Bhante Nagasena Bhikkhu is an educated and dedicated Buddhist monk who was born in 1970 in the Chittagong Hill Tract which lies on the Bangladesh/Burmese border. He ordained as a novice (monk) at the age of eleven and received higher ordination at twenty. His studies began at an inspired and well-disciplined monastic school in Sitwe, Arakan State, Western Burma where he spent 6 years in traditional Pali and Buddhist studies. He completed his BA in Buddhist Studies in Thailand in 1997, followed by an MA in Buddhist Philosophy which he completed in Sri Lanka in 1998. Bhante Nagasena speaks several languages including Burmese, Thai, English, Sri Lankan, Bengali and Hindi.
In 1998 he came to England at the invitation of Dr Rewata Dhamma. Founder of the Dhamma Talaka Peace Pagoda and Birmingham Buddhist Vihara. Before coming to the West he received training in several meditation traditions, mainly Mahasi Vipassana and U Ba Khin tradition, and once here he trained under Dr. Rewata Dhamma on how to teach westerners. After the passing away of Dr. Rewata Dhamma in 2004, Bhante Nagasena decided to study his second MA (Buddhist Studies), this time with western academic methodology, at SOAS, University of London in 2005 and as a consequence of this he went on to complete his PhD in 2012.
Under the tutelage of Dr.Rewata Dhamma at the Birmingham Buddhist Vihara, Bhante Nagasena taught meditation and ran courses. He is active in the promotion of a multi-faith approach and in peaceful co-existence between different faiths. His approach to teaching is simple, logical and analytical, using a common-sense approach to understanding the Dhamma, Buddha’s teachings. He currently runs meditation courses both inside and outside the UK. He is a regular teacher at the Birmingham Buddhist Vihara where his duties include teaching meditation and Buddhism, especially to schools, colleges and university students. He has published many academic and non-academic articles including book reviews. Many of his academic essays are presented in different international conferences.
