About Our Founder

Our Founder And Abbot

Bhante Buddharakkhita

Bhante Buddharakkhita was born in Uganda, Africa. He first encountered Buddhism in 1990 while studying in India. He was fully ordained as a Buddhist monk by the late Most Venerable U Silananda in 2002 at the Tathagata Meditation Center in San Jose, California. He then spent eight years under the guidance of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society, in West Virginia.  Founder/Abbot of the Uganda Buddhist Center in Uganda, Bhante is the founder of the Buddhist Peace Primary School in Uganda.
He is a long-time member of Global Buddhist Relief’s advisory council in New Jersey. Bhante has been teaching mindfulness meditation in Africa, the U.S., Singapore, and worldwide since 2005, and he is a much-loved teacher in many countries. His book, Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa, tells the story of his religious and spiritual work in Africa.

Publications

Planting Dhamma Seeds: The emergence of Buddhism in Africa

Sowing Seeds of Peace: Mindfulness Meditation for Finding Peace Within

Caring for our Planet: Buddhism and the Environment

Drop by Drop: The Buddha’s Path to True Happiness

Attempted Murder of a Buddhist Monk: Tales and trials of planting Dhamma Seeds in Africa