OF PENNSYLVANIA
HISTORY
25 years ago, Venerable Bhante Sujatha, was approached by Rev. Dan Larsen of the Unitarian Church in Woodstock, IL to start a meditation class. Sujatha agreed, and in January of 2003 he began teaching meditation classes both at a church in Woodstock. Years later, the church was put up for sale and Bhante was encouraged to purchase the church to build a temple. His large following raised the money to purchase the property in a few short weeks. Thus, the Blue Lotus Temple was born.
Beginning in 2012, Bhante Soma spent three years under the study and guidance of his teacher and mentor, Bhante Sujatha, now Abbott of Blue Lotus Temple, IL. Bhante Soma was then sent here to Central Pennsylvania to build a Buddhist community and teach his practitioners to reap the powerful effects of a daily meditation practice. The benefits of meditation include peace of mind, stress reduction, spiritual growth and wellbeing, and compassion towards all people including oneself.
Blue Lotus Temple Pennsylvania is a 501(3)c nonprofit organization, that was founded November 2, 2015 and is part of the Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple in Chicago led by Venerable Bhante Sujatha. Blue Lotus Temple Pennsylvania is an active community and moved into their current temple in Carlisle, PA November 2018.
MISSION
Our mission is to promote individual peace of mind, compassion for all beings, spiritual growth, and an ethical way of life based on Buddhist principles.
Through loving kindness meditation and the development of mindfulness, we strive to enlighten individuals as to the cause of suffering, the path leading to the cessation of suffering, and an understanding of the true nature of our existence.
WHAT WE DO
Do you live in our around Carlisle, PA? Are you seeking a spiritual community to practice meditation, talk dharma and build community together?
Sri Lankan buddhist monk Bhante Sujatha is world renowned for teaching a simple and easily practiced form of loving-kindness meditation that people find very helpful. Bhante’s mission is to add more love to the world by teaching meditation and sharing wisdom to as many people as he can reach. He’s dedicated his entire life to this noble cause and after spending the last 6+ years coming to central PA to teach Bhante has established a temple in Carlisle, led by Bhante Soma.
The Blue Lotus Temple has already successfully branched out across the U.S. with it’s headquarters and main Temple in Woodstock, IL, temple in Louisiana, and groups in Chicago, Wisconsin, Las Vegas, and Phoenix!
Please invite anyone you believe could benefit from a loving-kindness meditation practice to join our group!
May you all be well, happy and peaceful!
BHANTE SUJATHA
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, Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock, IL was created. 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 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.
BHANTE SOMA
Bhante Soma comes to us from Sri Lanka where he became a monk at the tender age of 11 years old. He is the youngest child in a large loving family. Thanks to modern technology, he can maintain a close relationship with his siblings, mother, and many nieces and nephews.
Bhante Soma has been in Central Pennsylvania since 2015. When he came to area, he did not know anyone and simply began asking local yoga studios and community centers to host meditations. The first ever mindfulness meditation with Bhante Soma was held at LGBT center in Harrisburg, PA.
From there, Bhante travelled around Central PA to offer mindfulness meditation in Hershey, Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Gettysburg, Mechanicsburg, Boiling Springs and Carlisle.
As the community began to form and grow, Bhante Soma invited friends from the various locations where he led meditation and dharma talk to create an Advisory Board and began to seek a permanent Temple location to offer classes, mindfulness mediations and dharma talks.
In 2018, the vision was realized and with your generous donations and our fundraisers, we were able to purchase a beautiful temple at 51 N. Pitt Street in Carlisle, PA.
Bhante Soma has made many multi-cultural connections with other Mahayana, Theravada and Zen Dharma communities. spreading mindfulness meditation and traditional puja throughout Central PA and beyond.
Bhante Soma performs many house blessings and baby blessings, and is available to officiate at weddings and funeral services. He makes himself available to anyone who needs spiritual guidance through email or phone.
Bhante Soma describes the Dharma teaching as short and simple, silent and accessible to all people. His mission is to to spread Gautama Siddhartha message of loving-kindness to the world.
BOARD MEMBERS
Bhante Somananda, Abbot of the Temple,
Nancy Romano,President
Lisa Oplinger, Vice President
Rev. Rachel Schwab
Tina Marks
Dan Cozort
FIND YOURSELF AT PEACE
Join us at Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center in Carlisle, PA for meditation classes, chanting, sangha, dharma talks, and more!