Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita, founded the Maha Bodhi Society in Bangalore in 1956. He became monk in 1949 at Kusinagar under the illustrious monk Venerable Candamani Mahathera. He then studied Buddhism and Pali in Sri Lanka and Burma. For a short time he served as the professor at the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara in Nalanda. In 1956 he came down to Bangalore to start the Maha Bodhi Society and since then he is engaged in spiritual and humanitarian activities. He is a prolific writer and a compassionate Dhamma teacher giving every Sunday discourses.
Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita , founder-President of Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore was born in the then eastern state of Manipur in India. He was born on March 12, 1922, a full moon day, in Imphal.
He was a bright student graduated from the Institute of Engineering Technology, Calcutta (Kolkata) in Automobile Engineering. He joined Government of India Defense Ordinance. The job took him to Malaysia, Singapore and various other places during the Second World War. He saw the destruction of life and property and misery that the war brought in the lives of people, which led him to turn towards spirituality. He resigned his job and left his home in search of truth and freedom. For some years he traveled through the length and breadth of India and studied Indian religions in various institutions.
In 1949 he took ordination as a Buddhist monk under the most Venerable Chandamani Mahathera, Abbot of Maha Parinibbana Vihara, Kushinara, U.P. He undertook extensive Buddhist studies both in India and Nepal the same year and left to Sri Lanka.
He studied Pali and Buddhism in Sri Lanka and practiced meditation under the renowned meditation master Ven. Mahasi Sayadwaw in Burma. He was a member of the editorial board of the sixth Buddhist Synod held in Rangoon, which brought out a complete edition of the Pali canon.
He has taught Buddhology at the Nalanda Pali Postgraduate Institute, Bihar. In order to spread the teachings of the Buddha in his own quite way he resigned the job and started Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore on a piece of land offered by the niece of Ven. Anagarika Dhammapala, Maha Upasika Mrs. B. Moonasinghe, which she had received from the Maharaja of Mysore for the purpose of building a Buddhist center in Bangalore.
Thus the Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore was founded in 1956. Since then he has been active in giving weekly discourses on Buddhism, writing articles and books, giving talks over All India Radio creating awareness among the people of Karnataka and India about Buddhism. He extended his activities to other countries of the world to disseminate the noble teachings of the Buddha.
His compassion prompted him to undertake many projects to alleviate suffering of the people, like building medical centers, monastic institutes, residential schools in different parts of India for displaced and poor children.
In 2001 seeing the urgent need of training good monks in India, he started MAHABODHI MONASTIC INSTITUTE, BANGALORE, on the auspicious day of 2545th Buddha Jayanti Celebrations. Today the institute has the strength of 100 monks from different parts of India who are getting monastic training.
In 2006 at the age of 85 he established MAHABODHI ACADEMY FOR PALI & BUDDHIST STUDIES, which conducts Diploma courses in Buddhist Studies to spread the teachings of the Buddha as widely as possible. This is the result of his deep research and experience in the revival of Buddha Dhamma. The courses are offered in English, Kannada and Hindi languages.
His Life & achievements
Born on March 12, 1922, Full moon day, in Imphal, Manipur State, India
Graduated from the institute of Engineering Technology, Calcutta in Automobile Engineering
Joined Government of India Defense Ordinance during the Second World War.
1. Name: Acharya Buddharakkhita
2. Monastery: Maha Bodhi Society, 14, Kalidasa Road, Gandhinagar, Bangalore - 560009, India
3. Date of Birth - 12-03-1922
4. Date of Place - Imphal, Manipur, India
5. Parents' Name -
Father - Late Sri Vishnupada Bandopadhyaya,
Mother - Late Smt. Sailavaladevi Bandopadhyaya
6. Became monk: Ordination took place on the Vesakh full moon day of 1949 at Kusinagar under the Most Venerable Chandamani Mahathera. Went to Sri Lanka for studies and got higher Bhikkhu ordination at Sri Maha Vihara, Nureliya, Sri Lanka in Udarata Amarapura Burmese Nikaya.
7. Studies - BUDDHIST STUDIES IN CEYLON, 1949-51
Teachers
Venerable Nyanatiloka Maha Thera (Pali and Sutta Acharya),
Venerable Widurupola Piyatissa Maha Nayaka thera (Vinaya Acharya)
Venerable Rerukane Chandavimala Maha Nayaka thera (Abhiddhamma Acharya)
BUDDHIST STUDIES IN BURMA, 1951-54
Teachers
Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw (Vipassana meditation Acharya)
Venerable U.Narada, Mula Patthana Sayadaw (Abhidhamma Psychology, Patthana System).
Venerable Yamaka Sayadaw, Visuddharama, Mandalay, (Abhidhamma Acharya)
8. Lectures - Taught Abhidhamma at Nalanda Post Graduate Institute at Nalanda, Bihar. He also helped in editing the Nava Nalanda Tipitaka project. He has been giving regular talks at Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore every Sunday since 1956. He also taught abroad in the UK, USA, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Burma.
9. Titles received - Conferred "ACHARYA" title by Udarata Amarapura Nikaya, Sri Lanka in 1951.
Honored with the title ABHIDHAJA AGGAMAHASADDHAMMA JOTIKA by the Government of Myanmar in 2009
1952-54 Joined the Chatthasangayana Editorial Board of the Union Buddha Sasana Council as Pativisodhaka, Government of Burma.
Helped to edit Tipitaka (Pali Scriptures) Published by the Government of Burma as part of the Sixth Buddhist Synod.
LIST OF ACTIVITIES STARTED AND INSPIRED BY THE VEN.ACHARYA BUDDHARAKKHITA
Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita has been a dynamic Buddhist missionary. He started two kinds of activities motivated by wisdom and compassion - Spiritual Practice and Human welfare.
1954-56 Taught at Nalanda Pali Postgraduate Institute. Subjects taught: Pali language and literature, Buddhist Psychology and Philosophy.
1956 Founded Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore, India. Established the Holy Bodhi tree and shrine. This Bodhi tree is a sapling of the original Holy Maha Bodhi Tree at Bodhagaya.
1959 Founded Mahabodhi Maitri Mandala, devoted to humanitarian service in the filed of medical and educational work. Under this organization services to the poor students through giving them free education, hostel facilities are conducted. Many camps for leprosy patients, eye donation for blind people, cancer patients services are being conducted..
1962 Started monthly magazine SWAYAM SAHAYA which carried articles on application of Dhamma in daily life situations and social welfare with spiritual basis.
1964 Founded a model rural Hospital at Sakalavara, Anekal taluk for training medical personal for rural service. Meditation was also taught in this hospital as a therapeutic technique.
1966 Built the Mahabodhi Burns and Casualty Centre at the Victoria Government Hospital, Bangalore and Burns wards at various district hospitals, such as Mysore, Hassan, Mandya, Tumkur etc.
1968 Started Mahabodhi Residential School for boys at Bangalore.
1969 The Buddha Vachana Trust, a publishing section of the Maha Bodhi Society was established.
1969 Established Tipitaka Printing Press and training school for printing technology.
1971 Mahabodhi Maitri Medical Mission, which run holistic medical center.
1971 Established Mahabodhi Artificial Limb Centre.
1972 Established Arogya Foundation (India) and Arogya Hospital medical center dedicated to total health with multidisciplinary, holistic approach.
1972 Established Sevakshetra building.
1972 Started monthly Buddhist magazine DHAMMA
1976 Established the Institute of Pali Studies and Buddhalogy in Mysore.
1980-2000 Visited USA and taught Buddhism and Buddhist meditation in various educational institutions. Established a Meditation Centre at Big Bear, California, USA.
1984 Established the Mahabodhi Vishva Maitri Stupa. This is the first stupa built in India after the lapse of about 800 years during which Buddhism declined.
1984 Initiated TIPITAKA GRANTHAMALA PROJECT - to publish the entire Tipitaka in Kannada language.
1986 Establishment of branch of Maha Bodhi Society in Ladakh with following activities:
Mahabodhi International Meditation Center, Ladakh
Mahabodhi Residential School and Hostels, Ladakh
Mahabodhi Old Age Home, Ladakh
Mahabodhi Nunnery, Ladakh
Mahabodhi Karuna Charitable Hospital, Ladakh
1990 Taught at Fo Kuan Shan University in Taiwan.
1994 Mahabodhi Loka Shanti Buddha Vihara, Bangalore - It is a replica of Mahabodhi temple in Buddhagaya
1995 Mahabodhi Community Centre- A hall used for community services and functions.
1999 Blessed the Deutsch Buddhistische Humanitaere Verienigung (DBHV), Germany - an organization which runs regular meditation and dhamma study programs and supports the activities of the MBS
2000 Mahabodhi School, and Mahabodhi Carla Students Home Mysore - A new building was built to run a modern school based on moral education.
2001 Established Mahabodhi Monastic Institute, Bangalore - the only monastic center with facilities for intensive dhamma studies and practice. At present it has 150 monks under training.
2002 Blessed the Mahabodhi Metta Foundation, Switzerland which supports the spiritual and social welfare activities of MBS.
2002 Mahabodhi Padmaloka Girls Hostel, Bangalore - Hostel for girls who have completed high school and go for higher education. At present there are 30 poor Buddhist girls studying different university course
2003 Mahabodhi Nalanda Hostel for Monks at Bangalore - To accommodate 150 monks a beautiful hostel building was built.
2003 Maha Bodhi Society Branch in Arunachal Pradesh Mahabodhi School and Mahabodhi Hostel, Diyun.
2003 Association Mahabodhi Karuna, France - It was started to conduct meditation programs and to support educational activities.
2003 Mahabodhi Buddhist Center, Lindenfels, Germany was started to conduct dhamma study and meditation teaching. Regular programs are conducted in this center
2003 Mahabodhi Mettaloka Youth Center, Mysore - A hostel for boys who have completed high school. At present there are 37 boys staying in this hostel.
2004 Mahabodhi Karuna Belgium - was started to conduct dhamma teaching programs and to support educational activities of MBS.
2005 Mahabodhi Metta Charitable Fund, USA - to support the activities of MBS
2006 Mahabodhi Academy for Pali & Buddhist Studies (Correspondence Course),
which conducts two year Diploma in Buddhist Studies course. This will be
upgraded to Lord Buddha University of Pali and Theravada Buddhiam. The Government of India has granted funds for this Academy.
2007 Mahabodhi Rita Girls Home, Diyun, Arunachal Pradesh - A new hostel for girls was started. At present 118 poor girls live in this hostel who are provided with all the needs free of cost by the MBS.
2007 Survey of Buddhist Communities in India - To understand the situation of Buddhist community in India.
2007 Mahabodhi Maitri Mandala, Tawang Branch was started. The construction of the monastery is going on.
2008 Mahabodhi Dhammaduta Vihara - Foundation for was laid for this Vihara which will be a Center for Moral and Spiritual Education at Alur, Bangalore. The construction work has started already.
2009 He was honored the title ABHIDHAJA AGGAMAHASADDHAMMA JOTIKA by the Government of Myanmar.
At Present he is residing at Mahabodhi Monastic Institute, Bangalore spending
time in solitary meditation, teaching monks and writing Dhamma books.
