Venerable Bhante Punna-Ratana (Rathmale Punnaratana) is a Theravada Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka who has lived and taught in Germany since 1996. Born into a farming family in the village of Rathmale, he became a novice monk at the age of 14 and trained under Ven. Rathmale Gunaratana Maha Thera. He went on to study at the University of Kelaniya, where he earned a B.A. and an M.A., and later served as abbot of his teacher's temple.

In Germany he has been a spiritual teacher and lecturer for almost three decades, teaching meditation and the Dhamma to students, professionals, young people and prison inmates. He is the founder of the Maha Vihara in Schneverdingen, a Buddhist centre open to practitioners and non-Buddhists alike, where he offers guided meditation, Dhamma talks, counselling and ceremonies for important moments in life.

Inspired by the compassion of his late mother, Bhante founded the charity Karuna-Samadhi e.V., which supports children, families and people in need across Sri Lanka through sponsorships, schools, kindergartens and housing projects.

As our Spiritual Advisor, Bhante visits Sri Lanka each year and leads Buddhist meditation retreats at Rukshan Yoga Studio, sharing the Dhamma and meditation with guests from around the world.

To learn more, visit www.karuna-samadhi.de or www.buddhistischer-vihara.de