Events and News
Upcoming Events
2025 Monastic Visit Schedule
These events will be offered online using Zoom meetings, or you can meet with us at the Carrot Common, 348 Danforth Avenue, Room 212 in Toronto. Please click here for more information about participating in our sessions: Join us on...
Read MoreORGANISED BY AMBEDKAR MISSION BUDDHIST COMMUNITY AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION BY VEN. AMARASIRI
Friday, May 24 – 7PM to 8:30 PM; Saturday, May 25
328 PASSMORE AVE UNIT # 20
SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO M1V 5J5
PHONE: Nithya (416)-948-7342 Usha Heer (416)-871-9843 Suriayani (416)-878-1253

Ven. Amarasiri
Amarasiri Bhikkhu was born and raised in Chennai, India. His education and career led him to live in many parts of the world. Ven. Amarasiri moved to Toronto in 2009 and attended a Vipassana retreat in the Goenka Tradition where he was inspired by the teachings and practice of Theravada Buddhism. On his very first visit to Tisarana, his interaction with Luang Por Viradhammo impacted Ven. Amarasiri to commit to the Theravadin Monastic life. He subsequently took Anagarika precepts in November 2016, Samanera Precepts in September 2017 and was accepted into the Bhikkhu
Sangha in September 2018 with Luang Por Viradhammo as Preceptor.
Program Schedule:
Theme: The Buddha’s Enlightenment
Dates: Friday, May 24 – 7PM to 8:30 PM; Saturday, May 25 – Day of Mindfulness/ Visakha Puja
Schedule – May 24
Opening chants
Guided Meditation
Dhamma Talk followed by Q&A
Closing chants
Schedule – May 25
8:30 – 9:15 AM – Opening Chants, Observing 5 Precepts, Short Talk
9:15 – 10 AM – Guided Meditation
10 – 10:15 AM – Break
10:15 – 11 AM – Silent Meditation
11 AM – 1 PM – Lunch Break
1 – 1:45 PM – Chanting followed by meditation
1:45 – 2 PM – Break
2 – 3 PM – Dhamma Talk followed by Q&A
3-PM – Closing Chants
7 – 8:30 PM – Visakha Puja
8:30 PM – Dinner
Register for this event: https://forms.gle/vMrYPsQDhAjsX3Dp8

The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to a Half Day of Mindfulness with Ajahn Pavaro on Sunday, August 27, 2023. The retreat will be available online using the Zoom platform.
Ajahn Pavaro
Ajahn Pavaro early formative monastic training began in 2001 with Ajahn Sona at Sitavana Forest Monastery in British Columbia. He spent his seventh year as a Bhikkhu with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, and the Sangha at Abhayagiri Monastery. In 2010 he moved to Thailand and spent close to 10 years with Ajahn Achalo at Anandagiri Monastery in Petchabun. He benefited from periods of practice at Wat Pah Nanachat and from opportunities to receive teachings from leading elders of the Wat Non Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liem and Tan Ajahn Anan. In June 2020 Ajahn Pavaro was welcomed to Tisarana, where he now resides.
To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:
TBC Online Zoom Session
Meeting ID: 741 749 355
Password: 883290
Check-In on Zoom 9 – 9:15 am EDT
Zoom telephone numbers for the Toronto area, if connecting by phone:
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
If dialing in from another area, you can find your local Zoom number here: Zoom Dial-in Numbers
The Half Day of Mindfulness will include meditation, mindfulness instructions and Buddhist reflections.
Registration is not required. If you would like to donate to the Tisarana Buddhist Monastery for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ajahn Pavaro’s Half Day of Mindfulness retreat. 100% of all donations will be passed on to Tisarana.
The chants for the Days of Mindfulness will be displayed on the Zoom screen during the opening and closing chants. However, you can print the chants ahead of time if you prefer. They are available at this link.
We look forward to you joining us on August 27th. Please note that this half day retreat will start at 9:15 am EDT and finish at 12 pm.
Schedule
Sunday, August 27, 2023 EDT
Time ET | Activity |
9 am | Zoom check in |
9:15 am | Meeting starts with Opening Chants |
9:20 am | 30 minute guided meditation by Ajahn Pavaro |
9:50 am | Dhamma Talk followed by questions and answers |
10:45 am | Ajahn Pavaro departs; 5 minute break |
10:50 | One hour meditation |
11:50 am | Closing Chants, discussion about the Dhamma Talk; announcements |
12 pm | Meeting ends |

Dear Friends,
This fall the Theravada Buddhist Community (TBC) invites you to join a six week virtual study program by Tan Amarasiri, a resident bhikkhu at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery.
The theme of the program is “Great lives inspiring right practice”. It will be held weekly, on Thursdays, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., starting September 21st and ending October 26th, 2023.
The idea is to come together weekly, discuss and understand key aspects of the lives of some of the Buddha’s disciples to encourage right understanding, resulting in right application. Each session will be a blend of instruction and discussion, followed by a period for questions and answers.
We ask the interested to commit to all six weeks (barring unforeseen circumstances) and register in advance.
Program Details
Week 1 (September 21) – Sariputta, the embodiment of right understanding
Week 2 (September 28) – Mahamoggallana, the embodiment of right unification
Week 3 (October 5) – Ananda, the embodiment of devotion and service
Week 4 (October 12) – Khema, the embodiment of renunciation and discernment
Week 5 (October 19) – Visaka, the embodiment of generosity
Week 6 (October 26) – Anathapindika, the embodiment of right livelihood
Tan Amarasiri
Amarasiri Bhikkhu was born and raised in Chennai, India. His education and career led him to live in many parts of the world. Venerable Amarasiri moved to Toronto in 2009 and attended a Vipassana retreat in the Goenka Tradition where he was inspired by the teachings and practice of Theravada Buddhism. On his very first visit to Tisarana, his interaction with Luang Por Viradhammo impacted Ven. Amarasiri to commit to the Theravadin Monastic life. He subsequently took Anagarika precepts in November 2016, Samanera Precepts in September 2017 and was accepted into the Bhikkhu Sangha in September 2018 with Luang Por Viradhammo as Preceptor.
Fees
In keeping with the Thai Forest Tradition, there is no cost for this program.
Dana
Participants are welcome to offer dana to the Tisarana Dhamma Hall. Donations can be made here. Choose Tisarana Dhamma Hall Fund when making the donation. 100% of the donations will be transferred to Tisarana.
Registration
To register, click here. Registrations close on Monday, September 11th. We hope you can join us.
TBC member Nithya is facilitating the program, please email her at nithyarcaleb@gmail.com for clarifications.
Thanks,
Nithya

Dear Friends,
The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, July 23rd at 10:00am Luang Por Viradhammo will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk and, if time permits, followed by a short question and answers period.
If you have questions about Dhamma or your practice for Luang Por Viradhammo, please use the Contact Us form at the bottom of this page to submit them. Luang Por will try to address as many questions as possible during his talk.
Luang Por Viradhammo
Ajahn Viradhammo is the founder and abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery in Perth, Ontario. He took bhikkhu (monastic) ordination in Thailand in 1974 at Wat Pah Pong with Ajahn Chah. He was on of the first residents at Wat Pah Nanachat, the international monastery in northeast Thailand. In 1977, he was asked by Ajahn Chah to join Ajahn Sumedho at the Hampstead Vihara in London. Later, he was involved in the establishment of both the Chithurst and Harnham monasteries in the UK. In 1985, he moved to New Zealand, where he lived for 10 years, setting up Bodhinyanarama monastery. In 1995, he went to the UK to assist Ajahn Sumedho at Amaravati and stayed for four years before returning to New Zealand, where he lived until 2002. He then returned to Ottawa where he cared for his mother for nine years. He is now a full time resident at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery.
This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom
Looking forward to seeing you there.
TBC
We are canceling today’s social because of the thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. Stay tuned for the next social later in the summer on August 26!
Everyone is welcome to attend our community social on July 15th at Christie Pitts Park between 12 noon and 2pm. Someone will be at the entrance to the park right across from the Christie/Bloor subway exit to direct people to our location.
This is an opportunity to meet up with fellow members. build community, welcome new members and strengthen our Sangha.
There will be another social on August 26th, same time and place. Please join us if you can on one or both of those dates and bring your lunch, beverage and a portable seat if you have one.
What's New
Announcements, web site updates, and general news of interest to TBC members
Below is an excerpt from the announcement on Tisarana Buddhist Monastery’s website:
There is something auspicious in the air. And you can be part of it.
As Tisarana grows, the need for a larger sala (hall) has become apparent. The present sala can hold only 50 people in close quarters. The envisioned new dhamma hall is planned to replace the current (Kusala) sala and will comfortably hold 150 people, with extra space available in a conjoined foyer for large events.
Hedges, gates, trees, paths and courtyards will help to define the new geometry of the landscape in which the dhamma hall and the proposed buildings will sit. These will also serve to shield cars from view, create a clear sense of entry, guide day visitors to the main entrances – and walking paths beyond – and create defined areas for outdoor activities.
The construction of the dhamma hall will be a major project for the monastery. Currently in the planning phase, it is expected to take three to four years to complete.
DONATE
To view the full announcement, visit sala.tisarana.ca
Ajahn Viradhammo’s talks recorded during his May, 2017 visit to TBC and SIMT are now available on our Resources page.
Now available: “Stillness Flowing – The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah” by Ajahn Jayasaro, the long-awaited biography of Ajahn Chah with an introduction by Luong Por Sumedho.
From Ajahn Jayasaro’s preface:
Although it has been my intention that this book should be, as far as possible, a biography as opposed to a hagiography, I am not sure that I have been completely successful. My love for Luang Por and my belief in his enlightenment inevitably colour the text. What I have not done is suppress any scandalous or embarrassing information out of concern for his good name. Hard as it may be to accept nowadays when there is so much – and often well-founded – cynicism about the integrity of religious figures, Luang Por Chah had absolutely nothing to hide. The only skeleton in a cupboard at Wat Pah Pong was the one hanging on public display in the Dhamma Hall. In fact, that is one of the strongest reasons for my belief that the life of Luang Por Chah is so worthy of study.
Electronic versions are available for download on the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery website, where you can also request a print copy.
In commemoration of Ajahn Viradhammo’s 70th birthday, a new collection of his talks is being published. Electronic editions of The Contemplative’s Craft: Internalizing the Teachings of the Buddha are now available on the forestsangha.org web site. A print edition will be published in the fall of 2017.
Ayya’s talks recorded during her 2016 visit to TBC and SIMT are now available on our Teachings page.