Mission
At our Buddhist Sunday School, we are dedicated to nurturing a compassionate and mindful community where students and families can explore and embrace the teachings of Buddhism.
Our mission is to:
Foster Compassion and Wisdom: Through the teachings of the Buddha, we aim to cultivate a deep sense of compassion and wisdom in our students, encouraging them to lead lives of kindness and understanding.
Promote Mindfulness and Mental Discipline: We emphasize the importance of mindfulness and mental discipline, providing students with the tools to develop inner peace and resilience in their daily lives.
Encourage Community Engagement: We value the contributions of venerable Theros, teachers, and parent volunteers and strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can participate and grow together.
Inspire Lifelong Learning: Our programs, including mindfulness retreats, charitable projects to support great causes, Kids' Bakthi Gee, and Art Projects, are designed to inspire a lifelong journey of learning and spiritual growth, helping students build a strong value system rooted in Buddhist principles.
Together, we aim to create a vibrant and harmonious community where the teachings of Buddhism can flourish and positively impact the lives of all our members.
Current Teachers
Buddhism
Charmie Subasinghe /Sandamalie Swarnasinghe - Pre-K and Kindergarten
Mahinda Jayakody - Grades 1 and 2
Kumudu Peiris - Grades 3, 4 and 5
Chanaka Hettihewa / Lakshika Kuruwita Arachchi - Grades 6 and 7
Lakshika Kuruwita Arachchi / Ravisha Weerasinghe - Grades 8 and Up /High School and Up
Sinhala
Sarasi Shah/Senuli Kuruwita Arachchi - Level I class
Mahinda Jayakody - Level II class
Kumudu Peiris - Level III class
Ravisha Weerasinghe - Level IV class
Communication Coordinator - Niroshi Wijewickrama
Substitute Teachers - Dulanji Amarasekara and Mohan Samarawickrama
Sunday School History
The North Carolina Dhamma School (Sunday School) was initiated in 2006 under the guidance of Venerable Yatiyana Wajirapala Thero. It began with fewer than 10 children at our first Vihara (Temple) location in Garner, NC. Over the years, the Sunday school classes have expanded, and now we have over 70 children attending from various parts of NC, including Charlotte, Greenville, High Point, Greensboro, and the greater Raleigh-Durham area.
We want to express our gratitude to Dr. Thusitha Dissanyake, Ayomi Dissanayake, and Lakshika Kuruwita Arachchi, who were the founding volunteers who helped start the Sunday School. Additionally, we want to highlight our retired teachers, Padmini Perera, Ayomi Dissanayake, Ishani Padmapperuma, Upeksha Vidhanapathirana, Thamara Pathirana, Anuradhi Sahabandu, Pushpa Wijewickrama, Geetha Fernando, Upul Denuwara, Anusha Gamage, and Suranga Sakalawalli Acharige, who dedicated countless hours to provide the strength and foundation that has kept the Sunday School classes going for over a decade.