Abhivurdhiwardhana Society, Buddhist Missionary Society, and Buddhist Youth Federation. Following this he served as an educator for Kishon Dial School and Temple Road Girls' School. He was also the principal of the Buddhist Institute of Kuala Lumpur. Life in the United States Bhante Gunaratana first arrived in the United States, at the age of 40, on the invitation of the Sasana Sevaka Society in 1968. He served as the General Secretary of the Buddhist Vihara Society of Washington, D.C. He was elected president of the society twelve years later. While serving in this office, he has conducted meditation retreats and taught courses in Buddhist Studies. During this time, he entered the local American University and earned a Bachelor's of Philosophy in 1975. He also served as the first Buddhist chaplain on the university's campus in 1972 while still a student. Assistance of Vietnamese Refugees, 1975 In May 1975 after graduating, the State Department reached out to Bhante Gunaratana at the conculsion of the Vietnam War to comfort and minister to ten thousand newly arrived Vietnamese refugees in Florida. Over the next four months at Eglin Air Force Base, Gunaratana held devotional services, English classes, and gave blessings to newlyweds at the refugee camp. He also did much to locate American sponsors for these refugees who would keep the families together so that they would not have to be separated. Further Education and Teaching Following this period Gunaratana returned to Washington D.C. and went on to earn a Master's, and Doctorate of Philosophy in 1980 from American University. In the 1980s, Gunaratana began to teach graduate level courses on Buddhism at American University, Georgetown, Bucknell, and the University of Maryland, College Park. He has also lectured at universities throughout the greater United States, Europe, and Australia. Published works (commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta) (commentary on the Girimananda Sutta) References External links Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Bhante Gunaratana's books at Wisdom Publications Theravada Buddhism writers Sri Lankan Buddhists Sri Lankan Buddhist missionaries Sri Lankan expatriates in the United States Theravada Buddhist monks American University alumni People from Hampshire County, West Virginia Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhists Sri Lankan Buddhist monks 1927 births Living people Mindfulness (Buddhism)