History of Thondrarama Brahma Vihara Part I

History of the Brahma Vihara Part I

Around September 1985, a group of practicing Buddhists in the Los Angeles area gathered together for the purpose of practicing their religion and to promote Buddhism. They invited a Buddhist monk who is a scholar to be their religious leader. They set up temporary quarters in Monterey Park, California, where they gathered together weekly for prayers and discussions of Buddhist religion. As more and more people joined the group, they formed a corporation known as the Progressive Buddhist Association in February 1986, and in the last quarter of 1986, the Association purchased a house in Azusa, California, to be used as the corporate headquarters and as the temple for religious services. Weekly services were held at the temple and religious discussions/instructions were given by the monk to the faithful.

The Minister

The first minister that served in the Association was the Reverend U. Thondra. He was born and raised in Burma in the Buddhist Tradition. He joined the monastic at the very young age and later become the chief abbot of the Kanbawza Monastery in Rangoon, Burma. He was well versed in the Theravadan tradition of Buddhism. The Reverend U. Thondra travelled widely in Burma and Southeast Asia preaching Buddhism to the faithful as well as to all those that came to hear his sermons. Unfortunately the Reverend U. Thondra passed away on April 14th, 1987. Since the passing away of this monk, the Association has been actively looking for an appropriate person to replace their deceased religious leader.

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