Ven. Pannila Sudatta - Chief Abbot
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In 2007 he came to the United States of America and became a resident monk at the Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist temple in La Puente, California and commenced his career as an educationist where he molded the minds of the lay children who attended the Dhamma School. Venerable Sudatta contributed immensely to the Buddhist education of the young Buddhist monks and lay children with his deep knowledge of Abhidhamma (the Higher Teachings of the Buddha). His teaching career at Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist temple in La Puente, California spanned over six years. After which point he took residence at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara in Los Angeles, California to assist and learn under the tutelage of Venerable Agga Maha Pandith Walpola Piyananda.
Since 2014 Venerable Sudatta has been commuting between Los Angeles and San Diego every other weekend to serve the San Diego community with their spiritual needs; be it Dhamma discussion, Dhamma School or meditation sessions. He remained at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara until he moved to San Diego, California in 2017. After we established the temple premises at Santee, CA in November of 2019, Venerable Sudatta became the Abbot of the San Diego Buddhist Vihara and Meditation Center. As an active member of the Therawada Buddhist order in North America, Venerable Sudatta plays a leading role in bringing the local Buddhist community and the temple together.
Venerable Pannila Sudatta hails from the village of Pannila in Matugama in the Kalutara district of Sri Lanka. He received ordination in 1994 at the Sri Shailabimbaramaya temple in Pannila, Sri Lanka. The same year he entered the Sri Siddhartha Pirivena (monastic school) in Horawela, Sri Lanka for his education and training. While receiving his monastic training he completed his primary and secondary education at the same institute and graduated the government certificate examinations. Thereafter, he continued his Buddhist training at Sri Subadraramaya temple in Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. In 1999 he received his higher ordination under the Malwatte Chapter in Kandy under the capable tutelage of most Venerable Banagala Suseela & most Venerable Kaikawala Pesala. From 2003 to 2007 he completed his four year Bachelor of Arts (Special) degree in Pali Studies at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. While following the degree program at Kelaniya, he studied for his Royal Pandith degree, which is the highest degree in Buddhist studies offered in Sri Lanka.
Ven. Udagama Sumangala - Senior Advisor & Secretary
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In 1978 Venerable Sumangala received a scholarship from the Government of Japan to do post-graduate studies. He went first to the Osaka University of Foreign Languages where he mastered the Japanese language in just six short months. Then he went on to complete his advanced degree in Buddhist Studies at Otani University in Kyoto – in the Japanese medium, no less. In 1986, with the on-going help of Japanese friends, Venerable Sumangala founded the Sri Lanka-Nippon Educational and Cultural Center in Kotte, Sri Lanka. He is the Director of this charitable organization since 1992, which to date has given scholarships to more than 15,000 Sri Lankan students. During his time in Japan, Venerable Sumangala taught the Dhamma to the Japanese people – in countless classrooms, lecture halls, temples, and other venues. He has penned many books in Japanese, English and Sinhala and has done a yeomen service to Buddhism by translating the teachings of The Buddha from Sinhala to Japanese, and vice versa.
In 1992, Venerable Sumangala founded the Sri Lanka-Nippon Buddhist Center in Megahatenna, Sri Lanka. He is currently the Abbot of this temple and continues to support and fund its existence. In 1993, he recommenced his career as an educationist with his appointment as the Principal of the Sri Siddhartha Pirivena in Horawela, Sri Lanka. This is where Venerable Sumangala was first introduced to Venerable Sudatta (see below). In 1998, Venerable Sumangala migrated to the Unites States of America and resided at the newly established Houston Buddhist Vihara in Houston, Texas. He stayed in Houston until 2006 and helped the temple to grow, while at the same time returning to Sri Lanka every year to oversee the organizations under his direction.
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In 2008, Venerable Sumangala had been invited to become a resident monk at the Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara by its Abbot, his former classmate, Venerable Agga Maha Pandith Walpola Piyananda. He has been at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara since that time and in 2016 graciously accepted the invitation to join the San Diego Buddhist Vihara & Meditation Center. His knowledge of the Dhamma is vast, and his lively sense of humor draws people to him like a magnet.
Here’s some more information about Venerable Udagama Sumangala.
Venerable Udagama Sumangala hails from the village of Udagama in Colombo district of Sri Lanka. He received ordination in 1962 at the Vidyarama Vidyayathana Pirivena (monastic school) in Meegahatenna, Sri Lanka. While receiving his monastic training he completed his secondary education at the same institute and graduated the government certificate examinations. Venerable Sumangala entered the University of Kelaniya (then known as Vidyalankara Pirivena) in 1963 to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies. In 1964 he received his higher ordination at the Purana Raja Maha Viharaya in Kotte, Sri Lanka. Venerable Sumangala graduated with a First Class Honors (a first at the time) in 1967 and was immediately recruited to join the faculty of Vidyarama Vidyayathana Pirivena in Meegahatenna. While teaching at the Pirivena, he also obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka.
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Ven. Bambarawane Kalyanawansa - Treasurer
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