Most Venerable “Bhante" Vimalaramsi Mahathera
Bhante Vimalaramsi has practiced meditation for more than 40 years and is a well known Meditation teacher and author. He interested in practicing meditation by going back to the earliest Buddhist Suttas to find out what the Buddha really taught. He uses the Majjhima Nikaya as his basis for teaching the "Mindfulness of Metta" and the Brahmaviharas that lead to the realization of Nibbana. He calls this T.W.I.M (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation)
Background
Bhante Vimalaramsi is an American monk who was ordained in Northern Thailand in 1986 at the age of 28. He left the USA to seek awakening in the early 80's and decided to let go of all of his material possessions. Before this he had taken Vipassana courses in California and lived at and supported a Center in San Jose, California.
Bhante Vimalaramsi has studied with several monks who held the title of “Bhivamsa”. Among them were Venerable U Pandita, U Lakkhana, U Silananda, U Janaka, U Dhammananda, U Dhammapia. He further studied with The Mingun Sayadaw, who had memorized the entire Tripitika, Sayadaw U Thatilla. Other teachers he spent longer periods of time with were the late Most Ven K Sri Dhammananda, Venerable Punnaji, Ajahn Yanitra, Ajahn Buddhadasa, Ajahn Cha Lee, Ajahn Santititho, and some others in Thailand.
Bhante practiced Vipassana very intensely his first 20 years under an American teacher and in Burma, under U Pandita and U Janaka. He was told that he had achieved the endpoint of the practice, as they taught it, and now he should go teach. He didn't feel comfortable that he had really found the end of suffering. He felt that he had not had the true personality change that awakening should bring, even after going the levels of Insight as outlined by Mahasi Sayadaw.
Changing Direction
From 1991 to 2000 he dedicated himself to "direct experience through study of the suttas and meditation practice". At first he stayed with K. Sri Dhammananda in Malaysia and taught Metta meditation. Then he had a change in direction with his meeting of a Sri Lankan Senior monk, Bhante Punnaji, also in Malaysia. His advice was to ‘study the suttas directly and to let go of relying on commentaries like the Visuddhi Magga'. Specifically he said, ‘Read only the suttas, then practice'. This was very significant because the commentaries were influencing how he was seeing the entirety of the Dhamma at the time. It was suggested to put them aside while he studied the suttas as a standalone system. Nanavira in the early sixties suggested this in the early 60's and then Stephen Batchelor talked about just using the suttas in his book "A Buddhist Atheist".
When Bhante began to do this, he discovered first hand the interwoven nature of the Teachings. In each sutta he found the elements of the 4 Noble Truths, the 8-Fold Path, and the impersonal process of Dependent Origination, to be the core of the teachings. He realized that the word sutta literally meant "thread" and that the threads together created a finely woven cloth, whereas, one single thread does not equal a cloth! Through his own objective first hand experience the 8-Fold Path began to come alive. He took the Majjhima Nikaya to a cave in Thailand and spent 3 months living with a cobra, reading and then practicing just what the suttas said. In very little time he said he had gone deeper in his meditation than ever before.
Opened Retreat Center in the USA
In 2003, he founded the United international Buddha Dhamma Society [UIBDS] and created Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center and Monastery (DSMC) in 2005, He currently resides and teaches there in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, near St. Louis, during the Spring through Fall. he does retreats and talks in Asia and Europe during the cold winter months.
Bhante has held retreats in Malaysia, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka and several locations throughout the United States. Many are recorded and on Youtube and our website and a translation is available in different languages.
Books Written
The Anapanasati Sutta: A Practical Guide to Mindfulness of Breathing and Tranquil Wisdom Meditation 1998-2006
Breath of Love 2012
Moving Dhamma Volume 1- 2013
The Dhamma Leaf Series - 2014
Life is Meditation, Meditation is Life - 2014
A Guide to Forgiveness Meditation - 2015
A Guide to Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation (T.W.I.M.) - 2015
Dhamma Leaf Series:
MN 36 "The Greater Discourse to Saccaka"
MN 9 "Harmonious Perspective"
MN 148 "The 6 sets of 6"
