Vimalaramsi, Bhikkhu
Bhante Vimalaramsi (1946-2023) walked a fascinating and, at times, arduous path since starting meditation practice 30 years ago. Beginning in California in 1974, and continuing through Hawaii, San Jose, San Francisco, Thailand, Burma, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Before leaving Asia , he was a teacher for Advanced meditation students in a very large monastery in Kuala Lumpur. Bhante returned to the United States in 1998 to teach meditation to Americans with the intention of one day starting a Meditation Center and Monastery for Monks, Nuns and lay followers to follow the Noble Path. He has established a meditation school and retreat center in the Ozark mountains known as Jeta's Grove and Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center in Mid-America near to Ironton, Missouri. Dhamma Sukha means "Teachings of Happiness".
Teachings: Suttavada
In 1995 Bhante began to study the Sutta texts more thoroughly and he practiced meditation according to the Suttas. After a three-month self-retreat in a cave in Thailand, he wrote a book on the Mindfulness of Breathing called "The Ānāpānasati Sutta: A Practical Guide to Mindfulness of Breathing and Tranquil Wisdom Meditation". Today it is estimated that more than a million copies of this book are circulated worldwide in 12 languages. He claimed in his book "Life is Meditation; Meditation is Life" (2014) that meditation will purify your mind in daily life.
Bhante Vimalaramsi taught meditation directly from the Suttas of the Pali Canon. He considered the most workable English translation to be the work of Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi and Ven. Nanamoli. Generally, Bhante Vimalaramsi placed first emphasis on the Suttas and references the commentarial works only where they agree with the Suttas. He taught by directly reading from the Suttas and expounding what they mean as he goes along. He followed the definitions and drills for meditation that were given by the Buddha to the original group of monks. Therefore, the meditation is taught with Samatha and Vipassana yoked together as advised by the Buddha in the texts.