Bhante Dhammika was born in Australia in 1951 into a Christian family and converted to Buddhism at the age of 18. In 1973 he went to Asia with the intention of becoming a monk, traveling through Thailand, Laos, Burma and finally to India. For the next three years, he traveled throughout India learning yoga and meditation, and finally ordaining as a monk under Venerable Matiwella Sangharatna, the last disciple of Anagarika Dharmapala. In 1976 he went to Sri Lanka where he studied Pali at Sri Lanka Vidyalaya, and later became a co-founder and teacher of Nilambe Meditation Centre in Kandy. Since then, he has spent most of his time in Sri Lanka and Singapore.
Bhante Dhammika had written over 25 books and scores of articles on Buddhism and related subjects. His book Good Question Good Answer has been translated into 20 languages and is now widely considered a minor classic of modern popular Buddhist literature. He is also well-known for his public talks and represented Theravada Buddhism at the European Buddhist Millennium Conference in Berlin in 2000. Apart from Buddhist philosophy and meditation, Bhante Dhammika has a deep interest in the sacred places of Buddhism and the tradition of pilgrimage. His others interests include Indian history, art and botany.
