ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ven. Walpola Piyananda is the founder
president and chief incumbent (abbot) of Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, Los Angeles
California. He has been in the sangha for over thirty five years. He received a B.A.
(Honors) at Vidyalankara University, Sri Lanka, an M.A. at Calcutta University, India, in
Chicago, Illinois, in 1984.
Ven. Piyananda was assistant lecturer at
Vidyodaya and Columbo Universities in Sri Lanka from 1968 to 1972. He has been vice
president of the Buddhist Sangha Council of Southern California since 1983 and has
performed many services for Southeast Asian refugees in Los Angeles. Ven. Piyananda took
an active part in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as the elected Buddhist chaplain for the
USC Olympic Village and Buddhist counsellor for the UCLA Olympic Village. He is a member
of the board of directors of the College of Buddhist Studies, Los Angeles, and Chief
organiser for the Houston Buddhist Vihara; he also is Chief Nayake Thera in America, and
is Buddhist chaplain at UCLA. In addition to his many other accomplishments, he teaches
dhamma and meditation to Buddhists and friends of Buddhism who join activities at Dhamma
Vijaya Buddhist Vihara.
[Content]