Pirikara Puja!

Dear Dhamma friends,

Most Venerable Bhante Piyananda and Most Venerable Bhante Seelawimala arrived in the United States in 1976. Since then, they have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the noble mission of sharing the Buddha's teachings, making a profound contribution to both Buddhism and humanity. As they commemorate 50 years of service in the United States, we, the resident monks, are organizing a special retreat to honor their remarkable dedication and to offer blessings for their continued good health and long life. This retreat will be held for approximately 150 Sri Lankan monks from September 5th to September 7th, 2026 (Labor Day Weekend), at the University of the West in San Gabriel.

During this period, a monastic retreat titled "Sangāyana" will be conducted. Through this gathering, we aim to share the life experiences and insights of Bhante Piyananda and Bhante Seelawimala with the younger Sri Lankan monks currently residing in the United States. It is our hope that their wisdom will inspire and guide the next generation in preserving and promoting Buddhism in this country for decades to come.

The welcome ceremony will take place on Monday, September 7th at 3:00 PM, and you are warmly invited to participate. Over the course of these three days, we plan to offer lunch dāna daily, along with three types of offerings to all participating monks: pindapāta (monetary offerings), Attha Parikkhāra (the eight requisites), and robes.

To successfully organize this meritorious event, we seek a total of 1,000 sponsorships. If you would like to sponsor, please click the "Reserve Your Offerings" button and submit the form. Further details will be shared individually upon receipt of your submission.

If you wish to support the event in other ways, please contact us at (323) 252-2339.