Our Teachers and Sangha Ambassadors

Bhante Kusala

 

 

Bhante Kusala is a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka. Born in 1987, he entered monastic life at the age of 16 and completed his studies in Sri Lanka, Italy, and at Harvard Divinity School. He has conducted research on mindfulness, provided spiritual care in US hospitals, and taught at universities as a lecturer in Pali. Bhante Kusala helps children, youth, and adults with their spiritual counseling needs. He currently is a resident monk at the Cambridge Peace House, in MA, USA..

Bhante Samitha 

Venerable Nedagamuwe Samitha Thero was born in Sri Lanka in 1990. He entered the Theravada Buddhist denomination in 2006 and received  higher ordination in 2010. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in 2015 and a master of theological studies degree from Harvard Divinity School in 2018.   Venerable Samitha has previously worked as a lecturer in Sri Lanka, and has so far been serving as a Buddhist minister in the United States. He offers various religious services to the community, including Dhamma programs for kids, counseling, and spiritual directions. He is a resident monk at Cambridge Peace House where he furthers his own meditation practice and renders religious services as a Buddhist Minister

Dhammācariya Sobhana (aka) Delson Armstrong

Delson studied at Pathways World School in India for three years and completed his A Levels through the University of Cambridge International Examination center of the British Council. He graduated from the New York Film Academy and published a series of novels. He has ghostwritten for publishers, studios and private clients.


He attained all six degrees of Kriya Yoga under the lineages of Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar, and Paramahamsa Hariharananda. He has studied Upanishadic contemplative practices under the lineages of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna,Swami Sivananda, and Swami Chinmayananda.


Through study and application of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he has attained all ten levels of Samadhi (meditative states of absorption). He has also practiced Jnana Yoga through the lineages of Ramana Maharishi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, attaining the level of Sahaja Samadhi (effortless absorption) and studied the teachings of J Krishnamurti and UG Krishnamurti.

In 2016 he completed an online retreat that is based on the original suttas and was introduced to Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation led by David Johnson. Delson naturally grasped the concepts of the 6Rs. Since then, he has taken a deep dive into the practice and the suttas and is able to easily guide students to the most sublime stages of peace and wisdom. He was asked by Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi specifically to start teaching.

 

While guiding online and retreats, he supports individuals on their journey and interacts with research institutions on neuroscience, cognitive behavioral therapy, and the phenomenology of meditation. When situation allows for it, he is open to guiding physical retreats around the world upon invitation. His teachings are freely available to all.

 

Delson dedicates his life to teaching the Dhamma. As a natural next step, we are happy to announce his new Dhamma name:

Dhammācariya Sobhana 

  • Dhammācariya – this means Dhamma Teacher. It indicates one who lives by the Dhamma. This is a title more than a name. 
  • Sobhana – This can mean lofty, pure, shining, or happy. This name was also used by Mahasi Sayadaw, who was a friend of Venerable U Silananda (whom Bhante Vimalaramsi served as kappiya for several years).  

Though he is not a monk, Dhammācariya Sobhana has a personal attendant (kappiya), Koen van den Biggelaar. He takes care of worldly affairs for him, where applicable.