Venerable Maholava Ariyadhamma Thera has lived as a bhikkhu (male monastic) in a Sri Lankan forest. Ven. Ariyadhamma also resides at Sri Sumanasararamaya, a Buddhist monastery in Thulawala, Sri Lanka. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Civilization and Sinhala by the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and has long experience teaching Buddhist meditation.
Two types of bhikkhus live in Sri Lanka: forest-dwelling bhikkhus and village- or town-dwelling bhikkhus. Forest bhikkhus live simple, pure lives of renunciation in harmony with nature and their surroundings, and are highly respected in Sri Lanka as living the ideal monastic life. Forest bhikkhus focus mostly on meditation and the attainment of nibbana (enlightenment), whereas town dwelling bhikkhus focus more on study and the support of lay Buddhists. Consequently, forest bhikkhus have less interaction with laypeople. Well-respected books have been written on this topic by Michael Carrithers and Richard Gombrich. Carrithers was a lecturer at the Durham University, where I studied as an undergraduate and am a member of University College [Castle] SCR Senior Common Room.
Ven. Ariyadhamma has also been a resident monk at Ketumati Buddhist Vihara in Manchester, England, for extended periods over the last decade. He performs religious activities at the vihara—including teaching meditation and the Dhamma, conducting Buddhist rituals and chanting, and offering support and advice to the Buddhist community—under the guidance of the head bhikkhu, Ven. Pidiville Piyatissa Nayaka Thera, the Chief Sangha Nayaka of England.
Ketumati Buddhist Vihara has a close relationship with Buddhists in the county of Cumbria and the town of Kendal. Ven. Pidiville Piyatissa has taught BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) and Keswick Buddhist Group (Theravada) since 1999.
BGKT and Keswick Buddhist Group were honored to be visited by Ven. Pidiville Piyatissa and Ven. Ariyadhamma at Fellside Centre Kendal on 22 February 2015. BGKT and the Keswick group have been delighted to continue to welcome both bhikkhus for the past decade. Most Sri Lankan bhikkhus who reside and teach in the West are town- or village-dwelling monks, so it is unusual and a great privilege to be taught by a forest bhikkhu. We value this precious and rare opportunity. Ven. Ariyadhamma’s priority in Cumbria is teaching Buddhism and meditation. He has taught meditation retreats at venues including Fellside Centre and the Community Room at Kendal Fire Station. He has also presented certificates for taking precepts and becoming sangha-authorized Dhamma teachers.
Since Ven. Ariyadhamma’s first visit in 2015, people have spoken of him as an “honorary Kendalian.” He is interested in increasing his knowledge and understanding of Kendal and the Lake District. People approach in the street and ask to meet him; some comment, “We are glad to see him back in Kendal,” while others ask, “We have not seen him for a while, will he be here again soon?” His local visits have included the Peace Garden in Kendal, Cathedral Cave in Cumbria, and Kirkby Lonsdale.
Ven. Ariyadhamma visited Kendal on 11 March 2025 to celebrate 10 years of his teaching BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) and Keswick Buddhist Group (Theravada). The mayor and deputy mayor of Kendal met Ven. Ariyadhamma and members of BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada) in the Mayors Parlour, Kendal Town Hall, recognizing Ven. Ariyadhamma’s important contributions to Kendal. Ven. Ariyadhamma was interested to see artifacts in the Parlour, especially Queen Katherine Parr’s prayer book. He also visited the Unitarian Chapel Gardens, having visited the chapel previously in 2017 and 2023. BGKT has met at the Unitarian Chapel since 1993 and holds its Vesak celebrations there.
An opportunity to promote Ven. Mahalova Ariyadhamma’s important contributions to Buddhism in North West England came at Ketumati Buddhist Vihara’s 25th anniversary celebration on 3 May 2025. The Ketumati website states:
We welcome you to Ketumati Buddhist Vihara, and we hope you will join us in our efforts to promote the teachings of Buddha Dharma and the practice of meditation in the North West of the UK.
During the last quarter of a century, Ketumati has provided opportunities for anyone interested to learn about Buddhism, practice meditation, and connect with other Dhamma practitioners. Ketumati has offered monthly Dhamma talks and meditation retreats. Ven. Maholava Ariyadhamma teaches meditation at these retreats, and I have taught loving-kindness meditation. Traditional festivals, including Vesak and Kathina, are held annually. The Kathina ceremony, which takes place at the end of October, marks the end of the Vassa rains retreat and illustrates the interdependence of the monastic sangha and lay Buddhists. The lay community offer and sew the Kathina civara robe which is presented during the ceremony to a monk chosen by the sangha. Ven. Ariyadhamma has received the civara robe.
The 25th Anniversary celebration of Ketumati Buddhist Vihara coincided with the Sri Lankan New Year. This event recognized the special contributions of Ven. Pidiville Piyatissa to Ketumati Buddhist Vihara and the Dhamma. The important contributions of the other resident bhikkhus, including Venerable Ariyadhamma and the lay founders, were also recognized.
References
Carrithers, Michael. 1983. The Forest Monks of Sri Lanka: An Anthropological and Historical Study. Delhi: Oxford University Press. Accessed: https://archive.org/details/forestmonksofsrilankaananthropologicalandhistoricalstudymichaelcarrithersoup_165_P/mode/1up
Gombrich, Richard F. 1991. Buddhist Precept and Practice: Traditional Buddhism in the Rural Highlands of Ceylon. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
———. 1995. Buddhist Precept and Practice: Traditional Buddhism in the Rural Highlands of Ceylon. Delhi: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
———. 1971. Precept and Practice: Traditional Buddhism in the Rural Highlands of Ceylon. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Accessed: https://archive.org/details/preceptpracticet0000gomb/mode/2up
See more
BGKT Buddhist Group of Kendal (Theravada)
Ketumati Buddhist Vihara
Celebrating 25 Years of Ketumati Buddhist Vihara and Aurudu Uthsawaya (Ketumati Buddhist Vihara)
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