News

June 24th, 2006

Announcement: Buddhist & Pali College (USA)

a new chapter in Buddhist education in North America 

The Buddhist & Pali College (U.S.A) is an affiliated college of the Buddhist  & Pali University of Sri Lanka and its sole representative in the U.S.A.  It was established in January 2006 by the Venerable Witiyala Seewalie the founding Principal of the College. The Buddhist & Pali College (USA) offers a one-year Diploma in Buddhism. It also prepares students for external degree and diploma examinations of the Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka.  

Mission Statement

To achieve excellence in teaching Buddhism and the Pali language such that students aspire to the highest in virtue and knowledge of the Buddha Dhamma and to create conditions that foster and nourish Buddhism as a way of life in the United States of America.

Buddhist & Pali University Sri Lanka ~ an accredited international university

The Buddhist & Pali University (BPU) of Sri Lanka was founded in 1981 with intention of promoting Buddhist and Pali studies in Sri Lanka and world–wide and to provide facilities for research in Buddhism, Pali and related fields. BPU is a fully-fledged and accredited international university with the provision to register external institutions to prepare students outside Sri Lanka for examinations and courses of study for various degree programs. The university publishes the ‘Sri Lanka journal of Buddhist Studies’ annually. It is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and houses the premier Buddhist library in Sri Lanka.

The Founder & Principal Venerable Seewalie has had a distinguished academic career spanning both monastic Pirivena and modern university in Sri Lanka. He has earned the following degrees with distinction: BA with honours, MA, D.Litt. and Royal Pandit (OSS) in addition to Diplomas in Pali and Bible Studies. In 1996 he was appointed the 27^th and thus far the youngest Principal of the historic Parama Dhamma Cetiya Pirivena the premier center of Buddhist monastic education in modern Sri Lanka. In 2003 he arrived in the United States. Since November 2004 he has resided in Minnesota as the founder president of the Minnesota Buddhist Vihara.  

The Buddhist & Pali College (USA) is also fortunate to have the services of two distinguished scholars Professor Ananda Guruge as Dean of Buddhist Studies and Professor K. Warnasuriya as Dean of Pali Studies.