About Us

Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center (LIBMC)

Welcome to LIBMC

We welcome you to the Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center (LIBMC) main web area. LIBMC is an institution open to everybody irrespective of their race, ethnicity, religion or any other social barriers. Our goal is to provide service to all human beings and guide them to find the true meaning of life.

At LIBMC we conduct meditation classes twice a week. We have been conducting regular meditation classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, from the very beginning of LIBMC. In addition to the regular meditation classes, we conduct a silent meditation retreat every two months, programs for children and other religious and social events. We focus on loving kindness meditation to invoke compassion, both for oneself and for others. And we also focus on breathing meditation techniques to help develop a calm and concentrated mind. With frequent practice you can experience the changes within you.
We are here to discuss your specific questions arising from meditation and guide you towards leading a successful and balanced life. Furthermore, with Dhamma readings and discussions we teach you the great insights of human life and our existence. Our doors are open for everyone and we welcome you all. Bhante Kottawe Nanda is the founder and chief incumbent priest of LIBMC.

Arrival of Bhante Nanda

Bhante Kottawe Nanda came to the United States of America in 2001 by the invitation of the late most Venerable Royal Pandith Kurunegoda Piyatissa Nayaka Maha thera, the former chief incumbent of the New York Buddhist Vihara in Queens, New York.

Kurunegoda Piyatissa Maha thera was one of the most significant figures in the sangha community. He was the pillar of success in many Buddhist establishments in the United States of America, Canada and other countries.

A great visionary leader, who provided guidance towards spiritual and non-spiritual development of dispensation of the Buddha (Buddha Saasana), Venerable thera initiated the idea of Buddhist vihara in North America for the first time. He tirelessly worked towards spreading the message of Dhamma in the community. At first, he organized Dhamma gatherings and Sunday schools at community residences throughout the Northeast United States. Eventually he was able to bring everyone together to establish the first Sri Lankan Buddhist vihara in New York, the New York Buddhist Vihara in Queens.

A Great Beginning

Bhante Nanda resided in the Queens temple and worked alongside Venerable Piyatissa and other resident monks for many years. Bhante Nanda also assisted with a variety of social and religious events, and all other activities conducted in the New York Buddhist Vihara and other Buddhist temples in North America. He especially engaged himself in weekly meditation programs and retreats. Furthermore, he dedicated himself to engage with both the local American community, as well as the Sri Lankan community. The chief monk of the temple was very pleased with the progress of Bhante Nanda during his stay at the temple.

Dawning of LIBMC

During Bhante Nanda’s time at the Queens temple Mr. Lakshman Jayamaha invited Bhante to conduct meditation programs at his residences in Long Island, New York. He organized frequent meditation programs which were attended by his family and friends. After a few years the idea came up to establish a meditation center in Long Island.

In 2008 Mr. Jayamaha temporarily donated one of his houses, which was in Port Jefferson, to serve as a meditation center which was legally registered as Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center (LIBMC), until a more suitable place was found. As the number of participants grew LIBMC felt the need for a more spacious location in order to accommodate the events and programs conducted.

With time LIBMC started an active search to find suitable real estate for increasing needs, and eventually found an excellent location in Northville, Riverhead in 2017. The property was bought for $150,000 with $60,000 coming from a community fundraiser event, while the remaining costs were managed by taking two private loans. LIBMC received immense support and dedication from the community towards the initial purchase of this famous Grange Hall. The new property was much larger and located along the busy and popular Sound Avenue in Riverhead.
The fact that Grange Hall is situated adjacent to a county park adds to the calming atmosphere similar to a forest retreat. The next daunting task LIBMC faced was to renovate the building. And we couldn’t have done that without the great support we again received from the local American community, Sri Lankan community and Bangladeshi community.