When Venerable Dharmananda first connected his phone to the internet in his monastery in Bodh Gaya, his fellow monks were skeptical. "The dharma cannot be transmitted through wires," one elder said. That was 2019. Since then, Venerable Dharmananda has guided over 400 people from 28 countries through meditation sessions, blessing ceremonies, and deep spiritual conversations — all through a screen.
The Temple That Traveled
For Venerable Dharmananda, the screen is simply another door. The Buddha taught that attachment to form is the root of suffering, and if a person 5,000 miles away is genuinely seeking refuge, the form of the delivery matters less than the intention behind it. "When someone comes to me for a blessing," he explains, "they are not coming to a room — they are coming to a moment of openness. That moment can happen anywhere."
Venerable Dharmananda trained for 12 years in the Theravada tradition before his ordination. His practice centers on Vipassana — the clear, direct observation of reality — and Metta, loving-kindness meditation. He also leadschanting ceremonies rooted in the Pali Canon, often for those navigating illness, grief, or major life transitions.
What a Session Looks Like
A typical session with Venerable Dharmananda begins not with words but with stillness. He asks seekers to sit comfortably, close their eyes, and bring attention to the breath. The first five minutes are about settling — letting the noise of the day fall away. He guides this gently, his voice unhurried and steady.
For those seeking a blessing, he moves into a traditional Pali blessing verse — words of protection, clarity, and goodwill — and may offer a short teaching relevant to the seeker's situation. If the person is struggling with anxiety, he might draw on the Buddha's teaching on emptiness and impermanence. For those facing a loss, he might reflect on non-attachment and the peace that comes from seeing things as they truly are.
What makes Venerable Dharmananda's sessions distinctive is their lack of ritual. He is not performing a ceremony for you — he is inviting you into a practice. Even over video, he has a way of making the screen feel smaller. "When the heart is present," he says, "distance is an illusion."
Who Benefits Most
People who feel drawn to Buddhist teachings but lack access to a teacher or community nearby often find in Venerable Dharmananda exactly what they were looking for. He is particularly sought after by those going through major life changes — a divorce, a diagnosis, a career shift — and those who want to deepen a personal meditation practice under guidance.
He does not require a specific faith background. "The Buddha was not teaching Buddhism," he says. "He was teaching about the nature of suffering and the path out of it. This belongs to everyone."
A Teaching for This Moment
When asked what teaching he most wants to share right now, Venerable Dharmananda does not hesitate: "The mind is the forerunner of all things." He explains that our mental states shape our experience more than any external circumstance. In times of fear, anger, or uncertainty, the practice is not to suppress those states but to see them clearly — to observe the thought, feel the emotion, and recognize that they too are impermanent.
"People contact me in moments of crisis," he says. "But the crisis is not the problem. The refusal to look at what is — that is the problem. When we stop running, we discover there is nowhere we needed to go."