Ven. U Maṅgala
A publisher once asked Venerable U Maṅgala to introduce himself. Here is what the Venerable writes about himself:
One who embraces both idealistic dreams and the practical reality.
One who makes mistakes, but always has the courage to turn over.In setbacks, he always stands up quickly.
“All beings are suffering,” he told himself, “there is no time to feel sad.”
He is one who always gives himself and others a second chance.
He willingly let go of the thought of self, but keep the welfare of all beings in his heart instead.
Some say he is harsh, yet some say he is gentle.
It all depends on what he thinks you need, in order to purify yourself and progress in the practice.
He learns to make all conditions his teacher, and the Dhamma his master.
He serves everyone’s parents as if they are his own parents, and cares for everyone’s children as if they are his own children.
He doesn’t allow temptation to delude him, or failure to defeat him.
He learns to see the world through the lenses of love and light.
He wants to understand the feelings of hope and despair felt by all beings.He is determined to offer his friendship to everyone, with an open heart and great forgiveness.
When he was seven, he made a wish, that when he grows up, he would be loyal to his partner.
When he was fourteen, he contemplated on the questions about the kind of person he wanted to become.
When he was twenty one, he asked himself if he would regret, after thirty years, the decisions he made then.
These three thoughts determined the path he’d walk later. He decided to renounce the world.
His made a wish, that in both this and all his remaining lives, he is to promote the Dhamma, to revitalize the Saṅgha, and to help all beings see the truth. “
Ven. U Maṅgala’s Profile
Bhante U Maṅgala was born in 1968 in the historical city of Malacca, Malaysia.
Since childhood, he has awakened to the realities of life and began to search for truth during his youth. During high school and college, he was actively involved in campus Dhamma activities, especially meditation. After graduation from the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya in 1993, he devoted himself entirely to Dhamma service and practice. In 1996, he received higher ordination under the Preceptorship of the Most Venerable Pa Auk Sayadawgyi in Myanmar. In 2006, he was assigned the task of teaching meditation by Sayadawgyi.
In 2008, he led the monastic and lay communities in establishing the Tusita Hermitage (now known as Dhamma Earth Kuching), and subsequently led the establishment of the Dhamma Earth Himalaya in 2010 and Dhamma Earth Kuala Lumpur in 2016.
Additionally, Bhante U Maṅgala has been invited to give Dhamma talks and meditation guidance in various places, including Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, Nepal, the United States, Indonesia and etc.
Bhante U Maṅgala is currently a Senior Sangha Teacher for both the monastic and the organizational teams of Dhamma Earth.