The quiet hum of meditation will soon replace the sound of emergency sirens in a former first aid building in Allentown.
A group of Buddhist monks is preparing to open the Wisdom and Meditation Center of Mahamevnawa (WMC) in the former Allentown First Aid building, creating a new space for teaching, reflection and community outreach.
The center is part of the Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery network, a Sri Lanka-based organization founded in 1999 that now operates dozens of branches worldwide.
The New Jersey branch has been operating for years and has been seeking a permanent home open to the public.
Local officials say the project reflects the community’s openness to new traditions and uses for existing spaces.
“The Allentown & Upper Freehold Communities welcome all faiths, especially those that focus on peace and kindness to others,” Allentown Borough Administrator and Clerk Laurie A. Roth said. “I am looking forward to see what positivity the W.M.C. Temple will bring to our community.”
Although he’s a long way from his original home in Sri Lanka, the Venerable Bhante Revatha, a longtime Buddhist monk, and his two fellow monks, Bhante Pavihcka and Bhante Bodhi, are looking forward to establishing their center in the former Allentown First Aid building.
“Bhante” is simply a term of reverence, like pastor or reverend, and is an earned title that requires many years of study, meditation and service to others. The pronunciation of Mahamevnawa is “Maha-mev-nawa.”
The Venerable Bhante Revatha explained that within Buddhism there are three main traditions practiced by those who seek clarity of mind, discipline and humility.
Theravada, “the Sri Lanka path,” or “the Ancient School,” is the tradition that will be practiced at the WMC in Upper Freehold. It emphasizes meditation, monastic discipline and individual spiritual liberation. Mahayana focuses on compassion and the goal of helping others achieve enlightenment, while Vajrayana incorporates specialized techniques intended to accelerate spiritual understanding.
In Theravada, Bhante Revatha said, practitioners adhere closely to the original teachings of the Buddha. The goal is to become an arhat, or enlightened being, a process that requires years of disciplined training and reflection.
“When I was younger, I was interested in computer engineering, programming and web design,” Bhante Revatha said. “But I felt a stronger calling to seek the monastic Buddhist life and so, when I was about 22, I began my journey in the practice of Theravada.”
Since coming to the United States in 2021, Bhante Revatha has led several monastic Buddhist temples and meditation centers, including locations in Georgia and several in Central New Jersey. The order of monks sold their previous center in South Brunswick to help fund the move to Upper Freehold.
“We really love the location of the building in Upper Freehold, just a short walk into the village of Allentown,” Bhante Revatha said. “But there is much to do to make it into a suitable space for practice, teaching and living.”
He said renovations for the living quarters will be supported by members of the existing WMC community.
The monks had initially hoped to move in, establish the temple and begin offering public sessions by June, but that timeline has since shifted. They now expect to welcome visitors sometime in late summer.
Once open, WMC will offer meditation sessions on the last Saturday of each month for “anyone seeking peace, better clarity of mind, improved patience, and to lower stress and anxiety.”
In addition to those monthly sessions, the group provides online classes, in-person instruction and daylong retreats designed for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
Programs at the center are typically offered free of charge and supported through donations from members of the community.
The monks do not receive salaries and rely on community members to provide meals and other necessities.
Bhante Revatha said that much of their daily routine centers on extended periods of reflection, with the goal of overcoming the cycle of samsara — often described as patterns of self-centered and undisciplined thinking that can lead to frustration, anger and suffering.
“One of the goals of meditation — beyond finding serenity and calm — is coming to understand the importance of impermanence,” Bhante Revatha said. “You see, everything is subject to change. Change is infinite. Working to understand and accept the infinite helps us to better appreciate the beauty and nature of life.”
Visitors will be welcome to come to the center to ask questions about Buddhism and the practice of meditation, although mornings are typically reserved for quiet reflection.
Organizers say the center is open to people of all backgrounds, with programs for adults and children and instruction often offered in English and Sinhala.
The group also uses digital platforms to extend its reach, offering virtual classes and guided sessions in addition to in-person programming.
The head of WMC’s order said there are no plans to offer yoga or similar physical exercise classes at the temple, emphasizing its focus on traditional Buddhist practice.
For more information on the WMC of Mahamevnawa, visit mahamevnawanj.org.
The Venerable Bhante Revatha.,
