Today I talk to the Venerable Bhante Sujatha who is the Lovingkindness Buddhist monk. We discuss Mental Health and Mindfulness; specifically how a mindfulness based life can change someone who has anxiety, depression, trauma, or stress.
Here's a little about Bhante: When Bhante Sujatha was 10 years old, he told his parents he would throw himself off the bridge into the river below his childhood home in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, if they did not let him become a monk. Since that time, he’s remained just as certain and determined to live a life dedicated to adding more love to the world and helping people heal their wounded minds.
Bhante has always known he was born to serve humanity and he wakes up everyday committed to this noble cause, teaching meditation and helping people access the deeper parts of themselves so they can feel radiant joy and peaceful happiness. With a single robe and some leftover food, Bhante left his home country and eventually found his way to America, where he learned a new language and culture and discovered the aching desire people have for a more meaningful life.
In a old leaky church basement, Bhante was given a small room to teach meditation. The first night, two people showed up. A decade later, The Blue Lotus Temple is a world-renowned Buddhist temple and meditation center that serves thousands of people locally and even more all over the world, under Bhante’s leadership as abbot and spiritual director.
Bhante weighs in at 85 pounds, and fifth graders often tower of him, but make no mistake: This man is a powerhouse of focus, energy, and determination. Bhante leads more than 380 meditations a year, for which he travels hundreds of thousands of miles, often walking off a plane and onto a podium within minutes. He speaks to colleges and universities across the world, leads small group retreats, and consults with corporate giants, teaching them all that love is the way and peace is a constant practice.
Bhante’s humanitarian work spans the globe and most recently oversaw the re-fitting of five hospitals with significant need. In 2013, Bhante Sujatha was awarded the highest honor within his lineage, as a recognition for the incredible impact he’s made to spreading Buddhism across America, being named the Chief Sanhga Nayaka of North America.
On any given day, you’ll find Bhante on the West Coast leading retreats, in the Midwest running his temple, or on the other side of the planet providing refuge for those who suffer and inspiring others to give and do even more to help the world. The tireless crusader often sleeps only three or four hours a night and infuses every single waking moment with total purpose and dedication to his mission: adding more love to the world.
