Background
The Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey (MBMNJ) in Monroe Township, NJ was founded by the Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero and is a reform movement Center. They describe themselves as “a kind of Buddhist renaissance with the intention to discover the roots of Early Buddhism and to re-apply their timeless principles.” MBMNJ is a non-profit organization and remains consistent with the teachings of Theravada Buddhism; this means that they rely on generous donations in order to continue their practices. The unique draw this specific Buddhist temple has pertains to its languages: both English and Sinhala. The Center possess Facebook pages for both languages and has a variety of activities that one can participate in either language. There is a chance for English speakers to learn Sinhala and vice versa. An Introduction to Buddhism class is taught every Thursday and is open to anyone who would like to join. The Center’s main goal is, in their own words: “to foster a deeper practice of the Buddhist ethics for the wellbeing of individuals, families and society at large, to help individuals of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to find peace and mental calmness through concentration and mindfulness and to promote the study and application of insight meditation (vipassana) which will ultimately lead to the attainment of Nirvana.” The Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey is just one branch of the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery of Sri Lanka – there are other North American branches in New York, California, Texas, Washington D.C., and Florida.
While all of their public events currently take place off site, the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey is looking to create a permanent Buddhist Temple, for the public, in the coming years. There are still lots of activities one could do to get involved at MBMNJ, like participating in the Charity & Services programs and attending their weekly Friday Meditation Class. And, in case you missed it, they post the main message of that week’s meditation on their website for internal reflection at home. The main takeaways from the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey are that they are a versatile Center and are passionate about sharing their teachings with anyone in the community.
Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero
The founder of the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey focuses heavily on “spreading Buddhism to both local and international communities.” This fits with the Center’s mission perfectly; their goal is to be welcoming and opening to anyone in order to spread the Buddha’s original teachings. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero is a Sri Lankan monk who received a traditional Buddhist academic education and founded the first Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery in August 1999. Since then, there are 58 branches in Sri Lanka and 28 branches overseas. He emphasizes the importance of learning the Buddha’s teachings in the language of Sinhala, instead of Pāli. He’s published many books based on the teachings of the Buddha and worked on translating Pāli texts written by other Buddhist monks. Thousands of people practice the teachings of Kiribathgoa Gnanananda Thero and he is a very recognized figure in modern Theravada Buddhism.
Theravada Buddhism & MBMNJ’s Practices
Mahamevnawa, a Sinhalese word, means “great cleansing rain shower” and is an accurate depiction for the teachings present at the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey. The Center focuses on practicing Dhamma in an unaltered form through teachings, discussions, and meditations.
“Spreading Dhamma through personal example.”
In order to achieve such a specific teaching, lay people and monks must obtain a high level of Vinaya practice and follow the Buddha’s teachings dutifully. The concept of “personal example” reminds people that their actions are speaking louder than words. One’s very actions impact their karma in future lives, so it is very important to be mindful and concentrated on the Buddha’s teachings. In order to reach Nibbana, one must concentrate on cultivating their mindfulness and use their wisdom to teach others. The Theravada Canon was written in the Pāli language, which is both translated and taught at MBMNJ. Theravada Buddhism is focused on the foundations of mindfulness and originally spread to Sri Lanka in 210 BCE. This type of Buddhism focuses on the elders, connecting and relying on the earliest teachings of the Buddha. There was a lot of skepticism expressed when bringing Theravada Buddhism west; the teachings and truths of the Buddha could be questioned in ways that no one knew the correct answer to.
The reason for practicing Theravada Buddhism is to get back to the original meaning of the text. For centuries, people interpreted the Buddha’s teachings however they liked, adding in meanings and concepts that complicate the intent of the teaching. Theravada Buddhism erases all of the extra personal ideas and focuses solely on the original Buddha’s teachings, recognizing that they “are practical and bring both short term and long term happiness.” Mahamevnawa focuses on instructing disciples and followers the same way that Buddha had intended, with their practices coming straight from the ancient original teachings. The Buddha’s original understanding of suffering and liberation still apply today, and Theravada Buddhism helps people to recognize that.
Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey’s Community
Theravada Buddhism emphasizes the importance of compassion and wisdom, which is demonstrated in the MBMNJ’s activities and outreach. All ages and persons are encouraged to come and learn, and there are handouts and websites to connect people with teachings that are suited for them. For example, there are links to Amazon books for further education and a Youth Dhamma Boot Camp that is part of the children’s program at MBMNJ. The community is full of members of all ages and races, which highlights the importance of inclusion at the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey. It looks as though this is a decently large community, as there are pictures on the website that span many different age groups. Since the MBMNJ’s main focus is to include as many people as possible, I would say that membership would be upwards of 150 people. There are events tailored to everyone, with meditation for young adults and adults, and classes for children. No matter what level of familitarity you have with the Theravada Buddhist tradtion, you are welcome at the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey. All events are completely free and family friendly, and while they ask that you call ahead to schedule an appointment, the MBMNJ is a welcoming place with many different activities to be a part of. In terms of the MBMNJ’s relationship with other Buddhist communities, since there are branches all over the U.S., the Center is very friendly with other Temples. I would also imagine that the connection between the specific branches in New York and New Jersey would be very close if not closer than the others, since proximity is on their side.
Daily consultations and mediations are available, as well as Meditation Advice, House Blessings, Spiritual Counseling, Marriage Blessings, Medical Visitations, and Expectant Parent Blessings (free of any charge). There is a children’s program designed to introduce Buddhism to children of any age and every Thursday, there is Meditation with a Monk. A monthly language program is run to introduce English speakers to the Sinhala language and provide them with Dhamma and Meditation programs once they can understand. Another class includes the Pāli English chanting class, in which attendees can learn how to chant the traditional blessings in both Pāli and English (regardless of background). Guided Meditation audios and PDFs are available to download for those who might want additional practice or have questions about the specifics of meditation. The Friday Meditation class’s teachings are often posted, so anyone can go online and think more about that week’s meditation focus. Overall, the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey is a community full of members of differing age, race, and language backgrounds that have weekly and monthly opportunities to come together and practice Theravada Buddhism.
Today
Currently, the New Center for Meditation and Mindfulness is about 22% funded. The construction of a permanent home for the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey is underway and the website is very open about how many square feet are completed and how much each of those square feet cost. The MBMNJ highlights the importance of stepping away from the stress of the modern world and “drinking deep from timeless wisdom.” They branch their community out by inviting people to relax and reflect for a moment during this stressful time. There is plenty of information on their website about exactly what to expect when coming to a meditation class or interacting with MBMNJ for the first time, which is really comforting to those who might be a little less confident about their Buddhist practices. Even those who might not feel comfortable fully submerging themselves in the Theravada Buddhist practices at MBMNJ can get involved by donating blood during their annual blood drive or reading through their information about meditation and mindfulness. There is something for everyone at the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Meditation Center of New Jersey.
By: Jonatha Berg
Works Cited