May. The monastic community celebrates by participating in religious practice and appreciating the Buddha’s teachings. Songs and lanterns are also traditions used on this day to help celebrate the life of the Buddha. The Katina Ceremony is another important celebration in the Buddhist community. The Katina Ceremony takes place at the end of the Vassa, a 3 month rainy season retreat in which the monks remain in the temple to further dedicate time to meditation and religious study. The main event in the Katina Ceremony involves a special robe called the Katine-Chivara which is offered to the Sangha who then presents the robe to the monk in charge of the retreat. The New Years celebration is also an important holiday in the Buddhist community. The New Year is marked by the travelling of the Sun from the Meena Rashiya to the Mesha Rashiya and symbolizes a time for harvest. The Sri Lankan New Year does not align with the New Year in the Gregorian calendar; instead it uses the seasons, harvest, and the moon to tell what time of year it is and when the New year begins. To start the New Year festivities off, the oil lamp is lit to symbolize hope and positivity; many songs and skits are also performed. There are many other traditions and games including the boiling of milk, sack race, tug of war, water balloon toss and more.
Community Funding and Relationship to Western Buddhist Society
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara is a non-profit organization (501(c)3) and accepts donations from the public in order to help maintain and build the temple. Additionally, Cleveland Buddhist Vihara is a tax-exempt non profit, and all donations given can be considered as tax-deductibles. These donations are extremely important because the proceeds will be used to help build the proposed temple in the Greater Cleveland area. The temple will be used as a place for “learning, a community anchor, a cultural center, and,… a place of refuge” to help benefit the Buddhists of Cleveland. This temple will help Sri Lankan Asian communities as well as the American communities in the city of Cleveland.
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara not only helps the Sri Lankan community in Cleveland, but also has close ties and relationships with communities in Sri Lanka. Mentioned in the Cleveland Buddhist Vihara Quarterly Newspaper, the Cleveland community also takes donations and raises money for the SriPathi Children’s Home in Sri Lanka. This home takes in orphans that have no family or place to go. The donations work in a sponsor system; it is only 20 dollars to sponsor a child and your donations would ensure that they have proper supplies to make it through the upcoming school year.
Work Cited
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center Main Website https://clevelandbuddhistvihara.org/
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara Quarterly Newspaper Vol. 1 https://clevelandbuddhistvihara.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cleveland-Buddhist-Vihara-Quartly-Newspaper-Template.pdf
Cleveland Buddhist Vihara Quarterly Newspaper Vol. 2 https://clevelandbuddhistvihara.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cleveland-Buddhist-Vihara-Newspaper-Second-Edition.pdf
Wikipedia Theravada Buddhism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada