Our Foundation in Early Buddhist Teachings

The Urban Temple draws inspiration from the wisdom of early Buddhist teachings, contained primarily in the Pāli canon. These teachings, which offer a radically different view of the world, promote mindfulness, compassion, and understanding. They provide a timeless guide to living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

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The Temple Crew

Prabhath Sirisena, PhD, founded the Urban Temple with a close group of friends. He was born to a traditional Buddhist family in Sri Lanka, and has been a monk in the Theravāda Buddhist forest monastic order. He draws from both the study of Buddhist texts as well as his forest monastic experience to publish academically in the fields of Anthropology of Buddhism and Early Buddhist studies. As an earnest practitioner, he has more than two decades of experience in the Buddhist way of life. Prabhath is father to a little daughter, and together they live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

A community of learning

The Urban Temple aims to be a community. We hope to foster an environment of learning and sharing, where each individual’s journey is valued and supported. Through various initiatives like The Dharma Digest, workshops, discussions, and community events, we aim to create opportunities for our members to engage, reflect, and progress on the path, both individually and collectively.