A lineage rooted
in ancient soil.

Part of the Mahamevnawa Monastic Order

Wisdom Meditation Center is a monastery of the Mahamevnawa Bhavana Asapuwa, an international Theravāda Buddhist monastic order founded by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero. Mahamevnawa has quietly grown into one of the largest monastic communities in the world dedicated solely to the original teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pāli Canon.

Our monks, trained in Sri Lanka and now serving communities across the world, live by the same rules of simplicity, humility, and service laid down more than two and a half millennia ago.

The name, Mahamevnāwa

Mahamevnāwa is an ancient park in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, created by King Mutasiva. It is home to the Samadhi Statue, the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, and the Ruvanveli and Thuparama stupas, some of the most revered sites in the Buddhist world. For more than two thousand years it has offered monks and seekers a tranquil place for meditation and reflection.

We carry that name with humility. Our center in New Jersey is meant to be, in some small way, a piece of that quiet grove, here in America, for anyone who needs it.

Our founder

Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero began Mahamevnawa with a simple conviction: that the Buddha's own words, unadorned, unaltered, are sufficient. He has dedicated his life to making these teachings accessible to ordinary people, through plain language, warm teaching, and an unwavering emphasis on practice over ceremony. His work has been received by millions across the world.

The teachings are freely available to everyone.

Our monks do not receive a salary for their service. Most of our meditation programs and Buddhist teachings are offered free of charge.

Some programs are donation-based, while others have a fee to help cover the costs of food, accommodation, facilities, and other expenses. We do our best to keep our programs affordable and accessible to everyone in the community.

Our goal is simple: money should never be a barrier to learning, practicing, and benefiting from the Buddha's teachings.