Let’s build the Dhamma a Shelter! (with UPDATES)

Planting the seeds of Dhamma: The Journey of a Bhikkhu...

Bhante Candana is on a journey to grow the Dhamma. Being a monk in the modern world is difficult as the world is a lot larger than it was 2600 years ago. It is also a world with many invisible barriers restricting free movement, abilities, and freedoms which make it difficult for a monk to follow the Path without sufficient support.

The funds raised on this page are used to support Bhante in removing many of these barriers on the path (such as making sure Bhante can travel and have a roof over his head) and making the world a smaller place for his students and for those wishing to come into contact with Bhante. That's why Bhante is planning to spend the next 12 months searching to find a suitable sanctuary for his practice. In this period Bhante will be spending time in Asia, holding retreats and Dhamma talks online and on the grounding at various locations.

This is a dynamic and ongoing fundraiser, open to all who would like to give.

Whether in the form of financial dāna or by offering ideas/contacts/accommodations that could support Bhante in his travels, all help is welcome. What we envision to come of this initiative is a suitable, more permanent sanctuary for Bhante, and/or various temporary locations around the world, wherever Bhante finds himself. This is really up to the Dhamma – Bhante goes where he is most needed. Thus, it is important to share and use this platform as a way of growing the Dhamma in this modern world the way Lord Buddha would, given the nature of the Sangha and present-day conditions...

UPDATE on Bhante’s health:

Shortly after starting this GoFundMe, Bhante’s health drastically deteriorated, primarily due to the restrictive lifestyle that the cold weather had imposed upon him in Armenia.

Unfortunately, this created a series of unusual events, as Bhante developed blood clots in his legs, which traveled to his lungs, and we were forced to seek immediate medical attention. Since then, and thanks to our quick actions, Bhante’s health is now stable as he continues being monitored by doctors and will be taking blood thinning medication for the rest of his life. To this end, Bhante was advised to relocate to a warmer climate, where he would be more mobile and able to resume his normal physical activities, as Armenia happens to be cold 8 months out of the year.

To meet the demands of these recent unexpected developments, while prioritizing Bhante’s health, this fundraiser will be geared towards meeting Bhante’s present and immediate needs (short-term goal) while the long-term goal is to get Bhante a more permanent place so that he doesn’t have to move so much. After Bhante’s more immediate and present needs are covered, any extra funds from this fundraiser will be saved for purchasing a home for Bhante and the Dhamma. This fundraiser will be ongoing until the long-term goal is met.

UPDATE: Bhante’s immediate needs.

Bhante will be traveling to Bali, Indonesia, at the end of December, where he will spend at least two months, after which he will most probably fly to Malaysia, where Bhante has a student base, or possibly to Thailand. Here is the estimate for Bhante’s expenses for the next two months in Bali, where he will relocate to recover and regain his health:

Flight to Indonesia - $2,500

Rent for two months - $2,200

Travel health insurance for two months - $200

Food & Transportation for two months - $560

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Total = $5,460

Thankfully, the above estimate is already covered by the funds raised thus far, owing to the generosity of many…

UPDATE: “Daily Dhamma with Bhante” Series is now launched on YouTube.

Despite his health issues, just recently, Bhante began a new series of brief talks titled, “Daily Dhamma with Bhante” (freely available on his YouTube channel), where (whenever he is physically able to) he offers some words of encouragement and guidance for listeners and students worldwide, to help them through their day. These talks also address ongoing life and world situations from the perspective of the Dhamma, making sure the contemporary listener never feels alone in their struggles and is equipped with the Right View, or perspective, to navigate hardships, especially when dealing with situations (now global) that are rarely talked about in Dhammic circles.

Please see the fundraiser main video, which is one of those recent talks by Bhante.

Bhante is slowly beginning to resume his Sutta translations, meeting with students, and conducting short Dhamma discussions, whether through zoom or in person, as he is strongly advised not to be seated for more than 45 minutes, due to his disposition to develop thrombosis (blood clotting) yet again. But despite all these factors, Bhante has been relentless throughout, in his Dhamma sharing, while being a "One-Monk Operation!"

UPDATE! Bhante completes the Armenian translation of his book!

Despite his health struggles, and after almost three years of working on it, just recently Bhante was able to complete the Armenian translation of his book (“A Manual on Buddhist Meditation and Lifestyle: A return to the source”). This colossal work of basically creating a new language for the Dhamma that didn’t exist in Armenian, makes the Dhamma available to the Armenian-speaking reader for the first time, richly and beautifully, today, in the 21st century. The book is currently being edited and will be up for publication very soon.

Bhante’s Dhamma work:

Bhante has been giving regular Dhamma Talks via zoom, for several years now, in an unbroken chain. Further, in addition to Sutta Explorations and retranslations of the Pāli Suttas from the early Nikāyas, Bhante has been working diligently, making the Teachings therein more relevant to and relatable for all of us living in the 21st century. He has also been narrating the retranslated Suttas and continuously uploading them for all of us to have free access to online suttas, not to mention other significant works by contemporary Buddhist teachers.

Having lived through the chaos of the world during these last three years, with relentless delays, obstacles, and many restrictions we’ve faced, despite his hectic and exhausting (homeless) life, Bhante never stopped his weekly meditation retreats to support his students, that is, until recently, when he was suddenly forced to take a break from his intensive Dhamma work schedule.

Thus, Bhante has been providing such valuable resources throughout the world, both in person and digital form, thereby creating a rich online library of Dhamma, both in English and now in Armenian, for listeners to access quickly and conveniently. Note that two years ago, there was no proper Dhamma in Armenian, let alone resources. But thanks to Bhante’s spearheaded efforts, now there are already over 100 Dhamma talks that he has presented and explained in Armenian, readily available online. In addition, Bhante has never stopped providing individual guidance and support to students in their practice of meditation, as well as life challenges, often at the cost of his health and sleep...

As Bhante often says: "One must do what one can...before it's too late!"

Being a firm believer that the Dhamma is priceless and must always be offered free of charge, Bhante has made his book ("A Manual on Buddhist Meditation and Lifestyle: A return to the source") freely available, both in print and in digital form (through his website: mindreleased.com).

The incomparable and selfless work that Bhante continues to do ceaselessly, embodying Mahā Karunā (Great Compassion) with every single person he has been helping around the world, be it in the capacity of a Dhamma teacher or a licensed psychotherapist, never stops the flow of gratitude from our hearts, as his students…

Contributing to this noble cause will create better health for Bhante, more time for his Dhamma work, and thus more opportunities for students to get one-on-one instruction from Bhante, a monk who embodies what he teaches. Through Bhante’s guidance, students will develop and cultivate such healing states of mind, as loving-kindness and compassion, toward themselves and then to the rest of the world.

Bhante continues to spread the Dhamma throughout the world:

With more than 35 years of studying and practicing the Dhamma, realizing the absolute lack of resources in the land of his ancestors, Bhante Candana introduced the Earliest Teachings of the Buddha, for the first time in Armenia in 2020, as he arrived in the country, while it was steeped in war and political unrest.

Resolved not to leave and instead to stay and help spread compassion and healing until the war was over, Bhante tirelessly shared with the interested public the core Teachings of the Buddha, giving retreats, weekly Dhamma talks, and one-on-one guidance while also providing free mental health services in Armenia, as he helped individuals and their families, who had endured the worst from the front lines of the war.

About Bhante Candana:

As the grandson of the Armenian Genocide survivors, who were marched into the Syrian desert as children, Bhikkhu Candana (Dr. Garbis Bartanian) was born in Beirut at the time of yet another catastrophe, the 17-year Lebanese Civil War during which, as an eight-year-old child, he was severely injured as a result of a mortar attack that targeted his family home.

After numerous surgeries and medical procedures, the doctors gave no hope that he would walk again. Yet, despite having lost portions of his right foot, along with a traumatic head injury, the young Bhante (then merely eight y/o Garbis) not only taught himself how to walk again, but he vowed to seek the answer to his question as to, ‘why must there be pain and suffering in life, in the first place.’

The death of his young mother in 1992, after years of painful battles with cancer, and the many injustices and hardships he witnessed throughout his life all added fuel to his burning question, making it even more vibrant. This itself led the future Bhikkhu Candana to the Teachings of the Buddha, where “Dukkha” or “suffering” was understood for the very first time, thanks to the Dhamma. The Teachings of the Buddha offered an unparalleled system for educating oneself and a toolkit of remedies to set the then layperson Candana, through practice, on the journey of healing the mind from trauma and, later, in helping and healing others.

Education and Contribution to the Dhamma:

Bhikkhu Candana has a Doctorate in Buddhist Ministry (D.B.Min.) with a major emphasis on Applied Buddhist Psychotherapy.

Bhante was also granted the title of “Āchariya” (“Ajahn” in Thai) or "Teacher of the Dhamma'' back in 1998, given to him by the late Ven. Dr. Havanpola Ratanasāra Mahā Nāyaka Thera, who first encouraged Bhante to begin teaching the Dhamma in 1996.

Bhante’s book, “Manual on Buddhist Meditation and Lifestyle” (2020), has now been translated into multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, German, Italian, while Bhante recently completed the Armenian translation, which is now being edited.

Currently, the Chinese, Singhalese, Japanese, Thai, and French versions are also being translated.

In addition to his training and Doctorate in Buddhist Ministry at the University of the West (Los Angeles), Bhikkhu Candana completed his degree and training requirements in Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California, USA.

He has served as a college and university professor, as well as catered to the mental health needs of underserved populations in low-income communities of Los Angeles as a Community Mental Health Therapist, specializing in the areas of PTSD, family dynamics & relationships, mindfulness, anger management, depression, anxiety, and complex trauma.

As a lay Buddhist teacher for decades, Bhante walked away from his successful psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles to entirely devote himself to the Dhamma while giving away his material possessions and “going forth” as a Bhikkhu.

Being the first Armenian Bhikkhu (Upasampadā) in documented history, Bhante Candana has singlehandedly created a previously nonexistent library of Dhamma in the Armenian language, where he brings the Teachings of the Buddha from their very source, i.e., the Pāli Canon, into the Armenian-speaking listener, for the very first time.

Bhante also continues the colossal noble task of re-translating, reciting, and uploading onto YouTube the Teachings of Lord Buddha in their entirety, as preserved in the Pāli Canon. Bhante has been working on this project tirelessly for four years, and it is his dream to complete re-translating and reciting the entire Nikāyas before the end of his life. Today, there are thousands of Suttas on YouTube translated and recited by Bhante, taking us to the Source of the Dhamma with a mere click!