Buddhism in Oklahoma!
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear friends,
Below is an article about these 3 wonderful Theravada monks in Oklahoma, USA spreading Buddha’s teachings. The funny thing is, these 3 monks did not know each other prior to teaching in Oklahoma but got together for a higher spiritual reason.
They each came from different backgrounds, have very different personalities and are from different age groups… the youngest amongst them being 25 years old! Since the reason for them being together is for the Dharma, despite their apparent differences, they are able to live harmoniously and peacefully. I have always told and reminded my students that due to the wishes we made in our previous lives, we are now together practicing the Dharma. Similarly, these 3 monks must have made the same aspiration in their previous lives.
I found this story very inspiring, and wanted to share with everyone how Buddhism is growing in the West. All different schools of Buddhism is welcomed and accepted in the States, like it is in South-East Asia.
Do read the article below!
Tsem Rinpoche
Path to Dhamma: Oklahoma monks spread Buddha’s teaching in Heartland
Three men now living in Oklahoma took very different routes to Buddhism.
by Carla Hinton
Dhamma: the universal truth common to all individuals at all times; regarded as one of the primary sources of Buddhist doctrine and practice (also called Dharma).
Three men now living in Oklahoma took very different routes to Buddhism.
One was born into a Buddhist family, while another grew up Roman Catholic.
The third — a 2007 Moore High School graduate — was initially drawn to Buddhism out of curiosity about meditation.
Though their journeys were separate and diverse, these Buddhist monks have joined together with one focus: They are teaching Oklahomans the path to Dhamma.
“Our goal is to help the people by teaching Buddhism, yoga and meditation,” said Bhante Piyaratana, senior monk and founder of the Oklahoma Buddhist Center, 5108 ½ S Lindsay. “We want to offer our services to the community.”
Piyaratana, a Sri Lanka native, created the center, nestled in a south Oklahoma City neighborhood, in 2007.
He was joined by two novice monks, Bhante Ananda, 61, and Bhante Santikaro, 25, in May. Bhante is a way to refer to Buddhist monks in some traditions. It means “venerable sir” in Pali, an ancient language of India, related to Sanskrit.
Several months ago, the trio began teaching meditation classes at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Norman. This week, they began offering a “Mindful Meditation” class for veterans at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center.
Learning and teaching
Piyaratana said he came to the United States from Sri Lanka in 2006. He said he was a resident monk at the Buddhist Meditation Center in Mankato, Minn. Given the opportunity to continue his academic studies in other states, Piyaratana chose Oklahoma, although his colleagues warned him the state has a history of weather disasters.
“People said, ‘Bhante, why do you move to Oklahoma? There are so many tornadoes,’” Piyaratana said.
The monk said the warmth and friendliness of Oklahomans eventually caused him to move to Oklahoma City to attend Oklahoma City University. He said he has been welcomed by most people he has met, though he knows his Buddhist tradition places him in the minority in a Christian-majority country and state.
“It is Bible area, but Oklahomans are real nice,” he said.
Piyaratana and the two novices reside at the Buddhist center, a relatively small house that has been converted for the purposes of Buddhist monastic life. It also is a site for weekly classes on meditation, yoga, Buddhism teachings and ceremonies.
Piyaratana said the center follows the Theravada tradition of Buddhism and draws 50 to 75 Oklahoma Buddhists from local Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Cambodian communities as well as people from other faith traditions who come for the yoga and meditation classes and to learn more about Buddhism.
The monks also teach a meditation class at Windsong Innerspace, 2201 NW Interstate 44 Service Road.
In Norman, Diana Hanson, office manager at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 1801 W Brooks, said the monk’s meditation classes there have grown since they were started several months ago. The monks said the class has about 20 people.
Hanson said the church is open to different ideas and is supportive of the monks. For the past five years, the church has hosted Tibetan monks for an event in which the monks arrange colored sand in patterns as part of a sand Mandala, an ancient Tibetan art form, she said.
The monks with the Oklahoma Buddhist Center said Buddhism seems to draw people for many different reasons, and their own journeys to the Buddhist monastic life are no exception.
Ananda said Piyaratana entered a Buddhist monastery in Sri Lanka to become a Buddhist monk when he was 11 years old, an occurrence that isn’t uncommon in areas where Buddhism is prevalent.
“You wouldn’t see people here doing that,” he said.
He said he and Santikaro were not raised as Buddhists and yet they found themselves on the path to Dhamma.
The youngest of the trio, Santikaro, said he traveled the country with his military family — and ended up staying in Moore, where he finished his high school career. He said he grew up attending independent Baptist churches and became interested in Buddhism in 2008 after seeing a friend meditate.
“He looked happy and peaceful,” Santikaro said.
He said he began doing research on Buddhism and eventually found a Buddhist temple to attend and also met Piyaratana. Santikaro said for three years, he began preparing to become a Buddhist monk, paring things like his cars and his Xbox from his life. He said his parents were supportive because he was doing what made him happy. Friends, too, were encouraging; but they wanted him to be sure he really wanted to live a life without a girlfriend or money from the pursuit of a traditional career field.
“They were making sure that this was something that I really wanted to do,” he said.
Ananda said Buddhist monks are not required to make any vows, but they are asked to free themselves of attachments and things that would keep them from committing to living out Dhamma teachings and educating others about Dhamma.
Ananda, a Hawaii native, said he was brought up in the Catholic tradition, and only after the death of his parents did he fulfill his goal of pursuing the Buddhist monastic life. He said he worked for many years as an interventionist, regularly helping people in crisis situations.
He said he was exposed as a youth to Buddhism when he visited the Buddhist temples of some of his Japanese friends. After his parents’ death, a friend who was a Buddhist monk helped him connect again to the Buddhist tradition, Ananda said.
Ananda said he and Santikaro met at a Buddhist monastic community in Texas and came to Oklahoma to help Piyaratana with his growing Buddhist center.
“We are sojourners,” he said.
Article Photos
Buddhist monks Rev. Hingulwala Piyaratana, who goes by his Buddhist title Bhante Ratana, Rev. Ananda and Rev. Santikaro next to the alter in their Buddhist home in Oklahoma City Monday, Sept. 16, 2013. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Buddhist monks Bhanta Santikaro, Bhante Piyaratana and Bhante Ananda sit next to the altar at the Oklahoma Buddhist Center where they live and host classes in Buddhism, yoga and meditation. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Containers of holy water sit near the altar in a home for Buddhist monks in Oklahoma City. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
A figurine rests on the altar in a home for Buddhist monks in Oklahoma City. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
A Buddha statue is featured prominently on the altar area at the Oklahoma Buddhist Center in south Oklahoma City. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Bhante Piyaratana teaches a meditation class at St. Stephens United Methodist Church, 1801 W Brooks in Norman. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Bhante Piyaratana touches a flower to the head of a student during a meditation class at St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Norman. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
The altar in the Oklahoma Buddhist Center features a statue of Buddha. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Marcy Usry, of Norman, participates in a meditation class at St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Norman. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Students sit in silence during a meditation class St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Norman. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Bhante Piyaratana with the Oklahoma Buddhist Center touches a flower to the head of a student during a meditation class at St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Norman. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
[Extracted from: http://newsok.com/path-to-dhamma-oklahoma-monks-spread-buddhas-teaching-in-heartland/article/3892307?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=bufferb1ca4&utm_medium=twitter]
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Buddha’s teachings, the Dharma, inspired three monks to come together in Oklahoma to found a centre for meditation, yoga and dharma classes. All three came from diverse backgrounds. Piyaratana(who came to the States from Sri Lanka in 2006) had entered the monastery at 11 to become a monk. Both Ananda -61-and Santikaro were not raised as Buddhists and yet they found themselves on the path to Dharma. All three share a strong commitment to the Dharma. Each of them found their path of renunciation and followed it. Santikaro said for three years, “he began preparing to become a Buddhist monk, paring things like his cars and his Xbox from his life”. His parents and friends just wanted him to be sure he really wanted to live a life without a girlfriend or money from the pursuit of a traditional career field.
This is a beautiful and inspiring story of three people who found their spiritual path and just followed it. The most beautiful part is their readiness to share it with one another and with others who are interested. Here there is no dogmatic pursuit. Their practice is basically meditation, yoga and dharma sharing, which are the fundamentally appealing aspects of Buddhist practice.
Inspiring article …..three wonderful men ,living in Oklahoma took very different routes to spread Buddhism.The reason for them being together is for the Dharma, despite their apparent differences, they are able to live harmoniously and peacefully,teaching Buddhism, yoga and meditation. Buddhism is spreading everywhere…..that is great.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this inspiring article.
It’s very great to know that Buddhism is connecting to people around the world. Everyone has their own religion freedom, every religion has been teaching us to do good. I’m very glad that Oklahoma Centre is practising Buddhism. Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Rejoice!!! Dharma no Barriers…
May Holy Dharma spread to ten directions, Peace is the key for all peoples around the world. May more and more peoples able to meet their inner and outer Peace through Dharma practices…
Thank you for Rinpoche’s sharing. It was wonderful to know that Buddhism is everywhere, it did not limit by area, human, time or distant. With the same goal for bring benefits for others, may the Dharma grow everywhere.
It’s inspiring that they have pursued their Dharma spiritual path but still end up together and collectively to teach the Dharma. What is even amazing is the local Catholic church is supportive of their endeavor. It is the best example of spiritual co-existent with each other harmoniously. It also speaks of living in a win-win situation.
One can also imagine with limited manpower and resources it is an uphill task to spread the Dharma in Oklahoma. Nevertheless Bhante Piyaratana choose the difficult task of going there to teach the Dharma. In a sense that is also the essence of Dharma because going to a difficult place one is challenging one’s comfort zone. As Rinpoche has many times reminded moving away one’s comfort zone is necessary for one to move forward. In the article itself there are many hidden Dharma gems for us to learn and appreciate the effort running a Dharma centre.
Buddhism is relevant today because it is giving us knowledge and tools to deal with the highly pressured and competitive world that we are living in now.
It is so heart warming to know that 3 people from totally different background and upbringing coming together to bring the timeless teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni to the Christian-majority city of Oaklahoma.
Kudos to the St.Stephen’s United Methodist Church for being open minded. Because of that, its members and other Oklahomans also benefited from the meditation classes held at the Church. This is a fine example how religious harmony and openness actually benefit the people.
Bhante Pivaratana, senior monk and founder of the Oklahoma Buddhist center, has said that their gaol is to help the people by teaching Buddhism, Yoga and meditation. Joined by 2 other monks, Bhante Ananda 61, and Bhante Santikaro 25, the founder monk furthersaid theyare offering their services to the community. As such, the monks as sanghas, are upholding the function of spreading the doctrine of Budhha’s teachings and providing support for their own sangha community, and they should be congratulated for such good action! As revealed by Pivaratana, they normally draw a crowd of 50 to 75 oklhoma buddhists of local sri Lankan, Vitnamese, Thai and Cambodian communities, as well as people from other “faith” traditions who came for yoga and meditation classes and to learn more about buddhism. With their mind so firmly set on dharma, these magnificient Three are truly unifying themselves to courageously take on all hardships for the sake of Dharma!
What a joyful coming together by three people, who come together for a higher purpose than just themselves or just purely for excitement or pleasure. If we believe in karma we will know that nothing happens without a reason or a cause. What a great coming together for all these people to practice and spread the buddha dharma. How auspicious it is for them to work together to bring peace and healing to others.
谢谢仁波切的分享。佛法是无国界，所谓佛法无边。祈愿有佛法的地方，佛光普照，普渡众生。就让我们的世界有佛法的庇护，而成为佛净土。
I met Santikaro when I was younger. It is nice to hear he is doing well.
Buddhism is definitely the fastest growing religion worldwide. With its many aspects, one can gain the peace of mind, thru meditation, dharma work, studies & understanding of Buddha’s teachings, etc… It is heartening of read about the religious harmony in Oklahoma. Real dharma (“way of life”) practised there. Thanks Rinpoche for this article which also shows open mind and heart is the practise of true religion.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this inspiring news with us. It is no matter whatever lineage we come from I guess all this teaching are from Lord Buddha himself if we really practices the teaching well we should be able to live with anyone and work together with anyone therefore if all of us are religious then the world will be very harmony and no war.
Three monks that came from different back grounds and of different age group met and lived harmoniously and peacefully in a buddhist center for one purpose that is to spread Buddha’s teaching to the people there. It is wonderful to know that their meditation classes have grown since they were started few months ago and even the Methodist church there is also supportive of the monks meditation classes.That’s one of the reasons buddhism is growing fast in the west. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this interesting story.
Thank you for sharing this information, Rinpoche. It is great to know that Buddhism is spreading far and wide in the west. I hope that it will continually spread as Buddhism is great for the materialistic Western world.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article which shows how strong aspirations led them to make decisions which gravitated them towards each other. Mathematicians would call it a random event but if you understand karma, you would realise that such events are not random.
Thank you ,Your Eminence,It is awe inspiring to hear that Buddhism spreads in the states favorably,though we belong to different cultural backgrounds and schools whether the lower vehicle or higher vehicle,the ability to corporate with all followers as one religion is earnestly what conveys our selves as followers of the Sambuddha.May all your works score success in bringing the doctrine to everybody who favours it.
Saddhu!
Thank You Rinpoche. It is awesome to know that Buddhism in all traditions are growing in the West and that sangha from diverse background are working to bring the Teachings of the Buddha to the communities there.
What stands out for me is that the meditation class are done at St. Stephens United Methodist Church. I assume it is a Christian church. If this is so, then the tolerance and understanding of the community is beyond words. I rejoice.