About 21awake

Areas 21awake.com particularly intends to explore include:

• What is it to lead a life dedicated to awakening in the 21st century?
• What are the trends and issues facing the insight/vipassana community?
• What is the role of relationship in the practice of awakening?
• What is the connection between the web and the spread of the Dhamma?
• Can blogging be used as part of an integrated dhamma practice?
• Is there no end to Rohan’s geekiness?

About the author

21awake is written by Rohan Gunatillake. AKA me.

Twitter: rohan_london |  what is Twitter?

Cue boring biog. Well…I was first encouraged to explore Buddhist meditation on a Tuesday evening in Oxford by a monk of Chinese/Jamaican/Canadian origin who was ordained in Sri Lanka. My practice’s centre of gravity lies near the Theravadan and vipassana traditions and has been particularly influenced in the last two years by the teaching of Ajahn Sumedho, Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Rodney Smith. In 2007 I spent a five month period training at various monasteries and centres in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand – a period which demonstrated to me the incredible value of practising in the root countries of whatever tradition you’re into. Fresh angles, special connections and mosquitoes abound.

My deep appreciation for the tradition, a seriously playful commitment to dhamma practice, being relatively young (in Dharma circles this is anyone under 40 right?), a professional interest in the collaborative web and my almost übergeeky interest in how the Theravadan/vipassana/insight schools may perhaps lead to 21awake having an interesting and distinctive voice.

When not blogging, jogging, tweeting, sitting, standing, walking or lying down, I continue my practice doing various interesting things in London and the UK.