Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya

Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya is a monastery in the strict forest tradition, in a dense forest reserve at Meetirigala in Sri Lanka's Western Province. It was founded in 1967 by Asoka Weeraratna (founder of the German Dharmaduta Society and the Berlin Buddhist Vihara), who later ordained there as Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanissanti. Its first meditation teacher and chief preceptor was Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama; the present abbot is Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva. Its motto is realising Nibbāna in this very life; resident monks live with austerity, simplicity and seclusion and spend most of the day in meditation. A separate Retreat Centre at the foot of the monastery has its own accommodation and meditation hall. It runs residential retreats in Sinhala and English for men and women under the abbot's guidance, combining samatha and vipassanā in Ven. Nanarama's lineage with a focus on satipaṭṭhāna. Short retreats (such as three days) suit those with less experience; longer ones, up to fourteen days, are for people with retreat experience. Yogis keep the eight precepts and Noble Silence. With prior approval, men may stay at the monastery and follow its routine; women can stay only at the Retreat Centre during a retreat. There is no charge for staying at the monastery or the Retreat Centre, which run on voluntary donations (dāna). By road it is about 49 km from Colombo via Kaduwela, Hanwella and Pugoda.