The Sangha of
"The fertile ground for wisdom"
Paññābhūmi is a Theravāda Buddhist monastery in Jalisco, Mexico. Its community, however, reaches far beyond the surrounding forest: through the retreats and sessions Bhante Rāhula guides across different continents, the Dhamma today walks in 18 countries.
This page brings together the spiritual roots of the monastery (the teachers who formed Bhante), his biography and journey, and the global sangha woven together retreat by retreat, person by person.
(Preceptor of Bhante Rāhula)
Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa, born in 1940 in Myanmar, is a renowned scholar, teacher and author of Theravāda Buddhism.
As rector of important Buddhist institutions, he founded centers for advanced Dhamma studies and has shared the Buddha's teachings worldwide with practical insight, lightness and compassion.
Sayadaw U Tejaniya began his meditation practice as a young man in Myanmar and is known for his distinctive approach to mindfulness in daily life.
His teaching centers on cultivating a relaxed yet precise awareness, integrating wisdom and understanding into every moment of practice.
Sayadaw U Ukkamsacara has devoted his life to the deep study of the suttas and Pali texts and to meditation practice in accordance with the Theravāda tradition.
He has offered teachings in Macao centered on the Abhidhamma. His approach combines rigorous textual study with contemplative practice, guiding practitioners toward a full understanding of the Buddha's teaching from both a doctrinal and an experiential perspective.
Ven. Āyasmā Ariyadhammika, born in Austria in 1976, was ordained as a Theravāda monk in 2005 at the Pa-Auk monastery in Burma, where he practiced intensive meditation for five years.
He later trained in other Burmese traditions and in the Thai forest tradition, living as a wandering monk. He also resided in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, guiding new monks and deepening his Dhamma studies.
Bhante Rāhula Thero
Born in Guadalajara, Bhante Rāhula, a former musician and composer, completed a master's degree in music therapy.
Curious by nature and drawn to spirituality from an early age, raised Catholic, he practiced Hindu meditation and Native American ceremonies for eight years, Sufism in New York and Islam in New Delhi. He finally found answers to his questions in Buddhist monasteries.
He moved to Asia in 2001, where he lived for 20 years, beginning his practice and study of the Buddha's teachings.
He was ordained in Myanmar under the guidance of the Most Venerable Master Dr. Nanda-mālā-bhi-vaṃsa. Since 2004 he has received meditation guidance from Sayadaw U Tejaniya and has studied Suttas and Abhidhamma with Sayadaw Dr. Ukkamsacara in Macau.
In 2019 he completed a course in Buddhist scriptures at Harvard University. Bhante continued his monastic training at SBS in Malaysia for two years under the guidance of Venerable Ariya-dhammika, while offering talks and retreats for the local community.
In 2025 he was invited to lead a retreat-pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the Buddha in India and Nepal with meditators from Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico and Brazil.
For years he has led retreats and tours in Asia, North America and South America in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and has offered weekly in-person and online classes since 2016. Bhante accompanies and supports students in 18 countries in their practice and exploration of the Dhamma (the teaching of the Buddha).
He is currently building the Mexican Buddhist Center (Paññābhūmi Monastery) in a forest near Guadalajara to share the Buddha's teachings, and is planning the creation of a monastery for nuns to support the female order in Latin America.
Recognizing the great challenges of the region and the lack of tools, Bhante (keeping inner cultivation as a priority) supports programs in universities, hospitals, education for young people, palliative care centers, and those who work for liberation from addictions.
Embracing service as an expression of generosity, Bhante walks alongside the community while caring for and nourishing the path to liberation.
Bhante Rāhula accompanies students in 18 countries in their practice and exploration of the Dhamma. These are some of the communities that have received his teachings on retreats and tours around the world, and some of the people with whom he walks the path.
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