Early Life
Born in Sri Lanka in 1971, Shanaka Dharmakeerti spent his formative years in Lesotho, South Africa. As a teenager, he developed a profound curiosity about the universe, delving into astrophysics and exploring religious texts such as the Bible, the Quran, and the Bhagavad Gita. At the age of 18, during a solitary walk along South Africa’s Caledon River, he experienced a spontaneous insight into impermanence—a realization that would later align seamlessly with the Buddha’s teachings.
Academic Path and Turning Point
Selected to study at Princeton University, where his role model Albert Einstein had once lectured, Shanaka’s initial dream of pursuing astrophysics had now shifted toward spirituality and investigating the realities within. Following a U.S. visa rejection, and simply to fulfill his father’s wishes, he switched to Business Management Studies in Cyprus. Yet, after two years, an inner calling led him to abandon his university studies and return to Sri Lanka in search of deeper truths.
Meeting His Teacher and Ordination
In 1994, at the age of 23, Shanaka met Most Venerable Ñāṇavimala Mahāthera, a highly revered German monk known for his strict asceticism and profound wisdom. Inspired by his teacher’s life of renunciation, he trained under him at the Polgasduwa Island Hermitage. In 1999, he took novice ordination, receiving the name Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero. By 2001, he was fully ordained as a bhikkhu, with Ven. Madihe Paññāsīha Mahāthera as his preceptor, dedicating his life entirely to the Dhamma.
A Life of Solitude and Cārikā (Wandering Asceticism)
Ven. Gnanaloka Thero is renowned for his deep love of solitude. He spent years in the forests of Sri Lanka and the Himalayas, practicing intensive meditation and embodying the ancient Buddhist tradition of cārikā—wandering on foot and relying solely on alms.
One of his most remarkable journeys was a 1,000 km pilgrimage on foot through LTTE militia-controlled territory during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Traveling unarmed from Galle to Nagadeepa and back, he relied entirely on the Dhamma for protection, demonstrating unwavering compassion and non-attachment even in the face of danger.
Emergence as a Teacher
Ven. Gnanaloka’s exclusively solitary life took a transformative turn after a near-death experience while climbing Mount Kailash in 2015. As he prepared mentally for death through Buddhist teachings, he realized he had not yet shared his knowledge with others. This profound realization led him, albeit reluctantly, to commit to teaching, first in Sri Lanka and later in several Western countries.
Although he had made brief public appearances in 2012 and 2017, it was in 2023 that he fully embraced his role as a teacher, launching teaching missions and conducting retreats across Sri Lanka, Australia, the UK, the USA, and Europe. His teachings are simple, direct, and deeply rooted in the Suttas, emphasizing practical applications of the Dhamma over theoretical discussions. Through his guidance, he inspires practitioners to integrate the Buddha’s teachings into their daily lives, fostering a deeper understanding of the path to liberation.
Saddhammadhara Meditation Retreats
To promote the Buddha’s original teachings, Ven. Gnanaloka initiated the Saddhammadhara Meditation Retreats worldwide. These retreats shift the focus away from structured techniques, instead guiding participants toward a direct engagement with the Buddha’s words.Unlike conventional meditation retreats, where instruction is heavily teacher-centered, Saddhammadhara retreats emphasize the transformative power of reading and contemplating the Suttas firsthand. As Ven. Gnanaloka Thero explains:
“True understanding of the Suttas transcends intellectual study—it requires direct experience. These insights arise naturally in moments of quiet contemplation, when the mind is relaxed and free from expectation, whether reading a few words of the Buddha or contemplating a single teaching.”
Open to practitioners of all levels, these retreats create a space for deep transformation, offering an opportunity to immerse in the monastic way of life. As envisioned by Ven. Ñāṇavimala Mahāthera, the goal is not only to cultivate insight but also to inspire individuals toward renunciation, potentially leading them to embrace the life of a cārikā bhikkhu.
Sri Sambuddha Mission Charitable Trust
Ven. Gnanaloka established the Sri Sambuddha Mission Charitable Trust and became the spiritual advisor to the Sri Sambuddha Ramneeya Ashramaya—a forest monastery and meditation centre situated in a picturesque location of Dunumala, Sri Lanka; to support meditation practitioners and propagate the Buddha’s original teachings.
The Path Forward
Today, Ven. Gnanaloka Thero continues to live a life of renunciation, dedicated to making the timeless wisdom of the Buddha accessible to sincere seekers across the globe. His journey—from a curious teenager to a revered monk—serves as a powerful testament to the transformative power of the Dhamma. It also highlights the profound impact of associating with noble companions who embody and live by these teachings. Through his life and work, Ven. Gnanaloka inspires countless individuals to walk the path of liberation with clarity, compassion, and unwavering dedication.