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The main challenge was language, as I did not speak Satipaṭṭhāna practice, we develop present-moment
English well at first. I had to learn as I went along. awareness grounded in the body. So for me, working
When I first arrived in the US, I felt quite lonely due to diligently with right mindfulness is part of the training.
the lack of human resources. Although there is sufficient
financial support in Chinese Buddhism here, there are Do you find any similarities in the meditation you
few highly educated disciples. Many communities stay learnt from both the Theravāda and Mahāyāna
within their own cultural groups. They merely follow traditions?
the tradition, without bringing in new approaches to
propagate the Dharma. The goal is the same: to work towards awakening. But
the foundations and theoretical approaches can differ
To truly plant the Dharma in a new place, language is significantly.
crucial. We need to modernize our skillsets and engage
with the youth. That’s why I traveled to universities In your teaching on the Diamond Sūtra, how do
across the United States to introduce Buddhism to you guide practitioners to understand the concept
students. The Buddhist Association of the United States of emptiness, not just intellectually, but as a lived
(BAUS) has a program that helps international students experience? And how does this insight inform the
learn the basics of Buddhism by inviting monastic Bodhisattva practice in daily life?
teachers to visit universities across the country and teach
those interested in the Dharma. Since 1993, this has The word Nirvāṇa is used to explain detachment. From
become my main focus in the United States. In 2018, the my understanding, Nirvāṇa is emptiness, which also
Youth Buddhist Educational Foundation, in collaboration means full awareness, not just a theory. Again, this
with the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka, officially ties back to mindfulness of the body. We must be able
launched our Diploma in Buddhist Studies to train more to identify and distinguish between body and mind,
teachers for this long-term mission. before observing their arising and passing.

At MABA, you played a hands-on role in building Static posture supports the development of vipassanā
the monastery. How did that experience reflect practice, while dynamic movement strengthens
your understanding of mindfulness and practice in samatha. When we stay mindful, whether still or in
daily life? motion, we can guard the mind at the point of contact,
before it falls into feeling, craving, grasping, becoming,
Chinese Buddhist monasteries historically incorporated birth, aging, and death.
farming as a means of self-sufficiency and a
practice for monks. This tradition emphasizes the To practice emptiness means learning to detach from
interconnectedness of spiritual practice and manual desires and views. If we are already caught up in
labour. As I mentioned earlier, mindfulness of the body an argument or fight, it shows we have given in to
is not limited to static sitting. It includes standing, desire and attachment. The task, then, is to return to
walking, working, and lying down. Through this mindfulness. EH