Godwin Samararatne
Godwin Samararatne ( born September 6, 1932 in Sri Lanka; † 20 March 2000 Peradeniya in Kandy ) was a Buddhist meditation teacher from Sri Lanka.
For almost 20 years he headed the Nilambe Meditation Centre near Kandy in the highlands of Sri Lanka, where he managed the domestic and the numerous foreign visitors brought close to the Buddhist teachings and meditation practice. His trademark was the simple, life-like and humorous mediation. Since the mid- 80s, he received many invitations from abroad and taught regularly in various European, Asian and African countries. When he died in 2000, he was one of the most famous personalities of Theravada Buddhism.
Biography
Godwin Samararatne was born on 6 September 1932, spent his childhood in Kandy. He visited a Buddhist school. After leaving school he became a librarian and worked in various libraries in and around Kandy, where he eventually became the chief librarian at the Kandy Public Library.
During this time he also worked as a translator for various Reinkarnatationsforscher, including Ian Stevenson. This reported that Godwin Samararatne developed a particular interest in the investigation of alleged cases of reincarnation and later independently conducted surveys. Consequently, he appears in various publications as co -author.
During his six siblings were married, he remained in the parental home to live and took care of his widowed mother until her death in 1977. Already at that time he was a member of a group of Buddhist laity who studied the Buddhist teachings and meditation practice. When the group in 1979 in Nilambe near Kandy founded a meditation center, he gave up his position as a librarian and moved into the new center. Soon after, he became the main meditation teacher.
The meditation center was very well received by locals and foreigners. In the following years his reputation grew quickly as a meditation teacher. Starting 1982, he was invited to Europe and later to South Africa. In the 90s he taught continue in Nilambe Meditation Centre and its offshoots, the Lewella and the Visakha Meditation Centre in the premises of the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy and at the University of Peradeniya. In addition, the invitations from abroad accumulated. So he taught, among others in Germany, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands; in Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and India, and continues in South Africa.
Early 2000 led him his last foreign trip to South Africa and Botswana. Shortly after his return aggravated a long-standing liver disease, and he died on 22 March 2000 in Hospital Peradeniya near Kandy. Many well-known Buddhist personalities paid tribute to his selfless and example to other work on behalf of the Buddhist teachings.
After his death, a website has been set up to collect records from his meditation instructions, his speeches and interviews, transcribe them to translate and prepare for publication. In Germany, an anthology already appeared with instructions for meditation practice. In Botswana, the station of his last trip abroad, a meditation center was named after him.
Quotes
- "Why meditate? What I would suggest is did what one tries to do in meditation is to find out how our minds work experientially. " ( Nilambe, 1990)
- "Learn to be your best friend and that is to be a friend of others. Learn to forgive yourself and others and then heal any wounds you are carrying did. " ( Hong Kong, October 7 1998)
- " Do not be a Buddhist! " ( Attributed to )
Swell
- CV on the Godwin -Home - Page
- Tributes to the Godwin -Home Page