Bhante Vimalaramsi – Biography
Bhante Vimalaramsi began with the Burmese style of Vipassana meditation in 1974 at the age of 28. After having sucessfully led a construction company he became a monk in 1986. He practiced meditation intensively, spending twelve years in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia. In 1995 he wrote a commentary book on the Anapanasati Sutta, which is one of th most important teachings from the Majjhima Nikaya, the Collection of the Middlelength Sayings of The Buddha. By 2009 more than one million copies had been distributed in seven languages and it continues to be translated into further languages. In 1998 he was given the honorary title of Sayadaw Gyi (Higher Meditation Teacher). Vimalaramsi has developed a mnemonic system of training to help students practice Right Effort all the time.
He travels around the USA and abroad to Europe teaching a simple to understand meditation that can be taken into daily life.
In 2006 Vimalaramsi was nominated to become the first USA Representative for the World Buddhist Supreme Summit Council which meets every two years. Upon approval he was inaugurated into this lifetime position on November 1, 2008 in the New Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism in Japan. The Summit represents 32 countries where Buddhism is taught through the three main schools of buddhism. The summit was originally formed in 1998 when H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Ven. Dr. Enshinjoh of Japan, and the H.H. Sangha Raja of Thailand came together with this idea. The summit seeks to re-examine the fundamental teachings and practice of the Buddha in order to help the three schools of Buddhism to recognize their commonalities in this 21st Century.
