Bhante Kotawaye Suseela ( Abbot / Spiritual Adviser)

Venerable Kotawaye Suseela (also known as Bhante Suseela) was born in 1982 in Kotawaya village in the Hambantota District of southern Sri Lanka. At age 13, he renounced home and was ordained as a novice in 1995 at Jayasumanarama Maha Viharaya in Hakmana. Venerable Kotawaye Suseema and Venerable Diviyagaha Gnanananda were his preceptors (teachers). In 2002 he was ordained as Bhikkhu (higher ordained monk).

After completing his basic education, in 2001 he began some social activities with his fellows in Hakmana. He led the community in helping people in poverty. To sustain his charitable activities, he established an organization known as “Dahamdeepa Foundation (DDF)”. During this period the Foundation completed numerous charitable services in their community.

After dedicating himself for several years, Bhante moved to Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, in 2005, and continued his further education. While he was in Colombo, he met a great meditation master and started to practice meditation. As a result of intense meditation practice, he was invited to a temple, Sri Lankaramaya, in Cyprus. In 2009 Bhante moved to Cyprus and conducted meditation programs as well as other religious activities.

In 2012, Bhante was invited by a Buddhist organization in Minnesota in the United States of America. He spent a few years with the American Buddhist community in Minnesota and performed services for the Buddhist community of Tennessee as well. Currently Bhante is the Abbot and Spiritual director of Alberta Buddhist Vihara Association (ABVA) and Alberta Insight Meditation Centre (AIM Centre) in Canada. While in Canada, Bhante served as the Buddhist chaplain at the University of Alberta (U of A) and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Bhante also  extended his Dhamma services in India, Malaysia and Singapore. In March 2020, Bhante Suseela’s preceptor, the Abbot of Jayasumanarama Maha Vihara at Hakmana, passed away and Bhante Suseela was appoint as as the new Abbot.ed as the new Abbot