Wisdom Meditation Center — Dayton, United States

A Theravāda Buddhist monastery in central New Jersey, open to all who come to sit

On a retreat Saturday the day opens at nine with a short welcome, then forty-five minutes of loving-kindness meditation. Breathing meditation follows, then a lunch that includes dhal curry, then walking meditation and a long sit on impermanence. It closes with questions, silence and a closing gathering at three. The next one is November 7 at Middlesex County 4-H in East Brunswick, with cushions, mats and chairs provided. Wisdom Meditation Center often takes its monks to where people are. The center is a monastery of the Mahamevnawa Bhavana Asapuwa, an international Theravāda order founded by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero and devoted to the Buddha's teachings as preserved in the Pāli Canon. The name belongs to an ancient park in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, created by King Mutasiva. It is home to the Samadhi Statue, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree and the Ruvanveli and Thuparama stupas. The New Jersey center describes itself as, in some small way, a piece of that quiet grove in America. The monks' residence is at 47 Woodland Way in Dayton and receives visitors by appointment only. The center's address is 70 Waker Ave in Allentown. The monks, trained in Sri Lanka, take no salary. Most programs are free, some are donation-based, and a few carry a fee to cover food, lodging and facilities. The regular offerings are Meditate With a Monk sessions in person and online, sutta study, Dhamma discussions and chanting. A residential five-day retreat is held at Bodhi Monastery in Lafayette Township. It runs from a 5:30 AM sitting, with dormitory lodging and vegetarian meals, and participants are asked to set phones aside. The last one ran September 4–8, 2026. A six-hour online retreat runs over Zoom. Visitors need not be Buddhist.

Traditions: Theravāda Buddhism, Mahamevnawa monastic order, Loving-Kindness Meditation, Breathing Meditation, Walking Meditation, Impermanence Meditation

Programs: Meditate With a Monk, Day-Long Meditation Retreat, 5-Day Meditation Retreat, Online Mindfulness Meditation Retreat, Sutta Study, Dhamma Discussions, Buddhist Chanting, What The Buddha Said