Sunday Dhamma Talk | Bhante Joe

Weekly Dhamma Talk. Teaching will be given by Bhante Joe

Time: 9.30 am – 11.00 am
Venue: BSV Buddhaloka Centre
71 Darling Road, Malvern East VIC 3145

Lunch Dana:
At 11 am, there is rice pindapāta and offering lunch dana to the monastics, followed by communal lunch.  Please bring a plate of food to share with the monastics and lay community. Ensure all food is freshly cooked and prepared in advance. We kindly request those who wish to make an offering, to deliver their contribution to the Vihara kitchen upon arrival at the Centre (no later than 10:30am). This will greatly assist with lunch preparation.

About the Teacher
Bhante Joe was born in London, Ontario, in 1983. Growing up, he was interested in business and computers. A spiritual vocation seemed extremely unlikely. However, in high school, he was given a book as a joke, which contained teachings from an assortment of religions. Browsing through it, he came to a description of the four noble truths. After reading the four noble truths, he was converted.

In high school and university, Bhante attended the Toronto Zen Buddhist Temple. He eventually moved in and started training part-time to become a priest. In 2006, he took up full-time training at the Temple. However, an attraction to Theravada Buddhism pulled him towards the Thai Forest Tradition. He attended a day-long retreat with Ajahn Viradhammo in 2007. At the retreat, he learned about the newly-established Tisaraṇa Buddhist Monastery. He found his way to Tisaraṇa and was ordained as an anagārika in 2008.

In 2010, Bhante Joe was ordained as a bhikkhu with Ajahn Viradhammo as his preceptor. Bhante trained at Tisaraṇa, with one year in Thailand, until 2015. In 2015, his teacher released him from dependence. He spent six months at a monastery in California and then returned to Canada to stay in the Toronto area.

Bhante Joe stayed in the Toronto area from 2016 until 2019. In Toronto, he associated with the Toronto Mahavihara and the West End Buddhist Temple. In November 2019, he came to Sri Lanka, where he currently resides.

Parking
There is a car park at the back of Buddhaloka Centre which can be accessed via Terminus lane. Please be PARTICULARLY mindful when parking on the streets around the Centre and ensure that you do not obstruct driveways in any way.