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Spiritual Advisers
Spiritual Advisers
One Bodhi Tree is blessed to have Geshe Thupten Phelgye and Bhante Seelvwimala guiding as the Spiritual Advisers. |
Venerable Geshe Thupten Phelgye is a member of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, representing the Gelug tradition of Buddhism. He became a monk in 1973 at Seraje College of Sera Monastic University and finished his Geshe degree (Ph. D.) in 1991. During eighteen years of Geshe studies, he served the monastery for free as a teacher for five years and as the chief health worker for three years. Over the years, he has been tirelessly giving talks and teachings around the world advocating vegetarianism and universal compassion for world peace. He has been working as Tibetan Buddhist Ambassador to Sulha Peace Project in the Middle-East for the last four years and doing interfaith dialogues. He has traveled to many countries, including India, Nepal, Japan, Switzerland, France, Taiwan, Israel, Canada and the United States, interacting with televeision, radio and printed media. In the U.S. he has spoken at universities such as Harvard, Wheaton College, Amherst University, Naropa University, University of San Francisco, University of California Santa Barbara, UCSB Hillel College, Seton Cove Austin TX and many Buddhist Centers. |
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Venerable Madawala Seelawimala Mahathera (Bhante Seelawimala), was ordained as a novice monk in Sri Lanka when he was ten years old. He was ordained by the Most Venerable Dhamma Master Hendiyagala Sri Seelaratanabhidhana Nayaka Maha Thera of Ancient Cave Temple in Kurunegala District Sri Lanka, who was one of the most revered Dharma teachers in Sri Lanka at the time. At age eleven he entered Maliyadeva Boy’s College became the only young monk who went through secular education in Sri Lanka. During this period he grew up under the supervision of Venerable Dr. Dickwela Piyananda who started the Washington Buddhist Vihara, the first Theravada Vihara in North America, with the collaboration of Sasana Sevaka Society of Sri Lanka. He received his higher ordination at age twenty in 1968. He received his bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Philosophy 1971 from University of Sri Lanka, Peradeniya. In 1974 he received his Masters Degree at the same university. |
